by Rachel Kelso
With the spooky season well and truly in motion, I’m sure many of us are looking towards the end of the month already. Halloween may be on a weekday this year, but that doesn’t mean you have to put off the big celebrations. Whether you’re looking to throw a full costumed, spooky rager or you’re looking for a chill night-in, this article will have all you need to make this spooky season a good one.
First, decorations are key for that creepy atmosphere every good Halloween night needs. Of course, there’s no issue with going out and buying paper decor, hanging plastic skeletons, or those gel stickers that go on your window (does anyone really know what they’re called?) but nothing is as fun as getting stuck in and fashioning your own spooky crafts. A craft for beginners and experienced crafters alike is paper bats: all you need is black paper, a white pencil/chalk, and scissors. For the beginners, all you need to do is copy a blocked-in template of a bat from the internet. If you really struggle with drawing, don’t worry — you can use a white sheet over the top of a screen to create your own hand-made template that you can draw around. Easy peasy, right? And if you’re an experienced artist, you can always add a twist in by making your bats 3D through stacking — or even try your hand at real origami!
Sticking with your traditional paper crafts, then along the same vein we have pumpkin garlands. Similar to your snowflake chains at Xmas time, all you need to do is fold an orange sheet of paper and cut out the desired pumpkin shape (Just remember not to slice off the sides that hold your chain together, or you’ll end up with pumpkin confetti instead!). From there you can either colour in the pumpkins’ facial features, lines, and stem, or you can cut out the eyes and mouth with an exacto knife as long as you watch your hands; we don’t need any guests asking how you made hyper-realistic finger decorations…
And my final homemade craft is for those nifty knitters and crocheters out there. All you need to make a spider web is a large hook and some thin, light-coloured yarn — the thinner the better! Start by chaining a small row of 4 and join it together to create a circle — from there you can build multiple chains out from the centre. The combination of that large hook and thin yarn should create a spindly effect that looks similar to a spider’s web when strung up in the corner of the room.
Now that we have the decorations down, sweet treats are a must have to keep your guests happy, and they’re fun to make too! Starting with a treat that you can get people of all ages involved in: Ghost cake pops! Now, cake pops are a tad finicky so how you choose to make the actual pop is up to you (some stores even sell pre-made cake balls on a stick if you want) but the fun part is really the decorating. For something easy, you can just make some runny icing and dunk the cake pop in it. Once it dries, you can draw the little face on. For those of you who are a fan of fondant, you can take it one step further and drape little ghost bodies over the cake pop — just remember to stick them down with buttercream before you draw on them, or you might end up with some naked cake pops before your guests even take a bite!
Next, for our pumpkin lovers, an autumnal favourite is my next suggestion: Pumpkin pie. Of course, if you’re struggling for time, you can always use pre-baked pie crusts. Luckily, because of the Halloween season, there is no short supply of pumpkins — although jack-o-lantern pumpkins may not be recommended for baking, they can be used if you’re in a pinch. Otherwise, smaller baking pumpkins are ideal for such recipes. Making the pumpkin puree for treats like this isn’t difficult either, just chop and roast the pumpkin like when making a soup. From there on, just follow the recipe.
Another fun treat you can attempt is pumpkin ale, although this probably won’t be done in time for your party due to the fermentation. It still can be a tasty autumnal delicacy you make with friends. But do your research before this one, there’s tons of recipes online which explain the right way to brew pumpkin ale, and many even describe it as an easy breakthrough recipe for those looking to get into the brewing hobby.
Speaking of fun activities to do with your pals, I must mention the Halloween tradition of carving pumpkins. It just wouldn’t be Halloween without those spooky lil’ guys lighting up the neighbourhood doorsteps. And, as an added bonus for those who like a healthy snack, you can roast up the seeds as a tasty treat afterwards. Many shops sell the traditional pumpkin carving kits, and I find it’s equally successful with a sharp knife as long as you’re careful (though we all have those friends you couldn’t even trust with a butterknife). Whichever method you pick, it should be an enjoyable experience regardless.
A livelier activity is your typical apple bobbing. The game itself is already considered amusing and the added stimulus of alcohol and music is bound to make for an entertaining night. And for that friend who wants to feel involved but is too scared of ruining their spooky face paint, there’s always the fork method. All you have to do is drop a fork in your bucket instead of your face. Not too hard, right?
And finally, for that crafty night in — why not grab a bottle of wine and some air-drying clay and make some clay creations. Plus, there’s always great designs on Pinterest to give even the most uncrafty of your pals some good ideas.
