How to Throw a Halloween Party

Co-authored by Natasha Miller

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References

Halloween parties are often large, memorable events full of friends, crazy costumes, and sometimes even games or contests. If you want to be the person to throw an unforgettable Halloween party that your friends will talk about for weeks to come, you'll need to first choose your guest list and the kind of party you want to have. After that, you'll only need to decorate your home and make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Deciding the Guest List and Structure

1
Invite people who might not have otherwise met. Although you might hesitate to invite people from different parts of your life, by inviting those who might not have otherwise met, you're likely to spice up your event. New opinions, perspectives, and experiences are exciting for guests to share, so you might invite:^{[1]
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- Work friends
- Friends that you play with on a team
- Friends that you do a hobby with, like music
- Family members
- Classmates
2
Ask your neighbors to the party. Parties can be loud and are sometimes an annoyance to those who live around you. By inviting your neighbors to the party, you'll not only seem like a good neighbor, you'll also be giving them a warning that you'll be having a party soon.^{[2]
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- Generally, people respond better to bad news or difficult situations when warned beforehand. Even if you don't think your neighbors will come to your party, offering an invitation will prepare them for the noise of your party when you have it.^{[3]
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3
Balance people density with space. Even if you have a large house, you should try to balance the number of people you invite with the amount of space you have available. Remember, some people will want to sit and eat, while others may want to eat while standing and socializing. Be sure you have:
- Table seating available, if appropriate for your party.^{[4]
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- Social seating, like couches and easy chairs.
4
Optimize your space. In your daily life, you likely don't need wide walkways and uncluttered tables, but these can cause a mess or create a tripping hazard during your party if you're not careful. You may want to:^{[5]
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- Remove unneeded furniture to a spare room or storage space.
- Clean all clutter and fragile knick-knacks.
- Put away valuables normally on display.
5
Mix up the traditional order for your party. Parties tend to follow the same order, and you might make your party more memorable by switching up the order of events. Instead of having people socialize until the food is ready, why not have a small game with a prize? You might have:^{[6]
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- Guests throw cards into a hat to score points.
- Guests vote on each other's costumes.
- Guests play a game of skill, like darts.
6
Keep the main elements of your party separate. Some party planners define the four main elements of a party as the entrance, food, drink, and music. You should try to keep these four elements separated by some space. This will help you avoid causing congestion between people arriving to your party and people enjoying your party.^{[7]
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7
Make it a potluck for a party on a budget. Providing food and drink to a large group of people can be expensive, especially since you'll likely have to do some decorating to make your home Halloween appropriate. You can cut down on costs by having friends bring a dish to pass, potluck style. You might even include a theme, like:
- Goblins and ghosts
- Food found in the dark forest
- Food eaten by werewolves, witches, and the undead.
8
Express costume expectations clearly. Some people don't take the costuming aspect of Halloween quite so seriously, so if you expect your friends to arrive in costume, you should be sure this is clearly stated. You might consider choosing a Halloween theme yourself, or you might want leave costume ideas up to your guests.
9
Send out your invitations. Halloween is a popular time of the year for parties, so if you're going to the time and effort to get everything ready, you might want to have a general idea of who to expect. You should ask your guests to RSVP, or to respond whether or not they can attend, on your invitation.^{[8]
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Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 29 January 2020.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Transforming Your Home for a Halloween Party

1
Choose a classic soundtrack, or make use of spooky sound effects. Some classic Halloween tunes include Bobby Pickett's The Monster Mash or Michael Jackson's Thriller, but these songs on repeat can make for a dull atmosphere. You might download or purchase a collection of fun Halloween tunes, or you could find a spooky effects track at your local Halloween, costuming, or music store.^{[9]
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2
Add Halloween themed accents. There are many options available at your local Halloween, costume, or craft stores. You can spread wads of cotton, taping it into corners of your home with clear tape, to give the effect of spider webs. Fake blood can leave eerie hand prints on your windows, and a skeleton hanging in the corner can add a more frightening touch.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 29 January 2020.}
- You might also want to use dry ice for fog effects.
- Use a fake arm to give your guests a fright.
3
Research Halloween themed recipes. Your guests will surely appreciate any food you provide and drink you provide. However, Halloween based recipes that match the theme of your party, if you have a theme, will be sure to impress. Consider:^{[11]
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- Gummy worms
- Candy in the shape of eye balls
- Meatloaf in a thick, red sauce with a fake hand placed on top
- Halloween-themed cupcakes, like rising zombie cupcakes or bloody cupcakes
4
Put together some party favors. What fun would Halloween be without the added nostalgia of some goody bags? You can find affordable, mixed assortments of candy at your local grocery or a dollar store. Then, take a glove, plastic baggie, or Halloween themed container, and fill it with candy for you to send guests on their way with.
5
Play a background movie to match your theme. Although not necessary, the visual effects of a movie playing in the background can add to the Halloween atmosphere of your party. For example, if you are having a Ghostbusters themed party, you might put that movie on mute, giving your guests a chance to compare their costumes to the real thing.^{[12]
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6
Adjust your party lighting with Halloween in mind. Make your party more intimate as the night goes on by lowering your overhead lights. You can prepare for this beforehand by having candles lit strategically throughout your house. Then, when you are ready to turn the lights down, you already have softer mood lighting ready to glow.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 29 January 2020.}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Throwing an Awesome Halloween Party

1
Expect un-costumed guests. There are always unforeseen difficulties that leave at least one guest uncostumed. Even if you expressed a costume requirement from the start, you can save yourself some frustration and your guest some embarrassment by having a few cheap costumes on hand. You might:^{[14]
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- Purchase a few dollar store masks.
- Have a cheap sheet for uncostumed guests to make ghost costumes.
2
Introduce your guests. Especially when you are trying to make sure that everything goes right, it can be easy to forget that you are the host and that many people at your party only know you. At regular intervals you should take some time to float through your party, making proper introductions and comments, such as:^{[15]
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- "Oh Tara! I'm so glad you could make it. I noticed that you and John were talking. He and I have worked together at AcmeCorp for years!"
- "Lauren, good to see you! I'm glad to see you talking with my childhood friend, Nicole. What have you two been talking about?"
3
Play games with a twist. You can add a slight twist to normal Halloween games, like bobbing for apples, to make your party more lively. You might bob for shrunken heads, by peeling and carving faces in the apples.^{[16]
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- Halloween movie trivia
- Mummy wrap, where teams wrap a member in toilet paper.^{[17]
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4
Replenish food and drink when necessary. You don't want to ruin the illusion of your magical Hallowing party by forgetting to keep the food and drink flowing. Check the food every ten minutes when people first start eating to gauge your guests' appetites, then check as often as you deem necessary.^{[18]
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5
Rearrange furniture to protect the flow of movement. Guests will arrange and rearrange your furniture throughout the evening to make conversing with others easier, to make room for other guests, and to create space for games. While well intentioned, this may hurt the flow of your party. You should return furniture to its proper place when you are able.^{[19]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I throw a Christmas party?

Community Answer

There are lots of articles on wikiHow about that. Try How to Plan a Christmas Party or How to Have a Christmas Party.
Question

What are good Halloween party themes centered on stories?

Community Answer

Some good ones are the Wizard of Oz, Disney Princesses, and other well-known ones like Hansel and Gretel.
Question

How would I throw a Halloween sleepover?

Community Answer

Follow the guidelines in Host a Sleepover , replacing suitable items for Halloween-themed suggestions from the article above.