The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without the spookiest Halloween party kicking everything off. If it’s your turn to host everyone this year, don’t panic. Follow these steps to throw a monstrous bash everyone will love. Invite whoever you want — these tips include fun details for the youngest trick-or-treaters.

1. Make Your Own Decor

Halloween is a $4 billion event in the U.S. Everyone’s shopping at the same local stores for their decorations, so change things up by making your own. Your party will look like no other with creative crafts like hanging witch boots from a broom on your wall or making mummy lights with gauze, googly eyes, Mason jars and tea lights. The options are endless, so start making decor early to fill your home with spooky crafts.

2. Play Background Music

Parties always have lulls in conversation. People will shift between social circles and mingle throughout the house. A quiet environment could kill the mood — and not in a fun Halloween way. Create a background playlist with Halloween music that lasts for a few hours. Everyone will feel more relaxed when soft songs bounce in the background of their conversations.

3. Create a Fog Machine

When people walk up to your front door, they could venture through the fog for an eerie experience. Their clouded field of vision will also make your front porch decorations more scary in all the best ways. Throw the spookiest Halloween party and save money by making a fog machine at home.

Find dry ice and place broken chunks in a bowl of warm water. The resulting fog will slowly drift across the grass, creating the atmosphere of a haunted graveyard.

You could also amp up your special effects by putting fog juice in a humidifier. Just pick a model that works for you long-term. A direct space humidifier mounts to a wall, but you may not want one in that style between annual Halloween events. Something like a mobile humidifier would work in any room whenever you need more humid air long after fall festivities end.

4. Include Glow-in-the-Dark Activities

The sun sets much earlier at the end of October. Ensure everyone can get a breath of fresh air without feeling uneasy in the dark by planning glow-in-the-dark activities. Kids could compete in tag while wearing glowstick necklaces in Halloween colours. Meanwhile, the adults might prefer to relax on the back porch under the light of purple and orange string lights.

The fresh air will help everyone release any anxiety they might feel after socialising for a while. You’ll also give people more space to chat, stretching the party out that much more.

5. Establish a Costume Dress Code

Kids look forward to Halloween parties because they can wear their costumes a little longer. Their parents and other adults may view the event as a typical party. Include a note on your invitations about a costume-only dress code. People of all ages will have much more fun if everyone’s in a costume they love. You could even add a few dress-up ideas to your invites to inspire people.

6. Serve Creepy Treats

The spookiest Halloween party doesn’t stop in the kitchen. Make creepy treats with Halloween vibes to maximise your guests’ enjoyment. Witch pretzel fingers, zombie brains cupcakes and mummy calzones are just a few things your guests might enjoy.

Don’t forget seasonal menu options for those with dietary restrictions either. Vegan and vegetarian guests might love graveyard taco cups made with beans and chips or peanut butter caramel apples. Ask everyone to RSVP and include their dietary preferences or restrictions to make everyone a bite to eat.

7. Build a Backdrop

What’s a party without an Instagram update? Build a backdrop for photos around your fireplace or your biggest Halloween decorations. Stringy spider webbing and eerie lighting could make a great nook for a family photo. Make one indoors and another outdoors if you’ll have enough people to form a line. Who knows — you might even inspire someone to become a photographer once they have a backdrop to play with.

8. Keep the Lights Low

The spookiest Halloween stories and movies always involve low lighting. It makes every shadow seem bigger and every noise louder. Your party will be a rambunctious, creepy good time if you invest in dimmer switches or dimming light fixtures. They’ll keep the lights lower in mingling areas and brighter where people eat. It sets the mood for a great party and could be something you enjoy using all year long.

Throw the Spookiest Halloween Party

You’re about to throw the best Halloween party of the decade. Use these tips to plan every last detail before sending invites. Everyone will love the thoughtful touches you add to the event because they make the most out of the holiday.

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Beth, the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind, is well-respected in the mental health, nutrition and fitness spaces. In her spare time, Beth enjoys cooking and going for runs with her dog.