Spooky Celebration

October 1, 2010

This fall, set the scene for an eerie, hair-raising celebration for friends and family. In classic Halloween fashion, begin with a black-and-white palette, then add spooky silhouettes—think bats, spiders and witch hats—creative snack displays and lots of other ghoulish details. Scared yet?

Setup & Décor
 When prepping for any party, begin by cleaning your space, then set the scene by putting your decorations in place. For a step-by-step guide, simply download and print our Fall Party Prep & Clean-Up Checklist.

Rethink Furniture: Study the room in which you’ll be hosting and consider temporarily reconfiguring your furniture. You’ll want a wide open space where people can move freely, so take some pieces to another room, then position chairs around the edge of the room and place one or two long tables along the wall.
Prime Your Tablescape: Evoke an ethereal, ghost-like look with the tablecloths you place on your tables. Start with white bed sheets, then shred and tatter the edges with a pair of scissors or a razor blade.
Tip: For a different, but equally spooky effect, try dip-dying your sheets in brewed tea to achieve an old, worn look. It works for cloth napkins, too!
Hang Haunting Garlands: Before you add décor accents and treats, make sure all of your major decorative elements are in place. We think draping a handcrafted black bat paper garland over your mantle, above your table, or along the front of it, adds drama to the scene.
Tip: There are endless ideas for creating paper garland that complements your party’s theme. Try stringing together colorful cupcake liners for a Candyland Party this fall.
Old-World Accents: From baroque candelabras spray-painted black to glass potion bottles filled with dried herbs and oils, there are lots of ways to add to the haunted feeling of your celebration.

Food & Drink
 Once your décor is in place, take your theme to new heights with dreadfully delicious treats and drinks.

Creepy Presentation: As you put together your menu of snacks, collect dramatic bowls, trays and pedestals that play up your food’s spooky slant. We like filling a giant spider web bowl with bite-size Apple Cider Donuts and a large cauldron with our delicious Witches’ Brew. Setting your cauldron or punch bowl atop a large, shallow dish filled with dry ice adds an extra dose of spook.
Tip: We all love the usual trick-or-treat candy, but for an eerie look, stick to only jet-black candy, like black licorice and jellybeans. Use them to fill up lots of different glass bottles or vases, then arrange them across your table.
Sweet & Scary Details: For this party, use your favorite fall treat recipes, but add a scary slant. Start by making our yummy Creative Caramel Apples. Once dry, use a thin line of white icing to draw a spider web pattern on each. But for something truly hair-raising? Stab each apple with a two-pronged fork and use red icing to give the look of a vampire’s bite. Eek!

Tip: You can use this same recipe—minus the spooky details—for our festive Autumnal Harvest Party.

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