15 Best Tips for Hosting an Adult Halloween Party
Did you know that people have been celebrating Halloween for thousands of years? Join the club and host your own Halloween party. Here’s how.
Although the Halloween holiday has evolved a lot over the centuries, humans have always been fascinated by creepy things that bump in the night. Whether you love the costumes, the candy, or the horror, almost everyone can agree that October is one of the most entertaining months of the year.
If you want to get into the spirit by hosting the best adult Halloween party, here are 15 tips you need to know.
1. Create Spooky Invitations
Invitations are a lot more important than you may think. They set the mood for the party long before it even starts.
The type of invitation you choose can let people know if the party will be lighthearted or spooky. These free Halloween invitations templates will help you choose what kind of Halloween theme you want for your party.
What’s also great about these invitations is that you can send them however you want. Whether you want to print them at home or in a professional shop to mail out, send them over email with RSVP services, or post them as a high-quality image on social media, your cards will look perfect every time.
Be sure to let your guests know any special details that can help them prepare for your party on the invitation itself. One of the biggest concerns people have about attending a Halloween party is whether or not other guests will be wearing costumes.
2. Keep Everyone Fed with These Halloween Food Ideas
Halloween is the one day of the year where unappetizing food is exciting. The possibilities for creating disturbing treats are endless!
You could make ghost cookies, pigs in a blanket disguised as severed fingers, spaghetti and meatball brains, and so much more. Check out these Halloween recipes for menu inspiration.
The great news is that you can make food for any course. Appetizers, main dishes, and desserts can all be transformed into a festive surprise. If you want a shocking centerpiece, you could fill a cake with strawberry preserves so that it “bleeds” when you cut into it.
3. Gather Round the Cauldron to Sip Some Festive Punch
Every Halloween party needs a punch bowl. Take your drinks up a notch by serving them in a cauldron. If you really want to freak your guests out, you could even buy a zombie hand that can hold the ladle for serving.
These boozy Halloween punch recipes are definitely a treat and not a trick. However, you can make your guests think twice by chilling the drinks with eyeball or skull ice cubes.
Did you know that dry ice emits a foggy substance when it mixed with a liquid? If you want your cauldron to steam, try adding some food-grade dry ice to the punch right before guests arrive. Since it’s cold, it’ll also work to keep the drinks chilled.
4. Dance Until Dawn with a Halloween Playlist
Any Halloween party is incomplete without theme music to set the mood. Classic hits like “Thriller” by Michael Jackson are catchy enough to raise the dead.
This step is easy if you use streaming devices like YouTube, Spotify, or Pandora to play your tunes. Since they have curated Halloween playlists, all you have to do is hook your phone up to a speaker to get the party started.
5. Establish Your Halloween Party Theme
Halloween has many faces. Do you want your party to be a cute costume contest or a creepy adventure? The theme you envision should influence how you decorate the party space. Jack-o’-lanterns and friendly ghosts are more lighthearted Halloween characters. Zombies, witches, and vampires are much darker. If you want to celebrate all the fun sides of Halloween, then it’s okay to mesh the cute with the frightening. If some of your friends scare easily, you could even try to decorate two rooms with different themes to ensure everyone has a good time.
6. Consider Doing Halloween Activities with Your Guests
Who says adults don’t like playing games like kids? While they may feel more self-conscious about letting loose, drinking a little bit of boozy punch can liven things up.
If you do choose to organize some games, make sure it’s later in the evening after people have some time to get friendly with each other.
These Halloween activity ideas are fun no matter how old you are. They’re sure to be a smash at your party.
7. Decorate the Entryway to Your House
The party may be indoors, but if you really want to go all out, it’s worth taking the time to decorate the front of your house. When guests arrive, there’ll be no wondering if they have the right address.
Some easy decorations could be scarecrows, jack-o’-lanterns, cobwebs, or even a fog machine. If you can find walkway decorations that have motion sensors, your guests could be greeted with creepy cackles or boos.
8. Create Fun Goodie Bags for Your Adult Halloween Party
Everyone gets excited about gifts. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a fortune to find fun party favors.
Silly string, masquerade masks, fake blood, vampire teeth, and candy are all creative ideas you could use to create goodie bags. The great part about including a mask is that any guest who doesn’t have a costume can still feel included by wearing theirs.
9. Create the Perfect Atmosphere with Mood Lighting
When most people think about Halloween, they imagine all things that are dark, mysterious, and scary. Your party environment should be just as exciting.
Candles, strobe lights, and colored lights can provide just enough light to keep the party interesting. Do keep in mind that areas that have food and drinks should be more illuminated so people can see what they’re getting.
If you decide to do certain activities like pumpkin carving or a costume party, make sure you have access to normal lighting so everyone can have fun while staying safe.
Fog machines are also a cool party accessory to make your room more atmospheric, but it’s easy to overdo it. If anyone has allergies or asthma, this might dampen their mood, so use fog machines cautiously.
10. Shop at Your Local Thrift Stores for Party Décor
Party decorations can get expensive fast if you don’t know where to look. If you’re committed to immersing your guests in a full Halloween experience, then every detail counts.
One clever place to scout for party décor is your local thrift shop. You can see if they have any antique items with lots of personality. Candle holders, creaky wooden furniture, and mirrors are a few examples of things you can set up in your party room to amplify the atmosphere.
11. Set Up an Adult Form of Trick-Or-Treat
Kids never outgrow candy, which is why having a wide variety of treats for your guests is a must. There are a few fun ways you can incorporate candy into your adult party. One example is to hide a piece of candy inside one cupcake or another kind of snack. The person who finds the sweet surprise can win some kind of prize or privilege related to the rest of your activities.
You could also use carved pumpkins as bowls to scatter throughout the rooms to display your candy. Your guests will appreciate the sugar if they ever get tired during the night.
If your friends are more crafty, you could host a cookie decorating competition with small candies as decorations. Not only is this a fun way to spend time together, but everyone will enjoy eating their work once they’re done.
12. Get Creepy with These Tricks
If you want your party to lean toward the darker side, there are a few party tricks you can do to entertain your friends.
To scare or gross out your friends, you can have them sit in a circle with their eyes closed and hands open. When people can’t see, their imaginations start acting wild. Hand them various items that are cold, slimy, and squishy.
If you’re really invested, you could tell a scary story about a murderer or cannibal while these items are getting passed around. Cooked, refrigerated spaghetti could be brains, hardboiled eggs or meatballs could be eyeballs, steak could be tongue, and so much more. Don’t be surprised if your guests scream every time they’re handed a new food!
Another humorous and startling trick is to buy a life-sized sticker that is shaped like a silhouette. If you place this sticker on the bathroom window, you’ll be sure to freak out anyone who goes in there.
13. Create a Unique Halloween Party Hashtag
If you’re spending all of this time and money to create the perfect Halloween party, you’ll want to relive the memories by looking at photos from the event.
When your guests upload photos to their social media, be sure to tell them to use a hashtag that’s unique for your party. Once it’s over, you can scroll through all the photos and see how much your friends enjoyed themselves.
14. Shop at Wholesale Stores for Snacks
Depending on how large your gathering is going to be, you might need a lot of food to keep your guests happy. Although candy and alcoholic punch is a fun start, people will start feeling sick if they don’t have anything more substantial to eat.
Wholesale stores are the perfect place to stock up on party munchies. Chips, dips, chicken nuggets, cheese and crackers, and pretzels are cheap foods that can please any crowd. If the party takes place around dinner time, finger sandwiches are also another heartier option (just make sure they’re not made with real fingers!).
15. Go to the Dollar Store for Cheap Party Supplies
If you’re serving a lot of food, you can’t forget to set out plenty of plates, napkins, cups, and utensils. You can find cheap party supplies that are plain colors at almost any store, but you’ll miss out on a fun opportunity to continue your Halloween theme.
Try going to a dollar store to find the best deals. Other party stores that stock holiday items are likely to be overpriced. The dollar store should also have Halloween-themed party supplies at a much more affordable price.
Ready to Create Your Festive Halloween Invitations?
Now that you know how to throw the best adult Halloween party of the century, you can start planning.
Your first step should be to create your own party invitations. Since Greetings Island has a card for every occasion, you’ll be able to wow your friends every time you throw a bash. Check out these free Halloween party invitations to get your party started.
