Halloween Potluck Party Ideas

A first option when it comes to Halloween party ideas is to plan the classic party: at home with the kids and your soul mate. Many family parties will take place on Halloween eve.

Here's how a classic Halloween family party works: when the trick or treating is finished, kids come back home bringing their candy bag along with them and after their parents having checked the quality of those presents, everyone goes to the living room where mummy serves pumpkin juice and cookies. Meanwhile, Daddy will tell some Halloween stories.

Although this is a good way to celebrate Halloween, there's a wonderful manner to prolong the Halloween pleasure and make it more amusing for both children and parents.

Photo Halloween dinner setting, courtesy of Kathleen Li from Gardenweb Forums - Purplemoon's Inspiration Album

What about hosting Halloween potluck party? What about treating your friends and neighbors - whether single parents or married couples - along with their children?

Unfortunately, there's a major trouble: the housewife who hosts the Halloween party can't leave the kitchen as she must cook the meal and make sure that each guest is served and doesn't require whether a drink or something to eat.

However, on October 31st of this year, the housewife is going to take part to the celebration and take joy in the evening as it's about a Halloween potluck party that we're speaking here!

The principle of this event is very simple: each guest brings different dishes; whether a meal, dessert, pie or beverage - alcoholic or not.

Because you are the hostess, you will provide the party room and plan the different activities each guest will be invited to take part to.

Halloween dinner place settings, courtesy of Tamgypsy from Gardenweb Forums - in Purplemoon's Holiday Inspiraton Album

Once you have put your guest list together and decided on a suitable date for everyone, it's time for you to prepare your Halloween invitation cards.

Prepare your Halloween potluck party for everyone by creating invitation cards with funny Halloween images. This can be an agreeable job if you make those cards yourself.

Select a scary, comic or TV series related theme, add some colors and make your guests know the type of aliments and/or beverage they will have to get and whether they have to wear a costume or not.

Do not forget to add an RSVP request so that you know how many guests you will have to hire chairs for and supply glasses, cups, plates, etc.

Ask your children to help you do this so that they take part to the event from the start.

Tip: if you are short on time, you can buy ready-made cards.

One of the funniest part of Halloween is that everyone can wear a costume. Therefore it's counselled to set up a costume theme to your Halloween party. What about a Hollywood party, where everyone comes as a Hollywood star? Or perhaps a film theme night, where everybody dresses like their preferred Harry Potter or Pirate of the Carribean character, for example?

Below are various ideas:

• Monster party
• Golden oldies party (50's)
• Hippie party (60's)
• Agatha Christie or Cluedo party
• Scooby-Doo party
• Hairspray party

When planning a Halloween potluck party, you have to make decision on whether you will host a sit down dinner or a buffet party.

The simplest way to host a Halloween party is by having a buffet. You will easily convert your dining table into a supper-table by placing it in a corner of the room. Utilize a big jack-o-lantern as centerpiece and put the dishes brought by your guests all around it. Make certain to provide sufficient eating and drinking ustensils.

A buffet is also a good way to have your guests in condition to communicate with everyone and make new friends but ensure you to provide enough chairs. Reserve an area in the center of the room for people to dance.

A smaller table in a different corner of the room - or in a different room - can be turned into the bar area.

Although you are hosting a Halloween pot luck party, the jack-o-lanterns you carved provided you with so much pumpkin flesh that you'll be for sure able to serve pumpkin pie while saving a little money on your food expenses.

Tip: an original idea would be to fill two big carved and decorated pumpkins with sangria for grownups and Halloween drink for the children.

Drink decorations: witch eyes.
Here's the recipe:

* Canned peeled and drained litchis
* Incorporate a maraschino cherry into the litchis.

Photo Halloween dinner party food setting, courtesy of Dining Delight from Gardenweb Forums - Purplemoon's Inspiration Album

Shocktail Shot Glass Set (6)
Includes 6 shot glasses that are made of plastic. Shot glasses measure 2" high."

Halloween Party Deluxe Party Kit
Includes 25 dinner plates, dessert plates, cups, 32 forks, spoons, knives, 50 napkins, centerpiece, plastic bowl, solid-color tablecover, 18 balloons, curling ribbon, crepe paper rolls and star confetti.

Glowing Eyeball Candle
Spread a few candles on the table so that you can turn most of the lights off - this will add to the creepy atmosphere of the room.

Creepy Cocktails Party Picks (12)
12 Halloween themed pics - bring more of the night theme to your table and into your dishes!

Skull Platter Party Kit
Serve your snacks and other treats in skull bowl, tray and pitcher, perfect for bringing more of the Halloween spirit to the table.

Halloween is dealing with witches, macabre creatures, spiders, specters, jack-o-lanterns.

The most favorite Halloween party topic is a haunted house; so remember to supply reduced lighting, skeletons, images of specters and ghouls, spiders and webs and sound effects.

Of course there's no correct Halloween party without some Jack-o-lanterns, in various sizes with a tea light inside them. Another great idea is to bring some fog to the party so that it adds to the creepy effects. While you are not obliged to wholly decorate your house, you should at least put Halloween decorations in the rooms where you'll hold the party.

Photo Halloween dinner settings, courtesy of Sandi from Gardenweb Forums - Purplemoon's Inspiration Album

Animated Inflatable Vampire in Coffin
What about having a big inflatable rising vampire in his coffin somewhere in the room, this will add a more creepy atmosphere to your Halloween party.

Hanging Bride & Groom
Have a bride and groon welcome your guests to your Halloween party tonight! A fantastic way to start the fun before coming into the actual Halloween decor inside the home.

Graveyard Kit
Ah, what would be Halloween without a graveyard which includes a few tombstones, some skulls, and a few pieces of bones? Includes 31 graveyard accessories.

Haunted Chandelier
Hanging a realistic haunted chandelier to your ceiling is going to improve the haunted atmosphere of your party room. This 32" chandelier works with 120V.

Last but not least, set the musical ambiance by creating different play lists of Halloween music and sound effects.

However, there are chances that your guest would want to dance to the popular music of the day so make sure you have a compilation of Halloween as well as modern music ready for the party.

Add even more recreation by setting up a Halloween karaoke for the whole company before the kids retire. After the kids are gone to sleep, you might want to choose to play some creepy DVDs.

I wish you a fantastic pot luck Halloween party!

Photo: Printable Halloween Games Collection

Have a few fun Halloween party activities that both grownups and kids can do in common such as a costume contest with gifts for everyone.

Make sure to plan separate Hallween games like treat hunting for children and another one connected to the party theme for grownups.

Have some age adapted Halloween DVDs for the children to watch as the evening progresses.

Once the children are gone to sleep, your Halloween party may become more scary and activities such as a murder enigma can add more fun.

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