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Halloween has always been a big deal to me, so please forgive my Martha Stewart moment.

Halloween is fun because kids get to dress up as their dream character, while grown-ups have an excuse to make a fool of themselves.

These days, you can buy just about everything Halloween at your favorite toy store—costumes, props, masks, and special effects. Back when I was growing up, however, one had to be more resourceful. I’ve always been into creating things from scratch, making my own props, décor, and costume, so even today, it’s a hobby I like to indulge in once a year.

Whether you’re inviting kids over or having a spooky get-together with friends, make your Halloween party more memorable with these tricks and treats!

Bat Silhouette Backdrop

Pretty dramatic but easy to do. Use purple crepe paper to cover a large window or glass door, and then cut up black bats in different sizes.

Haunted House

Use fake cobwebs to add a creepy effect to your home. Cut up strips of black cartolina to resemble beat-up fences.

Photo-Op

Create an area where guests can have photos taken. In this picture, I attempted a cemetery scene. Make a coffin using cardboard box, then add dead leaves, twigs, etc. I made a floating Ghost Bride by hanging thin fabric from a ceiling, and adding a skull mask. There’s a cross structure inside it made from 2 bamboo sticks.

Table Setting

Buy inexpensive black fabric (Synthetic crepe, P50/yard, Fabric Warehouse), and cut them up to use as table cloth. No need to hem the edges.

Make centerpieces out of candy, lollipops and creepy crawlies. Stuff a mug with Styrofoam and stick in the treats. In this case, I ordered the centerpieces from Candy Bouquet, 0917-534-3055.

Make placemats by using purple-colored bond paper. Then paste cut-up bats on to the corner.

Special Effects

Buy glow-in-the-dark decor, then use black light (available at hardware stores) to make them glow. Watch any white clothing become luminous! This also gives your place a “club” feel.

Mini Jack-o-Lanterns

Clean out a fresh orange with a spoon. Then using a sharp knife or cutter, cut out Jack’s face. Place a votive candle inside. This also keeps your place smelling like fresh oranges!

Party Tip #1: Candles and kids don’t mix well. Avoid using open flames when kids are around, especially with their costumes getting in the way. If you wish to use candles, keep them in deep containers.

Finger Food

Ghoulish treats are the best! Make this bloody finger food using hotdogs, pita bread, and ketchup. Cut up pita bread into 1-inch strips. Wrap it around cocktail hotdogs and secure with a toothpick. Toast or bake them until slightly crisp. Dot with ketchup.

Trick-or-Treat

For kids—instead of going out to each house for Trick-or-Treat, I ask adults to bring goodies. When it’s starting to get dark, all the adults hide around the house with their treats. Then the kids will try to find the adults and shout “Trick or treat!” Watch their candy baskets get filled in no time. It’s fun for both the kids and the adults.

Bowl o’ Brains

Add this to your buffet line-up. Hopefully no one will try to eat it. Soak fat miki noodles (Chinese yellow noodles) in warm water for several hours, then add red or green food color. Don’t forget to label it.

Party Tip #2: Fill bowls and trays with lots of candy and other treats, and scatter around your place. Check out supermarkets, department stores and toy stores for Halloween-designed plates, platters, trays. If you can wait, Halloween stuff usually go on sale by the last week of October.

Happy Halloween!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Kids and Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.