# Its never right...



## HallowsEve31 (Jul 20, 2007)

Also, what do you think is a good number of guests for a fairly small house?


----------



## theworstwitch (Aug 14, 2006)

One way to get people into other rooms would maybe be put animated or noise making props in those rooms to draw them in. 
The movie room is a good idea.
You could use some kids party ideas for games like:
http://childparenting.about.com/od/halloweenparties/ss/halloweengames_9.htm


----------



## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

If you don't like the gross out factor do a Victorian, Black and Orange Ball(decor, invites, food and drinks in these colors), Medieval, Fall, Gypsy or Ghost theme party. You could hold a seance and bob for apples, etc. There are lots of themes that aren't gross or gorey. If you look around on the web there are sites that have Victorian party ideas. I get people to circulate by putting the food and drinks in different rooms. Put alcohol in the kitchen, drinks in the living room, beer outside, food in the dining room, candy in the living room, etc. You can also circulate around with your food on trays. My friend takes a polaroid picture of everyone as they walk into the party and tacks them up to a board for everyone to look at. We used to have a 1200 square foot house and we could fit 20-30 people in at our parties. Hope this helps!


----------



## boo who? (Feb 28, 2005)

If you want people to move about the house, what about having a scavenger hunt. Each person would have a DIFFERENT list of things that would lead them all over the house. First person to complete their list would get a cool prize.

Assuming it's an adults only party, make sure to have a good supply of poison potions on hand.


----------



## HallowsEve31 (Jul 20, 2007)

*Thanks*

Thanks everyone! Those are some good ideas. I like the idea of having a ball, but I'm not sure my friends would all be down for it. I'm excited this year because it will be the very first year that I have a yard to decorate. It isn't huge, but I'm excited to be able to do a graveyard and stuff. I don't really have that much to decorate with though so I guess I better start saving. I just love Halloween and the whole season and I always get so excited for it. Then Halloween comes and it never lives up to my expectations and I am always disappointed. I guess I want Halloween to feel like it did when I was little and it just doesn't anymore. At least I found this site because it allows me to talk to others who love Halloween as much as I do.


----------



## theworstwitch (Aug 14, 2006)

I hope now that you have a house and yard to decorate, you get to celebrate with fervor! For me, I want to give kids an enjoyable experience like the ones I had and that is my way of passing it on. I can't wait to have a house so I can get TOT's!!!


----------



## darkness (Sep 1, 2005)

i don't have any friends that get into the spirit for halloween, i have to practically beg them to come, noone ever seems to have as much fun as i think they should(but i keep trying anyways) so let me know how things turn out


----------



## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

HallowsEve31-
Don't get discouraged. Our first party (12 years ago) was pretty low key, around 20 people. Our highest count was a couple years ago at around 70. Over the years the enthusiasm grows as our decorating & word of mouth spreads. A lot of our friends consider it the event of the year now! (What an honor!) A fair number of our guests used to not like to dress up in costume, but now they compete to out-do each other. TOO MUCH FUN!!!

Maybe include in your invites that there is a prize for best costume. It doesn't have to be much, most people are about the title anyway.

We decorate in every room. To get people into the guest bedroom we set it up as a photo op for people . We had an electric chair with a static grim reaper standing behind it. People had a blast posing for their cameras strapped into that chair.

Do your or your friends play poker? You could set up one of the bedrooms for that.


----------



## HallowsEve31 (Jul 20, 2007)

Darkness, I know just how you feel. And Jackie, thank you for your comment. It made me feel a lot better. We do enjoy playing poker so that might be a great idea if we played for candy or something. I would love to start shopping early, but I don't really like buying online. Does anyone know of any stores that carry stuff really early? Big Lots?


----------



## RainyDayGhoul (Aug 30, 2006)

Definitely do a prize for best costume (it can even be just a cheap trophy or something). That's a big part of our parties, the crowning of the winners!

Here are some more ideas:

To really set the mood, try a really fantastic invitation. I like mine to be multi-media. Once I sent vials of (stage)blood to people with notes like, "If you find this, please return to XX's Lab at 8:00 on 10/30, etc."

Good music is key and encourage people to dance!

One thing that I've seen done for New Year's parties is to have each room be a theme. These people had a passport that you got stickers for for each room. You could do the land of the dead, land of the undead, etc. (I'd have to think on this one awhile).

Hopefully this year will be the best!


----------



## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

Like RainyDayGhoul, the costume party is a BIG part of our party. The hubby, myself & our one lame friend (just kidding, sorta hehe) who never dresses in costume are the judges. We pick the best three & put them on stage (yes, we actually built a stage, with fake guitars & microphones) and choose the winner by crowd response. We've had crowns (first year was a Burger King crown w/halloween stickers on it), trophies and ribbons. They also get a gift bag with miniatures of booze, candy & a lottery ticket. Just make sure to specify the time you vote on your invite.


----------



## Halloween Magic (Jul 26, 2007)

HallowsEve31 said:


> I just love Halloween and the whole season and I always get so excited for it. Then Halloween comes and it never lives up to my expectations and I am always disappointed. I guess I want Halloween to feel like it did when I was little and it just doesn't anymore. At least I found this site because it allows me to talk to others who love Halloween as much as I do.


That's exactly how I feel! Even though we have a party (for the kids) every year and I find lots of Halloween things for the family to do, the pure pleasure of it seems very fleeting. Mostly I think it has to do with the fact that and our friends just are just not very Halloween oriented. When they do have some sort of party they always want me to bring over tons of props and figure out all the games. It would be nice to just sit back and enjoy sometimes!

What I wouldn’t give to live in the mythical Salem from Hocus Pocus – without the witches of course!


----------



## HallowsEve31 (Jul 20, 2007)

I know! Wouldn't that be an awesome place to live? I watch that movie every year just so I can dream about living in a place like that. My problem is that I am 22 and most of my friends are about the same age. Halloween for them means getting drunk and maybe watching a scary movie. Most of them do dress up, however, so that is cool. I just want a fun party with some alcohol (enough to enjoy but not to get everyone wasted), some good scary or fun movies (like Hocus Pocus), great food, and friends (not tons of people who show up because they were told there would be alcohol.


----------



## Halloween Magic (Jul 26, 2007)

Oh just wait until your friends are forty-somethings! Forget costumes and alcohol - just getting them to stay out until 10:00 pm is an accomplishment!


----------



## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

> Oh just wait until your friends are forty-somethings! Forget costumes and alcohol - just getting them to stay out until 10:00 pm is an accomplishment!


No kidding! LOL

And when you're all in your 30's - getting them to actually get a sitter & come out at all! Gotta love all those stages of life!


----------



## BevAnn (Aug 7, 2007)

Hey, Jackie - I've been batting around the thought of doing the photo op thing...I like the electric chair idea. Do you happen to have any pics of that? What did you use to set it up? Thanks!


----------



## scavengerhaunt (Aug 7, 2007)

its all about getting your guest involved in the party not just quest.

every year i do what we call a photo "scavenger haunt". I build a wed site with all sorts of ideas and i open it up to all the party guest several weeks before hand. from that time they have until a few days before the party to turn in all of thier finding. this way every one is getting more and more excited about the party as the days pass. people will be calling each otehr trying to see what the others have done and calling you excited about some crazy thing they just crossed off the list. then at the party i have a slide show on one of the TV's of all the pictures that get turned in. everyone will sit around laughing and it brings a common bond to the party. then we have a best costum contest as well as awards for the team that got the most pictures from the list.

some examples of our list last year are
all of these things have to have you in the picture

get a picture of

a house address of 666
a grave stone dated 10-31
a witches grave<-- almost every very old cemetary has a few that willl acctualy say witch on it..
a shot of you in costume in a public place NOT on halloween.

there are TONS others way to many to list. some hard some easy so there is something for everyone.

anyways good luck and dont get down. the more work at it soon everyone else will come around and before you know it it will be january and everyone will already be calling to ask if you are having the party again. 
REMEMBER 
GET THEM INVOLVED!!


----------



## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

BevAnn,
Sorry it took so long to respond. I was out of town all last week.

Yes, I have a picture. It's not in digital form, so let me round it up & scan it for ya.

We set the room up like an execution room & left the lighting bright. We placed a skeleton on a cot & had a tray next to it with pills scattered on it, along with a fake syringe, and a small glass bottle. We then set up the electric chair we built with a grim reaper standing behind him.


----------

