For a spooktacular Halloween party, start with frightful invitations. Pick some
up at a local store, or make homemade invites with black and orange paper,
stickers, glitter or whatever strikes your fancy.
There are many routes to consider when planning a Halloween bash: a haunted
house, graveyard or mausoleum theme; a Victorian-era vampire theme; an Adams
Family party theme; etc.Adult parties can be more fun in pairs; couples and
friends pair up for a character couple/group costume contest. Think Romeo and
Juliet, Sonny and Cher, Tom and Jerry; the
Seven Dwarves. A fun twist to the costume contest can be the gender switch contest,
in which men dress as women and vice versa.
Once the theme for the Halloween party is set, you'll have more direction on
where to go with the décor. Create your own haunted house by transforming each
room/area in the party space into a themed haunted room, such as the Deranged
Doctor room, the haunted graveyard, the Creepy Dolls room, etc. Outside of the
party, spread faux spider webs, illuminate the walking paths with luminaries,
and place carved pumpkins throughout. Skeletons, graveyard signs, spiders and
other Halloween decorations are nice touches, too.
Children's Halloween parties should have plenty of entertainment to keep the
kids happy. A clown or magician can be fun features, but also makes sure to
have ample treats for them, including cupcakes, candy and punch. Try to
incorporate healthy snacks in the mix, too: apple slices, crackers, cheese,
vegetables. Don't forget to capture the night with lots of pics of the kids in
costumes.