Entertaining at Halloween

It’s that time of year again! Gorgeous colours are on the trees, cosy coats and jumpers are being pulled on, and Halloween is just around the corner! We’ve always loved how the month of October ends on such a unique climax where spookiness is celebrated and those who dare to be different shine!

To show our appreciation for what this month has to offer, we thought we would share some ideas on how you can prepare quirky cocktails, delicious food, and your home for your gruesome gatherings.

Circular Gold Bar Trolley

Sinister Scene Setting

Whether your inviting guests for a sit-down dinner or a cocktail party, a Halloween home is all about creating the right atmosphere, so anything creepy, quirky, or spooky goes! Rather than using disposable decorations, transform your space with a splash of darkness and unique interior pieces that can be displayed throughout the year.

You can set the scene and wow visitors from the moment they arrive at your home, introduce those creepy vibes with a walkway of candles and lanterns leading the way to your door. Then, elevate your doorstep with carved or painted pumpkins, if you’re looking for inspiration, why not check out Good Housekeeping's 70 Eye-Catching Painted Pumpkins for some easy and exciting ideas.

A Devilish Display

As your friends, family and loved ones step through your door, small details will make a big difference separating your house from what it usually is to a hauntingly Halloween home! A little bit of Halloween decorating can go a long way, the Boo Doormat is a quirky front door scene-setter that’ll be sure to give them a fun fright!

To get the witchy vibes going, why not create a spooky Halloween playlist with some of our favourite songs to set a spooky scene:

• Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics
• Get Your Freak On – Missy Elliott
• Thriller – Michael Jackson
• Graveyard – Halsey
• Highway to Hell – AC/DC
• Royals – Lorde
• Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr
• Disturbia – Rihanna
• Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
• Toxic – Britney Spears

To extend this playlist, there are more great tracks available on Spotify's Halloween Songs playlist.

If you love dark and daring interiors, lighting will effortlessly give your abode a spooky ambience. Dimming your overhead lights or changing to lower watt light bulbs will create a menacing atmosphere. To transform your interiors, style the Crow Table Lamp or Snake Lamp to radiate an eerie vibe with candles for a truly spooky glow!

Silver Mice Candle Holders | Orange Flocked Candelabra | Bird Feet Candlesticks

If you don’t feel like going all out when it comes to Halloween decorating, then you could surprise guests with a Halloween-inspired style spot on a console or side table in your hallway, living room or dining space. Create little spooky accents by adding pumpkins, fake spiders, and birds and branches for a quick Halloween-themed makeover to your existing décor scheme.

The Circular Gold Bar Trolley is glorious; offering plenty of space, it’s ideal for showcasing your drinks, snacks and spooky displays. Style it with the ghoulish Gold Skull Print to create a truly frightening scene! For more inspiration, check out our TikTok on how to style an amazing Halloween Bar Trolley.

Hair Raising Refreshments

No Halloween gathering is complete without a daring witch’s brew, creative cocktails or delicious mocktails.

Flamingo Champagne Cooler | Gold Skull Print

A hot or cold punch is a great way to get the party started. One of our favourite recipes is Tasty’s Halloween Party Punch served in our Flamingo Champagne Cooler for a quirky witch’s cauldron vibe.

Classy Cocktail Book | Gold Rimmed Cocktail Glass

Fright and delight everyone by brewing some creepy cocktails, here are a couple of our favourites from the Classy Cocktail Book:

Corpse Reviver No. 2

Ingredients:

• ¾ oz (22ml) gin.
• ¾ oz (22ml) Triple Sec.
• ¾ oz (22ml) Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano.
• ¾ oz (22ml) fresh lemon juice.
• 1 dash of absinthe or anise liqueur.
• Orange peel for garnish (optional).

Method:

1. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the gin, Triple Sec, Lillet Blanc / Cocchi Americano, lemon juice and absinthe.
2. Shake it like you mean it!
3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
4. Garnish with the orange peel, if desired.

Vampiro

Main Ingredients:

• 3 oz (90ml) sangrita.
• 1 ½ oz (45ml) tequila.
• ½ oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice.
• 1 ½ oz (45ml) grapefruit soda.
• Lime or blood orange wedge for garnish.

Sangrita Recipe:

• ¾ cup (180ml) orange juice.
• 3 oz (90ml) fresh lime juice.
• 2 oz (60ml) grenadine.
• ½ oz hot sauce.

Method:

1. Make the sangrita ahead.
2. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the sangrita, tequila and lime juice.
3. Shake!
4. Strain into a double rocks glass with ice.
5. Top with grapefruit soda and stir gently.
6. Garnish with lime or blood orange wedge.

Breadstick Rattlers | Strawberry Ghosts | Spellbook Brownies

Spooky snacks and tasty treats are another Halloween staple. There are many amazing Halloween recipes out there both sweet and savoury snacks. Take a look at some of our favourites below:

• Country Living’s Breadstick Rattlers.
• Taste of Home’s Strawberry Ghosts.
• Half-Baked Harvest’s Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies.

A Dinner to Die For

Bird Feet Candle Sticks & Gold Rimmed Highball Glass I Pair of Gold Mice Candle Holders

Halloween is a great time to gather friends and family around the table to celebrate. Whether you decide to go with a conventional black and orange combo for your tablescape, or a more daring or neutral colour palette, candles are essential to ensure a ghoulish glow.

Of course, Halloween doesn’t always have to be about doom and gloom. Style your table with fruit, leaves, pumpkins, and twigs to give a warm autumnal pop. If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space warm enough in October, a lunch or dinner al fresco can feel very decadent before the winter chills set in.

Stag Beetle Ornament | Hand Wall Decoration | Insect Ornament

Alternatively, strike a balance between stylish and spirited with metallic painted pumpkins and our Insect and Stag Beetle Ornaments. Intersperse them with exciting moody black accents such as our severed Hand Wall Decoration to hold your sweet treats for an inspired Halloween design.

Try the Black Pampas Grass Bunch tied to chairs to facilitate that hair-raising feeling, or they'll also put an effortless Halloween spin on your chosen floral display.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup | Chicken Marsala with Tomatoes | Caramel Snickers Cake

Cooking up your own ghoulish feast doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Serve tasty seasonal food such as:

• Half-Baked Harvest’s Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Maple Pecans.
• Pinch of Yum’s Chicken Marsala with Tomatoes.
• Half-Baked Harvest’s Salted Caramel Snickers Cake.

Alternatively, if you want to end on a savoury note, have a look at our TikTok on how to set up a Cheese Board Perfect for Halloween.

And there you have it! A fabulous plan to help you style your abode for Halloween and ensure the party is a scream! For a quick re-cap and further inspiration, why not have a look at our TikTok on How to Set Up your Home for Halloween or our Pinterest...

Be sure to show us your homes by tagging us on Instagram and Facebook– we’d love to see what you’ve done ready for the big fright night! And of course, Mwa-Ha-Ha-Happy Halloween!