Get Hands-On This Halloween - Have A Spooky, Safe, Tasty And Ghastly Halloween

Pick Proper Costumes

Before Halloween, choose a costume that doesn't pose safety risks. Look for costumes, wigs and accessories that are flame-resistant and flexible. Ideally, costumes will be bright and reflective. If not, add reflective tape to costumes or bags and provide glow sticks or flash lights. Make sure shoes fit properly and costumes are not too long to help prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flames. Also consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives to masks, which can obscure vision.

Prep Your Home for Visitors

To ensure you're ready for trick-or-treaters, remove tripping hazards from your yard and porch, including hoses, bikes and other toys, and clear wet leaves, snow or other debris from the sidewalk. Make it known you're home by turning on your porch light; test it early and replace burnt out bulbs, if necessary, to ensure visibility. Also consider substitutes for sweets, which may contain ingredients some trick-or-treaters are allergic to, opting instead for more inclusive options such as stickers, coloring books, pencils, rubber insects or colored chalk.

Trick-or-Treat with Care

Regardless of the age of your children, some extra precautions should be taken before they go out in search of treats. Remind children to avoid trick-or-treating alone; walk in groups or with a trusted adult. If older children are going with a group of friends, plan and review an acceptable route and agree on a specific time for them to return home. Tell them to only visit homes with illuminated porch lights and always use direct paths, crossing the street at corners using sidewalks and crosswalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic and stay as far away from passing cars as possible.

Watch for Walkers

The risk for children being hit by cars is higher on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. To help minimize that risk, slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods - especially between the hours of 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. when most children are typically trick-or-treating - as excited kids may move in unpredictable ways. Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and curbs, and minimize distractions such as cell phones as much as possible.

Inspect Candy

Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and discard spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items once children return home. Teach your child to politely decline homemade items such as cupcakes, brownies and popcorn balls, and always read ingredient labels as many popular candies contain common allergens like peanuts, milk, eggs, soy or wheat.

Halloween Decor

Setting the stage for a ghastly Halloween doesn't have to break the bank. A little creativity can provide affordable decorations you can make on your own to add some spooktacular charm to your home.

Sparkling Spider Webs

Creepy crawly spiders are a Halloween classic, but no spider display is complete without a spectacular web. Create a series of sparkly webs using metal rings or hoops of various sizes as the frame. Loop heavy wire at intervals around the hoop, wrapping enough times and tightly enough to secure each piece in place and leaving enough wire to meet all pieces in the middle and twist to form a knot.

Once the radial lines are complete, use the same heavy wire to create rows of scalloped spiral lines, twisting around the radial lines for a secure hold. Then add beads to a fine, lightweight wire and wrap around the spiral lines for a shimmering glow. Use clear or iridescent beads if you plan to hang them in a window or near a light source or use colorful beads for more whimsical charm.

Ghostly Garland

A garland is a versatile way to introduce holiday decor when surface spaces such as tabletops or mantels are in short supply. Garlands can enhance stair railings, window treatments, doorways or even flow along the front of your mantel.

For a simple ghost garland, all you need is a series of round items (foam craft balls, ping pong balls or wads of newspaper). Place the ball in the center of square fabric scraps, cheese cloth or tissues. Use white for a more traditional appearance or play with color to create a look that's all your own. Tie the cloth around each ball tightly with a piece of yarn or string and make a double knot, leaving a long string loose.

With a black marker (or other color, depending on your fabric), add facial features. To ensure the ghosts hang properly, hot glue your yarn or string to the back of the ghosts' heads. Then space each ghost and tie it to a long piece of yarn or string to form the garland. You can add other elements to dress up the garland, such as tulle, pipe cleaners or faux spiders, webbing or eyeballs.

Wrap Up a Wreath

Seasonal wreaths add character to your entryway or any room of the house. Just start with a round base - it can be a hoop or even a cardboard cutout - then embellish as you wish.

• Tie on pieces of fabric or old strips of cloth diapers to make a mummy-like masterpiece.

• Attach faux pumpkins in an array of colors and sizes for a harvest look.

• Alternate orange and black tulle then glue on ghoulish elements like skulls, bats and pointy witch hats.

Homemade Halloween Treats

Halloween calls for candies and treats of all kinds as trick-or-treaters roam neighborhoods, but don't forget to stock your own snack supply with homemade goodies.

Skip the store-bought sweets this year and instead opt for ideas like these that can be whipped up in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Party Mix

As one of the easiest recipes you could imagine, a Halloween-themed party mix simply calls for your favorite snack-type foods tossed together in a group-sized bowl or individual containers. You can try just about anything from candy corns and miniature chocolates to pretzels, popcorn and more.

Spooky Cupcakes

Kid-friendly treats are the name of the game when it comes to Halloween, and there's almost no better way to get children involved in the kitchen than with some personalized decorations. Bake your preferred cupcakes - chocolate or vanilla - then call on the kiddos to use icing and toppings for creepy custom creations.

Pumpkin Pie

There's nothing wrong with going with a classic. While it may not scream All Hallows' Eve, pumpkin is the flavor of the season, which makes pumpkin pie a traditional taste this time of year. Because most versions call for a fairly small number of ingredients, it's a simple way to bake a desirable dessert. Plus, you can easily give pumpkin pie some Halloween flair using whipped cream to "draw" a spooky Jack-o-lantern-like face.

Creepy Cookies

Whether your family craves chocolate chip or prefers the sweetness of sugar cookies, you can lay out your favorite dough and use seasonal cookie cutters - think Frankenstein, witches, ghosts, spiders and more - for a frightful bite.

Caramel-Dipped Apples

Skip out on bobbing for apples and instead dip yours in caramel for a traditional Halloween treat. Just insert wooden skewers in the tops of your apples, dip the opposite end into melted caramel and enjoy. To add a bit of fun and flavor, sprinkle chopped nuts or crushed candies on the caramel end of each apple.

Find more ideas for seasonal holiday decor at: www.eLivingtoday.com. And snacks, desserts and treats at: www.Culinary.net.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images - Information provided by: www.eLivingtoday.com, www.Culinary.net and Family Features.