According to How to Make Party Favors and Table Decoration (published by Dennison Manufacturing Company, 1928):

 

“The ability to take any good idea or design that you may see and adapt it to your own particular needs is an accomplishment that is very easy to learn.”

 

For instance, florist wire can be curled at one end into a spiral to create a base bending the  remaining wire up to use as a support for your decoration of choice. For our spooky Deco-ween Party, glue or tape a disc of yellow or orange construction paper (the “moon”) to the upright support wire.  Small black and white flowers and orange ribbons can be glued around the base.  These will act as further support and stability for the scary silhouette of a bat, cat or witch cut from black construction paper and set in front of the “moon”.  Make several to deco-rate your food table or even serve as place cards for dinner guests.  Maybe one each as a party favor for your guests.

 

 

 

 

 

Returning to The Party Book (May Jane Breen, 1939) a successful Hallowe’en Party may start with a costume parade (once all 40-60 of your guests arrive) with prizes given for most comical, most original, least expensive, most beautiful and the best characterization of a well know character real or fictional.

 

A Word Scramble is next. (Can you feel the anticipation of fun?)   Prior to the party, cut card stock into 5″ squares or use prepared Halloween shaped paper enough so that each guest will get one.  Write one letter on each; the letters, when combined, will spell “Ghosts’ Frolic”.  After the costume parade, the cards are randomly distributed to your guests. The object is for your guests to find other guests who spell out and complete the phrase. The tricky part – they don’t know what the phrase is. (I can already hear the squeals of delight.) The first team to complete the task wins and each member is rewarded with a candy “kiss”.  The teams formed here are teams for the rest of the evening.

 

This will lead to the relay games. (Oh, what fun! I’m really working up a thirst.)  A Spelling Bee, Candle Relay (yes, racing through your house with a real lighted candle), Ghost Slap, etc., are just a few suggested.  Back Fence Meow deserves special (?) mention.  First, draw four parallel lines in chalk on the floor the full length of the room.  On each line, a member of your party walks backward on all fours, meowing and keeping their hands and feet on the “back fence” all the way across the room. (Can you hear the howls of laughter? How I long for simpler times and even simpler friends.)

 

For refreshments, Jack-o’-Lantern Salad is suggested: Poach a pared apple in orange-colored simple sugar until soft.  Remove carefully and deco-rate with raisins for eyes, a clove for the nose and a pimento strip for the mouth.  Set on a bed of lettuce for his collar; place a pineapple ring on the apple topped by a marshmallow for a hat. They don’t mention specific drinks other than punch but I would suggest an assortment of both soft and hard drinks be available.  Here is the complete article:

 

 

Happy Hallowe’en,

Anthony and Chris

The Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys