Altogether Ookey Halloween Party

My daughter’s birthday is on October 22, so birthday parties for her are really Halloween parties. She likes it like that. I try to make it fun for her and mix things up a little bit every year. One year the theme was bats – she wore a bat costume and the house was full of bat decorations. Another year the theme was dragons. This year, it’s more of a generic all-things-Halloween using lots of handmade ornamentation. We are going to have special Halloween-y food and party games too.

The library has a lot of resources for party planning of all types, but here is a little survey of Halloween from all over the Main Library, whether you are a very crafty DIY-er, or an “I can cut out a predetermined pattern from paper” type.

Kids’ Craft Books

Halloween Fun for Everyone by Ferida Wolff. Kids can make their own costumes, decorations, and party treats. There are party game and carnival game ideas, with jokes and Halloween trivia throughout.

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FamilyFun Tricks and Treats edited by Deanna F. Cook. This turned out to be my favorite! Uncomplicated decorations, simple but great looking costumes, and plans for a haunted house party. Kids and grown-ups can have fun using this book together.

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Teen Crafts

Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Creepy-cute Toys, Magical Treats, and More! by Margaret McGuire. More advanced technique instructions for good, clean, teen fun. Knitted, crocheted, and cross-stitched goodness with other witchy tidbits, including really cool beaded spider earrings.

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Adult Craft Books

All You Frightfully Fun Halloween Handbook by Carole Nicksin. Very simple decoration and costume designs using things like paint, paper, and glue. It also contains easy recipes for Halloween parties.

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Artful Halloween: 31 Frightfully Elegant Projects by Susan Wasinger. There is a Victorian feel to these decorations. The craft techniques range from simple to semi-advanced and include interesting uses of old photographs. Classier than mass-produced store-bought decorations.

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Bethany Lowe’s Folk Art Halloween. Handcrafted decorations with a homey, old-fashioned feeling to them using fairly advanced crafting techniques. Taking ideas from this book or the one above will help pull together a cohesive look for your haunted house.

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Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living. I happen to love Martha Stewart. Well-designed and elegant ideas for carving pumpkins, making costumes, using makeup, and witchy menus, all using easy to follow instructions. My second favorite.

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Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor: 50 Projects to Craft & Sew. If you are handy with a sewing machine, this one is for you. Pleasingly spooky projects with patterns and step-by- step instructions.

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Cookbooks

Did you know that the Main Library has a huge section of cookbooks on the First Floor?

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake!: 25 Deliciously Weird Cupcake Recipes by Lily Vanilli. This one is for the seasoned baker. Gory and grotesque, but oddly yummy looking cupcake recipes. Would you eat something that looks like glass or severed fingers? My favorite is the “bleeding heart” that looks like a real human heart with cherry blood sauce. The recipes were a little complex for me, but real bakers will get a kick out of it.