Organizing a Halloween party is not rocket science!

Recently, I came out as a fall lover. After years of bickering with that season, I finally discovered that there were many reasons to trip over the months of September, October, November and December… especially October because of its last day: l 'Halloween!

I find that we live in a society where labels matter a lot, and it reassures me that at least once a year, we can drop the preconceived categories to choose the qualifier that will stick to our skin for a few hours. . I think it's nice that the same party can both celebrate the desire to get out of your daily life and stuff your face with candy. I find it beautiful, and I think it's important to underline it with a large dose of madness.

If you share my love for this colorful party and the desire to organize an evening with your friends crosses your mind, here are some tips to prepare your evening without giving you shivers down your spine (while prioritizing recycling and use of local products).

Planning

As a general rule, the best parties are often the ones that arrive without warning, like a hair in the soup. But for a theme party, being poorly organized can quickly create a bloody encounter between the grim reaper and the fun (ok, that's fine, I'm done with my puns about Halloween).

As a first step, it is therefore essential to take a moment to establish your priorities, target a date, contact your friends, think about activities, select monstrous recipes to try, etc. For a successful Halloween party, everything depends on the atmosphere, so it can be clever to stop for a few moments to plan everything. So as not to forget anything, the creation of a list is therefore essential. Whether it's to make a list of guests, shopping, groceries or costume choices, erasable boards are ideal for bringing clarity to your ideas while avoiding the use of a ton of small papers.

The decoration

A few years ago, I had organized a party at the house. I had literally bought all the ghost and pumpkin items at the dollar store… and suddenly, for $1, I was soon left with a bill for $50, a car full of cheap decorations and a feeling of guilt for having bought so many useless objects. From there, I understood that my decorations could be just as beautiful, by being much simpler .

Indeed, by dint of looking on Pinterest , I found lots of simple crafts to do with equipment that was lying around at home. Whether it's empty canning canes, old pieces of fabric or scrap paper, many objects close to us are just waiting to take birth a second time.

The suit

Obviously, who says Halloween says costume! It's no secret that buying a suit at the mall can be very expensive. And maybe I'm the only one, but for my part, it insults me a little to pay so much for a garment that will only be used for a few hours.

The trick to having an original and affordable costume? Recycling, again. From old clothes, felt or wool , pieces of cardboard or boxes, a host of atypical disguises are available to you. For inspiration, you can browse the various web platforms or simply stroll through the big box stores and pay particular attention to the disguises that catch your eye and then try to create a version that suits you.

The menu

Punch with worms, witch-finger bites, zombie-shaped cupcakes, and pumpkin bowls; anything goes to color the table and present fun appetizers.

In addition to creating thematic recipes, you can also test new drinks to serve to your guests. You can call yourself a mixologist by creating new blends, or simply keep your favorite beverages by giving them a little touch of originality.

For example, Djinn Sirops and Les Charlatans offer natural elixirs to enhance cocktails and mocktails, and Chez Figue offers kits for flavoring gin, vodka and rum, or even making sangria. Here is a perfect solution to enhance your drinks!

The music

The ultimate trick to create a festive and friendly atmosphere: music. To please all your guests, I advise you to create a playlist , in advance, where you will try to select your favorite songs but also those of your friends, so that everyone finds their account and can shout "c is my tune! at least once in the evening.

During dinner, if there is dinner, you could leave more room for conversation by lowering the volume of the songs, or playing a horror soundtrack as a background, but as soon as the evening full, you could play your playlist with the sound at maximum, thanks to a loudspeaker .

Household chores

The least pleasant part of organizing a party is probably the cleaning… The one before, and especially the one after. If not making the task more pleasant, there is at least one way to make it better for the environment by encouraging the use of local and ecological products.

For example, the company Planette Produits Écologiques manufactures natural and safe household products which, in addition to being effective, are good for our own health and for that of the planet. With a full range of cleaning products, including cleaning cream, laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner and floor soap, this Quebec company may not make cleaning more attractive (don't ask too much , anyway), but let's do it with a clear conscience.

Reviewed by Maud Duchesne