Halloween Playhouse Makeover for $25

When miles first got his playhouse from my parents as a birthday present this past March, I fell down a deep rabbit hole of how other people were decorating their Step2Company cottage playhouses for different seasons and holidays. I got some great inspiration that I used for my Halloween Playhouse makeover this year using primarily things I found at the Dollar Tree and keeping the budget at $25!

The one thing I love the most about his cottage playhouse is that it has a small planter box that's perfect for making fun little floral arrangements. Even miles knows how much his mama loves making floral arrangements and playing with flowers. He had so much fun helping pick out the weird flowers that we used for his little planter box! The rest of the flowers I used for floral arrangements on my front porch.

Using two of the faux fence stakes, I made him a miniature graveyard and added three of their foam tombstone pieces (not pictured). I used black spray paint a baby blue acrylic paint to give it a less spooky look for the little ones to enjoy.0

I used foam sticky removable hooks on top of the roof of the playhouse to hook the Halloween cloth and garland, and secured in place against the sudden winds we were getting. I got a few pieces of decor and Halloween costume to place around the table, the inside shelf, and placed a hay bale under the window for the pumpkins and extra decor, which I purchased from a local craft store. I got the doormat from the target Dollar spot for $5. I finished off the look by spreading fake glitter spiders around the top of the roof, as well as getting some of the foam pumpkins to stack on the bail of hay. However, I recommend that if you get the pumpkins from Dollar Tree for your toddler, be sure to remove the stems and reattach using hot glue the stems come attached using a toothpick which can be very dangerous for little ones.

I got a small bucket and a nice Navy fall color for miles to keep all his toys organized in when inside the playhouse. Any other decor used on the playhouse were older decor that I had from my stash that didn't quite fit missile I go for nowadays.

A great way to keep costs low when decorating for your toddler is to use things from the Dollar Tree or the thrift store, or even old items from your own stash that you'd like to replace going forward. Dollar Tree holiday decor items are getting better and better every year, and these things really hold up against kids beating them up all day!

Cost Breakdown

2 Halloween Cloth: $2
Glitter Spiders Pack: $1
Halloween Garland: $1
3 Foam Pumpkins: $3
Floral: $0 (leftovers from another project)
Haybale: $0 (already owned)
Welcome Mat: $5
Trick or Treat Banner: $3
Hanging Tassel Spider: $0 (already owned)
Bucket: $1
Ghost: $1
Picket Fences: $2
Halloween Sign: $1
Removeable Sticky Hooks: $1
Paint: $0 (already owned)

I would say that if you were starting with zero things, the most you'd probably have to pay for everything would be about $35. For a season's worth of joy, memories and more, its very much worth it. And remember, building up decor for your home is a process. You don't need to buy everything you need right now. Get what you can and build up along the way (plus, there's always some great scores when everything goes on clearance)!

I did learn some lessons along the way, though, that I'd like to stress and share with you:

Invest in the removable hooks. I didn't and his rooftop decor constantly fell off, even without wind.
Don't leave your haybale on your grass permanently; grass WILL grow through it. I wish it still looked this pristine, but we had to throw it away when we realized that grass grew completely through it and ruined it. I recommend maybe moving it into the house and mowing underneath where it'll sit.
Lastly, be gentle with the stakes when you put them in the ground. I've gotten expensive decor and had it break on me. Dollar Tree seemed to hold up better, but wet your ground a bit and let the dirt soak it up before placing the fencing or signs down.

I can't wait to build up a decor plan for Miles' Christmas playhouse! I learned so much with his Halloween decor, and I know that it'll be even more of a challenge to ensure whatever I buy holds up against our California wet winters.

If you style up your playhouse, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@withlovejoey) or send me the link to your post in the comments below!