Even if you've outgrown trick-or-treating (or the neighbors have just stopped giving you candy),
you can still scare up some fun with a grown-up party or easy Halloween decorations.
Or both. (We recommend both.)
Dawn of the Decorations
Front doors & entryways
Nothing says "hello my pretties" like a few Halloween decorations around the doorway. Our favorites: Lighted trees and pumpkins that stay bright all night without a candle.
Add your own hay bales and one or two natural pumpkins—just to keep it real—and parts of your display can stay up even after Halloween.
Inside, add LED candles on a pedestal table
or a console table covered with Halloween ornaments, and you've set the tone. A gorgeously horrifying tone.
The Living Room
It's time to show a little leg. Fun, unexpected and requiring about zero effort, furniture leg covers are one of our top Halloween picks. Add in some black Halloween garland for the mantel, throw in a panel of gauze fabric from a craft store, and it's an instant haunted house. See even more possibilities on our page of seasonal decorations.
The Table
Halloween aprons, a few display pumpkins, mugs, witchy kitchen towels—decorating your kitchen or dining table is frighteningly simple. Especially when you can find tabletop looks so easily.
With Halloween table runners, placemats and even salt-and-pepper sets, you can get creative setting a Halloween table. Felt cut-out placemats seem just right for a kids' table. For grown-ups? Start with dramatic black serving pieces or plates, and go from there. See how we pulled together two different Halloween tables here.
Still bewildered? Don't have a ghost of an idea what to do or where to start? We have a way of solving that.
It's called just browsing.
Nightcap on Elm Street
The Cocktails
Stock up on a secret ingredient we like to call creepiness. Mix up cocktails like a green witch's brew (appletini or melon liqueur with vodka) and serve to victims—uh, guests—in martini glasses. If you're serving wine, create bloody wine goblets by dipping the rims into a mixture of corn syrup and red food coloring, then turn upright and allow the goo to drip down the sides of the glasses. For designated drivers or guests who prefer nonspirited refreshments, virgin Bloody Marys or grape sodas with eyeballs make good alternatives. The more frightening the color, the better.
The Food
It's time for a bit of kitsch with the canapés. One idea we like is Zombie Finger Food (cut string cheese in half, carve "knuckle" lines and
a shallow area for red bell pepper "fingernail" at top). Less gory bites might include pumpkin cupcakes, deviled eggs, moldy cheese balls (cream cheese rolled in herbs) and of course, candy corn, all served on fun platters and bowls.
The Vibe
Cocktail parties are for mixing and mingling, so don't think you have to provide a 1:1 guest-to-seat ratio. Bistro or bar tables and tall chairs or stools work well alongside a sofa, ottoman and a few comfy chairs.
Set the mood with spooky music and horror movies playing in the background. Fill a basket or trunk with Halloween costumes for guests to sort through and don behind a folding screen. Up the hocus-pocus quotient with a fortune-teller behind a curtain, and you've got yourself one hair-raising hullabaloo.