Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Halloween Table

   This is one of my absolute favorite holidays!!  Most likely it's because I LOVE any excuse to put on a costume and be a character for a little while.  The "getting scared" is a thrill, too, but only when you know it's not real. 


     The idea for this table began with the centerpiece.  I first imagined having a table that looked like a ghost was rising out of the center of the tablecloth.  I used cheesecloth and liquid starch, and made a form for the ghost with lots of large flower pots stacked on top of each other.  In my imagination, the ghost would be about 4 feet tall and the guests would be able to see across the table through it.  A time limit to finish the project along with the reality of my first try set in, and the ghost turned out to be too heavy to be that tall and not collapse.  Instead, I bunched the bottom up inside of it, and that kept it upright through the entire luncheon.  You could still see through it though, so that worked out great!!

 
     My very favorite part of the entire table turned out to be the placecard holders.  The idea came from a lollipop holder that looked like a monster finger, and fit on top of your own finger.  Since I found those a few Halloweens ago, I had to make my own version for this table.  I found the severed fingers I used at a Dollar Tree store.  They were already "bloody," but I painted the nails black.  I used a small craft knife to make a slit behind the nail so that they would hold the placecards.  (Yes, this was very disturbing to do.  Even though they were plastic fingers, they felt a little too real to cut. Eeewww!!)  The next task was to figure out how to make them stand up.  Rummaging through my old Halloween decorations, I found these adorable skeleton hands, and the fingers slid perfectly between the bones to stand upright.  Isn't it great when you can re-use something you bought in the past for a new idea!!

     I used window cling spooky eyes to decorate the black chargers.  (These stay on for the meal, but are removed easily so the chargers can be used for another event.)  They peeked out from behind the dinner plates.  Also, I found some creepy crawlies at the Dollar Tree (bugs, centipedes, etc...) to place under the plates for a surprise when the plate was picked up to visit the buffet.  The napkins are Halloween bandannas.  I have this great book of napkin folds just for occasions like this.  Of course, the day of this luncheon I couldn't find that book anywhere!!  YouTube to the rescue.  I was able to find a quick, easy fold along with a video instruction.  Now that the event is over, I'm sure the book will turn up. Lol !!


     Pinterest was my inspiration for some of the table decor.  I LOVE that site!!  The rest I found in my handy Halloween stash from years past.  I picked out everything I had that fit in with the whites, blacks, and reds that emerged as a theme.  I did purchase some flameless tealights for the candle holders because the ghost in the middle of the table was a bit too flammable for real candles.

     You can't have a Halloween table without a bag of treats.  This is also a great chance for some marketing. I included a business card along with the candy.  Hopefully one (or more) of the guests needs a little help planning an event.

          A bag of plastic spiders worked for table confetti, and finished off the empty spots to make the look complete.

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