Gear up for Halloween

With these simple decorating and costume ideas.

Are you looking for a quick yet witty, if not a bit sarcastic twist for your costume this year? See how many of your friends can figure you out when you dress up as…

Black-eyed peas: Simply use black face paint to draw the letter “P” around each eye.

Quarterback: Photocopy a quarter, enlarge the image, then print and glue to a piece of cardboard. Use duct tape to adhere cardboard to your back.

Smartie pants: Purchase a bag of Smarties candies (readily available this time of year) and glue the individually wrapped packages on an old pair of pants.

If your idea of autumn decorations is limited to a paper ghost cutout, try these simple ideas to make your home more festive.

Florals in the fall?: Sticking with the Halloween colors of orange and black, make a silk flower arrangement using a black basket and orange sunflowers for an instant room brightener.

Mantles made easy: Making your mantle display “fall friendly” is easy. Use bright autumn leaves, berries, mini-pumpkins or gourds. Dress it up with cinnamon or gold-colored taper candles.

Go natural: Fill a glass bowl with green apples to use as a centerpiece. Gather pinecones and display in a pretty basket. Spruce up your houseplants by tucking sprigs of berries or silk leaves around the base.

Keep it sweet: Place a round candle in a small bowl and fill around the base with candy corn or jelly beans (orange and black, of course).