October is probably my favorite month [It’s between October and December, for sure, because I love Christmas] out of the year. I love the entire mood that October gives off; The leaves are turning bright shades of yellow, orange, and red; Sweater weather is almost in clear view; Haunted houses and pumpkin patches; Hay rides and candy apples. Who wouldn’t love October?
Some of my favorite scary movie marathons are about to take off… 30 days of Halloween; Yes please! A good Sanderson Sister reunion; With a personal favorite of mine, Hocus Pocus, is always at the top of the list.
There are some key pieces that I like to think about when planning a spooktacular party.
It’s just a Halloween party; Isn’t that the theme, Halloween?
The answer is, NO!
All parties [Especially Halloween Parties] are more fun to design with a specific theme.
Some examples include…
- Mad Scientist
- Haunted House
- Wicked [Pictured here]
- Haunted Circus
A great place to get ideas for any holiday specific theme is, Loralee Lewis. This is a true go to of mine for any theme ideas and|or party design of any kind! She also has an Instagram account; Which is great for a quick, picture inspired look.
Not only does Loralee inspire great looks and ideas; She also offers some of her themed decor for purchase.
Most personalized decor pieces and paper-goods pictured in this post are actually off of her website.
For this specific Halloween party, I used her “Something Wicked Collection.”
I personally believe that every good Halloween party should have a candy bar! It is such a fun food area to decorate, and besides, everyone knows that Halloween means sugar overload; Right?
This idea is always a huge hit with adults and at kid friendly events as well. Not to mention, it is a great way to incorporate food items that dress up your theme with bold, fun colors!
I, for example, used a lot of black and white candy and then added in “typical Halloween” colors [purple, orange, green].
In addition to candy, I also included cake, cookies, and themed drinks to this space.
Williams-Sonoma is one of my favorite places to get holiday desserts and fingers foods [Cookies and cake pictured above]. They are even delivered directly to your house and were a big hit!
I like to have themed drinks as well [colored to match the party theme]. I typically find these ideas on Pinterest and love using nice glass-ware [Martini glasses, Champagne flutes, Wine glasses, Etc.] to display some on the table. I always have a few ready to go at the beginning of the party [For guests to just simply grab]. I also added these fun “Toil & Trouble” straws [Pictured above] from Loralee Lewis.
Something fun to add a spooky element to your party, is dry ice. It will create a moving, fog- like” affect that will really take the Halloween vibe to the next level.
This time of year it is harder to find dry ice; Just call your local grocery store and ask if they have any in stock.
This can be added to a pool, the bottom of a punch bowl [This is what we did], or even in hidden buckets of water around your house.
Another option to create this effect would be a fog machine. However, this will cost you a little more; It might be worth it though, if you plan on reusing it in the future.
No party is complete without a photo-booth backdrop; This is such a fun and interactive way to break that initial ice, between guests, that don’t know each other. I really like to offer my guests fun ways to interact and good conversation starters. No one wants to feel awkward and just be standing around at the beginning of the party. Nor does anyone want to feel like the odd ball out, if they don’t know many other guests. A fun design is always a good conversation starter but it only lasts so long.
So….
….This little sign and masks were placed on the “Welcome table.”
The masks were purchased from a, few different, local Halloween stores and Party City. All I had to do was, hot glue a black painted craft stick to the side of the mask and throw them in a vase.
I literally got these sticks from my yard [Yes, my yard].
This Photo Boo-th sign is another item that matched our “Something Wicked” theme; Purchased from Lauralee. I LOVED having this extra detailed piece.
I cannot even tell you the number of times that I have used the black frame [Also pictured in other sizes throughout this post]. I have re-painted these for multiple parties; Including my “Baby Shower Decor on a Budget” blog post.
They were a purchase from Hobby Lobby during the “Wall Decor” 50% off sale.
The backdrop was a purchase off of Amazon; Along with the “Trick or Treat” banner. I literally just taped the backdrop to the wall and easily was able to take it down afterward.
The skeleton is from Pottery Barn; As well as the broom and spider [These also light up at night] pictured above. We use all three of these items every year, for different purposes and designs each time.
Some other fun ideas to incorporate include:
- Bobbing for Apples
- Best Costume Winner|Prizes
- Halloween Music|Sounds
- Dim|Colored Lighting
- Outdoor Bonfire Seating
Above all, remember to have fun and don’t be afraid to go all out! This is the one time of year that you can get as crazy and out there, with your design, as you want.
Create an entire mood and your guests won’t be disappointed!
