Tips, Tricks and Treats for Your Halloween Bash

You’ve dared to take on one of the most frightening tasks of Halloween – hosting the bash. The stakes are high for this ghoul’s night out and everyone’s coming – ghosts, monsters, witches and vampires. But are you ready? From music, decorations, treats and drinks, there are so many factors to consider when throwing the ultimate bash, which is why we’ve put together a hair-raising list of tips, tricks and treats that will ensure this glorious night is a wicked good time for everyone.

Décor – keep it spooky

• Curb appeal: Make a killer first impression that’ll lift everyone’s spirit right from the get-go. If you have a tree, hang witch hats, pumpkins, bats, spiders with spiderwebs or ghosts. Create a trail of bloody footprints that lead to the entrance and line the entryway with carved pumpkins. Park broomsticks outside your home to let everyone know witches are welcome. Remember – the morgue, the merrier, so go all out. Afterall, is there such a thing as overkill on Halloween?
• Table décor: If you’re throwing a feast beforehand, transform the dinner table with any one of these Halloween-inspired décor ideas. The great thing about Halloween is there are so many color palettes to choose from: go traditional with black and orange; go the vampire route with black and red decor; transform your dining room into a witch coven with black and purple décor; get inspired by the evil Dr. Frankenstein with green and black. There’s also always the option to go elegant with light and fall colors. Just remember to keep in mind the centerpiece is the focal point, so whether you go with a skull, pumpkin or crow, the décor around it should complement.
• Music: Consider iconic scores from horror movies such the theme song from Halloween or the screeching violin from Psycho. You’ll also want to have the songs everyone expects, such as Thriller and Monster Mash plus several streaming apps will have a great selection of playlists for you to consider.
• Movies: Use the televisions throughout your home and set up a projector outside to screen classic horror movies. You can even put the subtitles on for anyone who needs a rest.

Food & Boos

• Candy corn cocktail: The public has mixed taste buds when it comes to candy corn – many love it and many hate it. But this Candy Corn Cocktail is sure to unite everyone. This cocktail’s recipe is simple and its vibrant colors in a martini glass make for a wonderful presentation.
• Jell-O shot syringes: Fun and easy to create, fill a few buckets with these syringes and have them around the party, so when people need a prescription for a pick-me-up, they are readily available.   
• Paint it black: Turn classics like red candy apples into ‘poison’ toffee apples. Simply add black food coloring when creating the toffee and you’ve got yourself a treat worth dying for.  
• Stuffed peppers: Shepherd’s pie stuffed peppers are perfect for Halloween because they can be carved into little pumpkins. This recipe will surely be a hit! 
• Witch’s brew punch: One sip from this recipe will have everyone spellbound. Add some dry ice and throw some plastic eyeballs or candy on top to give it a more brooding look.

Games

• Eyeball pong: Transform the classic Beer Pong party game without batting an eye – simply swap out the ping pong balls for fake eyeballs. You can also fill the cups with some of the witch’s brew and let the kids play.
• Bowling: This activity requires you to sacrifice a few rolls of toilet paper, but it’ll be worth it. Paint ghost faces on the rolls to use as pins, stack them up, use a pumpkin as a ball and you’re ready to roll!
• Eyeball dig: Prepare a bowl of spaghetti, place fake eyeballs in the bowl (or other small body parts), blindfold the victims and have them search for remains! You can also blindfold them before they see the spaghetti, that way they won’t know exactly what they’re digging through and their imaginations can get the best of them.