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When it comes to decorating, Halloween is hands down the best holiday—so if you’re throwing a Halloween party, you better be ready to go all out. This is not the season to practice subtlety or restraint!
One of the best things about decorating for a Halloween party is that there are so many different approaches that you can take. From sophisticated and spooky to gaudy and ghoul-y, the sky really is the limit. Here are a few ideas to throw a fantastically festive Halloween bash.
A Ghost Out
You might be used to decorating with a dark palette for Halloween, but try switching it up with an all-white color scheme. Done just right, an all-white theme can be super chic, but also super eerie—think gauzy ghosts and lots of cobwebs. Take it up a notch by asking everyone to wear a mostly white costume, and see how creative your guests can get. Think “Diner en Blanc” with a scary twist.
I Want Candy
What’s the best part about Halloween? The candy, of course! If scary isn’t your thing, throw a Candyland-themed party featuring all of your favorite Halloween treats. Use bright, poppy colors and have a deluxe candy bar featuring those tasty creamy pumpkins, candy corn, and other seasonal classics.
Channel Your Inner Harry Potter
Celebrate everyone’s favorite wizard by throwing a Harry Potter Halloween party. Transform your home into Hogwarts and borrow all the surreal and creepy touches from the books and movies. Use your imagination to re-create some of the magical effects (re-reading the books and re-watching the movies totally counts as research), and don’t forget to serve up some Harry Potter-esque snacks. Butterbeer and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, anyone?
Go Wild
Bats, snakes, creepy crawlies… it wouldn’t be Halloween without them. Forgo the kitschy Halloween ghosts, goblins, and witches and focus on the holiday’s celebrated critters. Think mice silhouette cutouts along the baseboards, spray-painted plastic snakes placed in unexpected locations, toy spiders all over the place, and bats dangling from the ceiling.
A Purple Dinner Party
Purple is perhaps the most underrated Halloween color of all. Used in the Halloween context, this rich color is luxurious with a touch of eeriness—perfect for an indulgent Halloween dinner party. Add splashes of gold, touches of black, and fancy candlesticks to set the stage, and pick up one of those cheesy murder mystery games to play throughout dinner. Encourage your guests to dress up in character.
Glow All Out
Set the stage for the ultimate party with low lights and lots of neon. Cover your walls with white butcher paper and sprawl on spooky graffiti with glow-in-the-dark paint (don’t forget to replace your regular light bulbs with black lights). You can have a lot of fun with glow sticks, too—just Google “DIY Glowing Eyes” for a tutorial on how to create spooky, floating fluorescent eyes.
Fun and Friendly
Think festive, not scary, for a family friendly affair. Pick up some adorable owl and black cat decorations and add fun seasonal touches like hay bales, mini pumpkins, and grinning jack-o-lanterns. Focus on fun, Halloween inspired food that’s more silly than spooky.
