How To Host The Best Halloween Party Ever!

halloween party sign

(Image courtesy morguefile.com)

Halloween is a great time for a party! Whether you look forward to trick-or-treating with the kids or spooky cocktails with the adults, it really is a great excuse for a party. Like any other party, your Halloween bash will go off much more smoothly if you plan ahead and get everything you need well in advance. Here are some never-fail tips for hosting the best Halloween party, ever!

Costumes

The best part of any Halloween party is seeing your guests in costume. From adorable kids in witch hats to saucy grownups in devils’ horns, everyone can get in on the fun. Decide ahead of time if you want a theme to your party, such as all scary costumes or silly ones. There are plenty of online costume retailers that can help you and your guests create lavish costumes, but if you want to go for something less expensive you can just opt for fun accessories and focus more on creating a spooky atmosphere for your party.

Spooky surroundings

Take a note from those crazy Americans and go all out on your Halloween decor, especially the lights. The creepier the lighting, the better the Halloween party, so use items like LED tea lights hidden in jack-o-lanterns and flickering in shrubs outside your home. They look just like candles but are safe for use around children, with no worries about accidental fires starting.

Spooky table decor is easy to achieve with battery powered LED lights and candle lantern bags with spooky shapes drawn on them. Hang black and orange paper lanterns above your tables or anywhere you want to add a little ambient lighting.

Cardboard cut outs and wall scene setters are an easy way to make a big statement in even the smallest spaces. Have your guests greeted by Hollywood legends or ghoulish fiends, and turn boring walls into lavish backdrops for your spooky festivities. Plain white sheets draped over unused furniture lends a creepy feel to the setting, especially when you add fake cobwebs.

Ghoul food

Serve your guests plenty of ghoulishly good finger foods so they can nibble while they mingle. Sliders, wraps and mini appetizers served on a flashing serving tray make for a deliciously fun treat. Of course, you’ll want to include plenty of candy for trick-or-treaters on your menu, too. Sweet treats and savoury snack recipes can all be found here on our website, so make some for your party!

Keep the ‘spirits’ happy by keeping plenty of drink on hand, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Serve drinks in flashing LED glasses for a fun effect, or simply stick with disposable cups for easy cleanup. As for what to put in the cups, try creating a spooky punch complete with a floating hand by filling a plastic glove with water or juice, then freezing it. Once it’s frozen solid, peel off the glove and place the frozen ‘hand’ in your punch of choice. Watch your guests’ faces as they reach for a drink…priceless! (Check out our great Halloween Punch recipe here!)

Need something to do with your leftover pumpkin after you carve the jack-o-lanterns? Try making some delicious pumpkin soup. Serve it in a hollowed out pumpkin or witch’s cauldron for even more fun! Don’t forget to toast up the pumpkin seeds and serve them lightly salted in place of or alongside roasted peanuts.
http://www.quickfreerecipes.com/halloween-pumpkin-soup-recipe/

Halloween Pumpkin Soup Recipe

(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients
1 kilo pumpkin, deseeded
25g unsalted butter
380mls whole milk
750mls vegetable stock
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
2 large onions, chopped finely
1 red chilli, chopped finely
salt and pepper
Method
1 Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas mark 6. Place the pumpkin flesh side down on a large baking sheet. Cover with foil and cook on the middle shelf for around 1 hour. Remove from the oven and scoop the flesh off the pumpkin and put to one side.

2 In a large pan, melt the butter and saute the onions, red chilli and garlic until nice and soft. Add the cooked pumpkin flesh, stock and seasoning.

3 When the soup mixture is cooked blend using a hand blender until nice and smooth.

3 Warm the milk in a separate pan, but do not boil. Then stir into the soup gently.

4 Serve at once or put aside and gently reheat when ready to eat.

Eerie extras

Add extra spookiness to your event by playing creepy music and using black lights to create a surreal effect in your surroundings. These look especially good when used with LED furniture such as the cube chairs. For a truly terrifying table top, place a bottle of red food colouring and some water into a spray bottle. Spray a white tablecloth or sheet with the mixture to create a blood splatter effect. Use the tablecloth on the table with the food and drinks…creepy!

For children’s parties you may need to tone down the scary gore. Try freezing gummy insects in ice cubes to serve in drinks and look for foods that can double as creepy props. Peeled grapes make excellent ‘eyeballs’, while cooked spaghetti noodles could be brains in a bowl for all your young guests know!

Fun and games

Halloween games aren’t just for the kids; it’s the perfect opportunity to dare your guests into doing some very scary things. Set up a ‘Fear Factor’ style challenge that involves eating or touching something that is creepy or disgusting. You don’t actually have to feed your guests nasty things; there are plenty of foods that feel very strange when eaten while blindfolded! Try peeled, frozen grapes, cooked pasta and anything that has an unusual texture. See if your guests can guess what they are actually eating before you reveal it.

Safety first

Remember that there are lots of children about on this holiday, so keep an eye out for the little ones during the evening. Skip using candles in your decorating to prevent curious kids from getting burned, and make sure that any dangerous places and items are kept off limits during the party. There’s nothing scarier than a trip to the emergency room on Halloween, so take extra care around the little ones, and have a great party!

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