Bring Your Halloween Party Back From The Dead

Martha Stewart for pingg

Now that the weather has reminded us more than ever that fall is here to stay, it’s time to start planning the perfect Halloween, especially since this year the holiday falls on a coveted Saturday. I believe that anyone, no matter how old (or young at heart), can participate in the celebration of Halloween.

There are no shortage of Halloween festivities in NYC, from haunted house tours, amply costume contests and the famous village parade when 50,000 costumed participates and close to two million spectators will pack 6th Avenue for the city’s most wildly creative event and the largest celebration of its kind in the world!  When the parade is over, Halloween night has just begun and I always prefer to host my own haunted bash, transforming my quaint apartment for one night into my very own scene out of Hocus Pocus complete with fog machine, carved pumpkin masterpieces and copious amounts of candy corn.  To prepare for the  night, I can often be found running through the Halloween section of my favorite costume and supply store with the same enthusiasm usually reserved by New Yorkers for Manolo Blahnik sample sales.

If you are looking for a more homemade Halloween, it’s easy to decorate with a few simple things at home such as trash bags filled with leaves that can be decorated as pumpkins or ghosts or empty egg cartons that can be cut into bats- think three egg holder sections with two for the wigs and the middle for the body. If you want to be more intricate, check out these witch’s broom favors or candy corn pots from Martha Stewart. When creating the perfect haunted atmosphere, I use items such as a simple white sheet for ghosts or black pipe cleaners for spiders and string for spiderwebs. I even create my own soundtrack with spooky sound effects. For more craft ideas, you might find these ideas from Martha Stewart helpful.

Of course the best part is the Halloween costume. The picking of a Halloween costume is a fine art and I’ve always thought the scarier the better! If you don’t want to shell out extra money for a pre-made costume, check out your closet where you’re sure to find a few simple pieces that can be paired with an accessory or two from the costume store. Some of my most successful homemade creations include a hippy using simple tie-dye clothing, bell bottoms and a bandanna, a gypsy with a flowing skirt, head scarf and tons of oversized jewelry and even Jackie O with attire straight out of my grandmother’s closet including oversized sunglasses, gloves and of course a pillbox hat.

Hosting your own Halloween bash? Check out pingg’s collection of ghoulish Halloween invitations.