Halloween is usually a big deal in my house. It is one of my favorite holidays and I have thrown a Halloween party every year for the last five years. In the past I've spent the entire month planning, decorating and cooking for the big event. But this year I just didn't have the time. I put it off the decorating until just recently and only gave myself a day to get things done. Surprisingly, it turned out pretty well. Here are a few great decorations I threw together in no time at all.

Mad scientist buffet table

Every year I do a buffet style dinner for my Halloween party. In the past I've either bought or made huge spooky looking centerpieces. This year, I wanted to do something different that was easier so I made a "lab" out of an old folding table. First I took an old white sheet and dripped red food coloring across it to look like blood. That became the tablecloth. Then I found some old glass bottles and filled them with water and different food dyes. I arranged those in

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You don't have to be a kid to love Halloween. In fact, adult Halloween parties are tons more fun than bobbing for apples or pinning the stem on the Jack-o-lantern. Outrageous costumes and awesome eats will set the stage for some freakishly fabulous fun. And don't forget that décor is the star of this show. Oh - and these three gruesomely grand Halloween cocktails, of course!

The Black & Bloody Zombie Cocktail

Ingredients:

American Beer

Tomato Juice

Black Salt

Cocktail Onions and Black Olives for Garnish

Directions:

1. Moisten rim of beer glass and dip into black salt to coat.

2. Using a funnel so as not to disturb the salt, pour 6 oz. beer and 6 oz. tomato juice into the glass.

3. Carefully mix.

4. Skewer alternating cocktail onions and black olives for garnish.

Zombie fact - The 1985 film "The Return of the Living Dead" introduced the very first connection between Zombies and brains.

The Vampire Moon Cocktail

Ingredients:

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Cast a sparkly Halloween spell with these quick crafts glimmering with bewitching baubles and ghoulish glitter. A little shimmer (or a lot!) adds notice-me pop to any eerie creation.

The Shining
Studded with self-adhesive craft store jewels, these blinged out pumpkins prove diamonds are a ghoul's best friend.

Related: Halloween Treats and Desserts

Witch Craft
A dramatic vinyl witch rides through twinkling Styrofoam stars to delight trick-or-treaters. Get the downloadable templates and all of the haunted how-tos.

Grave Condition
Sugar pumpkins, stacked as skeletons, rest in peace on a macabre mantel. Spray-paint the gourds white, brush them with silver glitter paint, and let dry; create sunken sockets with black permanent marker. The final nails in the coffin: store-bought Styrofoam tombstones, embellished with acrylic silver paint; a leafy garland; and extra gourds lightly sprayed with gold paint.

Related: Halloween Party Themes and Ideas

Gleam Team
Paint jack-o'-la...Read More »