Halloween is fast approaching and unless you plan to accompany your younger sibling, then I doubt you will be eagerly anticipating setting out to ‘trick or treat’. But why should the annual celebration be solely for kids? I’m not suggesting that you and your mates go out knocking on door to door demanding packets of Haribo, but why not throw a little scary, seasonal shindig of your own? Here I have laid out some ways to have an effective Halloween party and enjoy the yearly event maturely (well, maybe not maturely, but you catch my drift)…
Soundtrack
What’s a party without an amazing soundtrack? Compile a playlist of spooky songs – they don’t have to be obvious choices as long as they connect to Halloween in some way. Ensure you have a mix of genres to please everyone and to enhance variety – from pop to rock, you can create the perfect party atmosphere suitable for October 31st. A few examples would be:
- “This is Halloween” from Nightmare Before Christmas – Childish it may be, but undoubtedly just right for the occasion.
- “Thriller” by Michael Jackson – Okay, it is a very obvious choice, but that’s why you simply can’t have a Halloween party without it! It’s such a classic, I challenge anyone not be even remotely tempted to get up and re-enact those trademark dance moves.
- “I’m Good, I’m Gone” by Lykke Li – Highly effective in creepy film Sorority Row, this makes for a more obscure option. This song is eerie, sombre, and sinister, and therefore highly recommended for the chill factor.
- “The Big Bad Wolf” by Duck Sauce – The title speaks for itself really, but it has howling wolf noises in it, hello?!
- “Zombie” by Natalia Kills – Personally, I think this song is a hidden gem because it’s unique and sultry, yet it’s still kind of creepy, so give it a listen.
- “Killer” by Fazer – For something a little more mainstream and modern, add a little Fazer into your playlist. It’s more upbeat and recognisable, and has an obvious connection to the theme.
Decorations
Spook your guests by making your house look as creepy as possible. Traditionally, characterised pumpkins are placed at the front of the house, so you could carve creepy faces onto the fruits and slot candles inside to give them that eerie glow; just make sure your drunken mates don’t have access to them, as this could prove a fire hazard.
Solar lights also create the right ambience – little lights can provide a soft, luminous and ghostly glow which will look highly effective in the dark. Glow in the dark stickers will also look creepy, and have plastic skeletons hanging from the walls by pinning up the cheap figures.
Costume
Fancy dress can be costly and hard work, but it needn’t be too much hassle. If you don’t want to blow your cash on a costume, you could just opt for a black or purple dress, patterned tights and boots and become a witch.
You can zombify any fancy dress easily with face paint or fake blood – for instance, boys could wear a suit and become a zombie butler, and girls could throw on a pretty puffy dress, draw on patches and zips and become a dead doll – simple, yet effective!
Wearing a mask is also easy, but it would be quite hot and if you are wearing make-up then that will more than likely smudge. If all else fails you could always do the classic toilet-rolled mummy look…