Halloween in the garden may be your last opportunity for a last blast before the arrival of the busy holiday season. A Halloween party is a ton of fun and doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are a few suggestions.
Planning a Backyard Halloween Celebration
A Halloween party outside is super fun, but the weather is chilly in many parts of the country, even during the day. Remind guests to bring jackets (and masks). If you don’t have a covered patio, you can purchase or rent a tent or canopy from a party supply store. You can also rent propane heaters.
Decorating for Halloween in the Garden
Have fun creating a backyard Halloween celebration and remember that decorations don’t have to be perfect to create a spooky Halloween vibe. Here are a few suggestions to pique your creativity.
- Direct traffic through your haunted garden with solar lights or use string lights in the shapes of jack-o’ lanterns, bats, or ghosts.
- Hit up thrift stores for old sheets or tablecloths. Make simple ghosts and hang them from trees or fences.
- Make use of inexpensive decorations such as stretchy “cobwebs.” Everybody loves glow sticks, buy them in bulk for the best price.
- Cut creepy bat or raven shapes from cardboard or foam. Paint the shapes black and place them strategically next to ghosts or jack o’ lanterns. You can also create tombstones from cardboard boxes.
- Halloween in the garden isn’t complete without at least one creepy scarecrow, a few bales of straw for sitting, and plenty of jack o’ lanterns.
Halloween Garden Party Ideas
If you want guests to wear costumes, let everybody know early so they have time to plan. You can create a theme like zombies or a favorite scary movie or ask everybody to come dressed in basic black. If your Halloween garden party is for kids and you’re brave, ask your guests to bring their pets, (in costume, of course).
Pinatas are always fun for the younger set. Consider two pinatas—one for the littles and a second for the older kids.
Warm your guests with hot chocolate, apple cider, or make mulled cider in your slow cooker. Stick with simple treats like decorated cookies, cupcakes, or bags of Halloween treats (don’t forget the candy corn).