Decorating Tips for Halloween Parties

If Halloween seems to sneak up on you every year, and you're left scrambling to put together party decorations, don't stress. To make it a little easier for the procrastinators, here are some simple, not too expensive decorating ideas. If you really love Halloween, you could use these tips for a horror themed party any time of year.

Strobe lights and fog machines seem to have become a Halloween staple. They also seem to be more affordable in recent years. (Basic models cost about $20). Overusing fog and strobe effects can look a little cheesy, but if it's kept basic and used with dim lighting they can set an eerie mood.

Fake body parts, cobwebs, and spiders seem to be a popular decision for some people. Why not add a guillotine to the mix? Replicas about three feet tall come preassembled in some stores. Some stage blood and a fake severed head or two could be a nice touch.

Artificial crows and ravens placed in locations where they can peer down on party guests can boost the creepiness factor, especially if someone has ornithophobia (a phobia of birds).

To darken up the atmosphere a little more, some companies have come out with thunder and lightning machines. Simple models have a unit that is plugged into a strobe light and a stereo. Some models even run off the power of the strobe light, eliminating the need for an outside electrical power supply. Using a lightning machine and a separate strobe light with a fog machine may be overkill on the strobe lights, though.

Goblin lights can add creepy lighting to a room without being clichéd like black lights. Just crack some glow sticks and put them inside balloons. If the room is otherwise dimly lit, they can look cool.

If you're serving a beverage in a punch bowl, and it needs ice, try some 'special' ice cubes. You can pick up some latex gloves - which some beauty supply stores carry - fill them with water, and freeze them.

Simple cauldrons can be spiced up with a glow stick and some dry ice. The glow stick gives the appearance of something lurking underneath the mist of the dry ice.

Videotapes that produce a holographic, disembodied head on a television screen could conjure up some scares if there are little kids around. But to adults, they're at best a little creepy and on the verge of cheesy.

If none of these ideas sound appealing, don't stress about decorating for your party too much. You could put up some orange lights and cobwebs and call it a day. The people you're hanging out with can usually create an atmosphere that equals if not surpasses the decorations.