70+ Adult Halloween Party Ideas – Tips for Food, Games, and Decorations

Halloween is not just the time for kids to have fun! Check out these easy 70+ adult Halloween party ideas for food, games and decorations to make sure you have a treat of a party.

If you like entertaining, you’re in luck! This post has tips to make your next Halloween party the most memorable one yet.

There are so many ways to set the mood for Halloween. From black plants, door decorations with cat pumpkins or jack o lanterns, and planning Halloween costumes or Halloween food, the sky is the limit.

Let us know which one these adult Halloween party ideas you choose in the comments below!

I love this time of the year. The heat of the summer is almost gone and the leaves are starting to turn color. Everyone is carving pumpkins and decorating the house.

And, more importantly, it is the beginning of three months of non stop parties and entertaining.

This is the time when it’s easy to feel like a kid again.

Adult Halloween party ideas to set a spooky mood

Great Halloween parties rely on plenty of atmosphere to be successful. It’s not enough to simply send out invites and hope for the best. 

Your Halloween party needs to set the mood in just the right way.

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In an adult Halloween party, from the food to the decorations and costumes, it’s all about the scare.

Your party doesn’t have to be expensive either. Much of it can be done cheaply or with inexpensive DIY projects.

Lots of things play a part in setting a mood, from the lighting and spooky music to food and drink choices and decorations. Let’s break them all down!

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Halloween is not just for kids. Head on over to Always the Holidays to discover 70+ adult Halloween party ideas to make this year's party a real treat. #halloweenparty #AdultHalloweenParty 🧟‍♀️🧛‍♀️👹👻☠😈 Share on X

Adult Halloween party invites

Sending out invites for your party lets your guests know the theme of the party so they can plan on their costumes. It’s a good idea to send the invites out at least a week ahead of the party date.

This is a busy time of the year so you will want your party guests to RSVP so that you can plan food and drink for the night and to ensure a good crowd.

A big crowd always makes for a better Halloween party. Be sure to mention if you want guests to come in costume.

You don’t have to purchase party invites. With a bit of photo editing and some computer graphics, you can print out your own invites at home on card stock to send to guests.

Halloween party lighting

Using creative lighting helps to set the tone of any adult Halloween party. With just the right lighting, you can send chills up their spines as soon as the guests enter.

Outdoor lighting

Fog machines set up outside give the spookiest lighting mood of all. Imagine guests arriving and having to walk through this to get to your door!

The will know that an experience awaits them, for sure.

There are lots of other ways to use lighting to set a mood outdoors. Having luminaries lining the path to your doorway gives an eerie approach to the party in just minutes.

This can be done inexpensively with mason jars lined with black paper or Dollar Store plastic pumpkins with solar lights inside them.

Decorate your car for Halloween

It is not just your porch and home that can get decorated for Halloween. Don’t forget your car! 

Instead of having it sit in the driveway, turn the back into a mood setting Halloween scene by decorating the car trunk. It will put guests in the mood before they even ring the doorbell!

Get lots of ideas for decorating a car for Halloween, here.

Indoor light for an adult Halloween party

Once inside the house, consider using black lights or neon lights for a really awesome lighting effect.

Black lights make ghost and skeleton costumes really stand out and the neon party lights are just plain spooky. They come in many colors that will really make the atmosphere something to remember.

If you have a bit of money in your budget…consider buying or renting a fog machine for an especially chilling effect, especially if your party will be outdoors for at least part of the time.

A note on fog machines: They are fine to use indoors, but they will coat things in the room with a thin film from the fluid that is used in the machine.

Be sure to move any expensive furniture out of the room where you will be using the machine. This goes for anything that might cost a lot to clean later.

Carved pumpkins with candles are also a fun and inexpensive way to set the mood indoors. Get creative in your carving for best results. See my tips for carving pumpkins here.

Choosing adult Halloween party themes

Every party needs a theme and for Halloween, the spookier the better! Kids love Halloween parties, no matter the mood. For adult Halloween theme party ideas, think outside the box a little. 

Telling your guests what the theme of the party is ahead of time will help them prepare their costumes. An overall party theme based on movies or TV shows works well. Color themes are also a good idea.

How about an Adams Family Party? This iconic family would be easy to replicate for costumes and many of us would remember watching it as kids

Some other ideas for themes for an adult Halloween party are:

• Come as a figure from your favorite Halloween movie.
• The Twilight Zone is a great choice for Halloween party themes. Guessing which episode your costume comes from might be challenging. For more inspiration, check out National Twilight Zone Day.
• Have a murder mystery party.
• Invite friends to a Walking Dead party.
• Host a zombie apocalypse party.
• Have a black and white Halloween party.
• Host a Rocky Horror Picture Show party.

Colors for an adult Halloween party

Halloween is traditionally thought of as a black and orange day but this does not mean that you should only choose these colors for your theme.

Silver, white and black colors also set a great mood, and I’ve been to plenty of Halloween parties where purple is a popular color, and red is an often-used  color for drinks (think blood).

The main thing to keep in mind is to keep your colors consistent throughout the party so that food, drink and decor all blend seamlessly. For this reason, choose your colors before you plan other parts of the party.

Adult Halloween party ideas for decorations

he Dollar store is your friend! There really is no point in spending a lot of money on Halloween decorations for a once a year party.

The dollar store has a huge range of things that you can use to make your party come together.

Just think outside the box a bit and use their cheesy props with some better material – add some mark down Michael’s ribbon to Dollar Store faux pumpkins to give them a more high end look.

Sprinkle Christmas snow to draw some scary ghosts on your windows. Use latex gloves to make Halloween goodie bags with some edible Halloween items.

Many household items can be re-purposed into spooky Halloween decorations that look great at any adult party but cost very.

Decorate with plants that bring on a spooky mood

There are many spooky plants that are either primarily made up of colors that are associated with Halloween or have names that invoke an eerie and scary feeling.

Imagine having “Black Magic elephant ears” or Venus fly traps scattered here and there around your party room? They would be sure to bring out screams of horror and delight.

Short of having these plants, there are some plants, such as old man cactus, that are easy to transform into Halloween decorative items with the addition of a pair of wiggle eyes.

Those spines and that white hair hold the eyes in place to give the impression of a ghost or mummy.

You can’t go wrong at Halloween with too many pumpkins! 

I mean, after all, Jack o Lanterns are the epitome of Halloween aren’t they? This symbol of Halloween originates from the old Irish folktale of Stingy Jack.

If you don’t want the mess of carving a pumpkin, why not use fancy decals? Adding them to pumpkins will set the mood in just a few minutes and they can be used on Dollar Store faux pumpkins for an inexpensive doorway grouping. I love that they are no mess!

Just peel off the decals and stick to a pumpkin. You can do this with a real or a fake pumpkin.

Tip: Using faux Dollar Store pumpkins means that you can keep them from one year to the next. That is a real money saver!

Darken your windows to add a spooky mood. 

Get a really scary mood going by darkening your windows.

Attach black garbage bags to the inside of your windows and decorate them in an eerie manner. This cute idea looks like a surprised face! Let your imagination go wild.

Another idea is to pile up something scary in the corner of windows. These Halloween skulls will have your guests wondering what spookiness awaits them when they enter your home.

Have some life sized figures

Use sheets stuffed with some left over bubble wrap and tied with twine on your porch, or place a life sized zombie sitting in a rocker on your porch.

You could even make a figure yourself. In this photo. A spooky Dollar Store skeleton hand and faux pumpkin are added to some cheap burlap and made into a life sized ghoul that will scare any party goer.

Make your own Halloween party decorations

If you are trying to think up some spooky Halloween party decorating ideas, take a trip to your local discount Store.

They are the perfect spot for one stop shopping on a budget. You will find everything from skeletons, scary hands, to neon props and more.

Use the Halloween decorations as they already are, or get a bit more creative and make them into neat looking props.

I made this slithering snake decoration that would be perfect for a Beetlejuice Halloween party from inexpensive craft materials.

It adds an eerie look to my doorstep and sets the mood for my party. It will make guests wonder what else is hiding under that moss.

See the tutorial for this scary snake basket here.

Mummy door decoration

This project takes just minutes to make and can be used on doors inside the house or on the entry door as long as it is not raining.

To make this decoration, cover a plain door with crepe paper streamers for a spooky mummy effect. This project can be put together for about $3.  Imagine a black light shining on it?  Yikes!

Get the tutorial for the mummy door decoration here.

Use spider webs

Lots of discount stores have fake spider webs in stock during the Halloween season. Buy up big on them. Nothing sets a spooky mood quite like spider webs covering everything, both indoors and out.

And while you are at it, add some fake spiders for extra scary effects.

Halloween party games for adults

There is something about adults putting on costumes that brings out the kids in them. And what is more child like than games at a party?

One of my favorite ideas is to have Ouija boards scattered around the party area.

I guarantee that, after a few drinks, that Ouija board marker will be moving! 

Bobbing for apples is another fun game often enjoyed on Halloween night.

Oddly enough, this game has a lot of historical tradition behind it since it was associated with Samhain, an old Celtic celebration upon which Halloween is based.

Here are some more adult Halloween game ideas:

• Halloween feel box. Fill boxes with items such as peeled grapes and spaghetti noodles to see if your guests will think of eyeballs and worms when they feel them.
• Guess who game. This is a great ice breaker game. Tape a piece of paper to your guest’s backs with a Halloween movie character printed on it. Then have them ask other guests questions until they guess who they are. 
• Halloween scavenger hunt. Divide guests into two and give them printed card with Halloween scavenger hunt items hidden around the house. First time to find them all gets a silly prize.
• Famous Halloween quotes. Guests have to identify where spooky quotes came from. Choose quotes from movies such as Carrie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Omen, Goosebumps, Little House of Horrors, etc.
• Tarot card readings. Are you or a guest gifted at Tarot card readings? People seem to love to take part in these.
• Wrap the mummy game: Guests “wrap their partners” with toilet paper to see who can make the most realistic mummy in the fastest time.   

Halloween party music

Every good party needs music playing. Music creates a mood and relaxes people. For our adult Halloween party, we went to create a mood and scare people silly!

You don’t need to hire a DJ, although that would be a fun addition to any party if your budget allows it. The main thing is to have music playing throughout the night.

Spooky effects music

Most box stores how have inexpensive Halloween CDs.

There are loads of CDs available that play great tunes for a spooky night, as well as some that use creeking doors, bloody screams and other Halloween sound effects

This CD from Amazon is available for sale, or if you have Amazon prime, you can download it for free to your audio library. 

With track titles like “Night of Terror,” “Zombie Wind,” and “Rising from the Grave,” you know that your music will set the right mood!

Tip:  if you buy some after Halloween CDs each year when they hit the mark down shelves, you’ll have a good supply of music for the following years.

Make your own Halloween playlist

Take some time to make your own playlist. You might even consider asking quests what their favorite Halloween song is on the RSVP form on the invite to get some suggestions for song titles.

Record everything on a CD and you’ll have a personalized party playlist that is geared to your crowd of friends.  Here are some titles to get you started.

• “Monster Mash” – because it’s a graveyard smash!
• Shakira – “She Wolf” – werewolf transformations make this a must.
• David Bowie – “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” – what’s not to like about David Bowie?
• “Time Warp” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
• “Monster” by Lady Gaga – to get the dancers going.
• “I Put a Spell on You” by Nina Simone – bewitching and spellbinding.
• “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. – We can’t have Halloween without Ghostbusters, can we?
• “Nightmare” by Tyler, the Creator – Spooky and chilling piano keys.
• “This Is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas – for Tim Burton fans.
• “Witchcraft” by Frank Sinatra – a shout out to the big band era of the last century.
• “Grave” by Summer Walker – with creepy creature inspired tracks.

Halloween party food ideas

You don’t have to have a tombstone cake, and gummy worms for every recipe option, but it is really fun to make sure that you do have some Halloween party food options to offer.

Easy Halloween party food

Spooky food choices are so varied when it comes to planning a Halloween party. The recipes take the same amount of time to make as normal food, so you can really afford to experiment.

Plus it’s fun to make this kind of food! You can make eyeballs, or witch’s fingers. If you look on Pinterest for Halloween food, you will find hundreds of ideas.

But how about trying something outside the box instead. What about having all black and red food….think ghouls and blood. Or perhaps staging your food in spooky and creative way.

This buffet table idea from Pinterest is sure to be a huge hit with the most ghoulish of guests. You could put it together easily with a pair of jeans and a shirt. Use ketchup for the blood and fill the buffet areas with party finger food.

Get creative with Halloween party food

This fun Halloween gumball machine craft is the perfect way to display candy or bubblegum on your party table. It’s made from a few inexpensive supplies and some clay pots from the garden!

The kids will love to help you make it.

Adult Halloween party ideas for food

I have included a great list of Halloween themed goodies to transform any Halloween buffet table into a ghoul’s dream.

So get out the orange and black food coloring and buy a bunch of dollar store spiders to scatter over the buffet table as you prepare one of these spooky Halloween food ideas!

Halloween snacks

• White candy Corn Popcorn
• Easy Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
• Cheese Witch’s Broomsticks
• Strawberry Ghosts
• Mummy Head Candy Apples
• Spooky Halloween Mouth Applies
• Banana Ghosts and Orange Pumpkins 

Easy Halloween appetizers

• Witches Broomstick Treats
• Crunchy Halloween Bones Bread sticks
• Mummy Pizza Squares with mozzarella and olives
• Yummy Mummy Cheese Spread

Savory Halloween party food

• Pumpkin Chili in the Crock pot
• Beef Stew With Ghoulish Mashed Potatoes
• Scarecrow Tostadas
• Spooky Spiderweb Pizza

Halloween desserts ideas

• Halloween Pumpkin Cookies
• Pretzel Bones
• Spiderweb Cupcakes Tutorial
• Halloween Cookie Pizza
• Spider Cookie Pops
• Melted Witch Puddles
• Adorable Marshmallow Witches
• Witches Broomstick Cookies
• Ghost Cupcakes
• Oreo Mummy Pops
• Peanuty Halloween Cookie Pizza
• Graveyard Ice Cream Cookie Pie
• Halloween dirt cups

Setting the mood with Halloween drinks

Seeing what the host has planned for Halloween party drinks is one of the highlights of a fun adult Halloween party. There are lots of ways to incorporate a spooky bar into your decorations.

Be sure to go all out on your Halloween cocktail garnishes. This traditional Bloody Mary is ready for the party with the addition of a cute lime devil garnish.

Bug ice cubes

Imagine how the mood will change when guests see these bug ice cubes looking up from their drinks!

These  spider and bug ice cubes are easy to do and so spooky looking. They will make even the most hardened Halloween lover squirm.

Dry ice for Halloween drinks

Halloween drinks should be fun and colorful with lots of moodiness. Nothing does this in quite the same as dry ice and its chilling effect.

When you combine dry ice with Halloween colors, the look is amazing!

Dry ice is sold blocks about  1-2 pound in size and is often available at grocery stores this time of the year.  It is inexpensive too. The cost is often about $3 or so. Buy your dry ice the day of the party.

Use dry ice to make a fog punch or use it to give individual drinks an eerie mood. You can even cut dry ice into ice cubes. 

Just drop a small piece of dry ice into the bottom of a glass. Place regular ice cubes on top, then add the drink over the top.

Be sure to serve the drink with a straw so that your guests don’t accidentally drink the dry ice.

Use Halloween colors and garnishes in your drinks

The first impression of a drink is so important in setting a scary mood. Alcohols like Green Apple Liquor and Blue Grenadine give you a head start and don’t require food coloring.

Since red is the color of blood, but sure that your drinks use this color tonight. Tomato juice, red rum, cranberry juice and raspberries will add to the color. Here are 6 red cocktails to try.

Cranberry juice is a great option for spooky cocktails because depending on what kind of juice you use, it can be sweet or tart!

Learn more facts about cranberries and don’t forget to check out our cranberry relish recipe.

Colors are often used creatively, and garnishes take a drink to a spooky new height. The use of the colors purple, black and neon green can instantly invoke a Halloween feeling to your drinks table.

Experiment with rim coatings for texture. Sanding sugar comes in many colors, including black.

You can even experiment with crushing common Halloween tests such as candy corn and dipping glass rims in it to make colorful Halloween candy corn cocktails.

Try adding gummy worms to the punch bowl and letting them drape over the side is one spooky (and tasty!) way to add to the mood

Set the mood with spooky Halloween themed drinks. Now is the time to go all out in this department, since Halloween is one of the more popular drinking holidays during the year. 

Adults LOVE Halloween themed drinks. This super cool Witches Brew Cocktail uses blue curacao and black sugar coating on the rim.

Garnishes like these Halloween ghosts for my Ghostbuster cocktail, always tend to contribute to a spooky mood.

This vampire cocktail is fruity and fun and super easy to make. It has an edible licorice spider garnish to spook your party guests.

Adult Halloween party ideas for beverages 

No Halloween party would be complete without a few spooky cocktails. You can easily make alcoholic drinks take on a Halloween mood by varying the color of your alcohol.

For mocktails, try using dry ice and different colors of juices as the mixers. Here are some to try:

Alcoholic Halloween cocktails

These Halloween cocktail recipes are terrifyingly gorgeous, and you’ll be surprised how easy they are to make. In fact, some take just 5-10 minutes to make, so they can be made on the spot at party time.

• Spooky Witches Brew Halloween cocktail
• Red Moscato Cocktail
• Piña “Ghoulada” Halloween Cocktail
• Vampire Party Drink
• Wicked Witch Apple Punch
• Vampire Cocktail Recipe
• Halloween Candy Corn Cocktail
• 12 different Witch’s Brew Halloween Cocktails

Halloween mocktails

Even though we are hosting an adult Halloween party, there still may be some guests who don’t drink alcohol. Be sure to have a few of these spooky Halloween inspired mocktails on hand to share with them.

• Orange Scream Milk Shake
• Candy Corn Punch
• Halloween Vampire punch with Lime Sherbet
• Nonalcoholic Cemetery Slime Punch

So now that you have some tips for setting the mood, planning the theme, adding your decorations and have the food and drink ready, what are you waiting for? Send out the invites and make this party the spookiest Halloween get together yet!

What have you done to set the mood for your Halloween parties? Do you have some Halloween party tips that I have not mentioned? Let us know in the comments below.

Pin these adult Halloween party ideas for later

Would you like a reminder of these ideas for hosting your Halloween party this year? Just pin this image to one of your Halloween boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Admin note: This post with adult Halloween party ideas first appeared on the blog on September of 2015. I have updated the post to add new images, many more party tips and a video for you to enjoy

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