Artist Ray Villafane began carving pumpkins on a lark for his art students in a small rural school district in Michigan. The hobby changed his life as he gained a viral following online and unlocked his genuine love of sculpting. Here are images of pumpkin carvings Villafane created over the past five years.
Costume parties and masquerade balls have been around for centuries and they are still popular themes today for Halloween, Mardi Gras and birthday celebrations. A “Costumes Required” Halloween party will mean any costume is appropriate and lots of “Halloween” costumes – scary creatures, vampires, ghouls, and such will arrive at your party.
If you have something more sophisticated in mind such as a “Masquerade Ball”, you will need to be very specific on your invitation as to what costumes are the theme of the evening with descriptions such as “Medieval Times Costumes” or “Roaring 1920’s Attire Required.” Whatever you envision for your party, make sure you are specific or you may be surprised at “what” shows up at your door.
When a theme party sets the tone for the evening, guests often will go to a great deal of effort on their costumes and prizes are enjoyed and appreciated and don’t have to be expensive. You can give prizes for “Overall Best Costume”, “Best Mystery Costume” to the guest no one could tell who they were, “Most Outrageous”, “Best Period Costume”, or anything that fits your party’s theme.
If you’re having a “Ball”, dancing will be a part of the evening. You can provide the music or even have a karaoke contest. If something more elaborate is called for, wandering entertainers, magicians and fortune tellers would be great attractions. Be sure to have a few masks and capes on hand for guests that insist on showing up out of costume.
Shop all Halloween Party Invitations
Shop all Halloween Party Favors
Shop all Party Invitations
Halloween House & Candy Corn Border
Trick or Treating, like Halloween, can be traced back to All Souls Day, a long time ago. The poor people would go out at night to people’s homes begging and the people would give them treats called soul cakes. Times changed and the children became the beggars. As they went to different houses, they would be given fruit, bread, and maybe money.
When the custom came to America, children would be given candy as it was also tradition that if a child was not given something, the child would play a trick on them, such as egging their house.
With the traditional door to door trick or treating not being as safe as it once was, why not send your child’s friends a halloween invitation to gather at your home for candy, games, fun and a costume contest.
If you do send your little goblins out trick or treating, here are a few safety tips to follow:
Tips for Children:
Tips for Adults:
Costume Rules:
For family fun for everyone, Mom and Dad should catch the spirit of the holiday and dress up too!
Shop all our Kid’s Halloween Party Invitations
Shop all Halloween Party Invitations
Shop all Halloween Party Favors
Shop all Party Invitations
Goth Couple Halloween Costume Party Invitations
What will you be this Halloween? If you’ve been invited to a Halloween Party or have decided to host your own, have you given any thought to your costumes?
Here are 80 ideas for Couples Halloween Costumes:
Now that you’ve been inspired on how to dress, it’s time to order Halloween Party Invitations your guests will love!
Cute Witch's Cauldron Halloween Invitations
Here are a few creepy food ideas to use at your Halloween party:
Shop all Halloween Party Invitations
Shop all Halloween Party Favors
Shop all Party Invitations
Thrillerman Halloween Party Invitation
Slumber parties are not just for girls or for birthdays!
A great pajama party idea for girls and boys is a monster movie marathon. Choose the scary movies you want to show, get permission from guest’s parents that they approve their showing, then pop the popcorn, serve the pizza and get ready for some screaming. If your guests are young, show cartoons with their favorite monster characters.
Halloween is a great time for this kind of party. After trick or treating, everyone can change into their pajamas, grab their pillows and settle in for a fun night of screams, giggles and candy overload.
Shop our Halloween Invitations
Harry Potter Costume for Halloween Party
This was so great, we had to share this post from CostumePop from Debi Olsen, Fort Collins, Colorado:
“Over the years my son has received numerous comments on his resemblance to Harry Potter. Unfortunately, he has never wanted to be him for Halloween because it wasn’t scary or cool enough. Well, this year we came up with a way to solve those problems!
We started with a rolling backpack, extended the handle and attached a hanger to the top. The neck was made from a plastic food container that was painted and attached to the hanger. We hung a shirt on the hanger and stuffed it to make a body, added the sweater vest, tie and robe to complete it. The jar is from Sam’s and was originally filled with cheese balls. The hands were from Halloween decorations. After adding the glasses and wand, Harry was now complete!
(Well, not exactly complete since he is missing his head!) He simply strapped on the backpack, put his head in the jar, closed the robe under his neck, and off he went. His costume was a hit everywhere he went although it scared quite a few little kiddos!
Note: Of course, if you don’t look like Harry Potter, you’re going to have to add a mask to pull off this costume!”
Shop all our Halloween Invitations for kids, adults and Halloween Birthday Invitations.
Frankenstein is Coming Halloween Invitation
Are you tired of having the same old Halloween party? How about mixing it up a little bit this year and throw a Monster Mash Party? These Frankenstein is Coming invitations will go perfect with the Monster Mash theme!
With a little inspiration from monster culture, Halloween can always have new and scary surprises that can transport humans into another realm of frightening fun. We’ve got Dracula invitations, skull invitations, vampire invitations, eyeball martini invitations, haunted house invitations and more.
Vampires are lurking everywhere these days and we love our Suave Vampire Halloween Invitation featuring a cool vampire in a white tux sipping a “red” martini against a city skyline. Perfect for a Halloween cocktail party invitation or a Halloween costume party invitation.
Suave Vampire Halloween Invitation
Shop all Halloween Party Invitations
Shop all Halloween Party Favors
Shop all Party Invitations
Teal Hat Black Cat Halloween Party Invitation features a cute cat wearing a large teal witch’s hat, a happy jack-o-lantern, a bat, a spider and his web and a bubbling cauldren oozing green goo. This Halloween invitation is perfect for a small child’s Halloween party, a family Halloween party invitation, a kids Halloween Birthday invitation or a Halloween costume party invitation.
Shop all Kids Halloween Birthday Invitations
Menu