Halloween is nearly upon us, and if you’re tired of the same old party routine, we’ve got a selection of spine-tingling ideas for your perusal. Read on for seven unforgettable themes that promise to make your Halloween gathering a night to remember – MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA!

True Crime

Hosting a true crime-themed Halloween party can be a fun and truly unique experience. Just remember to keep it kitschy, kids. 

Decorate with “POLICE LINE – DO NOT CROSS” tape and mug shots from vintage case files. Think blood-spattered tablecloths, magnifying glasses, leather gloves, bits of rope and chalk outlines on the floor.

Serve popcorn in paper “evidence” bags (if you’re feeling fancy, spread the popcorn on waxed paper and spatter melted red chocolate wafers across it for a truly ghoulish effect!).

Have a mugshot backdrop complete with height chart for guests to take photos in their best detective or killer costumes. And don’t forget the props. 😉

Offer a coffee bar (the fuel of crimestoppers across America!) and lots of bloody-looking drink options, of course!

Mystical Fortune-Teller Party Theme

Host a fortune-teller-themed Halloween party if you’re looking for something more on the mystical and enchanting side. 

Decorate with ornate mirrors, silk scarves, tapestries and suns, moons and stars. Create a glowing crystal ball centerpiece on your table and surround it with beautiful snacks like palmistry puffed-pastry hands stuffed with mascarpone and jam, or donut hole “crystal balls” dipped in colored chocolate and sprinkled with edible glitter.

Load up snack trays with exotic fruits and nuts like figs, dates, almonds and rose-flavored Turkish Delight.

Offer a luxurious selection of herbal tea, and concoct a gorgeous punch filled with floating citrus slices. Add some dry ice around the base of the punch bowl (but make sure it’s safe from curious fingers).

If you’re really ambitious, you can offer individual mocktails sealed up in decorative “potion” bottles – wouldn’t THAT be cool?!

Offer palmistry and tarot card readings, have lots of LED candles placed everywhere for atmosphere, and maybe break a Ouija board out when it gets close to midnight. 😉

This is sure to be a Halloween party to remember!

Enchanted Forest

Step into a world of wonder with an Enchanted Forest-themed party. This mystical, whimsical theme is perfect for those who crave a touch of magic (and who prefer “pretty” over “petrifying.” 

Decorate your space with lots of greenery (real or faux), fairy lights, draped gauze and mushrooms to create the feeling of an enchanted glen. Trails of mysterious pawprints also add a little mystery as they direct guests to important spots (like the snack area).

Create a memorable tablescape with snacks arranged on wood slices, tea lights nestled in moss and the gentle sounds of nature playing in the background.

Serve a magical punch made with sparkling water, blue curacao and floating edible flowers. Create a spread of forest-friendly foods, like stuffed mushrooms and luminous trays of fruit, nuts and various desserts sprinkled with edible pearl powder or gold flakes.

Looking for a signature drink? Check out “our “Midnight in the Forest” from our Halloween Mocktails article.

Encourage guests to channel their favorite supernatural characters like fairies, elves, witches, wizards – even werewolves (I know we’re going for pretty here, but what would an enchanted Halloween forest be without at least one werewolf?!).

And don’t forget the photo ops: create a few photogenic vignettes around the house and provide plenty of props (fairy wings, magic wands, werewolf gloves and other glittering items).

Mad Scientist’s Laboratory

Transform your space into a laboratory of chaos and curiosity! Cover tables with white tablecloths and scatter beakers, test tubes and other bubbling concoctions filled with colored water and dry ice, and change out a few lights with green and purple bulbs for added ambiance.

Serve up your favorite drinks in lab-inspired glassware, with Halloween-y names like “Toxic Tonic” and “Lab Rats’ Elixir.” Add food-safe glow sticks as drink stirrers for an extra fun effect!

Set the table with “brain food” (Jell-O molded into brain shapes), “mystery meatballs,” and “radioactive slime” punch made with lemon-lime soda and floating dollops of sherbet.

Encourage everyone to dress as their favorite mad scientist, lab assistant or even monstrous experiments gone wrong. Create a DIY photo booth with lab coats, goggles and creepy props for guests to play with!

Classic 80s Horror

Pay tribute to classic (and sometimes goofy!) 80s horror films by decorating with iconic props from movies like “The Shining,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Ghostbusters.” Get ready for a night of nostalgia!

Decorate with 80s horror movie posters, carnivorous plants and maybe even an inflatable Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Oh, and don’t forget to write “REDRUM” on the bathroom mirror! 😉

Serve up homemade Ecto-Cooler Punch or a batch of our Slimer Shooters (a healthy drink in disguise). Drizzle green candy melts over popcorn, set out bowls of gummy worms and party pizzas with 80s-era snacks like Pop Rocks, Pixie Sticks, candy necklaces and Bagel Bites.

Set up a photo booth with Ghostbusters’ proton packs, a Michael Myers mask, rubber knives, etc. Create a musical playlist with all the best 80s pop, like “Thriller” and the Ghostbusters’ theme.

There are so many fun directions you can go with this one, and it gives plenty of room for guests to express themselves with a range of costume options (funny, scary and everything in between!).

Beetlejuice

Yes, we know Beetlejuice is also an 80s film – but we thought that with Beetlejuice 2 due out in 2024, he deserved his own dedicated party theme. 😉 Here are some snack, drink and decor ideas to help you conjure the perfect atmosphere: go ahead – make their millennium with this unforgettable Halloween party theme…

Start with snacks like dipped-and-striped pretzel sticks, Oreos (look for the Halloween-colored ones!), licorice and dark chocolate-striped popcorn (add a pop of color with sprinkles).

Create a signature drink like “Lydia’s Lemonade” by combining lemonade with blackberry syrup and seltzer. Or, mix deep, dark fruit juices like grape, blueberry or pomegranate with ginger ale in a punch bowl and float frozen gummy worms in it.

If you know just as much about the supernatural as you do about interior design, you know that black and white are where it’s at! Striped tablecloths, green and black balloons (biodegradable rubber, please!) and Beetlejuice posters are key.

Hang cardboard wall decorations that swear “Never trust the living!” and feature slithering sandworms. And for diehard fans, there’s always an (almost) lifesize cardboard cutout of the Big B himself!

As they say, “let’s turn on the ’Juice and see what shakes loose!”

Yellowjackets

While we anxiously await season 3, we can party like it’s 1996! Think woodsy and creepy with strong survivalist vibes.

Serve up snacks like beef jerky, trail mix and granola bars (and Fruit By The Foot, of course!). If you’re looking for more substantial food offerings, think “mystery meat” sliders or stew. Or hot dogs. Can’t go wrong with Lil’ Smokies!

Create gorgeous charcuterie boards accented with evergreen bows and pinecones, lots of meat, cheese and “wild” berries. 

A green “bug juice” punch bowl can keep everyone hydrated (limeade with ginger ale never fails), and campfire favorites like hot chocolate and s’mores are always a hit.

Decorate with a wilderness photo backdrop, set up makeshift tents and camping gear – spread lots of branches, antlers and greenery around. You can even create a faux campfire centerpiece with LED tea lights and logs or rocks!

Encourage guests to come as their favorite characters from the show, and make it a party to remember!

Conclusion:

This Halloween, dare to be different and venture into otherworldly realms with one of these unique party themes. From the mysterious allure of a mystical fortune-teller gathering to the nostalgic charm of an ‘80s horror tribute, there’s something for every Halloween enthusiast!

So gather your ghoulish decorations, craft some spooky snacks and prepare for a night filled with spine-tingling scenes and screams – it’s time to turn things up a notch and set the stage for a one-of-a-kind Halloween celebration they won’t soon forget!