Last Minute Halloween Ideas

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

The days are getting shorter, and the autumn vibes are here, so it must be time to turn our attention to my favourite time of the year – yes, Halloween! And whilst I love things to look great, I’m all about making life easy so I’m sharing my easy Halloween ideas to help you do the same!

Now, I know not everyone is a Halloween fan. It’s actually a bit odd that I am because when I was little, Halloween wasn’t such a big thing, so as a family we sat in the lounge with the lights at the front of the house switched off, on the off chance some trick or treaters might ring the doorbell and expect us to answer if they saw we were in (we needn’t have worried, they rarely did because not many people did back then).

So why do I love Halloween so much?

I think it’s because the decorations are just so much fun! I love the colours orange and black. You can use lighting to create a sense of atmosphere, and Halloween-themed games and food are just awesome!

It’s why, for me, a party at home is the perfect way to spend Halloween. Whether it’s just you and your little ones or you’ve invited guests you want to impress, you can enjoy yourself getting things prepared. And it doesn’t have to be difficult.

So here are my easy Halloween ideas to get you in the Halloween mood!

Get decorating!

While decorating can seem daunting, it really doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to decorate the house from top to bottom you can keep it to a spooky corner, a mantlepiece or decorate your dining table on the big day for a spooktacular Halloween tea party.

I’m loving all things bats this year. These card bat wall decorations create an impressive effect without much effort because everything you need is in the box. And the best bit is, if you’re careful with them, you can reuse them again next year! But if you’ve left it to let to buy decorations, why not make your own?

Don’t panic, I’m not talking about difficult crafts where you have to buy lots of supplies and where you lose the will to live when they don’t work out!

I’m talking easy crafts, using things you already have in the house like these bats made from napkins (you don’t have to use napkins, can make them from any sort of paper) and these cool spiders webs that again can be made from anything you have laying around including old newspapers. Check out my instragram page for reels showing you how.

Get crafting!

Making spooky things with the kids gets everyone in the Halloween spirit (sorry, I couldn’t resist that pun).

But just like your decorations, crafts don’t need to be complicated. I’ve found adding eyes to pretty much anything spooks it up! Check out these toilet roll bats, paper cup ghosts, and this stone and pipe cleaner spider.

In fact, you could even add a set of googly eyes to my simple but super effective Halloween lights pictured below. All you need to make them is a yoghurt pot, a sharpie and an LED candle. My niece took them to the next level by adding coloured lights, and I think you’ll agree they really help to set the spooky scene.

I also love any lights in a jar. LED candles, LED string lights, white or coloured, the more, the better! And these will all add to your decorations.

Sweets and treats

Let’s be honest, for most children, Halloween is all about the sugar fix! Those sweet treats they long for are in plentiful supply so it’s time to indulge. But to avoid an early trip to the dentist, why not include a non-sweet treat too? Buy some pumpkin-shaped scratch art sets and let the little ones get creative. They can be decorated to look like a Jack-‘o’-lantern, can have spooky messages written on them or even used as name cards to stick on your little one’s bedroom door or as a place card at your party table!

Not got time to find pumpkin scratch art? Why not download my free Halloween colouring downloads. Just download, and print, and that’s a Halloween activity sorted right there. When they’re finished, you can use the pictures to add to your decorations.

And don’t forget the all-important tea party I mentioned earlier!

For me, this ticks all the Halloween boxes because it’s your decoration and activity all in one. If you’ve got Halloween tableware fab, but if not add some of your decorations to the table including those cool bat napkins.

You will need to sort some fabulously frightening party food too, to keep the little ones going before they eat their body weight in sweets. But again, keep it simple. If you’ve been googling Halloween food ideas and thought you need a cooking qualification to prepare even the easy ones. Or that they’re full of ingredients your kids would never eat, think again because it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Here are my easy Halloween food suggestions:

• Make simple sandwiches and cut them into spooky shapes using a cookie cutter.
• Buy some spooky-shaped crumpets (supermarkets usually have Halloween-shaped ones, Asda definitely have ghost shapes).
• Serve with your little ones’ favourite soup and call it pumpkin soup.
• Add a spider to a pizza (not a real one! – use half a black olive for the body and cut the rest of the olive halves into thin strips and arrange them on either side of the body to look like legs).
• And finish with some cupcakes (bought or homemade), top them with your own ghostly icing designs, and you’re all set for a simple but bewitching, tasty feast!

And finally…

Close the curtains, throw some cushions on the floor, and put on your homemade lights to set the scene. Make some popcorn. Pour everyone a glass of Beetlejuice (otherwise known as blackcurrant squash). And choose a child-friendly spooky film to settle down to. The Witches, Harry Potter, and Hocus Pocus are some of my family favourites. But I’m sure your little ones will have a long list of their own.

If trick or treating’s your thing, don’t forget to fit that in between your tea party and spooky cinema! 

And be sure to save some sweets for yourself for when the kids have gone to bed!

To check out my Halloween party supplies, click here

For more top party tips, sign up for my free kid’s party planning guide – just click here.

And to discuss bespoke party ideas, tableware, and decorations for your little one’s birthday drop me a line. I’d love to help out!