Top Halloween Party Ideas & Tips

No matter your age, Halloween parties are exciting. Kids and adults alike love to dress up and get together for spooky celebrations. Plan your perfect Halloween party—dark and creepy or eerie and elegant—with decor and hosting tips and costume ideas that make your event even sweeter!

Halloween Party Tips for Decor and More

The sky’s the limit when it comes to Halloween theme options. There’s more to the holiday than ghosts, witches, fake cobwebs, and bats. We love them, too, but if you’re looking for something a little different, try these Halloween party ideas.

Pick A Halloween Color Scheme

Think beyond orange and black for Halloween decor: rich goldenrod yellow and rusty orange hues mirror autumn leaves; elegant burgundy and red pop against white pumpkins; rich purples pair perfectly with deep, dark black; and even sage green or steel blue can have a place in your Halloween decor. Play with these color scheme ideas to create your own Halloween vibe:

  • Top a black-and-white striped or chevron tablecloth with solid black plates, napkins, and cups.
  • Create centerpieces with white pumpkins for a harvest-inspired accent.
  • Pair silver-framed mirrors with candles for an eerie-meets-glam look.
  • Choose spine-chilling decorations in bold red, slime green, or witchy purple for classic Halloween style.

Think Outside the Box when Planning the Menu

Set the table, then load it up with Halloween treats. Sure, a serve-yourself candy bar, mummy pigs-in-a-blanket, and banana ghosts are long-time hits, but you can plan your menu to match the mood. Serve each guest individual mini pumpkins or acorn squash, hollowed and baked with a hearty fall stew inside. Turn your deviled eggs into a festive treat with a sliver of green pepper in each yolk—they’ll look like mini pumpkins. Top cupcakes with tall dollops of white frosting to create ghostly figures, then add mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth. The standbys are popular for a reason, but you can make your buffet shine with a little creativity.

Create a Photo Booth with Props

Not everyone is into costumes, but you can still encourage guests to get in on the fun with a basket of props—think fake mustaches, animal ears, oversized bow ties, or giant floppy hats. Set up a backdrop and let guests snap photos of their wildest costume combinations. For a special touch, create a souvenir digital photo album to share pics from the party.

No-Fuss Halloween Costume Inspiration for the Whole Family

Halloween’s top perks are candy...and costumes. But that doesn’t mean your costume has to be elaborate. Sometimes, simplicity rules. Explore these easy, fun Halloween costume ideas for everyone.

  • Create an ultra-comfy coordinated family costume: Wear matching family pajamas, ruffle your hair so you look like you just rolled out of bed, and bring along a blankie or favorite stuffed toy.
  • Kiddo not the costume type? For a sensory-friendly costume, top your kid’s everyday clothes with a hooded bath towel or robe. Ours include hoods with stitched ears and faces and 3D details like tails and scales. Kids can snuggle up in something comfortable—no itchy tags, tight pieces, or crinkly parts, and it comes off in a snap.
  • Let the dog join the fun. Get Fido some dog-sized pajamas or a wearable dog towel for a quick and easy pet costume.
  • Matching couples costumes only need a few simple pieces: don aprons and oven mitts for a culinary vibe, dress to impress in your favorite fancy apparel, or wear suits and sunglasses while you track extraterrestrial activity.
  • Use items around the house. For a last-minute costume. Socks and gloves pinned to a shirt? You’re the inside of a dryer! Wrap up in an all-white comforter, and voila!—you’ve transformed into a puffy cloud. A bandana, a little retro make-up, and a denim shirt are all you need for a Rosie the Riveter costume.
  • One robe, many costumes. Wear your bathrobe and carry a newspaper and coffee cup to dress up as an early-riser. Swap the mug and paper for a bath towel, and you become everyone’s favorite intergalactic hitchhiker, Arthur Dent. Or, pick a plush robe, wrap your hair in a towel, add a silk eye mask, and paint on a faux clay mask for a relaxing Spa Day costume.

Where do you land on the Halloween celebration scale? Whether you like to go all-out with an elaborate costume and fully decorated haunted house, or you prefer to keep your costume and decor subtle, use these Halloween party and costume tips to start planning. For more inspiration, visit our other Guides.