Image via DollarStoreCrafts.com

2. Ghosts in the yard.

If you have handy lights lining a path or driveway at your house, this idea will take no time at all. You just need to collect a bunch of old plastic milk jugs with the tops cut off or white paper bags (I suggest making the decision after you get the weather report for All Hallows’ Eve). Simply draw eyes on the jugs/bags with a black marker, and slip them one by one over each Image via MarthaStewart.com

Here’s an ultra affordable Halloween lighting project, if your preferred poison is the frightening beyond of unexplained extraterrestrial phenomena. Just fill your house (or yard) full of anchored helium balloons containing green glow sticks. Add faces with traditional alien eyes or something even more creative! If you really want to play it up, you and your family could dress up like extraterrestrials and pretend the real you has been abducted.

4. Mini mummies.

If you prefer cute décor over the more macabre, a quick project to make mini mummy candles holders only requires a jar or glass cup, some white gauze, and some googly eyes. Simply scrunch up the gauze around the jar to look like the mummy’s linen wrappings. Add the eyes, and ta-da, you’ve got a precious little mummy come back to life with candlelight. They’re a crowd pleaser, trust me.

One of the most exciting innovations in lighting in recent years has been the light emitting diode (LED) bulb, which promises to usher in a new era of energy efficiency. These bulbs use considerably less power than a traditional incandescent light and even a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb while providing the same amount of illumination. They can also last many years longer.

But one of the most important features of LED lights is that they can be connected to a network, and with the power of the internet, your lighting can become "smart," anticipating when the house is occupied and when it is vacant, as well as adjusting brightness to better accommodate your lifestyle.