Essential Tips to Throw a Cool Teen Halloween Party

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Teen Halloween Party Ideas:

Guest list and invitations

Discuss the guest list with your teen and make sure he/she knows that you are around. Have a backup plan for dealing with uninvited guests, because you are probably going to have a few. When planning invites, be prepared that your teen may not appreciate the idea of Halloween themed paper invitations, so don’t insist. Let him/her choose the communication method for invitations, which most likely would be an email or a text.

Create a Haunted House on a Budget with these cool tips:

Halloween Party Ideas: Privacy Counts!

The last thing teenagers want is parents lurking around. So, give your teen and his/her friends some space and privacy. In order to ensure that things don’t get out of control, it’s wise to stay close by but defiantly in a different room. Peek in occasionally but don’t interfere.

Safe-proof the surroundings

It’s possible to bump into a glass object when lights are dim so, remove expensive and breakable items from the party area. To avoid accidents and longs hours of after party clean ups, consider using plastic or disposable cups and bowls instead of glass.

Halloween Food Ideas

Teenagers love to eat so, provide them with lot of food from chips to pizzas to baked items. Keep an eye on the bowls and plates and fill them as soon as they run empty. Make sure to check with your teen if any of the guests have special dietary needs.

Take a look at our 20 Halloween Party Treat Ideas here.

While, these are some basic tips that you must keep in mind when hosting a Halloween party for teenagers, be sure to include your teen in the planning process for a sure shot hit.

For more Halloween party ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Easy DIY Halloween Crafts Ideas

Welcome Guests with a Halloween Chalkboard

Image via Etsy – Lily & Val – Halloween Chalkboard

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Handy Candy Dish

Do you remember “Thing” from the Addams Family?  Well for this idea we are going to bring “Thing” back but in a good way.  This idea works best for parties and small get-togethers.  But take a candy dish, tray, large bowl or plate that has some type of food, drink or item on it and place a stuffed black glove or a severed hand in the center of the dish holding a card.  Now it is completely up to you for what you want the card to say.  You could describe what’s on the dish, state a greeting, have a haunted saying etc. again up to you!  Or, you can put the hand to the side like the image above you will still get the same effect.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall – Halloween Craft Ideas

Now this idea can be used for any mirror that is placed around the home.  From the mirror placed in the entryway all the way to the mirror that is in the bathroom, it doesn’t matter.  First, cut some construction paper or if you can find a marker that can be erased on a mirror, cut or draw a crazy hairstyle and place it in the center of the mirror.  That way anyone who looks into it will have a funky hairstyle on top of their heads for them to remember.

Toilet Paper Disguises and Ghost Tootsies

Toilet paper is used for so many things and now we are going to use it for something else.  First, you can wrap the toilet paper in orange tissue paper and tie it at the top then put a face on it to look like a pumpkin jack-o-lantern.  Or you can just take a roll of toilet paper and paste a face on the paper with black felt and glue.  Either way you have your own mini disguise showcase for all to see. Now for the ghosts.  (This trick can also be a treat for kids)  Take a tootsie roll pop and place a small cloth over it, then take a ribbon or string and tie it in a knot underneath the tootsie head then draw a cute face on it.  These make great goodie gifts as well!

Halloween Decorating Idea: Walking Table

One simple decoration that you do not have to go on a splurge for is dressing up your table legs, literally.  Take four long socks that you might have (preferably those that have Halloween designs on them) and slip them on the legs of your display table.  Then for spunk, take 2 pairs of shoes and place one shoe on the bottom of each leg.  This will definitely be a crowd pleaser and one that the smaller kids will love and enjoy!

Halloween is always a super fun time of the year.  It’s filled with spooks, candy, mystery and fun.  So for this year go all out without having to go all in your wallet.  It’s the little things that can make a huge difference.  So take at the ideas above and also see what you can come up with then have a Happy Halloween!

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture.

5 Simple Halloween Decorating Ideas for your Home

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1. Halloween Spiderwebs

Purchase artificial spiderwebs from party supply stores and drape them across your porch. Place miniature strobe lights or flickering candles behind the webs. The flashing of the lights or candles together with the webs will lend an eerie affect to the outer area of your home.

2. Halloween Decorating Ideas – Ghostly Furniture

Cover your furniture with white sheets as if you have left for the season. You can also remove a few pieces of furniture to give a complete moved out effect. Add a spider web and other creepy items to make your house look haunted or abandoned.

3. Unique Halloween Pumpkin Decorating Tips:

You can never go wrong with traditional Halloween decoration. Simply carve a frightening or scary looking face on a pumpkin and put either a glow stick or a candle inside for a spooky effect. You can place jack-o-lantern either outside of the home or as a centerpiece for your dinner table.

Image via – Etsy – Sara Luke Creative – Halloween Pumpkin Decals

4. Halloween Decorating Ideas for your Home

Dig out your dusty photos from the past or print 19^th century portraits online. Make a collage or put them in different frames to create a display. Don’t forget to light white taper candles in front of the gallery for ghostly effect. In your front yard, hang plastic skeletons from the tree for a spooky, macabre effect. You can also use this decorating idea indoors by hanging mini skeletons from a chandelier.

Image via – Etsy – Banner Cheer JR – Halloween Mantel Banner

 5. Use Halloween Colors in your Interiors

If you prefer a more minimalist Halloween consider using Halloween decorations such as a banner, sign, balloons and simple orange, black and white decor. From black cats and bats to Halloween wreaths hung over your fireplace, transform your Halloween home this season!

Image via: Etsy – Stef’s Simple Splendors– Halloween Burlap Witch Wreath

You don’t have to spend a fortune for fabulous Halloween decorations. Whether you want to keep it simple or plan to turn your house into a creepy castle, use these budget-decorating tips to create a praise-worthy Halloween display.

For more Halloween decoration ideas, click here.

Simple Halloween Ideas with No Pumpkin Carving

Gather Craft Items to Avoid Pumpkin Carving :

Look around your home; your craft room; or in your sewing basket. Gather items such as buttons, yarn, string, elastic, pom poms, glitter, fabric, left over paint, duct tape….get the idea? Essentially, grab anything you have and pile it all in front of you and your purchased pumpkin. You will also want to gather some glue, or short pushpins. Here are some inspiring ideas for all the items you may have collected:

By gluing buttons on your pumpkin for eyes, nose, and mouth, you have a simple, yet creative pumpkin.  Buttons can also be used to spell out scary words across your pumpkin. Take a look at this photo where buttons spell out ‘Boo!’ Use your imagination to spell scary messages across your pumpkin.

We love these pom pom pumpkin decorating ideas from BHG.

For a cute and cuddly pumpkin, cover it with colorful pom poms! Simply glue pom poms all over the pumpkin – voila! Your pumpkin is turned into a cuddly creature.

Pumpkin Decorating Ideas: Use Duct Tape

There are so many styles of duct tape on the market right now. In fact, decorating with duct tape is a big trend. Browse through your local craft store for a variety of duct tape styles. If you don’t want to purchase new duct tape, try using solid white tape and paste it Kris-cross all over your pumpkin in a random pattern, draw some small black eyes, or use black buttons for the eyes ; step back and admire your mummified pumpkin!

These duct tape pumpkin decorating ideas are a great no pumpkin carving idea from Home Talk!

Pumpkin Painting Ideas for your Halloween Pumpkin

What better way to make your pumpkins match your homes décor then by painting it with left over wall color? Grab that paint can from the garage ̶ you know the one that has that perfect color that you found for your kitchen or den ̶ then slather this color all over your pumpkin, allow to dry and presto – you have a pumpkin customized to your home.

Style Caster features pretty and cute pumpkin painting ideas here.

Try Pumpkin Stencils using Pumpkin Painting Ideas:

The great thing about these last minute décor ideas is that you only have to spend the few dollars on your pumpkin, the rest of the items can all be found in your very own home. Have fun searching your home for ideas to create your own creative pumpkin masterpiece.

For more Halloween Ideas for your home take a look at these.

Tips for Throwing a Creative Halloween Party for Kids

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Go for Selective Halloween Invitations

If you do not keep the invitation list short, you will have to spend more time cleaning the mess than enjoying the party. Hosting a large number of young party revelers can be a real pain in the back. So, cut the guest list to a convenient number and arrange for something creative to keep the kids busy. It will be a win-win situation for both of you.

Halloween Party Kids: Homemade Invitation Cards

Allow your kids to make the halloween invitation cards. It will keep them busy and they will be happy too to help you in arranging the party. Tell them to use their creative skill to come up with ideas about the party and the invitations. The invitations can be made and sent days before the party. Kids can make owl-, candy-, or any bird-shaped invitation cards. They can also draw pictures of bats, spiders, skulls, or jack-o’-lanterns on the cards.

Halloween Party for Kids Decorations Ideas

Think from your kids’ perspective while it comes to decorating the home for the party. Take their advices too if needed. You have to consider their age too because a party for 4-5 year olds will be different from the one arranged for 8-11 year olds.

A life-size singing zombie can stand at the front porch to welcome the guests. Combine some handmade goodies with some spooky displays like bubbling cauldrons, big spider webs, flying bats, etc. Be careful about using real burning candles, especially you are going to host a houseful of children. It will be safe to use battery-operated candles.

A themed party can also be a perfect option to celebrate Halloween. It can be a scary-themed party full with zombies, ghosts, and ghouls or a friendly jack-o’-lantern party. However, do not stuff the house with scary things if your guests are very young.

Halloween Party for Kids and Food Items

The food items should be delicious and attractive enough to please the eye and tongue of the kids. With a little bit extra effort, you can make Halloween-themed sweet and baked items. Pirate-themed cakes, cupcakes with spider-shaped topping, and drinks served on bat-imprinted glasses can make the little revelers interested about the foods. Add some fruits and veggies to the menu too so that your little guests do not have to go home on a sugar high. Add spook appeal to them to tempt the kids. Keep the healthy items on the outermost edges of the dining table so that the kids have to pass them to get access to the sugary snacks at the center of the table.

Try our favorite Halloween party recipe ideas

Use these children Halloween party tips will help your kids enjoy the holiday ahead! Looking for more Halloween ideas? Look to Stagetecture for treats, party ideas, decorations and more in our Halloween Ideas section of Stagetecture.

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Look to Stagetecture for all of your Halloween needs

Halloween Recipes:

Need some ghoulish recipes and treats for your guests or trick-or-treaters that drop by? Look to these Halloween recipes for fun treats for all.

Halloween Party Ideas & Decorations:

Decorate your front porch, door, party and more with these fun ideas for Halloween. Whether you like to make a haunted house or just want to add some festive colors… look to Stagetecture for Halloween decorating ideas!

Halloween Costumes:

From pets to last minute Halloween children’s costumes – look here for creative ideas they will love to wear!

For all the Halloween ideas in one place on Stagetecture, click here.

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Last week you enjoyed – ‘Festive Kids’ Halloween Costume Party‘ from Adele Baumann Healey. This week I feature Connie Parker who is a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and if your front porch still needs some spooky ideas for Halloween, take a look at these creative ideas to greet trick-or-treaters!

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #43

‘Spooky Halloween Porch Ideas’    Connie Parker

Planning a Halloween Party? Make sure your guests don’t arrive at the wrong house by welcoming them up the path to the front door with style! Halloween décor has changed greatly over the years with many new and exciting props. But lets think about that party after the little goblins have gone home to bed. Why not decorate your yard and entrance to please the adults too? Pick a theme and have fun with it.

Pumpkins are a universal symbol for Halloween so why not use them! If you don’t like the mess of carving them up, try embellishing them with sequins and paint. You won’t need a lot of paint if you keep them simple. Sequins, glitter and other gems can be purchased almost anywhere. A little dab of glue and you’ve created a designer masterpiece! You don’t have to be an artist with these little lovelies, just try to keep your focus on the over all appeal of the end result. Too much is just plain too much! If you focus on the walkway up to your door and keep the rest of the yard in darkness you manage to create a focal area. Easy on the eye and welcoming!

Decorating your Halloween porch

Hunt for large gourds to help with your design and place them along the path amongst the others. These too can be decorated if you choose, but the colours and textures of gourds are pretty wonderful sometimes and won’t need a thing added.

For those who like a lighted pumpkin, use an apple corer to punch holes in a pretty pattern and place candles inside. No struggling to create a face needed! The flickering flame will add to a ghostly atmosphere. You will have to carve out the inside of Mr Pumpkin for this one.

Non flammable candle paper bags can be purchased many places to help with your lighting. One small tea candle placed inside and voilà! Use caution though, and place them away from any flammable items.

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The ghostly presence of cheesecloth soaked in watered down glue (like Elmers) can be hung to greet your guests. Place a craft ball inside for the head and a bent hanger to create the arms and let dry. You might like to add some glow in the dark paint for an added spooky effect. Remove when stiff and hang from your porch or a tree.

Lighting and scary pathway ideas

Lanterns made from painted mason jars with a candle inside and placed in the windows are all you need to create a glowing presence. Make sure your interior is dimly lit to enhance the features on your path and to create an air of mystery about your home itself.

These days automated spooks and mannequins can be found and what great fun for little trick or treaters too! If that isn’t in your budget, dress to impress!

If you dread the clean up after the party, send each of your guests home with one of your fabulously decorated pumpkins!

I am a mother of three and grandmother of four. I live and work in British Columbia. Although my job takes me away from home for 40 hours or more a week I spend almost as much time designing on Olioboard. It really is one of my passions. It is my entertainment and my escape. I am not a professional designer nor do I think I could be, but enjoy learning from those around me. I dabble in art but not so much now (no time!) I can be found on Olioboard.

Halloween season is here and creating fun homemade Halloween kids’ costume ideas make this time of year great! It seems that if you don’t get into the big box office store to buy your kids costumes now, then there will be nothing left by the time the first week of October arrives. But why rush to the store to buy a cheaply made costume that hundreds of other kids will also be wearing come Hallows Eve? Here are some really fun and inexpensive ways to dress your child for Halloween – you can rest assured your child will be the only ghoul in these one-of-a-kind costumes!

Image via: Pinterest

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Homemade Halloween Kids’s Costumes

Old Married Couple:

couple? This is the easiest costume! The boy simply wears a pair of black slacks  with a collared dress shirt, slick back his hair with some gel, put on a pair of black suspenders, carry a cane, and wear black-rimmed glasses  – voila! You have a nicely dressed gentleman. His leading lady will simply wear a pretty  cotton dress (think mad men style) and a proper ponytail tied high on her head. What could be easier?

Image via: Pinterest

Pinata

This costume will be too cute to ruin with a stick! To create a cute piñata costume for your child, simply get an old pair of pants and shirt that you no longer want to use. Then just cut strips of tissue paper about 3 inches wide and long enough to cover the width of the clothing.  Then slice vertically along the edge about halfway up each strip.  Glue these strips with a hot glue gun onto the old clothing, overlapping each one slightly over the other. It’s best to use typical piñata colors such as red, yellow, orange and green, and glue them on to form stripes (see photo).

Image via: CT Baker in the Acres

E.T. Phone Home

Here is an oldie but a goodie! Dress your child up like the young Elliott from ET (The Extra Terrestrial movie from Stephen Spielberg). Remember when he rode his bike with ET hiding in the front basket? Well, this scene is easy to recreate by simply having your child wear a red hoodie sweatshirt and prop a stuffed animal into the basket of their bike – just cover the animal up inside a blanket with only its head popping out, the same way ET did in the film. Maybe you could even find a stuffed ET somewhere online!

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Now we all like to see the Jack-O-Lanterns during this time of the season.  For some amazing reason those carved and lit pumpkins bring joy and warmth along with a little nervousness to all of our hearts.  Halloween Kids’ DIY Crafts are a great ideas for this time of year. But have you ever thought about changing up the common style of the traditional Jack-O-Lantern?  Well, here are some subtly scary ideas for you to give your Jack-O-Lanterns this Halloween.  Just take a look below and see how they work out for you and your children…Happy Haunting!

Image via: Pinterest

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Wall Mounted Halloween Jack-o-Lantern

The kids are usually encouraged not to use the walls for their arts and crafts but this craft isn’t permanent and the pieces come off just as quick as they went on.  All you will need for the supplies are: self-adhesive sheet, orange construction paper, scissors, and black construction paper.  Cut out the shape of a pumpkin in the orange construction paper.  Then stick some of the self-adhesive paper to the orange shape.  Next, cut a stem and some crazy facial features from the black construction paper and again stick the adhesive paper to each piece.  When everything has been cut and stuck together then start piecing your crazy wall mounted Jack-O-Lantern.

Image via:  Spoonful

Halloween Kids’ DIY Crafts

The kids are usually encouraged not to use the walls for their arts and crafts but this craft isn’t permanent and the pieces come off just as quick as they went on.  All you will need for the supplies are: self-adhesive sheet, orange construction paper, scissors, and black construction paper.  Cut out the shape of a pumpkin in the orange construction paper.  Then stick some of the self-adhesive paper to the orange shape.  Next, cut a stem and some crazy facial features from the black construction paper and again stick the adhesive paper to each piece.  When everything has been cut and stuck together then start piecing your crazy wall mounted Jack-O-Lantern.

House O Lantern

Make your entire home a Jack-O-Lantern.  All you need are corrugate cardboard, pencils (or markers), craft knife, glue stick, orange tissue paper, painter’s (or masking tape), and lamp.  First, take the measurements of the windows that you intend on using and cut the corrugated cardboard to fit tightly in them.  Then draw a face on the cardboard then cut the pieces of the face out with the craft knife (parent’s job).  Use a glue stick for the interior sides of the cardboard and cover the openings with orange tissue paper.  Set the cardboard in the window and use the painters’ or masking tape to hold it in place then place a lamp near the window to light your house-o-lantern.

Image via: Spoonful

Jar-O-Lanterns

Create a use out of left over jars; Jar-O-Lanterns.  The supplies you will need are jars, orange or red orange paint, yellow glossy paper, glue, and votive candles.  Take some jars of different sizes and paint the outside of them with a deep orange color (or red orange to get a darker color of the hue).  Then let the jars sit to dry, take the yellow gloss paper and cut out 3 triangular shapes and 1 half circular shape for each jar that you are going to use.  When the paint has dried take the cut pieces and glue a face on each jar.  Then put one votive candle in each jar and let the parent light them on Halloween night.

Image via: The Pretty Bee

Chair-O-Lanterns

Turn your chair into a Jack-O-Lantern for the Halloween treat.  You will need a pillow case, black construction paper (or felt), a pair of scissors, and glue.  Take the black construction paper or felt and cut out a pair of eyes and half circle for the smile.  Then take the pillow case (if possible purchase an orange pillow case or you can dye it orange) and begin to glue the eyes and smile on the pillow case.  After the pieces have dried put the pillow case on the chair with the face set on the back of the chair.

Image via: Pinterest

 Jack-O-Lanterns are fun and exciting.  But sometimes they can get a little mundane and ordinary so here are some ways to invite that excitement and happiness back into this craft.  So have fun exploring and creating your own “O-Lanterns” and Happy Halloween!

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Today we continue Stagetecture’s feature ‘Olioboard Inspiration‘. Last week you enjoyed – ‘Kitchen Creativity: Cooking with Kids‘ from Lisa Ketz. This week I feature Adele Baumann Healey who is a member of the Facebook Olioboard Fan Room group and she is getting you ready for Halloween! See how her festive kids’ halloween costume party gives creative ideas for you and your family! Whether they enjoy trick-or-treating or just dressing up with friends, her board will truly inspire.

If you’re interested in being featured see details here: How to be featured on Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration‘ series.

To see all the past Stagetecture’s Olioboard Inspiration members on Pinterest click here.

Olioboard Inspiration #42

‘Festive Kids’ Halloween Costume Party’    Adele Baumann Healey

It’s that time of year again – Halloween, where excited children (young and old) prepare to pretend to be something they aren’t, from heroes to Tinker Bell, monsters to butterflies.  Let your own inner child take hold and plan a costume party for your children and their friends – don’t forget to invite their parents or a few of your own friends as well.  Costumes highly encouraged of course!

Kids’ Costume Party decorating 

While decorating for a Halloween party, always consider the age of the children that will be attending.  The worst scenario imaginable would be to have a young child run screaming from the house in pure terror.  Remember, the long nights of nightmares will be shared with you in great detail from the sleepless parents for years to come.

For a children’s party, I would highly suggest you forgo using the tempting candles offered this time of year.  Excited kids high on sugar will not be as concerned about open flames as their adult counterparts. Instead, opt for enough light in the house or venue to illuminate all the fun Halloween lanterns, wall plaques, spider webs, and of course the tables loaded with treats.

Halloween costume party treat ideas

Treats for the kids need not be the normal chips and hotdogs.  Why not have your own family help prepare for the party by having a group cooking evening where even the littlest child can help drop sprinkles on cupcakes or veggies on individual pizzas.  Search the web.  Everywhere you look there are clever and tasty ideas for children’s Halloween finger food, from pretzel and chocolate spiders to mummy pigs in a blanket, to ghost banana pops.  Most are simple to make, and depending on the age of your children or grandchildren, easy for the kids to be included.

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Kids’ Halloween party activities

A great idea (although potentially messy, so have plenty of paper towels handy) is to stock up on small pumpkins and let the kids paint their own special party favor jack-o-lantern.

Have the kids put stickers on their pumpkins and then use washable paint and paint brushes, or finger paints and let the little ones smear it all over the pumpkins covering the stickers. Let the paint dry some and then remove stickers.  Add Glow in the Dark Sparkly glue to the spots not painted and let dry.  During the day, they’ll have colorful, sparkly pumpkins and at night, the pumpkins will glow!  The older the group of kids, the more detailed the painting can become and even teens would like to create a ghoulish pumpkin face.

Have fun, enjoy the noise and forget about real life for a short time, and start planning that Halloween costume party now!

I am a mother of two and a grandmother of 4.Our family was a member of the military for 21 years and lived all over the U.S and in Europe, moving 13 times in 19 years. While residing in Germany, we traveled constantly (my little kids in tow in our old V.W. camper) and I absorbed, through osmosis, the many historical attributes of architecture and design. Even in the U.S. it was a learning experience to see how the many people I met decorated and used their creative skills, each influenced by the environment in which they were living. Simply put, when you move so much and live in so many types of residences it was always a challenge to achieve a homey place for your family to grow and be nurtured. What was my biggest challenge to make into a home? An old TB ward of an empty, Army hospital building! Follow Adele as Redadie on her Olioboard profile