The party was a success! Let’s talk budget first, I was working with a $200.00 budget (which isn’t much when you’re decorating and providing food). So let’s review the hits of the evening and how you can get creative and still have a fabulous party! The biggest hit was the Bubble Fogger! 
It didn’t photograph well (hence the stock image) but everyone loved it, you can find them on sale for about $40.00 after Halloween, right before you’ll spend about $80.00 on one (but it’s worth it!). The neat thing about the bubble fogger is how many functions it serves. The bubbles are filled with the fog a fog machine would produce, so your left with these great bubbles that burst and ooze fog out! So those really look amazing if set at a bar, I avoided setting the machine at the appetizer table, people don’t want bubbles in their food. Also, I found if you don’t put the bubble solution in then you get the effect of a regular fog machine. I placed the machine in entry room and in our “Haunted room” for a bit and let the fog fill up so when my guests entered they entered into a foggy fun Halloween atmosphere. 
My bubble fogger ended up behind a few decorated 2 liter bottles at the bar so it looked as though the bar itself was “bubbling” not just a machine. As seen in the image on the left. Also, the labels made a difference in the scene, They came in a four pack of labels and I snagged them at the dollar store! The bar was such a success as well, we asked a family member to host the bar for a couple hours which really helped out! It was nice being able to enjoy the evening instead of scrambling to get everyone a drink, cup, ice, mixers etc. To cut costs we asked everyone to contribute alcohol. Your biggest expense will always be booze! Below is a picture of our bar, so simple, dollar store black table cloth and blood cut from our haunted room scene!
Aside from the bar being a success I also noticed a trend this year was flying ghosts or ghouls. These usually attach somehow to your ceiling or outside awning. I opted to make my own out of an old blanket and purchased a skull and two skeleton hands which I sewed in myself. Believe me I’m not a great sewer by any means this was very simple to do. Skeletor was such a hit! Everyone loved it!
The other neat touch we put on our party was our “Haunted House Room”. I know this sounds aggressive for a house party but it wasn’t expensive or labor-some to do. I simply got a butcher scene from a local Halloween store, put it up on the wall and purchased a
50 foot banner of blood dripping (which I also used at the bar scene above). Then I hung streamers throughout the room to make it look as if the blood was dripping from the ceiling as well. I took trash bags made ghosts hung them from the ceiling (I recommend using tacks) then in the middle of the room I took an old white Dr. costume I had and stuck a mask in it and hung it from the ceiling as well. I added a strobe light and some fog and had a blood bath of a 
haunted room! It really set the mood for guests as they came and went. Aside from that, using an ipod making a playlist with some Halloween songs mixed in with pop songs was a great idea as well. No one wants to hear a ton of Halloween music, girls like to dance to thriller but not to Adam’s family. Also, a great money saver tip and something I got a ton of compliments on were our appetizers. I picked up bagel bites, taquitos, chips, salsa and made brownies, everyone loved the “bar food” type snacks! I thought I was cutting a corner, little did I know I didn’t have to make brie cheese with rasberries, lesson learned! Bar food for more booze filled parties and worry about appetizers when hosting a dinner party 🙂 Oh and one more thing, dry ice is over rated, we bought a ton (which put us a little over budget, the stuff isn’t cheap at $10/sheet) and placed in in witches pots around the back yard as well as in our fountain, it was just about used up by the time our guests arrived, didn’t last more than an hour, next year I’m just using the fog machine. So unless you have a large budget skip the dry ice.
How was everyone else’s Halloween?? Any other great tips on hosting a Halloween party? Please see some more of our Halloween party decor pictures below! Happy Halloween! Now let’s gear up for Holiday Parties!
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