# table decorations



## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Help me brainstorm.

I ordered brown spandex tablecloths for a 6 foot table that i use for food/drink serving at parties and my 48" patio table. Here is what i need help with...how can i decorate these tables using the brown color for a Halloween party? i want to go scary this year because the kids are a little older now...but not gory. this will be outside patio decorations. i have a white house and. was wondering if i put black light bulbs in the ceiling fan lights if it will have any effect. there are 4 lights per fan and two fans please incorporate this in your ideas. everyone here is so much more creative than i am.


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

If you use real blacklight bulbs (not the cheapy $2 ones that look like regular incandescent bulbs, the real ones look like compact florescents with the curly or U bend filaments), then you could get some cheesecloth and rip it up so it looks old and cobwebby and drape over the brown tablecloths as a topper. You can spray down the cheesecloth with fabric softener or detergent (I mix up a tablespoon or two in a water spray bottle) and then they'll glow under the black light.

If you're outside, tho and just relying on a few bulbs in a ceiling fan, it may not glow as much since even those bulbs are not extremely strong and would need the light area contained to maximize the effect.

I'd possibly dye the cheesecloth to look like it's all bloody (using acrylic paint) and then drape it over the brown cloths.


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## Tannasgach (Nov 1, 2009)

I agree, cheesecloth draped over a tablecloth is a great effect. The first thing that came to my mind for brown was graveyard dirt. You could make a mini graveyard as a centerpiece. Something like this








or even simpler like this one, using Dollar Tree tombstones








They sell packages of bones for tabletop scatters and you could add some fake bugs. 

Those twisted CFL bulbs also come in colors - red, green, blue....They give off good light without being too bright.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

I like the graveyard idea. The dollar stores usually have small tombstones closer to Halloween & believe it or not they're pretty heavy so you wouldn't have to worry about them blowing over, a painted twig or 2 to look like small trees, some moss & VOILA! you have a graveyard like above!


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

i love the graveyard and cheesecloth idea. i was worried about the cfls not putting out that much light at least not enough to help with the tablecloth decorations


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

also looking for an idea for a foyer mirror. its about 48" tall by 36" wide. did sticky bats and spiders on it last year...yawn!!!


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

Those dollar tombstones look good back to back too. That way you can see both sides from where you are sitting.You could mount them on board and paint it to match which stones you use, add a little moss and then you could spread the bones and maybe a skull around it. I really like cheesecloth as a cover too. 
You could use a creepy old branch with cobwebs and spiders hanging it it.
Also, different size jars with creepy stuff in them. You can add a glow light to make them show up. 
As for the mirror, Bloody Mary always scared the crap out of me


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Off, that is so funny that u said that...my son and his friends are 9 and they told me the other day that someone told them this story and he starts telling it and i said u mean "bloody mary"? his jaw dropped like how in the world would his old mom know about such things!!! it was hilareous . i was thinking about some sort of translucent ghost thing with an mp3 recording somewhere it would scare them silly!!!


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## Halloween Scream (Sep 29, 2010)

mamadada said:


> i love the graveyard and cheesecloth idea. i was worried about the cfls not putting out that much light at least not enough to help with the tablecloth decorations


You definitely will want the cfl black light bulbs! They're so powerful that you probably won't need one in every light socket in your fans to light up the table. Wal-Mart has the best prices on them, from what I've seen.

In addition to the graveyard idea (which I love), you could also use the brown table cloth with some creepy cloth for a swampy/jungle theme that would look great with either pirate decor (think a chest filled with candy or drinks, a skelly dressed as pirate) or a haunted bayou (voodoo dolls, witch doctor).


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

love the pirate idea. those boys are freaks for pirates of the carribean the vodoo theme would be good eapecially since we are in louisiana...but the parents may freak out a bit since they are catholic school kids ! HA! the treasure chest could hold all of the movie candy bags hmmm may have to have more tables. those really arent expensive ideas either


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

Just to throw in another idea, other than the cemetery centerpiece...You could do something like this. If you were going with a pirate theme, 
you could put a pirate kerchief around the skull or put an eye patch on it


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

ghouliet, love the idea! where did you get that skull arrangement. that is amazing. i have to know!!!!


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

Although I make a lot of my centerpieces, this one I bought at Michael's last year. I really liked it and it's individual parts would have been more expensive than getting the ready made centerpiece. That large plastic chain came in a 5 foot length and that alone would have cost me 15.00 then, when I added in the mice, spiders, bats, mini skeletons, skulls and branches it was cheaper to just buy it. Especially when you can add in a coupon.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

well i do love it. i bought that chain at michaels last year and crisscrossed two of them on my front door over a skeleton like he was in bondage. probably wont do that again it was neat but not very welcoming.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

Well I would have felt very welcome! LOL


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

LOL...well the 8 yr olds didn't like it too much.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Ok so I found cheesecloth for the tabletops...now what do I do with it???


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

You can rip it, tear it, age it, paint it.............


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## Haunted Dogs (Jun 15, 2007)

The more you rip and shred the cheesecloth, the better! Really go at it...it'll look awesome! And you can either bathe it in liquid Tide (don't rinse) or in white RIT to get it to react to black light...or if you want to go with other lights, you can soak it in a tea bath to get it to look aged. Again, run amok with the shredding, the more the merrier.


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

If you are going with the pirate theme, goodwill might come in handy for silver serving pieces that could be added as props to a treasure chest.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Can I dye it to look old then soak in tide (stupid question can it be fragrance free tide?)


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## Ghouliet (Nov 5, 2010)

Soaking the white cloth in tide, even fragrance free tide it will shine under a black light. If you color the fabric you will not get that glow the white gives you under the black light.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Does cheesecloth come in any width other than 36". I went to Joanns and hancocks today and both of them were either a pack of cloths 36" or a box with a roll to cut off of and it was only 36"


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## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

Lets see, I will have to do some searching on here. Years ago a gal did a really cool tablescape. I can't remember all the details but she made a large toepincher coffin/cooler to hold all the beverages.

Last year I orderd the 3' posable skeleton from Oriental Trading and I just love him. He's perfect for sitting on a pumpkin, or holding a bowl of chips between his legs.

For a mummy effect, using large safety pins, pin cheesecloth around votive cups and drop and battery operated tea light in them. 

For a swamp theme, dye cheesecloth green and hang pieces of it from the ceiling. In low light it looks like moss.


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## Witchful Thinking (Jun 3, 2011)

I used the CFL's to great effect last year - I had the best luck with the blue, green and orange bulbs as far as light output goes. I think you would only need one or two in each ceiling fan. The black light/uv and red were ok for a room with less light needed. As far as centerpeice goes we had fun making mummy heads last year and those look good on a platter in the middle of a table, especially in dim light.








Jackielantern I don't know if it is my coffin cooler you are talking about as I have seen many on here but I am posting pictures of mine below...may be bigger than you are going for here is mine again...


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## Tannasgach (Nov 1, 2009)

That is one of the sweetest coffin coolers I've seen.  Fantastic!! Great workmanship.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Looks very real...reusable looking too... Eeeewwwww


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## dippedstix (Jul 2, 2009)

Halloween Scream said:


> You definitely will want the cfl black light bulbs! They're so powerful that you probably won't need one in every light socket in your fans to light up the table. Wal-Mart has the best prices on them, from what I've seen.
> 
> In addition to the graveyard idea (which I love), you could also use the brown table cloth with some creepy cloth for a swampy/jungle theme that would look great with either pirate decor (think a chest filled with candy or drinks, a skelly dressed as pirate) or a haunted bayou (voodoo dolls, witch doctor).



Thank you so much for this cfl info...I am going to pick some of these up from Walmart. Thanks again!


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## The-Dullahan (Feb 26, 2011)

The Graveyard idea works for me. Even if you just have small tombstones placed regularly about the tables. Another good effect is to scatter a few bones and candles around. Not really gory, but not childish either (unless you use the cheapest fake skeleton you can find...those always look ridiculous) One time I had to decorate an entire Tae Kwon Do studio AND build a haunted house in it with only a few hours warning. I had to work around complimenting what they already had out and did something similar. I even used various skulls, wilted flowers in some worn-out vases and candles throughout the varied table/buffet setup which received many compliments, which was good, because these were not decorations, just quick things I grabbed from my decorum as I ran out the door. I think the best reaction though was one of the girls that worked there volunteering to help me undo the tables turning pale white and taking a few steps back then quietly explaining that she had not realized the skulls were real until she picked one up.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Grrrroooooossss!!! Talk about a punchline! It was a punchline ...right????


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## Haunted Nana (Oct 18, 2010)

I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE your coffin cooler Witchful Thinking!!!!


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## MissMandy (Apr 18, 2011)

When I think of the color brown for Halloween, my mind automatically goes to scarecrows. But of course they can be scary instead of those darn cute ones lol


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## Jules17 (Aug 31, 2010)

mamadada said:


> also looking for an idea for a foyer mirror. its about 48" tall by 36" wide. did sticky bats and spiders on it last year...yawn!!!


I have a large foyer mirror at my house and we tore letters out of newspaper (draw outline of letters on newspaper, then rip along the lines). We used a little bit of tape to hold them on the mirror, then used matte finishing spray over them, and pulled the letters off the miror. You then have your msg showing out of the misted mirror. I read that it can be a bit of a pain to get the finishing spray off but we used a magic eraser and a little elbow grease and it worked fine. You could test a small corner of your mirror first or use one of those 8x10 mirrors from Dollar Tree to see how something may look before doing your whole mirror.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Jules, what do u mean by matte finishing spray? Also what letters/words would i write?


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## Jules17 (Aug 31, 2010)

mamadada said:


> Jules, what do u mean by matte finishing spray? Also what letters/words would i write?


Hi Mamadada:

You can get matte finishing spray at Michaels (it's just a spray you would use on crafts as an overcoat) and words you could use are: Beware (which I used), Wicked, Spooky, Boo! etc. Hope that helps explain a bit better. I'll have to see if I can find a picture for you.


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## Jules17 (Aug 31, 2010)

mamadada said:


> Jules, what do u mean by matte finishing spray? Also what letters/words would i write?


Hi mamadada:

Here's a pic of it. This isn't the one I did but from a book that explained how to do it and I just did my mirror. Couldn't find any pics I had taken of it at my party (hate when I forget to take pics of my decorations) so had to use this black and white copy.

Jules


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

thats cool... i still dont get the finishing spray..????what is that? ps i always intend to take pics of everything decorated and i always forget! i am always ai rushed right before


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## Jules17 (Aug 31, 2010)

mamadada said:


> thats cool... i still dont get the finishing spray..????what is that? ps i always intend to take pics of everything decorated and i always forget! i am always ai rushed right before


The finishing spray just gives that misty look in the background so your word/msg stands out from it.


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## carmilla1970 (Aug 29, 2010)

Jules17 said:


> I have a large foyer mirror at my house and we tore letters out of newspaper (draw outline of letters on newspaper, then rip along the lines). We used a little bit of tape to hold them on the mirror, then used matte finishing spray over them, and pulled the letters off the miror. You then have your msg showing out of the misted mirror. I read that it can be a bit of a pain to get the finishing spray off but we used a magic eraser and a little elbow grease and it worked fine. You could test a small corner of your mirror first or use one of those 8x10 mirrors from Dollar Tree to see how something may look before doing your whole mirror.


 I have a kind of plastic half skull with a flat back which I stick to a mirror, wall or window, it looks as if the skeleton is materialising through it, so that would work with the misty letters too? I think it was a buy from our version of Dollar tree. It may sound cheesy but worked quite well


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## Jules17 (Aug 31, 2010)

carmilla1970 said:


> I have a kind of plastic half skull with a flat back which I stick to a mirror, wall or window, it looks as if the skeleton is materialising through it, so that would work with the misty letters too? I think it was a buy from our version of Dollar tree. It may sound cheesy but worked quite well


I'm sure that would work well and look really cool!! Another thing I just thought of is to stick a paper skull to one of those Dollar Tree mirrors and spray around it to give the misty effect and pull the paper off the mirror so the skull images comes though. I'll go buy one later today, try it and post a pic.


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## kathy2008 (Jul 17, 2012)

*Cute Halloween Mugs*

Just wanted to share these cute Halloween mugs I found. 

Let me know if there's a better place to post this stuff - I'm a newbie! Thanks!















From Amazon, great for your morning or midnite coffee!


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## Tannasgach (Nov 1, 2009)

Welcome to the forum Kathy!!  That mug is so cute! Two threads where we post our newly acquired items are http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/89730-what-did-you-find-buy-today-514.html and http://www.halloweenforum.com/gener...ove-good-yard-sale-thrift-store-find-109.html. These are great threads to peruse through.


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## kathy2008 (Jul 17, 2012)

Jules17 said:


> Hi Mamadada:
> 
> You can get matte finishing spray at Michaels (it's just a spray you would use on crafts as an overcoat) and words you could use are: Beware (which I used), Wicked, Spooky, Boo! etc. Hope that helps explain a bit better. I'll have to see if I can find a picture for you.


How about, "Look Out Behind You!" esp if it's dark in the room...


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## kathy2008 (Jul 17, 2012)

Tannasgach said:


> Welcome to the forum Kathy!!  That mug is so cute! Two threads where we post our newly acquired items are http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/89730-what-did-you-find-buy-today-514.html and http://www.halloweenforum.com/gener...ove-good-yard-sale-thrift-store-find-109.html. These are great threads to peruse through.


Thank you, Tannasgach! Will do, you veteran members keep saving me from being a complete Noob! haha


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Well i made it to Garden Ridge this past week. Had a blast!!! bought a bunch of packs of "creepy cloth". Does anyone have any experience with this?Can i cut it/slash it like i would cheese cloth??? i'm going to use as table toppers if it can be slashed. it came in tan and black. i bought lots of the tan. im also going to cover my front door with it and put the door decoration i bought on top. this will save me from cleaning my door? Ha!!!


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