Who still doesn’t love to dress up?

As a busy mom, I spend a lot of time in October at Halloween carnivals, selecting/making kids costumes, helping with treats for school parties, and of course, finding mass quantities of free or cheap candy for the trick or treaters. However, some of my favorite Halloween memories in recent years came from when I got to dress up and attend a Halloween party.

Last year I co-hosted a grown-up Halloween party. It took a lot of work and planning, but the end result was a fun, fabulous event. Our theme was “Somewhere In Time” We assigned our guest to be famous couples throughout history. (Bonnie & Clyde, Futuristic, George & Martha Washington, JFK and Jackie O, Pocohontas & Captain John Smith, Adam & Eve, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Cleopatra and Anthony, Anne Boleyn & King Henry VIII to name a few). My husband and I were a Knight of the Round Table and a Medieval Princess.

We had the guest enter the party through a time tunnel (cardboard prop and fog machine). We played a couple of time themed games, guessing the baby pictures of each guest and what year famous events about the characters at our party happened. We had yummy food, photos, and visiting. We had prizes for game winners and best costumes (voted on by guests), which was a fun addition. The best part was seeing the elaborate, creative costumes. Photos do exist, but I have only included a few to protect the guilty

Here are some other fun party ideas to help you throw a fabulous grown-up party!

Invite Ideas:

• Make your own invitations, make them fancy with a wax seal or over sized envelope.
• Hand deliver for a personal touch.
• Recycle items, such as cast-off books or boxes with invites inside.
• Balloons with messages inside or something centered around your theme.
• Make sure you do the party on another night besides Halloween, so guests can enjoy time with kids.
• Give them time to find/plan their costumes and include an RSVP.

Costume/Theme Ideas:

• TV characters: Ross &Rachel, Fred & Wilma Flintstone, Greg & Marsha Brady, Gilligan & Mary Ann, Lucille Ball & Ricky Ricardo, Laura & Almanzo Wilder, etc…
• Literature: Romeo & Juliet, Harry Potter and Hermonie, Edward & Bella, Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy, Scarlett O’Hara & Rhett Butler, Robin Hood & Maid Marion, etc…
• Superheroes: Batman & Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Superman & Lois Lane, Green Lantern, etc…
• Fairy Tales/Nursery Rhymes: Snow White, Cinderella, Jack & Jill, Little Mermaid, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffett
• Decades: throw a 1970s bash, or a kick back to the 1920s flappers, 1980s hair bands, etc…
• Be sure to raid your closet and visit the thrift store to look for your costume.

Food:

• Bulk items at warehouse stores
• Stockpile items: Tortillas, tuna, biscuits, cheese, can make for fun sandwiches.
• Stockpile Snacks: Chips, Crackers, Nuts, Soda, Cake Mixes, Brownies even Fruit Snacks, and Capri Suns, since it is Halloween.
• Buy fruit and veggies and cut up to make your own fruit and veggie trays.
• An even more frugal idea, is to have a potluck.
• Or consider having fall themed foods, apples, pumpkin, or chili recipes to have guest bring, sample and share.

Games:

• Matching character facts with the character
• Trivia on your theme
• Name that TV show clip, or name that tune
• Pictionary on your theme
• Traditional kids Halloween games, bobbing for apples, pin the tail on the donkey, piñata, donuts on the string.

Prizes/Favors:

• Dollar Store Items.
• Stockpile items: treats, candy, candle décor & holiday scented air fresheners, and even toilet paper (hey it is Halloween).
• Gift Cards.
• Another fun idea is to take photos and give them as a fun follow-up favor later.

Other fun party ideas include:

• Murder Mystery Parties (find some here or write your own),
• Chili contests
• Trick or Eat, a Halloween themed progressive dinner. Start with appetizers at one house, salad at another, main course at another, and then finish with dessert or trick-or-treating at the last house.

What Fab and/or Frugal party ideas do you have?