Drum roll (with skeleton legs on a cauldron), please! We've officially entered SPOOKY Season! Because 2020 was the year of little to no fun, this Halloween, we're going all out and hosting an entertaining and tasteful Halloween party with a few of our closest friends. NO EVIL FOES ALLOWED!
The Prep Work
Halloween parties are fun to arrange with lots of theme ideas and decorations to choose from. But what type of decorations, entertainment, and kinds of drinks and snacks will make our soiree a success? We want to create a modern Halloween vibe combining a few vintage-inspired pieces from our everyday decor with minimalist Halloween decorations, delectable treats, and frightening tunes.
We will use black candles, small figurines, wall hangings of ghosts, goblins, and witches as accent pieces and finishing touches. The minute but innovative details will make our party a classic.
Before purchasing or unpacking any decorations, we need to take down and store some of our everyday tchotchkes. Faux flower arrangements, colorful wall art, vibrant figurines, or anything that doesn't match our theme or color palette should go in a closet until after the party. We're going for a hint of Fall Spooktacular!
Baskets and Leaning Ladders for Coats and Purses
When your guests arrive, they will look for a safe place to put their belongings. Add a few large bamboo and metal baskets or eye-grabbing leaning ladders in the entryway or bedroom for coat and bag storage. Place some decorative pumpkins on the rungs or a skeletal hand or two poking through a basket to set the mood.
A Skull in a Bell Jar, A Poised Cat and Some Poison Bottles
We are happy to say that our furniture easily crosses over from holiday to holiday and season to season. An industrial black metal cage table lamp that, decorated with colorful leaves, embodies Autumn's spirit. Adding a small faux animal skull inside a bell jar, a few ornate poison bottles, and a resin cat sculpture to our contemporary natural wood cabinet with slated doors, we've created a lively holiday vignette that captures the feel of Halloween, without the kitsch.
Cobwebs on an Ornate Mirror and A Dusty Wedged Shelf with Books
We recently replaced our old plain black square mirror above the mantle with an ornate gold mirror bedecked with apex scrolls. Covering this Victorian-era styled mirror in fake cobwebs will infuse the desired slightly creepy factor into our living room, evoking the feeling of the interior of a centuries-old mansion perched on an English hillside.
Spooky Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl on a Petrified Gray tree Trunk
Food is a central component of most parties. We want to carry the theme through the entire party, so presentation is necessary. After going through our library of favorite recipes for hors d'oeuvres and snacks, the Spooky Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl is perfect for this soiree. The bread bowl is shaped like a cauldron with a braided handle, and the green spinach dip is the witch's brew. One of the side tables in our living room is none other than a gray faux tree trunk that looks like it came right out of a petrified forest. We cannot think of a better setup to nosh on this scary treat.
Vampires Kiss Cocktails on a Decorated Bar Cart
Aside from beer and wine, we want to serve a "Host's Special" cocktail with a 'bite" for the evening. The Vampire's Kiss or a blood-red adult beverage in a crystal carafe is a win. We set out the glasses, pitcher, olives, and napkins on a rolling bar cart. And keeping in sync with the rest of the house, we adorned the cart with a series of skeleton or spider streamers and a ceramic black pumpkin for stirrers.
Lastly, we put together a playlist of old-school Halloween favorites and horror movie theme songs. Our cart doubles as the "entertainment" center by placing a blue tooth speaker under the drink shelf, a great space-saving move to avoid clutter.
With imagination and some hard work, anyone can throw an unforgettable party with friends and loved ones. Look around at the items in your home. See what you already have, then put a list of needs together, including food and drinks, develop a plan and execute!
