Choose A Halloween Party Theme

Before you know it, it will be October 31st. Where will you be and what will you be doing on that date? If you are planning a Halloween party, here are some great ideas to keep your party eerie, frightening, and fun.

Start with Spooky 

Halloween is the one time of year when it is permitted to scare the ‘be-jeebers’ out of everybody. Nothing is off limits; the spookier, the better. Fine tune your scare tactics and bring your most ghoulish dreams to reality with a spooky Halloween party.

Pick a Theme 

You may want your party to revolve around something hideous and creepy, but there are so many variations on that idea. Here are some themes you can use for the different age groups:

Youth Theme Party Ideas 

• Scary Monster Theme
• Bad Guy Theme
• Favorite Movie or Television Character
• Jack-o-lantern Costume Theme
• Princess Costume Theme

With kids, the possibilities are endless because they have so many interests, not the least of which is dressing up… for everything!

Teenage Theme Party Ideas 

• Vampire Party
• Favorite Undead Character
• Favorite Ghoulish Mask
• Twilight
• Psychedelic

Using the same basic concept for teens as for younger children, you just think of popular television and movie characters and stories and pick a theme. For teenagers, just step it up a notch and give them more bizarre options. Throw out some ideas and let your teen run with it.

Adult Theme Party Ideas

• So Sexy Monster Theme
• Murder Mystery Night
• Re-visit the 60s, 70s, 80s,or 90s
• Nightie Night Pajama Party

If you are throwing an all-adult party, be sure to plan for a long night. Make it fun and worth the extra effort it takes to plan and execute a costume to fit the theme.  Find a babysitter whose willing to stay into the wee hours so you and your guests can howl at the moon. Couple parties as well as all-girl or guys night parties are especially fun for Halloween. Create some fun with this night away from the stress of work and family responsibilities.

The Planning 

As with any party, the first step is the planning. If Halloween falls on a weekend, great. Otherwise, choose a non-workday and non-school day that’s close to Halloween for the best result. If you pick a day too far before or after Halloween, you will lose the festive feeling. Unlike Christmas, the ‘season’ for Halloween is short.

Halloween falls on the same day every year, so we all know it’s coming, and when!  Sometimes the success of a party boils down to who gets their invitations out first. You will need to send out invitations before the social calendars fill up. Hash out the particulars of your party and let everyone know about the theme so they can get their costumes together.  Once the invitations are out, get the decorations and food planned and ready.  And, don’t forget your own costume!

Pick a theme for your Halloween party this year to make it even more spectacular.  Make the theme scary if you like, or just make it fun.  It doesn’t matter just as long as everyone’s having a good time!

Easy Halloween Costume Ideas 

Each year, people spend hundreds of dollars getting tricked out and trussed up for the spookiest night of the year. We’re talking about Halloween, of course. But, at what cost? You want to keep more money in your pocket, and we want to help you do just that.  Here are some easy Halloween costume ideas that are great for kids and adults alike, and that won’t put your budget at risk.

Kids and Teens Costumes 

When you think “easy” you think readily accessible materials, quick, and very little cost. Never fear, brave parents. You can create great costumes with materials you already have at home.  Very often these costumes are from ideas provided by your kids.

For the younger set, you may very likely need two costumes. Why two costumes? Kids like to dress up for their class Halloween party as well as trick-or-treating. Most kids like having a different costume for each party. After all, part of the fun of the Halloween costume is the surprise, or even shock. Those elements can be lost if the costume is worn twice.

To get started on a costume, look in the kids’ closets. If your kids are like most kids, they have a collection of play clothes including princess dresses, tiaras, cowboy hats, lassos, themed pajamas, and all sorts of accessories. The closets and dress-up bins are treasure troves.

Here’s an example for a young girl who wants to be a princess. If she has ever been to a Disney store or a Disney theme park, she may already have at least one princess dress. Start with that dress as the basis for your costume. Fancy it up with a tiara, a magic wand, and a pair of old shoes sprayed with glitter paint. What you don’t have can be found at the dollar store or in your closet. Try some simple face painting makeup to give her a resemblance of her favorite storybook royalty.

As an example for a teen who wants to be an old time rock and roll star, you may want to raid your own closet. Grab some old T-shirts and tear off the sleeves. Then find old jeans you can cut up and shred a bit. An old wig is fun, too, especially if the costume is more of a ‘heavy metal’ style rocker. Have your teen look through your old albums to get ideas, then go ahead and drag out that big box of old clothes and dig in.

Adult Costumes 

Here is where the process gets easier still. You don’t have to go to a costume shop to rent or buy a witch’s outfit or Dracula costume. It’s time to hit the closet again.

Let’s start with the guys. Do you like gumshoe detectives; Spade, Marlow, Columbo? If you have a long trench coat, all you need is a wrinkled shirt, slacks, a hat, and a fake cigarette. Is surfer dude more your speed? Grab the board, put on your wetsuit and slick that hair up. A pair of silky pajamas and a silky scarf tied around your neck and you are the world’s most famous playboy.

We haven’t left you out, girls. What about your favorite little black dress? Add some spider webbed gloves, stilettos, a long black wig, red lipstick and fangs, and you are the sexy vamp ready for a night of bloodletting. You can also raid his closet and work wonders with one of his old suits. Grab a martini glass and you are the perfect Madison Avenue advertising executive.

Looking your best on Halloween doesn’t have to mean a trip to the costume store to buy an expensive get up. Start with what you have right in your home and accessorize to the hilt. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a costume, you can shop at home and look like a million bucks.