Halloween Party Dry Ice Ideas

No Halloween gathering is complete without spooky decorations. To help spookify your party atmosphere, why not create some creeping mist with dry ice?

Dry ice can usually be found anywhere fresh fish is sold, so ask your grocer if they carry it. If not, check the phone book or order it online.

Smoking Punch Bowl
This classic Halloween trick is achieved using two bowls. The inner bowl will contain punch (or soup, or chexmix) and the outter bowl (or cauldron) will contain the dry ice. Place the dry ice inside the larger bowl, and the smaller bowl inside the larger bowl on top of the dry ice. The smoke from the dry ice tends to be heavy, so when you want it to start billowing and creeping out of the bowl, pour some hot water onto it. A good idea is to keep a kettle of water slowly simmering on the stove so you can quickly and easily refresh the dry ice. Another punch bowl idea is to get some non-toxic glow sticks, snap them, and toss them into the punch bowl. This will make your punch look radio-active!

Misty Buffett Table
Use a baking pan, or other low rimmed dish to contain the dry ice. Place the dish on your buffett table behind a decoration (jack'o lantern, or cardboard gravestone.) Refresh the dry ice with hot water when ever the smoke starts to die down. Something neat to try with this trick is to place a small desk lamp next to the dry ice pan (behind the decortation) using a colored bulb (try black, purple, or orange.)

Fog
Use the same procedure as for the Misty Buffett Table, only place the pans on the floor along the wall, or around the room.. This may not be a good idea if small children are attending the party! Use colored light bulbs in lighting fixtures around thte room. The Fog will reflect the light and add to the spooky atmosphere.

IMPORTANT!
Dry Ice Protocol!!

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• Never touch dry ice with your bare hands! Dry Ice should be handled with tongs, thick kitchen gloves or oven mits. The chemicals in dry ice can burn your skin!
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• Use in well ventilated area! Dry ice gives off carbon dioxide. To avoid poisoning party-guests always use dry ice in a well ventilated area!
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• Never let dry ice come into contact with your food! Incase the last two warnings didn't make this clear: Dry ice gives off a gas that can be poisonous in concentration, and will burn your bare skin ergo it should NOT be ingested! Do not put dry ice anywhere where it might come into contact with something you plan on eating or drinking!

  
  

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