Boo! It's a Halloween Extravaganza!

Planning on having a Halloween party? Tired of the same old decorations and colors for Halloween? Why not throw a Halloween party turned up a notch! Here are some creative, extravagant and fun ideas to help make your Halloween party stylish and not scary.

Ditch the Orange and Black Color Theme

This Celestial Accent Garland is available at Pier One.

Whether you go to Joann Fabrics or Party City, it's the same color theme for Halloween, orange, and black. If you end up going to more than one party during Halloween season, chances are they will become a blur of the same generic decor, colors, and themes. Instead, make your party one to remember! Pick an accent color of the season like deep purple, blood red, lime green or rusty brown as the palette for your decor. Use these colors as the backdrop to your neutral colors and create a one of a kind Halloween color theme. 

It's All About the Accents

Instead of your typical Halloween decorations, set the scene with elegant Halloween floral arrangements throughout your home. Find a great statement piece for your party table at places like Pier One or Michael's. Follow that theme in from your front door to the powder room. It is these little things that make a difference for your guests. Don't stop there! Accent your table linens, silverware, and glassware with the same color palette. Remember, this is your accent color so use it subtly with your neutral hues to set a more sophisticated, stylish but fun Halloween feeling.

Have a Party Theme

Roaring '20's costume.

What's a Halloween party without costumes?! Make yours different by setting a more adult costume themed party. Some great adult theme parties may include Great Gatsby, royalty, Harry Potter, the Roaring '20's or Disco 70's. Your invitations should set the theme and tone for your party. 

Set the Ambiance

Sure, it's easy to set the ambiance for a regular Halloween party, but for your stylish soiree, setting the right ambiance is important. A few ways to do this is by:

• Candles everywhere! Set the mood with low lighting with either real candles or battery operated like these in the picture from Shop Three Brothers website. 
• LED lighting: you can find any kind of LED string lighting at almost any store in whatever color you can imagine. For your Halloween party set the ambiance by using LED lighting in your hurricanes, accenting your table, shelving, decorations, just about anymore. Depending on the color you have chosen to accent your Halloween decorations, use it sparingly and elegantly throughout your home so that guests can just see each other, but it's dark enough for such an event. The LED lights on the left can be purchased at Pier One, and they have a selection of many different colors on their website.

Don't Forget the Food

You might think that it's difficult to set a food table that's sophisticated, yet like Halloween. Luckily, this is not so! You can turn your food table into an elegant, stylish spread. Here are some pictures to give you some idea on how that can be done:

Chocolate dip strawberries dipped in accent Halloween colors.

Serve macaroons in orange, purple, green or whatever Halloween color you like.

 Drizzle your cupcakes in royal icing to get this look.

Sophisticated yet spooky Brie cheese and crackers.

Easy to decorate spiderweb cheesecake.

You can use these tips for any type of party you would like to throw. Set a neutral color as the foundation and then chose a color as the theme for your decorations. As you plan your party, think creatively and pay attention to those details. It's the little things that make a party a big success! 

Happy planning and Happy Halloween! Make it a stylish one!