Carving Jack-O-Lanterns, Halloween Party Menus, Ghostly Crafts & More

From zombies, ogres, dragons, werewolves and vampires, get creative in carving some really cute jack-o-lanterns!  Having a Halloween house party, create a tasty and spooky menu! And make your own arts and crafts that will spook!

With all the great pumpkin carving tools out there at the local craft store, no need to use the regular kitchen knife and risk cutting yourself.  I can't tell you how many times I have done that!  Its too difficult trying to carve into a pumpkin with a steak knife!  You can make interesting and fun patterns and shapes with the use of special tools and stencils.  The stencils you can download for free online at:  http://www.bhg.com/halloween/pumpkin-carving/printable-pumpkin-stencils/  From Katie Perry in a witch hat, griffins, ghosts, goblins, phoenixes and more there are some creative patterns to try on the pumpkin you picked at the local pumpkin patch.

Use the remains of the pumpkin guts to make pumpkin pie, cupcake or bread.  Baking red velvet cupcakes are a good option too, especially for a Dracula themed party.  Or use marshmallows to top off cupcakes for a ghostly themed party. Bobbing for apples are a classic at a party but try making baked apples with googly eyes, or caramel apples with fake fangs poked in.  As for drinks, cosmopolitans are the perfect red color for the holiday. Sangria also works with chunks of apples and oranges.

Making your own crafts are a fun activity for the kids and will save the budget too.  Ghost figurine cut outs, pop ups, wreaths, door knob hangers, or a string of paper globe lights can be easy and fun to put together. Check out some of these ideas:  http://www.bhg.com/halloween/indoor-decorating/diy-ghost-projects/#page=20

Have a fun Halloween party!  I will be checking my email for an invite!