Tricks and Treats for a Successful Halloween Party

It's that wonderful time of year again! Halloween is almost here, so it's time to start planning those festivities that the children and adults alike love so well. Try not to panic and remember, this is going to be a fun party so you will have fun planning it and putting it together. I know it can seem overwhelming trying to think of what you're going to do. Don't worry, there are many cool little tricks and recipe treats you can quickly throw together without much hassle that everybody will love. Always remember that it doesn't have to be complicated. Stressing yourself over it will cause you not to have a good time and then what's the point if the host/hostess isn't happy enough to enjoy it as well? Of course, there are many ready-to-go decorations and food that you can buy at the store, but we're going to be focusing on the fun stuff you can do/make yourself. Here are some helpful hints to get you started.

DECORATIONS:
Ceiling Spiders and Ghosts:
If you want something to hang from your ceiling, you can make a black spider. Make the head by taking a black trash bag and stuffing it full of plastic bags or anything lightweight that you have. To make the legs, simply cut another black trash bag into strips and tape them together if necessary to make them as long as you wish. Now tape one end of the legs to the head and hang the head from the middle of the room or from a light fixture. Pull the other ends of the legs out the the sides of the room and tape or tack them to the ceiling. You can do the same thing to make a ghost with white trash bags then color the eyes and mouth with a marker.

Hanging Pumpkins and Ghosts:
Another fun thing to do is make hanging pumpkins. You can buy felt from the craft section of your store for around 20 cents for a 12 inch square sheet or maybe you already have some. You will need orange and green felt, cardboard, and a black magic marker. Cut the cardboard into the shape of a pumpkin and the size you wish. Now cut 2 pieces of orange felt into the same shape as the cardboard except you don't have to make an orange stem on top of it. Glue a piece of the felt you just cut onto each side of the cardboard pumpkin. Cut out 2 green stems for your pumpkin and paste one on each side. Color the eyes, nose, and mouth with your black marker. Finally, poke a hole through the top of the green stem with a screwdriver, knife, skewer, or whatever you have. Thread a string or piece of yarn through the hole and hang it from the ceiling or wherever you like. You may do the same to make hanging ghosts with white felt.

Table Decorations...Tablecloths, Worms, and Intestines:
Instead of buying the fancy tablecloths that can easily cost $15 to $20, try using a bed-sheet that you already have. Any color will do. Cut some pieces of black and orange (or the colors you want) construction paper into confetti or into strips. Put your sheet over the table and sprinkle the confetti and strips all over the table top. If you don't have construction paper, use regular paper and color it the desired colors before you cut it into pieces. You can also sprinkle glitter that you have onto it as well. You can make worms by using cooked spaghetti and soaking it in water with mixed food colorings in it. Strain the stained spaghetti and place them around on the table to look like worms. Make intestines by doing the same with the spaghetti and soaking it in red food coloring instead.

Dead Legs:
Stuff a pair of pants, from the knees down, with plastic bags or old clothes. Slide the upper part of the pants under the couch or a chair so that the only part sticking out is the stuffed part. Now stuff a pair of socks and lay them where the feet would be, stick the top of the socks inside the bottom of the pants and over the stuffing in the pants. There's your Dead Legs sticking out from under the couch or chair. These are fun and get great laughs!

Flying Ghosts:
All you need for these are some balloons and white pillow cases. If you don't have white pillow cases, then white trash bags will work fine. Blow up the balloons and slip the pillow cases over them. Tie a piece of string or put a rubber-band around the neck. Tape the string or yarn to the top of the head and tack it to the ceiling. For a fun effect, run a piece of fishing line from the top of one end of the room to the other. Now, instead of attaching your string or yarn to the ceiling, tie it to a Christmas ornament hook and hang them on the line. Your ghosts will slide back and forth as if flying. This is great to do outside also.

RECIPES:
Big Bowl of Vomit:
Use the same recipe above to make Green Slime, but don't put the gummy worms in yet. When you have the Green Slime made, put it in a big enough bowl to be able to stir it around if you don't already have it in one. Now take a clean pair of scissors and cut the gummy worms into little pieces and put them in with the jello, these will be the "chunks in the vomit". Pour a little bit of juice at a time into the bowl until you get the consistency you want. You can use any juice that will give you the color you're going for. Stir it all together and now you have a big bowl of vomit! Serve it with a dipper and they'll love it.

Bloody Amputated Arms and Hands:
You get to make meatloaf with this one! Get your favorite meatloaf recipe and mix it up. Use a large pan for cooking the meatloaf in. Shape the meatloaf into a long log, slim enough to look like an arm. You can make multiple pieces and fit them together in the end as well to make it longer. You can also shape it into a V shape to give the appearance of an elbow crook. Now cook the meatloaf in the oven. When it is done, take it out and let it set for a few minutes. Transfer the meatloaf onto your serving platter, or for a creepy "cooked arm" look you can leave it in the pan. Now use a clean glove with a little bit of paper towel or tissue stuffed into it to fill out the hand, and simply slip it over one end of the "arm"(meatloaf). Use Ketchup for the blood wherever you want it. You can make a smaller "wrist and hand" by just using a shorter piece of meatloaf and putting the glove on the end. It's grotesquely fun and your guests will love it!

Dead Hands in the Punch:
Put on a latex or plastic glove and wash it thoroughly. Pull it off your hand so that it turns inside out and fill it with water. Close the open end of the glove by wrapping a rubber band tightly around it. Put it in the freezer until it's completely frozen. Take it out and dip it in warm water to loosen the glove from the ice hand. Either gently slide the glove off the hand or cut it off with scissors. You can add food coloring to the water to color the hands. Float them in your punch for a fun effect!

Wiggly Jiggly Hands:
Do the same as above with the Dead Hands in the Punch, except use jello to fill the glove instead of water. Mix the jello as directed on the box and fill the glove, tie it off with a rubber band and put it in the fridge until the jello is firm. Dip it in warm water and gently slide off the glove. Put them all in a dish together or you can float them in the punch as well.

Green Slime:
Prepare green jello as directed on box. Put it in the fridge to firm up. The easy way to break up the jello instead of slicing it is to put your clean hand into it and start squeezing the jello into pieces until you have the desired consistency you want. You can put in some gummy worms for an extra touch. Serve in a bowl with a dipper and have fun!

Bloodshot Eyes:
Hard-boil as many eggs as you want to serve. Drain them and let them cool. Instead of peeling the eggs, hold one in your hand and gently crack it on the counter, then roll it forwards and backwards to crack the entire shell. Don't remove the shell yet. Do this to all the eggs. Soak the eggs in water that has red food coloring in it for about 20 minutes or longer if you wish. Now drain and peel them. The cracked eggshells allow the red water to penetrate and stain the eggs in the pattern of the crackle, effectively giving them that bloodshot look. You can serve them just like this or stick an olive in a toothpick and into the egg for a pupil.

Be creative when planning your Halloween party. Having a party doesn't mean you have to go out and spend allot of money on decorations and fancy foods. The best parties are the ones where you can tell the person throwing it has put their personal touch into it. It's a wonderful way to show your family and friends that you care. The children will also love helping to make these fun decorations and recipes. It's a great way to bring family and friends together for a fun holiday party that doesn't have to cost an "arm and a leg".