# "Dracula's Castle" Party Theme



## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

It sounds like you already have the decoration part down pat.
For the invitation I have a couple of ideas.
You can print your invitations on normal lettersize (8.5 x 11) cardstock, I would go to a dark gold or antique parchment stock, this give some flavor without sacrificing the budget. Instead of having the invite fold in half on the smaller dimension, this gives you a 5.5 by 8.5 finished size, fold it in half the other way so that you end up with a 4.25" x 11" card, use or make the image of an old style coffin with a crest for dracula on it, the three wolf head image from the Bram Stoker's Dracula would work well, or, find or create one in a more traditional style .
Design the insides and outsides to look like the coffin, with the padded lid and interior (empty, Dracula is not home), and put the text in the space where the Count would normally sleep.
Cut out the coffin shape when it is closed, make it so the long side hinges.
You can go with a more traditional German fraktur type of lettering style, or go to a more comical or cartoonish feel.

The second idea is to make the invites look like train tickets for the Transilvania Choo-Choo, Track 29 (ala Young Frankenstien), use the party time and dates in place of the normal departure times and dates, put the address as the destination, if you are going to do raffle or drawings, put matching numbers on both haves of the tickets and make sure that you tell them that they have to bring the invitation with them to the party. You take one part of the ticket upon their arrival and put it into the bucket or barrel that you will be doing the drawing from.
This helps to get people in the mood, and also helps to keep you from having party crashers. No ticket no entry. You can do tickets for the kids, for their own raffles if you have a kids section.

Other than that, I would think the darts would be handy for those that don't like the karoake, it wouldn't take many times of having darts thrown at you before you realize that people don't like your singing.
FontGeek


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Hey Font geek,
You have some really cool idea's.
I am going to toy around with those idea's.Thanks for your help.
Every little idea helps. Both of your idea's are right on the money.
I will see what I can come up with.
We have 2 to 3 halloween parties a year so I need lots of invites.
Thanks for the help.


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

How about making your invitations so that they look like the front door to Dracula's castle. with a wood grain finish, planks, knocker, etc. The front panel can be cut out to the shape of the door, and the inside of the invite looks like the stone texture that surrounds the door. When the invite is closed you see the door with the stones surrounding it, when you open it, you see the black opening of the doorway with the text in white on the black background, the stone texture would surround the opening. If you don't feel like doing the cutting, then you can print the same texture on the inside as you do on the front, with the only difference being that the door shape would be solid black on the inside rather than the wood plank texture on the front of the card.
If you want it to be cute, you can put signs next to or on the door, things like: No garlic allowed, no soliciting, Please do not ring bell, day sleeper, Back in 15 minutes, just stepped out for a bite, Blood deliveries use back enterance, etc.
FontGeek


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

What fun idea's you have!!!
Thanks for all your idea's


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## LHALLOW (Aug 10, 2004)

Well, for last years party we did coffin invitations. We used cardstock folded in half (scoring first) and then cut into a coffin shape. On the insides, I used double sided tape to attach red velvet feeling paper (found in the scrapbook section of craft stores.) I then used a gold pen to do the lettering. On the outside it just said "R.I.P" and I flicked (very little) red paint on the outside. I created a website to help hype people for the party (password needed to get in to make guests feel special) and I used the cardstock scraps to cut out bats. Each bat had the website on one side and the password on the other. I placed a bat into each invitation. Some of the invites were just mailed, but the ones I could hand deliver, I also wrapped in a very thin layer of spider webbing. 
They turned out great and I got tons of compliments on them. They were pretty inexpensive, but the biggest drawback is that they are time consuming. I would definately do something similiar again though.
Just an idea.


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## MrsMyers666 (Oct 19, 2004)

You know what would be really cool. Like a mirror invitation, but make it somehow where the person can't see their reflection, so maybe even a fake mirror that's painted on something. That could be the outside and then all the info on the inside and say something like "Hope to see you there."

Also in Interview With A Vampire, Louis says that he is quite fond of crucifics' so there's a modern day Vampire story where crosses aren't a problem.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Thank you LHallow and MrsMyers666,
I appreciate all the help I can get.

I love both of your idea's.

I am so glad to here that Louis liked crosses.Thank goodness for that.i had forgotten.

I just bought a cross today from the craft store to put on my coffin.

Thanks for all of your idea's.


The mirror one would be wicked!!!!


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

The bat idea is great, you could even do that as the invitation itself!
You would need to print the black or coloration onto the image, printers don't print white. If you are willing to do each one by hand, you could use black paper and use a gold, silver or white gel pen to do the text, or maybe print a label. Put the text on the body of the bat, so that when it is folded up to go into the envelope the wings both fold over the body, covering up the text. Maybe put the text upside down and place a small refridgerator magnate on the feet, having the invitation hang on the fridge keeps people from forgetting or misplacing the invite. When the invite is hung on the fridge it will look like the bat is sleeping with it's wings closed, when the wings are opened the invite text is revealed.

Another thought is the front of the card cut out in the shape of the castle, and the back of the card is cut to the same shape plus the shape of a full moon that stands up behind the castle and sillohuettes it. The castle can be solid black and the moon can be solid white, with the text on the inside of the card hidden by the sillohuette of the castle.
PM me if this doesn't make sense but sounds of interest, I will email you a sketch.

You can send garlic cloves if you really get the intended guests attention.

You could do the invitations on wood stakes, they may be a pain in the butt to mail, but they would be different.
FontGeek


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

I love the idea about making the invites into a magnet or placing a magnet in the with the invites.

Wow!!! You guys amaze me with so many great idea's.

Thanks a million.

I will be hand making each invite.I know alot of work but it is fun!!

Happy haunting


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

FontGeek,
Thankyou for sending me some idea's.
The castle looks great.
I will try it out and see how it works.

Thanks again for you willingness to help.
I appreciate it a bunch.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

I have been MIA for a few days.I am working on some props as well as getting all of my stuff put together.
I went to walmart today and bought a few black curtains as well as a bunch of back material to make more curtains.I also bought some creepy whit curtains.
I am excitted to get this part done.

I am on the hunt for the best deals for Falgstone for my walls any idea's on some at a good price.I have found some at shindigs as well as fright catalog but i am on the look out to see if I can find it even cheaper.

My mom finished the paintings of Frankenstein and wolfman.
Dracula painting is still drying.
I still need to make some frames for these but for now they look fantastic.
I will post some pictures in my photo bucket today.

So if anyone knows where to find some flagstone for my walls to make it look like a castle let me know.I am searching for the best deal.


Happy halloween


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

I just started setting up my flagstone in my living room last night.
I still have alot to do but it's a start.The plastic flagstone was a pain to put up due to it not wanting to stick to anything.We ended up using some clear push pins and it worked nicely.

There are pictures in my photobucket (MY HOUSE)

I am excitted to finish decorating


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## drunk_buzzard (Sep 9, 2003)

That looks cool! Where did you get the flagstone? I have a dracula theme as well and that would be a nice touch!


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Drunk Buzzard,
There are all kinds of flagstone.This kind is the plastic flagstone that you can find at 
Party City ,Party America for $14.99 for a 4ft by 50 ft but after I bought it I found it even cheaper at The Spirits store for $9.99 the same kind.

I was going to by the flagstone that is made of card board but on line at www.shindigs.com
they want more then I am willing to pay for.At least this year.

I did see some at the Spirits store for $19.99 and the quality is great but it isn't a very big roll so the plastic flagstone will have to do this year.

I have so much more decorating and much more flagstone to put up but so far so good.
One warning...the plastic flagstone is a slight pain. Tape doesn't hold it very well.
We used push pins that are clear and you don't even notice.

Dracula castle theme will be cool this year.
What kind of things are you doing for your party?
What kind of food? ETC...........


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## drunk_buzzard (Sep 9, 2003)

Thanks for the info, Trinidee! I haven't figured out the menu yet, been too busy with other stuff! I spend more time on my outside display than I probably should...

We're doing a murder mystery party game that has a vampire theme. An old castle is the theme, so that flagstone will be great! I don't have a spirit near me, so hopefully I can find it somewhere this weekend.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Check out all the local party stores as well as walmart they might even carry the flagstone.

Your murder mystery game sounds fun.
My out side display can't go up until sunday.Give me a few days to keep working on stuff.


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## Greencapt (Sep 13, 2005)

How many invites are you sending out Trinidee? If its not *too* many, there are some really nice $.99 mini tombstones at Walgreens that would be not only awesome invites but an 'eternal' reminder about your 30th! They are about 5" tall and made of a heavy-ish painted paper-mache like stuff. They look really cool! Anyway, party sounds cool!


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

I finished making my invites and they turned out pretty good.
Thankyou for all the advice.
I do like the little tombstone idea.I may have to go check them out.
They might come in handy for other things at the party though.
Thanks for the idea.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Greencapt,
Your pictures are great.I like your jack the pumpkin king.
Very nice.


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## Greencapt (Sep 13, 2005)

Trinidee said:


> Greencapt,
> Your pictures are great.I like your jack the pumpkin king.
> Very nice.


 Thanks Trin!


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Your very welcome!!!
It's alot of fun to check out everyones photos.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Does anyone have any idea's for food that would go with the dracula's castle theme?
Maybe healthy snacks as well as junk food snacks.
I have many recipes but I can't seem to make up my mine.


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## drunk_buzzard (Sep 9, 2003)

Hmmm.... good question! I'm getting out my halloween recipe books later today, I'll post anything I find of interest. I guess I'm not sure what should be considered vampire food?


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

A lot of foods you would normally serve would do just fine with a little rearrangement or display.
Things like sections of celery stalks with peanut butter in them, listed as "Coffin Crisps", cocktail weenies with a healthy sized wood pick through them shown as "Stake Appertief", Blocks of cream cheese covered with a good salsa mix, surrounded by large quantity of tortilla chips with a name like "Zombie Toenails".
Use your imagination, the dishes will do better if they are things people will eat without shying away because they don't know what they are, the naming, the laughs and gufaws are the best parts. You can still dress the stuff up, or arrange it in a more themed manner, but don't lose sight that people are there for the social hour, and while having some exotic stuff can be fun, the bulk of the people will appreciate the funky names an displays even more.
Put some dry ice in the punch, it will keep it very cold and will not water it down at all. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide (CO2), the same stuff that makes you soda fizz. It is non toxic and when it melts it goes into it's gasious state, creating a layer of low laying fog as it disapates.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

Font geek,
I will for sure use Dry ice in my punch bowls.

I love the coffin crisp idea and I will be making name tags for my menu.
Thanks for the ideas.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

I added photos to my photo bucket of my graveyard that i am working on as well as my Dracula's Castle.
We got alot of decorations up in my house on the inside and out but I still have alot of work to do.

Check them out.


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## Trinidee (Sep 28, 2004)

My Castle Sharp is almost finished being decorated.
I now have two coffins to add to my collection.
One real one and one home made coffin.

I made a fortune teller room in my kitchen and it turned out rather well.
I made a crystal ball out of a light fixture and a battery opeated light that goes in a pumpkin.It works perfect.

My 1st Halloween party is coming up on the 21st of this month.It should be alot of fun.


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