It's that time of year again where fake bones and plastic spiders, silken cobwebs and makeshift goblins are considered home decor. If you're looking for easy homemade ideas that require little effort, time and expense, look no more. Halloween decorations are lurking in your backyard, pantry, and linen closet. 

Get the kids involved when you gather twigs, autumn leaves, and branches from your yard (if you have little debris or no backyard, score points with the neighbors by offering to cleanup theirs). Use glue to place protruding twigs from carved-out pumpkins. Prop larger branches in the middle of big pumpkins and use autumn leaves as fillers. Cut out Halloween decorations from gift bags or buy craft paper at the store. Attach a string of safety pins to cutouts and hand on the sturdier branches of your pumpkin design (or punch a hole and attach twine). Cutouts can also hang from chandeliers. If you have young children, substitute safety pins with twine or glue on black ribbon strips.

Create your own arrangements by assembling those old, half-burnt candles you're been meaning to throw out. Place them in random groups and sizes in the corner of shelves, counter tops, near windows. Use dried up cornhusks and scatter at the base. For variety, take old stained mugs and jars and turn them upside down. Place a couple extra twigs and leaves inside. Purchase crows and black birds templates and stick them inside jars. Place additional cutout crows on windows (and mirrors, too). Use markers and draw black horns, red vampire fangs, and yellowed eyes on old miscellaneous photos or use the generic one that come with frames. Place frames beside candles. Finally add one or two discarded wine bottles to create height. Use black markers to blacken a few bottles and jars. If collection is on a shelf, wrap caution tape and cobwebs haphazardly across it.

Whatever designs you choose, have a focal point for each room so you don't have to decorate the entire area. Use spiders, cobweb, and plastic bats to accessorize and dramatize creations. For rarely used furniture or corner tables and chairs, take old white sheets and cover them to create an abandoned look. Stick rubber spiders on and add talcum powder for effect.

If you have enough pumpkins, place them in descending size down staircases or along footpaths. Use markers to spell out Halloween-one letter per pumpkin per stair. Use extra gift bags to decorate footpath, as well. Cut out the bottom, discard handles, and place them around small votives or mini candles in glass. Use large bags to ensure enough space between candles and bags.

Finally, cut an old white t-shirt in large squares. Shred the edges or cut in strips. Attach safety pins in a string, find the middle of the square, and pin them on. Circle and fill in black eyes with markers to create hanging ghosts.

For more Halloween arts and craft ideas, templates and supplies, visit www.createforless.com , www.pumpkinzone.com and www.makebelievecostume.com .