Deadly Halloween Decor

 As October approaches and so do the colder and darker nights, thoughts of Autumnal colours, Halloween decor and bonfire night start to creep in. This year I’ll be hosting a family Halloween party and can’t wait to decorate the house and lay the table with my creepy food creations.

Who Dares to Enter?

The Halloween conundrum: You want to host a party that’s more chilling than cutesy, but you also don’t want to scare pint-size party guests half to death. I prefer to change my colour scheme to achieve a dark and spooky effect using lots of black props but still keeping the decoration tasteful- no blood or gore at my house, please!

As a child, I remember going trick or treating with my parents and it was always a fear of walking up to the door of the most decorated house on the street which made me both excited but scared to knock.

You can take decorating your doorway to all kinds of levels, I personally think that there are just two items which show that you’re celebrating Halloween without being scary. These include tall lanterns with battery operated candles and a few large pumpkins- easy and very tasteful.

Credit: Pinterest

Beautifully festive tableware

I like to decorate my table a few days before 31st October. The reason for this is because I like to get into the ‘spirit’, plus I like to spend time with the kids at the table, making them feel excited about the festivities too.

Considering this display will be showcased in my home for a few days, I like to add more refined ornaments such as black tableware, black linen napkins topped with a red rose which will dry out over the days and will look even more spooky. Lots of candles which look great when you dim the lights at dinner and pumpkins, of course. This time of the year you can buy miniature pumpkins which you can pile up in the center of the table and even spray paint them if you like.

Credit: Pinterest

For more inspiration on table settings for the Autumn, head over to my article on Thanks Giving where I created an Autumnal table setting using lots of lovely pumpkins.

The Food

I love experimenting with food and styling it in a way which makes people even more excited to eat it. My Halloween food is fun but wholesome too. Here are a few of my favourite recipes:

Graveyard Mousse Pots

Credit: Pinterest

I also have such a yummy Chocolate Mousse recipe which happens to be my sister’s favourite too. The sprinkled honeycomb on top works great for creating a rubble effect.

MEATBALL MUMMIES

Credit: Freshly Photographed

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Credit: foodieandthefix

Pumpkin Painting Station

Why not entertain the kids with pumpkin painting. Let them get their creative juices flowing and turn their pumpkin into a piece of art that they can take home. Painting is much safer than carving which will put your mind at ease when entertaining for all ages. To help them steer away from the traditional scary looking pumpkins, it would be nice to print off some well-known cartoon characters which they can try to copy if they like.

Credit: craftymorning

Something to Hide Cake

Most people love cake and what better way to surprise the diner than with a hidden centre. With one slice into the seemingly normal cake, watch as the salted caramel sauce inside come flowing out! The design of this cake is brilliant, it looks so gooey and rich and I just love the sticks poking out of the apples, almost like broomsticks.

Credit: Pinterest

More Boos, Please! 

We have lots of surprises for the kids but I also love to shock the adults with my potions too. Making cocktails is so much fun and there are so many recipes out there to mix up and serve.

Bat’s blood punch with dragon eyes

Black magic cocktail

Moonrise mocktail

Credit: Tesco 

Prickly Party Favours

You can’t have your guests leave empty handed now, that would be very cruel! This is the perfect time to pack up any leftovers you have to reduce waste. Wrap slices of your cake and put in a handful of sweets into each bag and send your guests home with a goodie bag full of treats. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to include a few tricks in there too!

Credit: Pinterest 

If you’d like to try another colour scheme which incorporates blush pinks and rose golds, take a look at my far from traditional Halloween tablescape and let me know how you’d be decorating yours this year.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN GUYS!