In my experience, a Halloween party can go one of two ways. Some parties I’ve attended were flat-out terrifying, courtesy of my horror-loving best friend, and some had more low-key, Hocus Pocus vibes. Although I’m more of a casual spooky season participant myself, I still love to go all out for a Halloween party. Historically, I have been low-effort with my costume choice and high-effort with my hosting skills. Whether that means whipping up a batch of festive cocktails, decking out my living room, or baking with a spooky twist, I always try to do the most when hosting a Halloween party.
If you’re planning a Halloween party this year, here are eight tried-and-true hacks that will take the spooky vibes to a whole new level.
1. Freeze plastic spiders in your ice cubes
This cute yet scary ice cube hack is a personal favorite. Simply place a plastic spider in each cube and add water before popping the tray into the freezer. Use the black spiders for a classic creepy look, or add some neon or glow-in-the-dark ones for a more fun vibe. These are perfect for serving in cocktails or filling an entire cooler with creepy crawly ice.
@macy.blackwell Spider Ice Cubes! 🕷🧊 A super cheap and easy way to make your Halloween beverages a little more creepy! 1. Get some plastic spiders from any dollar store. (We got these for $3 at target) You can wash them before if you’d like. 2. Place one or two into each hole of an ice tray, fill with water, freeze. 3. Pop a few into your Halloween drinks! #spidericecubes #halloweenhacks #halloweendiy #diyhalloween #halloweenparty #halloweenideas
♬ Spooky Season – Bradley Thomas Turner
2. Turn a faux pumpkin into a wine dispenser
You might want to keep this pumpkin wine dispenser on your bar cart all October long. This easy DIY is absolutely adorable, and it makes serving wine way more fun. I recommend using a fake pumpkin for this, though a real pumpkin could work too. Start by cutting around the top of the pumpkin to create a lid. Then make a small hole on the front of the pumpkin for the spout of your wine, place your bag of wine into the pumpkin, put the top back on, and enjoy!
@sellingthesuburbs This Falls must have bar accessory, DIY pumpkin wine dispenser. Fun and easy way to elevate that box of wine! Grab a craft pumpkin, mine is from @michaelsstores currently 40% off and cut the top off, next make a smaller hole near the bottom. Grab a box of wine, remove from the box and add to the pumpkin. Pull the dispenser through the hole at the bottom. Place onto a cake stand or beverage stand and pair with your favorite wine glasses! Enjoy! . . . #home #fall #fallfun #boxofwine #holiday #entertaining #homehack #diybar #hostinghacks #wowusweekdays #friyay #elevatedhome #october #thanksgiving #falldecor #fallstyle #ltkhome #michaelsstores #botabox #winelover #winetasting #hostingtips
♬ original sound – Amanda Albrecht
3. Use baking molds to create spooky treats
No matter what you’re preparing, it will taste scarier (in a good way) if made in a Halloween shape. If you’re making any sort of baked goods, making them in a spooky mold is an obvious choice. If you want an easy recipe, use the molds to make Rice Krispie treats or peanut butter-filled chocolates, or try making a savory food like these viral pizza skulls.
@vshleyortega This is how you make the viral pizza skulls at home! 💀✨🍷 #pizzaskulls #pizzaskull #fallactivities #spookybasket #spookyseason #halloween #spookygirlsnight #spookydatenight #halloweenathome #halloweentreats #halloweenparty #halloweenactivities #halloweenpizza #halloweenpartyideas #halloweenpartyfood #baripastaandpizza
♬ Tears Dry On Their Own – Amy Winehouse
4. Play Halloween movies in the background
We know you already have the playlist picked out for your Halloween party, but what about some spooky movies? While it’s doubtful anyone will sit down and watch a full movie during a party, playing Halloween movies on the TV or projecting them onto your wall (muted, of course!) adds another element of scary ambience to your party.
5. Add a spooky spin to your charcuterie board
Every Halloween party needs a char-boo-terie board! To give your snack board a Halloween twist, grab some cookie cutters shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, bats, and skulls, and use them to cut the shapes out of your cheeses, meats, and other snacks. Next, get creative with puff pastry to turn hot dogs into mummies or make baked brie into a pumpkin shape. Add seasonal cookies, candy, plastic spiders, and edible googly eyes across your board for final touches.
@thechicishchick Halloween snack board idea! #TikTokTaughtMe #TikTokPartner #halloweensnackboard #halloweengrazingboard #halloweencharcuterie #halloweencharcuterieboard
♬ Halloween ・ cute horror song – PeriTune
6. Plan for at least one scare factor
If you’re into the scary side of Halloween, try to plan at least one scary element at your party. You want something surprising, not too scary, and impressive for your guests. Plant a jumpscare behind a door, on the bathroom mirror, or inside the fridge to give everyone a little jump and a good laugh.
7. Create ghost lights with ping pong balls
Who knew ping-pong balls were such a versatile decor item? This Halloween party hack demonstrates how to turn basic twinkle lights into strings of ghosts. You’ll need white string lights, ping pong balls, cheesecloth, glue, a black marker, and something sharp to poke a hole. Glue small pieces of cheesecloth onto the ping pong ball, draw a little ghost face on it, poke a hole in the top, and stick the lightbulbs through the holes, and voilà! You’ve got easy DIY ghost lights.
@holidaytheme101 5mincrafts at it again. Lol. Ghost lights super fun super easy. #halloween #MessFreeHero #GenshinTeleport #halloween2022 #5minutecrafts #ghost #astetic #lights #ghostmode #spookyseason #spooky #f
♬ Astro Beat – Staysee
8. If you live close to your neighbors, give them a treat
When it comes to tricks or treats this Halloween, be sure to give your neighbors a treat. Throwing a Halloween party can be a lot of fun, but if you live in an apartment or another space where you share a wall with your neighbors, they might not be as excited about the party as you are. Put together little trick-or-treat bags with candy, baked goods, and a little note apologizing for the noise. This way, you give them a heads-up, and everyone gets treats!
