Autumn has well and truly arrived both outside an inside our homes, and the first excuse to throw a fabulously themed party is here; Halloween! We’re not talking cheap plastic pumpkins and floppy witch hats, we’re talking sophisticated scare, tastefully terrifying table decor and candles that marry chic and creep.

Colour scheme

  It’s hard to escape Halloween’s unmistakable signature colours of orange and black, so don’t try! Black provides the ultimate chic base when it comes to style, and perfectly showcases the orange accents that enter the home during Autumn. Embrace the colour scheme but invest in décor that will last you all season long, such as orange candles set against a black background. Take a look here to see some of our simple Halloween lighting ideas using candles that look great in the home long after the scare season is over.

Food

  Pumpkins aren’t just for display, they’re perfect for a creamy soup that’s packed full of flavour and the ideal dinner party starter. You’re also unlikely to find an easier dish to delight with as you’re likely to have most of the ingredients in your cupboards already (apart from the pumpkin). Serve in a mason jar with a garnish of pumpkin seeds and rosemary to leave your guests in well-deserved awe. For a main course, think about meals that incorporate your colour scheme, such as Chinese orange chicken, then finish with a desert of dark chocolate and berries. You can find inspiration for these meals here.

Drinks

  Serve drinks out of jars and bottles disguised as poison. These are quick and simple to make and require little more than an empty bottle or jar and some toy spiders. Fill with a dark merlot, chilling cocktail, or whatever your guests poison may be. We’ve put together some creepy cocktail ideas to help get your creative cocktail juices flowing.

Table décor

  What’s more atmospheric for a dinner party than dim lights with flickering candles? And perfect for Halloween! This is the ideal opportunity to take your dinner party to the dark side by injecting some gothic glamour into your tableware – think towering candle holders, candles and fake jewels.

If you want to create a little more of the fear factor for your guests, think about wrapping LED glow balls in cobwebs with some of the fake spiders used for the drink décor. This will add a subtle yet spooky feature to your table.

And finally, enjoy! Take the time to appreciate your efforts whilst enjoying your fantastically freakish food and devilishly daring drinks.

Time to talk rubbish!

It’s the part of entertaining that nobody likes to think about but can’t be avoided; rubbish! Find out more about the bin systems that do the sorting for you.