It’s October, which means it’s been officially one year since I started this column!! Pretty fitting that the 13th edition of this mess of a how-to guide falls during the ~*~spoopiest time of the year.~*~
Since last year’s column was all about how not to be a dick on Halloween and picking out a costume that is funny and creative without being unnecessarily crass or offensive, I figured this column should be all about how to throw a Halloween party to put your killer costume to good use. Let’s get spoopy y’all.
Step 1: Costume
The first step of throwing a Halloween party is to have a costume to wear. OBVS. It’s been basically Halloween since October 1st hit so if you don’t have your costume yet, YOU’RE SEVERELY BEHIND. It’s fine, I guess, but if you need some inspiration and guidance here’s my Halloween costume guide from last year. It’s okay, I’ll wait.
Step 2: Theme/Decorations
Now that you’ve got yourself a costume lined up, it’s time to decide the theme of your party as it will dictate the rest of your party planning. Yes, technically “Halloween” is a theme in itself, but if you’re feeling particularly creative there are so many sub categories within the Halloween spectrum you could explore such as zombies, vampires, monsters, witches, superheroes, etc. or my personal favorite: Harry Potter. (Although I’d definitely argue that any time of the year is perfect for a Harry Potter themed party, just saying.) Your theme could relate to your costume, or you could match your costume your theme, SO MANY OPTIONS.
Once you have your theme planned, most of all the other big decisions are pretty much made for you as long as they follow said theme. For example, I recently made a nearly life-sized cauldron in my ceramics class that I’m pretty stoked about and would go perfectly with the décor of my theoretical Harry Potter themed party. However, if you don’t have the time or means to make a giant cauldron for your party but are still feeling crafty, there are plenty of cheap DIY decorations you can make to liven up your party.
Step 3: Food
Next, and possibly the most popular element to your party is the food. People love food, and you gotta give the people what they want for a successful party. The food table for a Halloween party is pretty much the same for any other party, you just have to add a little spooky flair to the dishes. You know, like making the cheeseball look like an eyeball or adding ketchup to things for fake blood. For some inspiration, it’s best to turn towards the Queen of Halloween parties herself, the great Sandra Lee.
Step 4: Booze (or should I say BOOze??) (I’m dead inside)
Another important piece of your party that we all know Ms. Lee would approve of is Halloween themed cocktails for cocktail timeeee. You could make butterbeer, “witches brew,” or any other concoction floating around on Pinterest, or you could follow a recipe from the Queen of Halloween—just remember that 2 shots of vodka are much different in Sandra Lee terms so it’s probably best to actually measure out your liquor instead of following her pours. (Also if you had a cauldron you could totally put your cocktails in the cauldron JUST SAYING.)
Step 5: Music
The final step in throwing a wild Halloween party is finding the perfect music: aka just play Bette Midler’s “I Put A Spell On You” from Hocus Pocus on repeat. You’re welcome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaC-WDrvmUQ
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