Top Halloween Movie Picks For Your Halloween Party

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

Mens Transylvanian Vampire CostumeWhen you are planning any kind of Hallween event that involves large groups, you’ll want to be sure to have a “chill-out area.”

I went to a great vampire costume themed Halloween party a few years ago that was complete with a vintage horse-drawn hearse carriage rides to a local spook alley, black candelabras, and eerie mood music.

However, for the people waiting for their turn on the carriage ride, there wasn’t a much to do.

It was in a section of the property that was away from the music and drinks, and she’d thought to add Halloween lighting, but if you were in line with people you didn’t know, it could make for an awkward silence. My solution to this problem is to have a few flat screen TVs set up with Halloween movies playing. This also works well as an ice breaker for teen parties, since they’ll often act out their favorite scene from “Scary Movie” or another popular horror flick.

***BIG TIP: You don’t want to put in just any movie, however. You’ll want to keep the audience in mind: Don’t make it too scary for young kids and don’t make it too tame for adults. I had a friend throw a slumber party for a group of 4th grade girls, and she elected to show one of those slasher horror films. It ended with crying kids, angry parents and a sleepless night for everyone. It was hilarious, except that the party wasn’t what you would think of as a success. (I know, I am evil.)***

My Top Halloween Movie Picks

  • Bride of Frankenstein- A classic!
  • Interview With A Vampire
  • Bram Stoker’s Dracula
  • The Rocky Horror Picture Show-great dance-able music, fun theatrics and wild party fun.
  • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  • Who could skip the original “Halloween” with scream-queen Jamie Lee Curtis? (Did you know she is appearing at the Horror Hound Con?)
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas Games Wallpaper: The Nightmare Before Christmas - Oogie's Revenge
  • Scary Movie
  • The Mummy- Brendan Frazier is great in it.
  • The Nightmare on Elm Street. That silhouette still gives me the creeps. 
  • Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.
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Tragedy Lover’s Classic: Why Romeo & Juliet IS NOT a Love Story and Why It’s Great For Halloween

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

I know what you are thinking…What on earth does Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo & Juliet have to do with Halloween?

Isn’t it a love story?

Doesn’t it have lots of references to gushy, mushy more-suitable-for-Valentine’s-Day love?

Allow me to set the record straight: Romeo & Juliet is a tragedy. And as such, it deserves to be revered and celebrated during those darker holidays we all love…like Halloween.

As Shakespeare pointed out in the play, “These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume.” [Romeo and Juliet, 2.3]. Think of it this way…can you conjure in your head a single modern romantic comedy movie where the young couple leaves a wake of death, legal trouble, feuding families, distraught communities and the grand finale is a double suicide?

Didn’t think so.

For instance, when brave Mercutio fights to defend his friend Romeo, and is about to die from his wounds, he says, “A plague o’ both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me.”

Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo, touches Juliet’s [Claire Danes

Likewise, there are multiple references to death and the symbols of darkness, death and tombs abound throughout this so-called play about lovers. Indeed, it would be more accurate to call it a celebration of love’s destruction than of true love, since almost every single character in the play are actively working to keep our supposedly “star-crossed” lovers from winding up together. What could possibly be more wicked and evil than that, I wonder?

O woe! O woeful, woeful, woeful day! Most lamentable day, most woeful day, That ever, ever, I did yet behold! O day! O day! O day! O hateful day! Never was seen so black a day as this: O woeful day, O woeful day!

This play is about the systematic destruction of two beautiful young lovers, and about the community desecration of their love, as well as its other themes of murder and suicide. In my mind, it makes perfect fodder for a horror film, or inspiration for a Halloween party where the ghosts of Romeo and Juliet are dinner guests…dinner guests who, like in the play, seek each other out during the evening, ask party-goers if they have seen Romeo… and, at the end of the evening, narrowly miss touching each other in a fittingly morbid twist of chilling afterlife fate… just like in the play, “Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low,
As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.”

Although many people think of her as a somewhat apologetic character, I disagree with that estimation, especially in light of her statement, “But one thing to rejoice and solace in, And cruel death hath catch’d it from my sight!” How truly evil!

As hostess of a Romeo and Juliet themed Halloween party, you could dress up in a Lady Capulet costume , or go as a ghostly, tortured Juliet. Just don’t forget to use her line, “My grave is like my wedding bed.” For inspiration, be sure to check out the Oregon Shakespeare Festival costume department.

Be sure to teach everyone an Elizabethan dance, have Tybalt and Mercutio interrupt the evening with a sword fight and you can also have Friar Lawrence making concoctions, remedies and poisons at the bar.

 “Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you

The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss

A dateless eternal bargain to engrossing all-consuming death!”

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

Posted in General Halloween, Halloween Costumes For Men, Halloween Costumes For Women, Halloween Decor, Halloween Films, Halloween Party Planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pumpkins, Devils and DIY Halloween Pumpkin Carving

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

Love those pumpkins!

Carving pumpkins is a very American thing to do at Halloween. The traditional vegetable was a turnip and that began in medieval Britain and Ireland. Once the tradition had been brought to the Americas, pumpkins were the more plentiful resource so the turnips were spared and the evolution of the pumpkin lanterns began.

The name Jack-O-Lantern comes from a tale that has been traced back to the 1660s and was applied to the carving of pumpkins in the early 1800s.

Jack was a lazy, dishonest man who tricked the Devil in one of several different ways, according to folklore. He ultimately freed the Devil upon the promise that his soul would not be taken.

When it was Jack’s turn to die, Heaven would not take him and the Devil had bargained not to either. Jack asked where he would go, he could not see anything. The Devil tossed him an ember from the depths of Hell that would never go out and Jack carved himself a lantern from his favorite food, a turnip, and was destined to walk the Earth alone forever.

I

It is said that the scary faces we carve into our pumpkins are to scare away anything evil that might think of messing with us. Nowadays, pumpkin carving has become something of an art form, with the intricate designs and sculptures that are being done. But, rest assured, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a good old fashioned triangle eyed and jagged toothed pumpkin on your doorstep.

To me,  carving them with my family was all about the memories. Then, when the kids went out dressed in their vampire or Imperial Storm Trooper Costume,  they would love seeing the pumpkins they created glowing in the evening light. Now, doing them alone, I enjoy the more complex designs. But the best part is cooking me some pumpkin seeds!

So finding your pattern is your first step. It needs to fit the face of the pumpkin you found. If it doesn’t, keep looking. You can find patterns online or at the store in books.

Then, cut open the top to form your lid, unless the directions say otherwise. Some will have you open the back up completely with no lid!

With a large heavy spoon or the scraper that comes with the book, scoop out the guts and thin out the walls for easier carving. Most directions will tell you how thick they should be ideally.

Next, trace your template onto the outside of the pumpkin. For nice simple patterns, a Sharpie works amazing. For store bought kits, you punch little holes along the lines of your picture.

Now is the fun part! Taking a knife, cut out your design and watch it come to life! The set you bought at the store comes with several different knives for all types of cuts.

When I finish up, I can’t even wait for Halloween night to come, I’m out there lighting a candle in mine and snapping pictures of my hard labor. If you have children, expect to go back inside and carve a few more…their attention span doesn’t usually make it through one whole pumpkin! But make it a night to enjoy, make a few memories and teach them things to pass to their children…maybe even the story of selfish Jack!

 

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Halloween Superstitions

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

A cat as black
As blackest coal
Is out upon
His midnight stroll,
His steps are soft,
His walk is slow,
His eyes are gold,
They flash and glow.
And so I run
And so I duck,
I do not need
His black-cat luck.

Author Unknown

We have all heard of some traditions that stem from long ago in the medieval times, but there are many superstitions that can influence how you decorate your yard or home that could scare the Devil out of people who know of these. Others, will just think you are cool. Ha!

So we start with black cats. These animals have been thought to be the Devil transformed. He communes with the witches, but takes another form when our eyes fall upon him. Naturally, it would be viewed as bad luck to cross paths with the Devil… The traditional scary black cat with the arched back and hissing mouth is a great addition to your decor, even if it is on a window sill or at your door so visitors see its creepiness!

Bats have always been present in Halloween decor. These pesky winged creatures were always thought to be in the witches’ company.

If one is seen flying around your house three times, someone in your household will die. If one flies into your house, it means a ghost let it in and your house is haunted. There are some very realistic flying bats out there that attach to your awning and fly in circles and add that little extra something to your atmosphere on Halloween night!

I have never been a big fan ofspiders, but they are actually a good thing to see in your home on Halloween. If you see them, it means a deceased loved one is watching you. I suppose that could go either way, but that is the superstition. Just keep the candle lamps out of it, if a spider falls into one, that will mean that witches are nearby. I don’t think you want that. Or maybe knowing would serve you well. However, stores always stock a ton of spider merchandise at the Halloween holiday, from tiny little plastic rings to giant man-sized freaks that have red glowing eyes.

Cauldrons used to be viewed as the symbol of the Earth Mother’s womb. She was the pagan goddess that evolved into our modern day witch and her stirring enabled new souls to enter the cauldron after their death and the old souls would await reincarnation.

We, as Americans, added the drama of the bubbling potion within the pot. Perhaps this year, dress in a witch costume, then place a mirror within your cauldron, for the image in the mirror was believed to be your soul. Or place a scary holographic type mirror in there and dress as a witch, telling your visitors to look at what awaits them in the future. Then hand out fortune cookies as loot!

A little tidbit onbobbing for apples here…the fruit was harvested right at the time of Samhain, the All Hallows Eve festival, in the old Celtic lands. It was hugely celebrated among the hardworking people of the time. The apple became an iconic symbol of the harvest. When bobbing for apples, the one who can bite their apple first try is said to marry first. The ones who have to try and try will be fickle in their endeavors. And, if a girl sleeps with her apple under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband!

Other superstitions you may find strangely ghoulish are:

  • The sound of bells and chimes chase away spirits.
  • If you are born on Halloween, you are said to have the gift of ‘second sight’ and possess the powers to ward off evil spirits.
  • Watch where you are standing, if the moonlight catches your shadow, you are doomed to bad luck or even death!
  • Keep an eye on the candles of Halloween night, if they go out or the flames turn blue in color, the ghosts are about!
  • Passing under the triangle of spirits beneath a ladder will fill you with bad luck! People used to be hanged from the top rung of a ladder before there were gallows and their spirit would be trapped beneath.
  • If an owl looks in your window, or you see one in the daylight, bad luck or death will befall you.
  • If you feel a chill up your spine, someone is walking on your future grave.
  • White hair comes from great horror.
  • If you hear three knocks and no one is there, someone close to you has died. They call it the three knocks of death.
  • If you hold your breath while driving past a cemetery, ghosts cannot invade your body.
  • If you turn your pockets out while passing a cemetery, a ghost cannot hide in your pocket and go home with you.
  • If you live a good life, flowers will grow on your grave. If you live a bad life, weeds will grow instead.

Hope this inspires you to play on the superstitions of those around you and make it one spooky holiday!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

Posted in General Halloween, Halloween Costumes For Women, Halloween Decor, Halloween food, Halloween makeup and accessories, Halloween Party Planning | Leave a comment

How To Host a Murder Mystery Dinner

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

Who dunnit? I can remember playing countless games of Clue as a kid, using my keen sense of deduction to be just like Sherlock Holmes and figure out who the murderer was and the weapon they used and in what room. Now, they have taken that concept to a whole new level, one that makes a heck of a fun Halloween dinner party with friends: Host a Murder Mystery Dinner.

Sound complicated? Not so much. Many stores offer a boxed kit for your convenience in setting up and organizing your party. Or you have the freedom of just browsing the web and finding a script online that will give you the components you need to throw a successful party. Some charge, some don’t. I think you get what you pay for. You can also make up your own if you have been to one before and know how they work.

The first thing you will need to do is make your guest list so that you can choose your theme to fit the number of people you will have coming. The invites you send will give each person a character background so they can put together a costume that fits that persona. Boxed sets will have invites already made up, you just send them out. When you do your own, you will have to figure out what you want to say and how youwant them to look.

Get the invites out giving your guests a two week window to get back to you with their R.S.V.P. That is a courteous thing to do as a host and keeps it in the guest’s mind so they tend to not forget you.

If you are throwing your Mystery Dinner at Halloween, adult costumes should be mandatory and your friends should arrive in character, not as themselves.

If you are doing a mobster dinner, everyone should come in their Fedoras and suspenders and perhaps a light Italian accent in their voice to be in character.

 

 

Decorate your home to be like that of the scene you are trying to create and have food to fit, like maybe pizza or spaghetti would be a great choice for the dinner menu.

The instructions tell you what to say to get things going and some of it can be impromptu. One that I went to gave each person cards they could choose from to interject into the conversation to keep it on track to finding who the murderer was. It all makes sense once you start going. Be sure to take down notes of who you think looks suspicious, because everyone is made out to be guilty! It takes someone really smart to put all the clues in place and accuse the right one. Just grant the winning prize to the one who can guess the murderer. They say that prizes for things like best costume take away from the competitive nature of the evening!

So this year, branch out and try something new. Go fun, go spooky, but enjoy the company you are with. Don’t forget to laugh a whole lot!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

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History of Halloween in America

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

Culturally, we all understand what modern Halloween has evolved into. But we may not know what it was like decades ago.

When I first started learning about Halloween, I often wondered if it was based on superstitions and if its origins were somehow tied into religion.  Maybe it was just about having a great time, similar to the way we dress up in Greek costumes and head out for a drink(s) and a good time these days.

Historians explain that Halloween was brought to America by the Celtics and the Christians. The Celts would celebrate Samhain (pronounced SAH-ween) on November 1st, a holiday that was as much a harvest celebration festival as it was anything. Christian’s, on the other hand, would gather for All Hallow’s Eve when the people would don masks in hopes that masking their appearance would protect them from  the walking dead. They believed that dead walked the earth would be spurred forward into the afterlife, but not before exacting their last revenge upon their enemies, thus they would disguise themselves to the spirits in hopes of escaping the torment.

Contrary to common perception, the carving of pumpkins did not actually take place in Europe. It is a tradition we americans savor. Pumpkins were more readily available here in America.  Overseas, they would carve turnips instead. These symbolized lanterns to guide the souls in Pergatory. Since pumpkins were softer and easier to carve and much more in abundance and so were used more widely here.

The tradition of Trick-or-Treating actually began based on the sweet tradition of children collecting soul cakes.  Soul cakes and kids out “souling” gathered cakes specially baked for the occasion, and in exchange for the cake, the kids would say a prayer for their loved one’s soul. In the 1930’s, the phrase “trick or treating” became published by an Oregon newspaper who spoke of local hoodlums and the neighbors paying them off in candy to stop the vandalism.

The colors of orange and black became the colors of Halloween because the orange was for the fall season and the black symbolized death.

For us today, Halloween is a huge industry proving that Americans love to celebrate it. Now that you know a little more about it, perhaps a bit of thought to those who brought it to us is appropriate?

Happy Haunting!

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

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Spooky Foods For Halloween

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

Being festive and fun is a wonderful thing at Halloween. Maybe it is the crisp fall air or the bright colors on the trees that get people in the mood for a light hearted holiday.

We decorate our yards and make scary gingerbread houses and plan holiday parties, but did you know that you can carry the fun over into your own kitchen?  Halloween festivities provide plenty of options for cooking creepy treats and meals for friends and family.

 

 

Heck, why not cook them throughout the October month to throw your family off guard? The little ones will never know what to expect from you when they come to sit at the table! If you want to really knick their socks off, dress in Medusa costume. 

The severed finger cookies are a favorite of mine. When I served these icky goodies to my kids, they looked at me like, “You want me to eat what?”

I was able to snap a picture of the look of shock on their faces when the plate of “fingers” was placed on the table.

Remnants of a burn victim for dinner... or just meatloaf. Photo via Notmartha.org

These cookies are actually very simple.  You just use refrigerated breadstick dough and sliced almonds, with ketchup (ick!) for presentation. (I’d go with red frosting.) Some morbid types will add pretzels into the cookies to render a bone breaking crunch when they are bitten.

Or, for something even more grim, try making a meatloaf shaped like a human hand. My grandkids are meatloaf lovers, so this would go over well with them, too! Fill a gelatin mold shaped like a hand to make the loaf, but remove it before cooking it. Add pieces of onion for fingernails and an onion heart for a wrist bone.  Next, cover it in cheese for that burned skin texture. Piping mashed potatoes between the fingers makes it appear more realistic. How deliciously creepy! Oddly enough, now I’m hungry… moving on.

 Deviled Egg Eyeballs are another wicked delight to serve up on Hallows Eve. Yes, yes!

Make your deviled egg recipe but add blue food coloring to the mixture to make the yellow turn green. Scoop into egg halves as usual and garnish with an olive and a little piece of red pepper for the pupil.

WIth a toothpick, draw veins on the white of the egg with red coloring paste and there you have it. These eyes are another spooky food to shock your family with.

Halloween should be a time to bring out the ghoulish side in us all. So, why not play around and have fun with it? Make the goodies and gobble them down…if you can stomach them, that is.

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

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Roasting Pumpkins: Seeds, Rinds and Everything In-between

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

What says ‘autumn’ more to the discerning eye than beholding that lovely sight of overly-plump, spectacularly-orange gourds comfortably dotting the dusty landscape?   No wonder we like them so much, our historical culture is full of them.  “Peter, Peter pumpkin eater…” You know the rest.

Wasn’t it a pumpkin that was transformed into a regal coach by her fairy godmother so that Cinderella could ride in luxury on her way to the Ball.   You might be hard-pressed to find anything that could even come close to the dethroning the beloved pumpkin as king of autumn.    For once pumpkins make their appearance, it can mean only one thing….the fall is here!  And of course, fall means that spectacular showcase of color; scarlets, golds and rust making their appearances once more before littering the streets donned in their autumn attire.  Of crisper, cooler mornings, early evenings, hot chocolate and a personal favorite, Halloween.  

How was it a pumpkin was chosen to celebrate this event?  Look no further than our past to find that answer.  To anyone unfamiliar with the holiday, Halloween has roots in both pagan and Christian traditions.  The early druids would celebrate the end of the summer in Europe with a bountiful harvest to appease the gods, while newer Christians, foregoing these pagan rites used this celebration instead to warn off evil spirits, calling upon saints to protect them from the upcoming winter and darker season.

It should come as no coincidence that Christians honor the day after Halloween, November 1st, as “All Saints Day”.  We can thank our Irish immigrants for bringing this tradition across the pond, back in the Old Country, children carved turnips for ‘Jack O’lanterns’ to keep the devil at bay, but here in North America, these newer Americans quickly adopted the pumpkin as a more readily available alternative.

But what of that wonderful fruit? (pumpkin is a fruit, by the way).  It has far more uses than wearing funny faces for one night.  That luscious, spherical orange-skinned beauty not only yields a savory flesh for baking, the seeds are also a delicacy and are roasted in a variety of ways.

After you’ve created your jack o’lantern masterpiece, and dumped those slimy seeds onto dampened newspapers, hold on–don’t toss them out!

Don't forget those aprons when doing the fall baking.

Don’t forget those aprons, because it will be messy. You might considergoing in a chef costume this Halloween if you get really good at it. You can salvage these morsels out of that blob of pumpkin innards and bake them with a little olive oil, sea salt or for the more adventurous palette, try something a little different, sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon instead.

Most of us might be a bit daunted by the idea of baking a whole pumpkin (ahh,  how can a mere mortal use a regular knife to cut through all that rind?) but do not fear, roasting a pumpkin is not only easy, the taste is far superior than the grocery store canned product.  Find the adorable ‘Pie’ pumpkins in your produce section, you’ll recognize them by their small size and vibrant orange color.

Set your oven at 350 degrees and then take your pumpkin, slicing it horizontally, scoop out seeds and inner glop, and place sliced-side down on your baking sheet.  You’ll need to cook them for 90 minutes.  Once baked, take a large spoon and start scooping, the outer flesh should peel off at this time.  You can blend your baked pumpkin to form a puree and then of course, use it for those wonderfully delicious pumpkin breads, cakes, pies and cookies.
Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

Posted in Halloween Costumes, Halloween Costumes For Women, halloween crafts for kids, Halloween Party Planning, Holiday Costumes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Halloween Fun: Amateur Ghost Hunting

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

To complement my post about some of the most historical haunted places in the United States, I thought I should highlight the “sport” of ghost hunting, if it can be called a sport. Ghost hunting is an activity that has really taken off in recent years.

This could be due to films like “Ghostbusters” and television shows like “Ghost Adventures” and “Most Haunted”, and the surge of advancing high-tech equipment that can supposedly detect paranormal activity.

Most people think that any Joe-Schmoe can do it and it’s probably true that they can. Let’s delve a little deeper into this strange activity, shall we?

Ghost hunting is usually endeavored in groups. Not only does it make the evidence more substantial, but if something goes wrong, you’ve got back up.

 

The goal of ghost hunting is to investigate potential haunted spots and try to find proof of paranormal activity.

This usually includes historical research of the site previous to investigation and use of high-tech gadgets such as EMFs, thermographs, digital thermometers and digital video cameras.

EMFs are Electromagnetic Field meters that are able to measure a change in an electric field over time. EMFs are used to detect any unexplained changes or fluctuations in the electromagnetic field of an area; unexplained means the possibility of a ghost to any ghost hunter, or gal in a women’s costume. Infrared digital or still cameras are important because ghosts rarely manifest themselves in the light (or so they tell me), so if there is anything that happens in the dark, the infrared will capture it where regular cameras can’t.

Temperature instruments, such as thermographic cameras, thermal imaging cameras and infrared thermometers are widely used because it is supposed that ghosts have a lower core temperature than humans (you know, since they’re dead and all). Any spot of the room that is colder than the rest is often thought to be paranormal activity.
Most amateur ghost hunting will rarely yield “results.” Whether these results are credible or not, most people are skeptic. In fact, only about 34 percent of Americans think that ghosts actually exist. But if ghost hunting is the thrill that you’re looking for this Halloween, then by all means, do it. Let me know how it goes.


Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

Posted in Extreme Halloween house decorations, General Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Halloween Party Planning, Holiday Costumes, Spook Alley | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

DIY: Celebrate Halloween By Making Vintage Crafts

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Emma Rae Curtis

As you already know, I love all things Halloween. Pumpkins, costumes, food and kids who are out and about trick-or-treating, dressed in their favorite batman costume.  The list goes on.  However, what really intrigues me are these wonderfully whimsical decorations of vintage Halloween, that I found online.

Who doesn’t love a black cat trick or treating? Or a clever little pumpkin?  There is something intrinsically appealing to me about their rather rustic and primitive construction.  Notecards of the 1900s are fun to collect and can add that little vintage touch to any halloween decor.  Again, their simple artwork and use of strong vibrant colors are to be treasured for generations to come.

Many decorations of these eras contained simple materials: crepe paper, cardboard, orange and black chenille stems and papier mache, that are fortunately readily available to use nowadays.  One craft I’ve made with my own children were paper mache candy holders.  It’s messy, but the results were fun–and charming!

  • Supplies needed: small round balloons already inflated, strips of newspaper (about 1” thick) paper mache paste (recipes follow), paint and paint brushes, small chenille stems.
  • in a large bowl, mix your newspaper strips and paper mache paste until it’s nice and gooey.  Sorry, it is a sticky mess and probably best to work on outdoors.
  • start wrapping the strips around your balloon careful not to cover the entire surface, you’ll want to leave room to add your little treats later.  Then let it dry for a good 36 hours.
  • Once thoroughly dry, pop your balloon and start to paint.  My kids and I used black paint for spooky cat and owl faces, white for ghosts, orange for pumpkin heads.  After the paint dries stick a thick needle through the two side so you can thread the chenille stems through it and there you have it.  Cute, vintage and functional!


Easy Paper Mache recipe:
one part flour
two parts water
3 TBL salt

OR
one part water
two parts glue

Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.

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