Ginger Cookies with Spicy Pumpkin Cream Filling: An intense flavor combination and a Martha Stewart-y presentation.

A delicious but healthy Halloween appetizer made with a variety of colors and textures. Make a lot, because these are a party-tested favorite and will quickly disappear.

Even though Halloween is expected to generate over $5 billion in sales this year*, you don’t need a ton of cash to transform your home into a haunted house. Sure, that $8,900 Attack Alligator prop would be amazing, but what really sets the mood is lighting. Every Halloween event, from home Halloween party to professional haunt, needs spooky lighting to create realism with mood. Fake cobwebs and dangling rubber bats look pretty lame in the light of day, but place them in a dark room with flickering candles or well placed spot lighting, and they create the foreboding atmosphere they were intended to. The best part is that great lighting can be achieved quickly, easily, and on the cheap.

Candles are …

There are many traditions that we begin on October 1st, and decorating our computers is one of the easier ones. A quick online search and you can convert your desktop and chat program into a spooky experience that evokes Halloween spirit all month long. After Sean created us some amazing banners, I was feeling inspired and decided to make a few buddy icons for 365 Halloween readers. The larger sized ones are compatible with Yahoo Instant Messenger and MSN Instant Messenger, while the smaller ones are geared towards AIM and Trillian users. Of course, you’re free to use them as a message board avatar, on your MySpace, on your website, etc. Just be sure to right-click and “Save As” rather than trying to hotlink, and do not redistribute. …

Halloween Craft Idea: Create spooky Halloween shapes from craft foam, like these bats or a crow for this Halloween. Great inexpensive craft idea!