This post is sponsored by Party City

We used to go all out for Halloween. Year after year, we would throw a big annual Halloween party — with costumes and themed snacks and prizes. It’s been a few years, but we’re feeling… bewitched this year and ready to host again. Chris and I really want to make this year’s Halloween party one for the books, so we’re getting an early start, and we’ve got more than a few party-throwing tips up our sleeve. We found nearly all of our party needs exclusively at our local Party City, which made the planning and decorating a walk in the graveyard (see what I did there?). So, if you’re looking to get into the Halloween spirit, you’re in for a treat… or a trick!

1. Make a Statement With The Invitations

Every memorable party starts with a memorable invitation. Our tradition is to get all dressed up, snap a photo, and send it out with the party details. It really sends a clear message that THIS IS A SERIOUS COSTUME PARTY. The girls have always wanted to dress as Harry Potter characters, and this was our year! Party City had everything we needed, from robes to wands, and scarves to sorcerous owls (Hedwig perched on Chris’s Harry’s hand!). Can you guess who everyone is?

2. The Decor Starts at The Door

Good news! You don’t have to decorate the entire house. Focus on decorating a few key areas, starting with the front porch. These pumpkin lawn bags are the perfect porch decor. Fill them with leaves, and your lawn will be nice and tidy before guests arrive! If you really want to make a scene, Party City has quite an assortment of animatronics, including this Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington door knocker.

Be sure to have a good Halloween playlist going to greet your guests as they come through the door. Music is the ultimate icebreaker and mood-setter that often gets overlooked!

3. Make The Buffet The Focal Point

As I said before, you don’t have to go all-out with Halloween decor throughout the whole home. You can completely captivate your guests with just a few creepy moments, especially at the buffet table. We covered the table in black droopy cloth and filled it with Halloween-themed food and serveware. I love these cute ghost plates and jack-o-lantern cups and don’t forget to grab a black platter or two.

4. Get Creative With Your Food

Our #1 party-throwing tip when it comes to food is to serve finger foods! There’s nothing like balancing a paper plate on your lap while you struggle to get bites in your mouth (especially for your masked guests!), so keep your menu simple and mobile. We took “finger foods” to the next level and served up some witch fingers, AKA breadsticks with slivered almonds as fingernails. Also on the menu were red candy apples, mummy dogs, caramel corn, skeleton-shaped veggie dip, guacamole witch dip, and more. Have fun with it, and feel free to have guests bring a Halloween-themed dish to share!

5. Setup a Photo Backdrop

If you’re throwing a Halloween costume party, you need to have a designated backdrop for guests to take pictures! We hung some creepy gray cloth and bat paper cutouts with sticky tack to create a *vibe*. It’s so easy to do and completely infused some haunted mansion feel to the mantle.

Pro tip: As your guests arrive, immediately direct them to the photo area and offer to take their picture when their costumes are the freshest (and their makeup is still on). This is a great way to get the conversation flowing, plus you won’t have to worry about remembering to take photos as the night goes on. Give out trophies for the “most creative” and “most terrifying” costumes. This “Best Costume” skeleton trophy is so fun.

Later, you can text the photos out as thank yous for coming!

6. A Little Fog Goes a Long Way

We had way too much fun with this fog machine. You don’t need a lot of fog for an indoor space, but even a little bit of fog in the atmosphere will transport you to a haunted house. This one is great for indoors, but if you want to take the party outside, go with this more powerful one. Don’t forget the fog liquid (it’s not included)!

7. Don’t Forget The Activities

Costumes and food go a long way for a party, but we’re a family who loves games! Something we’ve done in the past is hire a babysitter to keep the kids busy and entertained upstairs while the adults have a bit of fun of their own. This Halloween Bingo is perfect for kids, and who doesn’t love a pinata?– I’m impartial to this cute friendly ghost.

Halloween Guess Who

As for the grown-ups, you can play a game of Halloween Guess Who by taping the name of a Halloween character on their back (think Dracula, the Boogeyman, and Wednesday Addams). Everyone goes around asking questions about who they are, and as you guess correctly, they get placed onto teams for the next game.

Halloween Pictionary

Make it Halloween-themed with phrases like “trick-or-treat” and “candy corn.” Don’t forget to throw in some song and movie titles for a challenge.

Whether you’re throwing a Halloween party or attending one, I hope we gave you some ideas to get you in the spirit of all things creepy and crawly. Party throwing isn’t for everyone, but it doesn’t need to be as complicated as you might think, especially if you head to Party City. Happy Halloween!