Easy Homemade Halloween Table Favors

Individual caramel apples can serve as healthy Halloween party favors.

Americans spent nearly $6 billion dollars celebrating Halloween in 2010, according to the National Retail Federation. Grocery and craft stores lure consumers with festive displays of Halloween paraphernalia beginning in September, making it easy to overspend. You can stretch your Halloween budget with homemade table favor ideas. Does this Spark an idea?

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Caramel and Candied Apples
- Whether you make them in advance or your guests make them as part of your Halloween party, caramel and candied apples can serve as party activity, snack, decorative centerpiece and table favor. You can roll them in Halloween or multi-colored cake sprinkles or slip a spider ring or fake bloody finger over the stick for children's table favors. For adults, drizzle them in chocolate or sprinkle them with nuts.
Miniature Pumpkins
- Miniature pumpkins make simple and cost-effective favors.
  
  This tiny pumpkin variety makes an appropriate seasonal table favor for fall or Halloween parties. Simply scatter them down the center of the table for a festive table-scape. Sprinkle in fall leaves, acorns and pillar candles to intensify the effect. Party-goers can take their miniature pumpkin home at the end of the evening or spend time at the party decorating it.
Treat-filled Paper Decorations
- You can expand on an idea for tissue paper pumpkins from Martha Stewart's website by making spiders or ghosts. To make these easy homemade favors, place a handful of candy in the center of a sheet of orange, white or black tissue paper. Gather the tissue paper in a ball around the candy and twist the top to close the packet. Trim the excess tissue paper, and wrap the twist in green florist tape for the pumpkin. For the spider, place the twist on the underside and secure it in the middle with four black pipe cleaners and arrange them to for the spider's eight legs. For the ghost, simply draw eyes and an open mouth with a black marker on the white tissue paper.
Individual Smores Kits
- This campfire treat can be simplified into an individually packaged Halloween table favor. To make these kits, place two graham crackers, a miniature chocolate bar and a ghost shaped marshmallow in a cellophane bag. Close the top with a piece of orange or black silk ribbon. To personalize your favors, add name tags to each one. Ghost-shaped marshmallows are available on the Halloween candy aisle of most supermarkets.
Sweet Smorgasbord
- A buffet of goodies ensures that everyone gets exactly what they want.
  
  Doubling as table decor and favor, a sweet smorgasbord allows guests to choose their favorite treats. To create your own smorgasbord, line the center of the table with clear containers filled with different kinds of sweets or treats. Place a paper bag at each setting or hand your guests a bag as they arrive. You may want to choose themed bags to complement your party or personalize the bags with your guests' names. Consider the size of the bag and how many guests you expect to determine how much candy or how many treats you need.