These vintage Halloween cards are beautiful and timeless treasures – perfect for creating invitations, as applications to favor boxes, or for use in scrapbooks. Click on the image to print in the larger, full-size version (personal use only, please.)
Collecting vintage images for holiday crafts and decorations is one of my guilty pleasures, since it’s so time consuming to hunt down quality resources. I plan on finding more vintage cards to scan and enhance in the future, but you can find more postcard designs here: Vintage Halloween Cards.
This week, I also found a vintage reproduction of “Whirl-O Halloween Fortune and Stunt Game”, which will be a very fun and unique addition to your Halloween party this year.
It’s in PDF format – be sure to print it on cardboard stock so it’s sturdy enough to use as an actual game: Whirl-O Halloween Game. It may be a good idea to laminate it as well, just so any party spills don’t ruin the fun…
The mini wrought iron tree I mentioned in an earlier post was highly regarded as a unique and functional display for the holidays. I was finally able to display some of my most treasured wine Christmas ornaments this year, as they were safely guarded upon a tabletop (both high enough above the reach of wee little grabby hands, and sturdy enough to withstand the impact of kitty claws).
My tree arrived quickly from CSN with reasonable processing time, was neatly packaged as individually wrapped sections divided by “branch” size, and I easily had it standing tall in all of about 10 minutes. The one-page printed instructions had little to be desired, however I’ll take a good product that’s self-explanatory and properly designed over a manual that requires a cipher and key, any day. 
Immediately after initial set-up, I couldn’t resist hanging a few decorations on the swirled branches. Most of my ornaments are rather heavy and awkwardly shaped, but there was never a question as to whether the iron would hold them securely.
I would say this tree’s best assets are the strength of the branches, especially compared to a normal tabletop fake evergreen tree, and the numerous places to hang ornaments. Not only were there too many branches for me to fill, there were also openings along the stem that allow for the placement of floral picks as additional decorations if you prefer a more plentiful tree. As also a modern design, the less is more approach can also be easily fulfilled.
In this alternative theme, I layered bird ornaments, berry picks, and various glass balls in light olive, lilac, and vintage champagne hues to give you an idea of how elegant this tree can look, no matter how you choose to complete it. This wrought iron tree will definitely be a main feature in my home – soon to showcase my Halloween tree ornaments.
In the meantime, I just can’t seem to pull it apart and pack it away. What a great place to store mini photos and cards throughout the year, hang cookies during the next event, or maybe even a very functional help-yourself display for serving party favors.
Sadly, CSN no longer has the black 3.5 ft version available (since recommending it as an intriguing option for holiday tabletop displays in my previous post), however there’s still time to pick up this silver tree or a full black iron 7-footer if you are daring enough…
Get ready to gather the proper gear and a few infectious toxins to deliver your unsuspecting guests while morphing them into pale, brain-eating creations at your Zombie Halloween themed party this year.
Zombie-themed Halloween parties are a good option to provide a scarier atmosphere than just the candy corn and smiling pumpkins, especially if you are looking to fulfill either a niche interest or entertain a more mature group of guests without the kiddies involved. The zombie costume pictures from your party may also end up being something quite special to share for many years to come.
Just please be careful what you do with your new monstrous mutants. Containment is the key – unless of course, you’re trying to start the next zombie apocalypse…
Sprinkling out the body parts is a Halloween tradition for spooky decorations and gross recipes. You’ll find fingers, a few floating eyeballs, brain matter, and a bloody hand or two reaching out to grab you at every scary Halloween party. Creep out your guests with a few of these unique appendage props:
Creepy Cuts Eyes & Fries
Atomic Brain Standing Halloween Prop
Hanging Body Parts
And, then of course there’s these squishy, edible bits and pieces…
Zombie Brain Gelatin Mold
Wilton Fingers Non-Stick 8 Cavity Cookie Pan
Wilton Dimensions 3D Skull Pan
This hauntingly delicious candied apple recipe deserves its own post. I won’t even dare to mix and match these with traditional candied apples because there has never been a more dark & elegant Halloween treat dropped out of the orchard before…in Snow White fashion – these apples are simply to die for.
These candied apples are dripping with blood red and black glass-like candy with natural twig branches that serve as the sticks. They are perfect for Gothic and Vampire themed Halloween parties. Kudos to the talented apple dipper and the stunning visuals from the photographer. I can foresee these forever charming my macabre dinner parties for many years…
I found this resource earlier this morning as part of my daily, sporadic, random clicking-around-to-see-what-I-eventually-land-on ritual, and I am still in awe at how creative and versatile these FREE Halloween project templates are. All you need are a pair of scissors and a little bit of glue to get your Halloween party games started!
This entire collection of printable games can easily be crafted yourself such as Phantom’s Vortex, The Vault of Mystery, or Undead Checkers, and could easily be the life or the death of your Halloween party. Projects such as the coffin boxes and CD cases would make excellent party favors, and toys such as various masks or creatures such as “The Splatterbot” would make fun projects to print out in multiples for your guests to enjoy. Goodbye toilet paper roll mummy-wrapping games…
Some of these would also make great centerpieces and table decorations when arranged with other props, such as skeletons and spiders.
Oh, you want the link?
RavensBlight Printable Toys
To create your own specimens, you need a good assortment of clear glass containers. Use canning jars, potion bottles, apothecary jars, wine bottles, or rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar from last night’s dinner. The concept is simple – refill the jars with colored water, add a slimy and creepy specimen, and embellish with labels, paint, and twine.
Wilton makes a Halloween drink-coloring dye set with green, orange, red, and black already mixed for you, available at your local craft store. Hard-boiled eggs, cauliflower chunks, mini skeletons, and light-colored creatures work well in dark colored dyes for the added appeal of not being able to distinguish clear details apart from each specimen.
I found a very inspiring display of potion bottle specimen jars arranged on an antiquated bookshelf with a full tutorial included. Create your own Witches’ Kitchen this Halloween for a unique party theme that will have your guests brewing and bubbling over (with anticipation, I mean. I certainly hope you don’t plan to stuff them into the cauldron…).
Use vintage-style potion bottle labels for added authenticity, such as this beautiful set from the talent behind Love Manor: Bottle Labels.
For more apothecary jars, potion bottles, and specimen jars ideas, visit my complete list here: Halloween Apothecary and Specimen Jars
The Many Themes of Halloween
Sort your Halloween decorations and props by theme and throw a unique Halloween party this year that no one will forget…
Here’s 9 creative themes to get you started, including:
* Traditional (festive)
* Modern or Contemporary
* Halloween from the Grave (spooky Halloween decor)
* Wicked Witch
* Things that go Bump in the Night (Scary props)
* Masquerade / Carnival
* Creepy Castles
* Fantasy and Mythical Beasts
* Pirates – Creatures of the Sea
If you are searching for fun Halloween party games that are fun for all ages, play Name That Candy Bar.
Sit together and read the clues out loud, tossing the first person that calls out the correct answer the winning candy, OR you can print out lists and have your guests write their answers for a scavenger hunt. Whoever gets the most winning answers then receives a larger prize (keep multiple prizes available so everyone wins).
Clues:
Large heaping piles – Mounds
Slightly stifled laughs – Snickers
Rescuers – Life Savers
Slippery hands – Butterfinger
Busy buzzing bees make this – Bit O’ Honey
Gear for felines – KitKat
The galaxy – Milky Way
Time to collect the green – PayDay
5-pointed blast – Starburst
Can’t remember what it is – Whatchamacallit
My larger collection of adult and kid-friendly Halloween games are here:
Halloween Party Games
With the new release of Tim Burton’s rendition of the movie on 3/5/10, I’m excited to see the new line of Alice in Wonderland costumes available this Halloween. It took me a few days, but I think I’ve included the best selection of Alice, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter and Queen of Hearts costumes available as well as your other favorite Wonderland characters.
There’s no reason to grab a last-minute Halloween costume, with these great options available this year!
These apothecary jars filled with black and white Halloween candy create a very unique and elegant display. The full Halloween display is very simple, elegant, and inspiring:
The photos are from last year’s Pottery Barn Halloween selection, but there are apothecary jars available at many retailers online. I have several listed here for specimen jars, candy displays, and centerpieces along with other glass bottle uses for Halloween: Apothecary Jars
Bento boxes are a perfect Halloween lunch for the kids, but would also be a unique addition as Halloween party food. You can combine your favorite sushi and vegetable arrangements on large platters in between the olive and egg eyeballs for an elegant touch.
A cat chicken sandwich with skull and crossbones hard-boiled egg combo. Source
Halloween Hello Kitty – steamed carrots and sweet potatoes used to create the pumpkins. Source
Nightmare before Christmas – a very cheesy Jack Skellington with macaroni au gratin and ham & cucumber rolls. Source
Spooky rice ghosts and carrot pumpkins. A simple and boo-tiful Bento. Source
I created these free printable Halloween jar labels for your creepy party food finds and witches kitchen potion bottles. Definitely a necessity for every macabre night full of gross treats and edible appendages…
Spider Legs – black licorice
Creepy Crawlers – gummy worms and bugs
Drops of Blood – red jelly beans
Dragon Scales – candied pumpkin seeds
Bat Droppings – black M&Ms, jelly beans, gumdrops
