Need halloween party ideas!

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msarro
msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
Ok, my housemate and I are hosting a halloween cocktail party on saturday night,
neither one of us have really hosted anything besides a 'get-drunk-off-your-butt' college party. So, I need ideas for about 15 people. Plus I only have a small budget! We each were planning to throw in about 50 dollars. I'm already planning on making it a *huge* cheat day, so, nutritional concerns are out the window. I'll run it off on sunday :)

So, I was thinking of a) baking cookies, buying pumpkin pie or making it (depending on time), for alcohol get some everclear and mix it with a jug of fruit punch and a half gallon of orange juice (yay jungle juice!), a sack of candy from BJ's, and some decorations. Any other ideas???

I still need to get a costume!!!! *runs around like a chicken with its head cut off*

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  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Ok, my housemate and I are hosting a halloween cocktail party on saturday night,
    neither one of us have really hosted anything besides a 'get-drunk-off-your-butt' college party. So, I need ideas for about 15 people. Plus I only have a small budget! We each were planning to throw in about 50 dollars. I'm already planning on making it a *huge* cheat day, so, nutritional concerns are out the window. I'll run it off on sunday :)

    So, I was thinking of a) baking cookies, buying pumpkin pie or making it (depending on time), for alcohol get some everclear and mix it with a jug of fruit punch and a half gallon of orange juice (yay jungle juice!), a sack of candy from BJ's, and some decorations. Any other ideas???

    I still need to get a costume!!!! *runs around like a chicken with its head cut off*
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    I found some great halloween recipes on a website a few weeks ago but I didn't save the address. I'll see if I can find it again.

    One suggestion would be to make a cd of some great halloween songs like monster mash, ghost busters, thriller, etc to play at your party.

    I love Halloween. I almost had a Halloween wedding!

    Have fun!:smile:
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
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    This is the website I was thinking of http://www.britta.com/Hw/hwr.html

    The bizzare brain and the haunted human heart looks cool.
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    One little idea I remember seeing is for a punch bowl. You freeze water in latex gloves (powder free of course), then you have a floating severed hand for your beverages. Just a thought. I hope it goes well!
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
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    There are tons of pumpkin cookie recipes out there, or buy them from a bakery - goes a little further, less messy than a pie, doesn't require disposable plates, forks, napkins.

    If you like spicy stuff, Walmart has pico de gallo (THE original mexican salsa, not that jarred crap) in the produce department for about $2 for an 8oz container. Or you could ADD the jarred crap to the pico de gallo to stretch it a little further. Get 3-4 containers of it, and a big bowl of corn chips. The everclear recipe sounds good, and let people know they can 'pitch in' their own booze too.

    I would buy a big party bag of chicken wings or nuggets to add to that menu, just for 'substance' and consider creating your own veggie platter with a dip.
  • DjBliss05
    DjBliss05 Posts: 682
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    Just for the record, everclear and fruit punch = get drunk off your butt party.

    Could you do vodka instead? Sounds a little less frat party and a little more cocktail party.

    Unless of course, that isn't what you are going for! :wink:
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Just for the record, everclear and fruit punch = get drunk off your butt party.

    Could you do vodka instead? Sounds a little less frat party and a little more cocktail party.

    Unless of course, that isn't what you are going for! :wink:

    Well the idea is that everclear is 14$ for a small bottle, and mixing that with a gallon and a half of juice should reasonably tame it down. I may only use half the bottle as well, and mix in some sprite. The big issue is the tight budget and I figured that it would stretch farther. The only vodka with a similar price point is... not so good :wink:

    The crappy part is I forgot to tell people not to bring guests so it could be anywhere up to 20+ people, and I'm guessing they're going to be thirsty since we told people cocktail party, haha.
  • GoGetterMom
    GoGetterMom Posts: 852 Member
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    try bhg.com Better Homes & Gardens magazine online has every idea you'd ever need within a good budget. I was googling carving pumpkins for designs and they have tons of great ideas. My kiddos picked out some fun stuff too!

    Good luck!
  • JMAMA
    JMAMA Posts: 298 Member
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    orange and grape colored jello shots.
    music mix, must include: monster mash, thriller, ghostbusters, nightmare on elm street, etc...
    decor-low lighting, and cobwebs-cheap, but a little messy!
  • MFS27
    MFS27 Posts: 549 Member
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    Some ideas -

    1. use carved-out (CLEAN) pumpkins for your punch bowl/chips, etc. (I've made stew in a pumpkin and served it out of the pumpkin shell - it was really neat.)

    2. Get fall leaves (from your front yard!), spray with glitter glue and tie with thread and hang them from the ceiling with thumb-tacks - have them hang down at various lengths so people walk through the leaves (cheap!) You can also add a few bats and spiders (fake or real :wink: )

    3. Dim the lights and add white/orange twinkle lights.