Throw a Halloween Bash

Festive and Fun

When it's time for a Halloween party, let loose and have some fun!

It's easy to create a party scene where children and adults alike will feel comfortable and enjoy themselves. Check out these simple, stress-free tips to kick your party into gear.

Call It In

Take one thing off of your to-do list, and call your party menu in to a local grocery store a few days in advance. Let them know what time you'll pick up the food, how many people you're expecting, how much you want to spend, and any special requests.

Also, ask for suggestions. The caterer or prepared food specialist in the store may have ideas better suited to serving a crowd.

Keep Them Occupied

If children will be attending the party, keep them busy so that the grown-ups have time to mingle.

Set up a kid-sized table with easy (and non-messy) items for the evening. Think coloring books, crayons, stickers, and games. Here, cute costumed kids make trick-or-treat buckets to fill with candy.

Self Service

Set up a drink station so that you're not constantly running to and from the fridge. Place hay bales and pots of seasonal plants around a galvanized bucket of ice-cold drinks for instant autumn color. And keep a stash of beverages close by for easy restocking.

Bring Indoor Pillows Out

Create a plush seating area that fits in with the holiday celebration. By adding indoor accent pillows (in orange, black, white, and green), an otherwise basic patio set becomes part of the party design.

Get Hooked

Shepherd's hooks are inexpensive outdoor pieces that can be used for a variety of decorating ideas. For your Halloween party, hang brightly colored lanterns (shown here) from them to light a walkway, dress them with hanging plants for a lush backdrop, or even place buckets of candy on them for eager trick-or-treaters to enjoy.