A SPOOKTACULAR SOIREE + 5 TIPS FOR A PERFECT HALLOWEEN PARTY

invitations via minted

find the tutorial for the tassel chandelier right here

find the tutorial for my painted pumpkins right here

napkins made by sara

 where's my little mermaid rock when I need it? 

(find the tutorial for my DIY mermaid costume right here)

the hostesses with the mostestes ;)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA WALK

Back in July, Sara, from Tell Love and Chocolate, and I hosted a backyard dinner party with some of our friends. After all the work we put into it, we swore we wouldn't host another one for a long time, but then Halloween started rolling around and we couldn't let the chance for a Halloween party pass us by, so the idea for our Spooktacular Soiree was born. I haven't been to a real Halloween party since I was a freshman in high school (and many of my friends were the same), so it was an absolute BLAST to dress up in costume and spend a night with friends.

With more than a week left til Halloween, there's still tons of time to throw a little party with your friends, so in addition to all the party ideas in the photos above, here's Five Tips for an Easy and Perfect Halloween Party you can throw together this weekend!

And check out more great holiday party ideas over on Jo-Ann's project hub, or search the hashtag #DIYforHalloween!



1. Go Potluck Style. With all the invitations, decor, set up, and stresses that come with being a party hostess, the last thing you want to worry about is feeding everyone. Make it easy on yourself and pass out dinner assignments with the invitations. We asked guests to bring "Halloween or Fall Themed Dishes," and we ended up with the most creative, delicious, and festive food!

2. Make Costumes Mandatory. When we threw the floral affair party over the summer, we everyone dress in all white, and this time we asked everyone to wear their Halloween costume. Having everyone dressed up makes the party feel cohesive and creates an ambiance that shouldn't be missed! Plus, it's fun to see everyone's creativity in their costumes -- we had some girls go all out!

3. Make a Photobooth. If you're all dressed up in costumes, give your friends a chance to show them off! Plus, who doesn't love a photobooth? We hung a fun spiderweb backdrop, and then set up the camera on the tripod and used a remote and the timer and let everyone go to town!

4. Have at least one activity. We didn't get any pictures of it, but we had a donut eating contest -- you know, where the donuts hang from string and you have to eat them with your hands behind your back? Having some kind of fun activity gets people laughing, having fun, and breaks up the party a bit so you're not just sitting and eating dinner the entire time. (At our Floral Affair we had everyone make their own floral crowns!)

5. Don't forget the music! Music is everything at parties -- it completely sets the mood and keeps any awkward silences at bay. We chose the Halloween Party Pandora Station and it was perfect. A good mix of spooky and festive tunes, and even a few jams that had everyone out of their chairs and dancing!

 Now go throw a Halloween party!!

A huge thanks to Minted for the gorgeous invitations, and to Caravan Shoppe for the perfect photo backdrop! 

This post was created in partnership with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores