As one of our favorite holidays gets ever closer, we’re thinking about ways to make it even more fun. Of course, costumes and candy are a given, but what about throwing a party?! Whether it’s just for a few people or the neighborhood, you can keep it Covid-safe, yet still create a good-time atmosphere.
Kids and adults alike will love a party that includes games, food and Halloween decor. If the weather cooperates (or you’ve got a covered deck/patio) you can invite the gang for outdoor festivities. Or, you might open the garage door and set up your own “Halloween cave” where the fresh air can circulate while you and your friends celebrate. Holding the party inside your home is also an option too. If you want to make sure everyone who wants to can mask up, buy some inexpensive medical masks and have the kids help you decorate them.
Using our holiday decor that we shared in last month’s blog, here are some more ideas for throwing an unforgettable party.
Make Your Own Eye-Catching Invitations
You can find lots of invitation ideas online, such as these. Here are three of our favorites:
- Black bats with gold lettering. Using sturdy black construction paper or card stock, use an online template to trace and cut out a bat shape. Pick up a gold metallic pen to write your invitation on the bat.
- Think “ransom note,” when you use old magazines or newspapers to cut out letters of varying sizes and fonts to create your invite message and then glue them to tattered paper.
- At your nearest craft store (or online) purchase a couple of packages of different sizes of “googly eyes” and some black construction paper or card stock. Fold the paper into invitations and affix the googly eyes on the front.
Amp Up Your Decor
We’ve got plenty of ideas for Halloween decor; check out our September blog here. You can use items found in our shop to enhance all your decorating, and get even more ideas from online articles like this one. Here are a few we like:
- A seasonal front door wreath is always fun. Use our “Happy Halloween” sign as the foundation for a wreath you make. It can be used on its own to welcome guests or decorate it with faux spiders, cobwebs, black and orange ribbon, or whatever you
can imagine. - We’ve got a number of pieces in our shop that could easily serve as a backdrop or holder for a candle. Candles (flameless are best for safety) can create an extra spooky atmosphere and when grouped together will make your home look and smell “boo-tiful.”
- Similarly, you could use our scary black cat or one of our 3D spiders as the base for a table or mantle centerpiece. Add small pumpkins and gourds, skeletons, gravestones, candles, ravens, skulls; there’s no limit to what you can create.
Dish Up a Fabulous Feast
No party is complete without food and drink and Halloween offers an opportunity to scare up some delicious goodies. Whether your party is family-friendly or adults-only, you’ll find some great food ideas here. Think about not only what you’ll serve, but how you’ll display it. Check out these ideas:
- If you’ve got a bar cart, kitchen island or coffee table, go crazy decorating it in a Halloween theme as a backdrop to display your snacks.
- Charcuterie is “on-trend” these days. But, who says it has to be meat and cheese? How about making an array of candies and sweet treats to tempt your guests.
- Get as ghoulish as you like with the food. Think spaghetti “brains,” carrot “fingers,” and “severed toe” hot dog wraps. Add a little red food coloring for extra fright.
Score Big with Game Time
With some pop music playing in the background, invite your guests — kids and adults alike — to take part in a few party games. Search online for games like these:
- That ‘90s favorite movie “Hocus Pocus” is making a comeback with a sequel in production. So, it’s only natural that you’d want to bring out the Hocus Pocus board game. Available online for an affordable price, it’s great for everyone ages eight and up.
- But, you don’t have to spend much money at all to offer entertaining games. Find some witch hats (or make your own with construction paper and black paper plates) and some inexpensive toss rings and then set up a game of ring toss on the witch hats.
- A game of “eyeball pong” will surely bring lots of laughter. Find plastic eyeballs like these online or decorate ping pong balls. Set up a bunch of disposable party cups (or use your own cups and mugs) and give everyone a chance to bounce the eyeballs into the cups.
While trick or treating and costumes may be the main Halloween draw, use these ideas along with your own creativity to make this year’s holiday one your family and friends will talk about for years to come!
