There’s not even a touch of crisp, autumn air in sight before I start thinking about Halloween, my family’s favorite holiday! As soon as the Halloween products start hitting the store shelves, I’m filling my shopping cart with fun and festive pieces for my family’s annual Halloween dinner party. With a little advanced planning you can create a beautifully decorated Halloween table for your next party or dinner – and here’s my five favorite super simple tips to create a beautiful Halloween tablescape that will make your family smile and make your friends ask you for tips!
This post was sponsored by Acorn Influence for Jasco Cafe Lights. All opinions are my own! #EnbrightenLife
Start with the Menu and Who You’re Inviting
First thing’s first: depending on who you’re inviting to your party or dinner will make a big determination in what style of tablescape you should plan. If the party is all adults, feel free to get super spooky and kooky- my favorite style. If you’re planning on making it a family dinner with smaller children or those that spook easily, you’ll probably want to lay off the creepy and go with a more traditional, whimsical theme.
I, personally, like to go for a bit of both. My family’s annual Halloween dinner has fun aspects including themed menu items: Mummy Meatloaf, Mummy Dogs, and Witches Brew Punch. I always head to Pinterest and look for visually appealing Halloween foods, make a list of all ingredients, and head to the grocery store with my list the day before the dinner so, just in case I may forget something, there’s time to run back and grab any pieces I’ve overlooked. for the adults invited, think about a signature cocktail- again, here’s where Pinterest come sin so handy.
Think About What You Want to Accomplish and Look for Pieces that Fit
This year my daughter is well into her teens and loved helping me pick out new pieces. I admit, I have dining pieces that we’ve used every year (they’re so much fun to pull out of storage and many times I forget exactly what we have so it’s like a fun recap of parties past!) but this year a recent trip to a department store allowed us to come home with an entirely new, more mature Halloween tablescape.
Silver skeletons and spider web touches with dark linens and crystal accents , simple white plates, and one of my favorite tablescape touches, chargers. I think they instantly draw the eye to the place settings- and not to sound like Martha Stewart, but it’s a good thing.
Stick with a Simple Theme and Build on it
If you go with a ton of different Halloween styles and decorations (unless it’s an all-kids party. Feel free to go crazy with all of those classic icons: ghosts, black cats, witches…you name it.) it will look like someone threw up Halloween all over your table and party area, no boos about it.
The simpler, the better when it comes to a Halloween tablescape, in my opinion. We went with skeletons and spidery accents all in two or three colors, tops. I wanted lighter accents (the white plates and pitcher), clear crystal, and pewter for a bit of shine. I love how the pewter skeleton accents aren’t super shiny, making the all-over feel classy.
Indoor or Outdoor?
Depending on where you live you may be considering where you’d like to have your dining table. Happily, we still generally have moderate temps on most Halloweens so an outdoor dinner makes sense. If you do plan on having your party outside, make a separate plan for an indoor one just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate and keep it in the back of your mind- it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Use Lighting to Your Advantage
A priority consideration is the lighting concept. You can have the most gorgeous table in all of creation and if you don’t have proper lighting, no one will have the pleasure of oohing and aahing over it. If you’re planning your party midday, natural lighting will work perfectly. In Eastern Ohio, October’s end means it gets darker outside earlier so planning a lighting concept goes along with an outdoor dinner.
Our concept this year was bold and bright clear cafe lights, and these ones from Enbrighten Cafe Lights by Jasco are perfect. We strung them from our roof over to our ivy hill and zig-zagged them across the yard. We used one 24-foot string and one 36-foot string (they connect super easy and were made for outdoor use!) and attached them to a Touchsmart timer so we won’t have to worry about turning them on and off. I love how they sparkle and add that perfect touch of elegant fun. They’re also LED lights so they save a ton of energy, impact resistant, weather resistant and come in multiple sizes.
Acorn Influence Amazon Giveaway!
To make your next Halloween party a bright one, Acorn Influence is giving away a $250 Amazon Gift Card to purchase your own set of Enbrighten Cafe Lights by Jasco (Cafe Lights on Amazon range from $29.99 – 79.99). Use the giveaway widget below and keep your fingers crossed (I’ll be doing the same for you!) and the contest ends on September 22, 2016 so get those entries in!
One winner will win a $250 Amazon Gift Card. U.S. Residents only, please!
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