Create a frightening fog. What could add to that special Halloween ambiance better than billows of creeping mist? Dry ice is a Halloween party must-have. It’s perfect for adding an eerie effect to your punch bowl: just mix up your drink in a large bowl, then put it inside a bigger bowl (or cauldron!). Using tongs, gloves, or oven mitts, distribute chunks of dry ice into the bigger pot – never touch dry ice with bare hands. Pour hot water gently over the dry ice, and you’ve got your mist. The water has to be hot or the effect won’t work. Add more dry ice and water as needed. Never put dry ice directly into the punch (it can be very dangerous if ingested, unless it’s marked food-grade.) You can also use the misty effect in other areas: try putting dry ice in a shallow, low-sided pan and hide it behind a centerpiece. Or put some behind the refreshment table and watch the mist curl eerily around the selection of foods. A word of caution: make sure you always use dry ice in a well-ventilated area, because it gives off carbon dioxide.
From Jennifer Anderson, managing editor at AllRecipes.com, comes this decorating tidbit: “Use non-toxic plastic glow sticks (available at any party supply store) to make your food look radioactive. Place some glow sticks in a clear glass bowl and pile orange, green or red gelatin squares on top. Drop some glow sticks in the punch bowl, too!”
Use a CD of scary sounds in the background to set the mood. These are relatively inexpensive – I picked mine up for about six dollars – but you could also use a blank tape and record your own.
To give your house a spooky, abandoned feel, cover your furniture with white sheets. Use thin, lightweight pieces of plywood or balsa wood to “board up” your windows; you can secure them to the wall with an adhesive that holds strongly but won’t stick to your wall covering (3M Command is one brand). Buy a package of fake cobwebs and distribute them liberally throughout the room.
A few weeks before Halloween, decorate your home with a few bouquets of fresh flowers. Enjoy them, but don’t water them; by Halloween, they’ll be droopy, dry, and brown – the perfect accompaniment to your party décor!
If you’re feeling really creative, and are good with your hands, visit the Monster List of Halloween Projects site (link included at the bottom of this article) for a compilation of cool, creepy, and downright amazing do-it-yourself ideas from all over the Web. These range from fairly simple to intricate and complex; all have instructions, and most have pictures of the projects in progress.