Tips for an awesome Halloween party
As promised, all this week I will be sharing tips for how to throw a great Halloween party. I promise, you will not need thousands of dollars to throw a cool party for your friends and family, but you will need a little imagination and the willingness to try some new ideas. The schedule for this week’s posts will be as follows:
- Monday, October 5: Party planning
- Tuesday, October 6: Decorations
- Wednesday, October 7: Setting the mood
- Thursday, October 8: Food
- Friday, October 9: Favors and party tips
TIME REQUIREMENTS: This guide works best if you have the following amount of time to prepare:
For food: You will need one day to plan your menu and shop, and several hours BEFORE the day of the party to prep food. The goal is to not have you stuck in the kitchen during your own party, but to have most of the food finished or just needing to be popped in the oven right before the party.
For decorations/party favors: Ideally, you should try to give yourself a couple of weeks to put together ideas, come up with materials lists, and put everything together before decorating. BUT, since this is far from an ideal world, the absolute minimum you need will be a few hours each day for three days BEFORE the day of the party to create decorations/favors and decorate. A very minimum amount of decorating will need to be done the day of the party (this amount might increase if you have small kids/pets who might destroy decorations).
Party Planning
Think of today’s post as sort of a pre-planning plan. Before you begin shopping for your party, or even making up a shopping list, you HAVE to sit down and do some thinking. Think about the following questions:
- When will the party be taking place (date AND time)?
- How many people will be attending this party?
- Who will be attending – will it be mostly my kid’s friends from school? Neighbors? Family? People from work? A mix?
- Where will I be holding this party – in my livingroom, my garden, my entertainment room in the basement?
- What is my budget for this party? (Yes, you need a budget or else – and trust me on this – you WILL spend way too much money.)
- How much time do I have to prepare for this party, both during the day of the party and beforehand?
- How much am I willing to make myself, and how much do I want to buy?
The answers to these questions will help you decide a lot about your party: From the type of food to serve (and whether you’ll be making it yourself or buying it pre-made), to the types of decorations, even to the overall feel of the party. One tip: I’ve thrown numerous Halloween parties over the years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that each event is a learning opportunity and a chance to make your next party or dinner a better one. No event is perfect, and if you expect yours to be, you’ll only drive yourself (and those around you) crazy. And not in a good way. So as you go forward, remember: The information I’m giving you is NOT a prescription for a “perfect party”. Rather, just think of it as a collection of ideas to add to your own, to make your party even more unusual and fun.
The Plan
Now that you’ve answered (or at least thought about the answers to) the questions above, lets start creating your party.
Step 1: What’s the feel?
What type of party are you throwing? Is it going to be a casual kid’s party? A fancier adults-only cocktail shindig? A party for friends and family to get to know each other and have some fun? If you’re like most people, you’re probably throwing the last type of party: Something fun for a bunch of friends and family, with kids running around and lots of great food and drinks for everyone to enjoy. The tips I’m going to offer will work best for that kind of party, though you can still adapt some of them for use at almost any kind of Halloween celebration.
Step 2: When and where?
Is the party happening during the day or at night? Indoors or out? At your own home or a rented place? The information I’ll be sharing will work in any of these situations, although some of it will be more effective in the evening, and some of it will be easier to do if you’re holding the party in your own place (or a friend’s/family member’s place).
Step 3: What’s the budget?
I love Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday (well, maybe a close second behind Christmas, but only because I get presents on Christmas), which means I tend to go a bit…overboard if I don’t watch myself. It’s just that Halloween decorations are so much fun, and they can be pretty inexpensive, and-and-and….And then $150 later I walk out of a JoAnn’s saying, “What have I done??!?!” So pick a budget. And then stick to it. I’ll be including approximate costs for each project/recipe, but keep in mind that prices can vary significantly depending on the store you shop in and the area of the world you live in.
Step 4: How much time do I have?
Be realistic about this part of the plan. I know we all think we can get everything done that we want to (and I’m as guilty of this as the next person), but the reality of it is that we all have other obligations and responsibilities. Overestimating the amount of time you have to prepare for this party will only make you even more crazed, and make everyone around you crazed as well. All projects and recipes I provide will include time estimates, but keep in mind that if you have never touched a glue gun or spatula in your life, or if you don’t have all the supplies you need, it WILL take longer. Don’t worry, I’ve got a few tricks to help you in that regard.
I’ll be presenting this party guide in such a way that you’ll be able to quickly compare it with your time and money budget, and decide whether a project/recipe is do-able for you. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention. Leave yourself open to possibilities, and you might come up with your own ideas that might cost less and take less time. Please feel free to share any ideas in the comments section – I love to hear about what other people are doing for Halloween!
