When my daughter, Nicki, was younger I’d go crazy decorating the house for Halloween.
Cobwebs, skeletons, jack-o-lanterns — you name it, I had it! Now that she’s a teenager with plans to hang out with her friends, I still want to do something fun, but on a smaller scale for grownups.
So I invited some friends over for Halloween cocktails and started rummaging through my cupboards to get ideas for creative effects. After all, Halloween deserves a tabletop or bartop that’s spooktacular — and what’s more fun than ghoulish mixed with glam?
I started with some vampire’s blood. Whoops! I mean red food coloring mixed with honey and cocoa powder (you can substitute chocolate syrup). Using a spoon, drip it along the rim of your glass for a macabre affect that also tastes pretty good!
If your guests are in costume, you can add to the theme with washable-ink markers that let you write their names on their glasses.
So who’s the “witch” and who’s the “devil?” With close friends you might not even need costumes to assign spooky names!
Finally, I found these just glam bottles at a discount store for less than $20 and just couldn’t resist. Bargain stores are one of my favorite sources for holiday decorating and I love finding a great buy!
Now I can’t wait to put on my black pointy hat. I’ll be cackling with glee as I drip vampire’s blood on everyone’s glass. It took me all of 15 minutes to brainstorm how I could make a lonely Halloween without our teenager a little more fun. If you’re in the same boat, why not look through your cabinets and keep an eye out for fun grownup decorations while you’re shopping? Your treats will still be sweet — even if they’re liquid!
Cheers and happy Halloween!
Cathy Lee is a home style expert, speaker, president and designer of Cathy Lee Style. Her redesigns of residential and business spaces have been featured in local and national publications and on HGTV. For more info and inspiring photos of design projects, visit cathyleestyle.com. And keep up with Cathy’s dream home makeover at her photo blog, Homefront.