Decorate, Host + Gift this Halloween!
OCTOBER IS ALREADY HALF OVER! I honestly can’t believe it. It doesn’t help that it is still 85+ degrees in Florida. But despite the heat, it’s time to get ready to kick of the holiday season with one of my favorites—Halloween!
DECORATE
I am not a huge decorator until it comes to Christmas, my one true love out of the holidays, don’t tell the others. But Halloween is a second close—I keep it simple when it comes to decorations. You really just need a few items to make any space feel spooky (and no, I am not talking about just leaving piles of unfolded laundry on the couch, even though that is terrifying).
Here are a few of my favorite decorating items:
Lanterns: These are perfect to deck out your front porch and mantle with or create a centerpiece. I prefer either metallic or matte black. Fill with battery-lit candles and add some spider web gauze.
Skeletons: you can find smaller versions (we even have one that is the skeleton of a cat) or go full-sized. I have yet to purchase the full-sized ones, but I am in LOVE with them! Just put one or two in your dining room chairs to create an instant spooky space.
Candles: Find candle holders and place black or off-white long stemmed candles in them (make sure you get the no-drip kind, I’ve made the mistake of not doing this and had a fun day of scraping wax off of my dining table).
Wreath: adorn your entry with a bare wreath—you can purchase these on-the-cheap and simply put some spider webbing or bats to dress it up. Hang an ‘out of candy’ sign on your wreath to let trick-or-treaters know before they ring your bell.
Gauze: I am obsessed with grey and black gauze for Halloween! It looks so chic and can create a cute table runner with ease. Target has this gauze for just $5
White or cream pumpkins: Whether you choose real or fake pumpkins, these are great fillers for decor without being overwhelming. Stack them at your front door, stairway or mantle. They can also easily be arranged on a tray, cake platter or wood slice to create a simple centerpiece for a kitchen island or dining table. Mine are from Joann’s and I add to my collection each year with their 40% off coupons.
Also, I use the same rule for decorating as I do for party-planning. Find a color palette (Shades of one color for a monochromatic look, or up to three colors) this will help to simplify what you buy! For example when I chose my items for halloween I picked grey/off-white and an accent of burnt orange. This helped me avoid the Halloween aisle leaving with a multitude of items I didn’t need.
HOST
Since your house is already decorated, now you can focus on a few details for a quick Halloween get-together.
DETAILS: Just like the color palette, you want to focus on just one or two details (is it the favors? A photo station? etc.) This will again help with keeping a low budget as well as simplifying your planning process. I love focusing on the cocktails and food—the real crowd pleasers.
COCKTAILS: Creating a spooky cocktail bar is so simple for halloween. Use a tray (metallic, black or wood all work fine—refer to what works best with your colors and decor style) and stock with liquors and wine you’ll be offering. The spiderweb gauze can be strung over the bottles and tray. Add a large mirror propped up on the table as the backdrop and string more gauze from it. I always create a self-serve area equipped with proper garnishes and accompaniments such as fruit, soda waters, and simple syrup(s). If I have time I will create a feature cocktail myself and have pre-served in glasses or in a pitcher. If you don’t have time to whip it up yourself, just ensure that all of the needed items are on the cocktail bar and jot down the ingredients and instructions on a chalkboard or framed sign—guests will love having the chance to learn how to craft a new cocktail. The finishing touch is to add custom drink stirrers for guests to use and even take home as favors, such as the boo/trick/treat stirrers.
FOOD: As I’ve mentioned before—frozen food + charcuterie is the BEST! I know it sounds counter-intuitive to have pre-made food items at a well-hosted party, but trust me—the less stress there is for you, the better the party will be, so why not? I always head to Trader Joe’s to stock up on their amazing selection of frozen appetizers. I make a massive charcuterie board that ranges from sweet to savory. My theory is, as long as the food tastes good, it doesn’t matter if it was made from scratch. By creating a visually appealing display with different heights, colors and textures—your food offerings will sure to please any crowd. For Halloween—choose richer colored foods for filler to create a moody feel such as figs/plums etc. The Trader Joe’s blueberry goat cheese is perfect for halloween as it looks almost black due to the coating of dried blueberries. Garnish foods with spooky props (plastics spiders crawling from a wedge of cheese, cheesecloth gauze laid under platters and so on).
GIFT
Who says you have to wait until Christmas to kick of the gift-giving season?! Halloween is meant to be full of treats! Here are a few of my favorite things to gift:
WINE: Tying a wine tag with a black ribbon to a bottle of red and dropping it off at neighbors or friend’s doors will lift even the ghoulish of spirits. These also make the best favors or decorations for your Halloween party.
FOR THE KIDS: For infants and toddlers, choose a simple halloween book to tie a cute tag to, for older kids drop off an activity (like cupcake mix, pre-made frosting and spooky sprinkles or craft items with a pumpkin to decorate)
