Sunday, October 25, 2009

Five Halloween Party Ideas

Hmmm, The Frugal Hostess has been so busy talking about organic food lately that she hasn't been much of a hostess.  To rectify that, here are five quick ideas for Halloween parties.

The Night of the Living Dead – Tell your guests that their costumes must be zombie-inspired which can lead to hilarious mash-ups like “Undead Jon and Kate Plus 8” or “Zombie Michael Jackson.”  Give all the food you serve names like “Mummy Eyeballs” for deviled eggs or “Gravedigger’s Dip” for seven-layer dip; that way, you can serve an easy menu of favorites but still get the added punch of being on-theme.  Keep the decorations simple by just using black fabric and spiders and bats cut out of black card stock.  (inspired by Birds and Cherries)

Closet Halloween – Costumes have to be made up of items in your guests’ closets (think hobo, gypsy, etc.); decorations are made from fabric scraps and old clothes; and the menu is made up of Spaghetti and Mothballs, Hanger Steak, etc.  This is a great “girls’ night in” (ghouls' night in?) party if you ask the ladies to bring unwanted clothing or accessories for a swap.

Dead People Dinner Party – Guests have to dress up as someone from the past who they’d like to have dinner with, and stay in character for the night.  You could have each person tell you who they’re going to be in advance and craft your menu to reflect the guests.  So, if you’ve invited a wanna-be Audrey Hepburn, dessert might be Tiffany-blue iced cupcakes; for a Ghandi-impersonator, a gourmet salt-tasting course.

Pumpkin-Carving Cocktail Party – Buy a pumpkin for every guest or couple, and put out hors d’oeuvres and a self-serve bar.  Cover your dinner table with newspaper and knives, and let people carve their pumpkins.  Have a pumpkin beauty contest with prizes at the end, and be sure to save the seeds to toast and add to salads.

Trick-or-Treat Tailgate – If you live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, invite friends over to watch the adorable trick-or-treat action.  Set it up like a tailgating party with easy food like hamburgers and hotdogs or fried chicken (getting Popeye’s is not cheating).

Party on Wayne.  Party on Garth.

photo by Steve Chasmar
The Frugal Hostess just made a Wayne's World joke.  Things are clearly getting critical.  Please comment. You can also join the Frugalistas on Facebook for exclusive content, follow on Twitter @frugalhostess, or subscribe so that you always know when a new post appears.


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3 comments:

  1. Does anyone ever actually eat the pumpkin seeds?

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  2. TBS - You better invite me if you have one!

    Anon - The Frugal Hostess has eaten pumpkin seeds. Like tofu, it's all about the seasonings. Make them spicy and bake until crunchy, and they're a great additional to salad. But TFH knows what you're getting at - they are kind of bland and even cardboard- or communion-tasting if served plain.

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