Halloween is by far my favorite holiday.  It is in fact the very thing that my business partner and friend Lisa, says was the moment she knew we would always be friends.  Both huge Halloween fanatics, I guess it was only natural that we’d end up launching Social Couture, so that we could continue to find more reasons to party. If you haven’t become a huge fan of Halloween yet, then it is due time and we want to help you!

For starters, there is no such thing as Halloween without decorations and costumes and cocktails of course!  The whole point is to create an atmosphere, whether your own, or borrowed, that takes your guests on a magical journey that evokes images of dark, macabre and reminds them why they are still secretly afraid of the dark.

You don’t have to buy the dime store decorations that seem to be everywhere and that all create the same cheap look and feel.  You can be creative and even upscale, by mixing a little mischief with a dose of imagination.

First, pick a color scheme.  It doesn’t have to be all orange and black, you can mix it up and go with a ghostly white theme or even a blood red theme. 

In this Halloween setting, we created spooky shadows on the walls of our foyer by using flashlights and strange objects from around the house.  You’ll be amazed how spooky an ordinary houseplant can look across a room when it is illuminated by a flashlight.  Because our dining room windows look onto our courtyard and is very visible as guests approach our front door, we used our dining room as part of our atmosphere by setting the table for a ghostly dinner.  Decorated with skeleton bones, a black candelabra, complete with candles, specimen bottles filled with worms and bloody rags (which we easily created with food coloring and old t-shirts). 

We also tied the napkins on each plate in the shape of a bone, by rolling them and tying knots at each end (very cool, very simple).  On the walls we hung a picture of a big black cat.  We also happen to have a very large mirror that hangs in the dining room, so we smeared a very small amount of olive oil on it to make it look as though it were covered in a hundred years of dust.  I used my finger to smear scary messages across the mirror and then added to the effect by imprinting a bit of red washable tempura paint to create bloody hand prints (this made for an amazingly professional effect).  Topping it all off was a ton of spider webs, literally covering everything, we were not shy!

You can really add to the experience by adding dry ice.  Try duplicating our scene by using a large Martini Vase, filled with food-colored water, glass bubbles and a few chunks of dry ice.  Also, be sure to fill small buckets with dry ice and water that you can hide in bushes, behind trees, and in planters.  By illuminating these areas indirectly with spotlights, the walk to your door will be one to remember – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

If you want to add a little more whimsy, black witch hats make an adorable addition to a plate or shelf, as well as spiderweb picks that can be placed in sand, or in your yard, or handed out as favors.  Black Widow Placecard holders can be used as place-markers, on a buffet or to hold pictures. 
 
And of course, my advice wouldn’t be complete with out recommending that you thoroughly exploit your lighting options.  Candles, spotlights, paper lanterns and votives, will all add a tremendous amount of feeling to your creation, so don’t be afraid to go overboard, especially when it comes to smaller lighting, like votives.
Finally remember to dress the part and have a spooktacularly good time!!

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Find more entertaining inspiration at Social Couture, the premiere online party décor store.