Gourls’ Night In
We all remember the witches from the fairy tales of our youth—Baba Yaga, Snow White’s Evil Queen, and that crabby old hag who wanted to eat Hansel and Gretel. They were generally a pretty frightening bunch of ladies.
Dark and a little bitter might be okay for chocolate but whose got time for the whole bitch-on-a-broomstick thing when there are parties to attend? And what better time of year to kick up your witchy heels with your like-minded ghourl friends than Samhain?
The witching hour is nigh, but have no fear — there’s still time to conjure up these simple party tricks and treats for a covenly night of witchy fun. It’s almost as easy as waving your magic wand.
Calling All Witches
Every good party starts with a great invitation. Choose from dozens of Halloween themed layouts like this one at Punchbowl.
Customize with the who, what, where and when, then send by email or social media. POOF — all your friends have the deets.
Where The Witches Live
Witches live in scary houses, so be sure to set the theme for your party beginning at the front door. You could carve up a Jack-o-lanter or two and call it good, but really? This is the time to show off all your practical magic by creating a truly dramatic glamour spell for your entrance.
These witch hat luminaries styled by Melissa at Polkadot Chair will impress your guests right off the bat.
Speaking of bats . . . don’t forget to hang a few from the rafters. Along with glowing spider webs and big, creepy spiders. Well, at least the harmless ones you can find at partycity.com
Finally, add to the sinister ambience by dimming or turning off bright lights. Instead, use plenty of candles (electric versions for safety!) and strings of colorful lights in purple, orange and lime green. No time to shop online and wait for delivery? Check out the Halloween isle at your local dollar store for all the decorations you’ll need in a hurry.
Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble
Start off the cackling good times by providing themed cocktails like this Poison Apple martini found on Pinterest. Or keep it simple by featuring a punchbowl filled with hard cider as the centerpiece of your buffet spread.
Remember to drink responsibly, don’t drive after imbibing, and be sure to provide equally fun and tasty non-alcoholic beverages for your tea-totaling witchy crew.
Use these free printable labels from Suzy Homemaker to label your booze with a grave warning.
Setting the Feast Table
What’s a party of witches without a feast? Try recreating one of the fabulous Halloween themed table settings from this gallery featured at decoist.com. Choose from scary goblins, skeletons and black cats, to pumpkins, sweet candy corn and friendly ghosts.
Ladies Fingers
You don’t have to limit your feast to finger foods, but it doesn’t hurt to have some on the menu . . . fingers that is.
These delicious digits conjured by Martha Stewart are my all time favorite witches’ party treat. Making them requires some baking experience and the prep is a bit fussy, but they are so worth it. Your ghourl friends won’t be able to stop licking their fingers. Find the recipe here.
And if you’ve just been waiting to try your hand at charcuterie, now’s your chance. These seasonal themed charcuterie boards have it all from sweet to savory, and scary to camp.
Sound Effects
Make sure your witchy guests are feeling your vibe with a chilling play list. No time to curate your favorites? Tune into year-round spooky tunes on Halloween Radio. You can listen live or download for free.
Fun and Games
Remember making those folded paper cootie catchers when you were a kid, and how much fun they were? Mypartygames.com has free printable versions perfect for a witchy party games.
Merry Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet Again
When it’s time to say good bye to your witchy peeps, be sure to send them off with a parting gift. Whether a little paper pumpkin favor that sits in the palm of their hand, or a whole “handful” O’ goodies, they’ll know you (s)care a lot.
A previous version of this article appeared on my blog at simplewitch.com
