30 Halloween decor ideas to bring your party (back) to life
Boo! (Did we get you?) Halloween is creeping right up again, which means it’s time to start planning your wildest party of the year. Before you begin, you’ve got a lot to consider: Are you more into witches or spiders or skeletons? How many pumpkins are you willing to procure for the occasion? And of course, are you a fun-size or full-size candy bar household?
But just because Halloween itself is scary, doesn’t mean preparing for it should be. So we put together this list of our favorite Halloween party decor ideas that will treat your guests (and maybe trick them, too). From ghastly ghosts to spooky snacks, read on for our favorite Halloween party decorating ideas—many of which you can pick up right at Paperless Post Party Shop.
Image credit: Meri Meri; “Spooking Neighbors” by Meri Meri for Paperless Post.
How to throw a witchy and wonderful Halloween party
When it comes to chic Halloween characters, it doesn’t get much cooler than witches. It takes style to pull off those hats.
1. Wicked dishes: Perfect for serving Halloweenies in a blanket and Devil’s food cake. Witch Plates
2. Witchy accessories: Petite party hats for little and big sorceresses alike. Festooning Witch Party Hats
3. Terrifying toppers: To instantly add some black magic to your cupcakes or cheese plates. Spooky Scary Mini Toppers
4. Stuff some witchy striped stockings and add pointy buckled heels, then slip the top under a doorway or hedge Wicked Witch of the West-style.
5. Light a black flame candle for some extra hocus pocus. Black Flame Candle
How to have fun with pumpkins at your Halloween party
For a classic Halloween party, you can never, ever have too many pumpkins.
6. Crow and pumpkin napkins: For cleaning up your guests’ crumb-kins. Vintage Halloween Crow Napkins
7. Sweet paper pumpkins: Light enough to string around—and they won’t get mushy, either. Honeycomb Pumpkins
8. Sturdy pumpkin plates: You’ll use these year after year (they’re even dishwasher safe). Reusable Bamboo Pumpkin Plate
9. Grown-up gourds: Put these pretty pumps in unexpected places, like on a bookshelf or in your china cabinet. Dark Night Pumpkins
10. Etch your pumpkins rather than carving them for a more sophisticated, longer-lasting jack-o-lantern glow.
“Boozy Nights” by Hello!Lucky for Paperless Post; image credit: Meri Meri.
Throw a Halloween party with ghosts galore
Looking for a truly haunted Halloween party theme? You can’t go wrong with spooky, sneaky ghosts.
11. Ghastly dinnerware: These reusable plates will haunt you (in a good way!) for years to come. Reusable Bamboo Ghost Plates
12. Spirited napkins: Watch your spills disappear into thin air… Ghost Napkins
13. Hang little DIY tissue or cheesecloth ghosts from the ceiling or a chandelier.
14. Drape a white sheet over a side table, add black eyes and a mouth, and you’ve got a ghost!
15. Hang floating candles add a ghastly, ethereal feel to any room. Harry Potter™ Floating Candle String Lights
“Bat Storm“ by Paperless Post; image credit: Meri Meri.
Invite spiders and bats to your Halloween party
For a creepy, crawly Halloween party, bats and spiders take a bite out of the competition.
16. The biggest spider you’ve ever seen: Look up! (On second thought… don’t!) Giant Spider Balloons
17. Something spooky overhead: We’re batty for these shiny nocturnals. Halloween Foil Hanging Bats
18. The good kind of cobwebs: Hand these up after you’ve dusted away the real ones. Halloween Hanging Cobwebs
19. Big ole bats: Fill your party space with some massive flying mammals. Sparkle Bat Foil Balloons
20. A scary souvenir: Give guests a party favor with legs. Lots of ’em. Spider Surprise Balls
Image credit: Meri Meri; “Ghost Host” by Paperless Post.
Make sure your Halloween party has good bones
Skulls and skeleton decorations aplenty make for the spookiest Halloween parties of all.
21. A boney banner: String it above a doorway, on a wall, or under a table top. Dark Skulls Banner
22. Smiling skellies: A little scary, a lot adorable. Vintage Giant Halloween Jointed Skeletons
23. Dancing skeleton napkins: To inspire your guests to do the “Monster Mash.” Dancing Skeletons Paper Cocktail Napkins
24. Add skeleton hands to your table (and digging into your snacks) to up the creep effect.
25. Think beyond human bones and add some animal skeletons to your decor. Grandin Road Skeleton Mice, Skelebones Sitting Puppy
“Quality Spirits” by Paperless Post; image credit: Katie Rosario.
Serve up some spooky Halloween snacks
Mini Halloween candy bars are good, but you can do better.
26. Add a black tablecloth: Your snack table will instantly look 100% more ominous. Paper Linen Solid Table Cover
27. Smokey pumpkin deviled eggs: So cute, we almost don’t want to eat them. Almost. Recipe here
28. Candy corn cupcakes: Your guests will gobble them up—even if they aren’t candy corn people. Recipe here
29. Spiderweb nacho spread: A terrifying twist on a classic. Add a fake spider on top for added effect. Recipe here
30. Black magic margarita: A potion with the power to make any Halloween party unforgettable. Recipe here
Click here for more Halloween cocktail ideas.
Image credit: Meri Meri; “Perched Raven” by Meri Meri for Paperless Post.
Send Halloween party invitations with spirit
Get your guests into the Halloween spirit by sending them online invitations that let them know what your Halloween party is all about. Paperless Post has tons of spooky and special Halloween party designs to choose from, but these are some of our favorites:
– “Perched Raven” by Meri Meri: Nevermore will you be able to find a more charming Halloween invitation.
– “Spooky Protectors” by Hello!Lucky: Pumpkins, skulls, spiderwebs, ghosts—gotta love having all your spooks in one place.
– “Skeleton with Drink” by John Derian: We promise your guests won’t look anything like this sad skeleton when they receive this invitation.
Invitations + party supplies, a match so good it’s scary
Planning and hosting a Halloween party is easier than ever thanks to Paperless Post. Just choose your perfect Halloween invitations, customize to your heart’s content, and send them out whichever way you choose—via email, text message, or shareable link. Choose a stationery-inspired design for a more classic look, or keep things casual with fun, animated Flyers.
Then, head to Paperless Post Party Shop and pick up some memorable supplies and decor to bring your Halloween party theme to life. No matter what look you’re going for, you’ll find something you and your guests will love at our Party Shop. There’s a reason we call our stuff “the goods that make a party great”—click the link below to see for yourself.