I’m way more into Halloween now that I’m a mom than I ever have been, so for the past couple years we’ve held a Halloween party for the families in our neighborhood.  You can have an amazing party on a limited budget with items and decor from the Dollar Tree and Target.  Here are some fun ideas for a successful Halloween Party!

1.  Start Early

If families are involved, start the party around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m.  That way, the party’s winding down around 10 p.m.  I don’t know about you, but that’s my bedtime and it’s really not THAT late for the kids.  By sending out a free E-vite you’ll save time and money.

2.  A Candy Bar/Dessert Table

Not to be confused with a Snickers, this candy bar is an actual bar area full of candy.  The kids love it, it’s fun to set up and the sugar keeps the kids going for a few extra hours past their bedtime {see #1}.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money on the candy, and whatever is left over can be given out on Halloween night.  I usually make a cake for dessert and who can resist Halloween Oreos?  Not me!

3.  Snacks

Since you’re starting the party early, you’ll need to serve some sort of supper for your guests.  The crock pot is a must.  Last year’s main course was Chickadilla Soup.  This year I did a White Chicken Chili, Manwich Sliders, Bagel Bites {for the kids,} Mozzarella Sticks, and an assortment of chips and dips.

I also do a popcorn mix.  This year’s mix was popcorn, pumpkin spice marshmallows, cinnamon Chex Mix, Cherrios, and candy corn.  The leftovers make a great breakfast for busy moms:)  I’m eating it now.  Yum!

4.  A Designated Photo Area

People like to take photos of their great costumes, so give them a place to do it!  I prefer to keep it simple.  A few lights, some spooky {or not so spooky decorations} and a few props work great.  You can do a draped backdrop or use a nice wall space.  Just make sure whereever you do it, there’s good lighting!

5.  A Signiture Drink {Adults Only}

I’ve served a “Booberry Mule” {blueberry vodka, ginger ale and a squeeze of lime}, a “Tall Lemon Scary” {pear vodka, hard apple cider and a squeeze of lemon} and a “Salted Caramel Apple” {salted caramel vodka and hard apple cider}.  We also added a “Spiked Shirley Temple” {7-Up, grenadine and cherry vodka.}

And don’t forget the kids drinks because I did.  Oops!  After a little bit of whining, they were fine drinking water.  With all the sugar from the candy bar, they really don’t need a juice box, do they?

Having pretty straws make even a glass of water fun!

6.  Games and Crafts

Have some games and crafts for the kids who will need to burn off all that sugar.  Oriental Trading Company, Michael’s and JoAnn’s have great Halloween craft kits which aren’t very expensive.  You might be surprised to learn the game that is the biggest hit is Bobbing for Apples.  The kids love it!  And hey, if you can get an apple in there to counterbalance all the candy, why not?

Happy Halloween!

And a very special Thank You to Gretchen Wakeman Photography who happened to have her camera ready to take some photos.  You’ll know which ones are hers, they’re the awesome ones!:)