Halloween Tablescapes and Other DIY Decorations
Decorating for the holidays is a great way to get into the spirit of things. A good Halloween party or get together is always a fun time, and you can really set the mood with your decor. Here at Table Legs Online, we know a good table goes a long way. Families and friends sit around the table to eat and enjoy a good conversation, so why not turn your table into a great conversation piece. Here are some ideas to turn your table into a spooktacular conversation piece with fun decorations and fabulous tablescapes.
Decorate Your Table Legs. Bet you never thought you'd decorate your table legs, but guess what? You will now because these Halloween-themed table legs are so much fun! Transform your regular table legs into witches legs, which is so easy even I could do it. For the witches legs:
- Purchase a pair (or two if you are doing all four legs) of striped tights or leg warmers. Cut them apart.
- Put them on the table legs and tape them at the top and bottom if necessary.
- Insert the table legs into some black boots. You may want to change out the laces.
- If you cannot find a pair of suitable witch boots, you can create a pair using black felt, fabric glue, and ribbons for the laces. Here's a great little tutorial on the boots.
- Put the boots on the table, and voila!
Transform Your Chairs Into Halloween Ghosts. This is a great DIY Halloween activity for your kids because it requires only three things: White pillow cases, black markers, and black toile or ribbon to add panache.
- Simply sketch a ghoulish face on the pillowcase using pencil.
- Slide cardboard or newspaper inside the pillowcase before filling in the sketch with black marker because it bleeds through and then you have a messy ghost.
- Once your face is finished with black marker, slip it on the chair and cinch it with the toile or ribbon.
Make DIY Gothic Candle Sticks Out of Table Legs. This a great idea and can be used year round. Perhaps you have old table legs stashed in your attic, or perhaps you want to purchase some like these from TLO. Simply paint the legs black and purchase large taper candles that fit your particular legs. These are the perfect gothic accessory for your Halloween party.
Design Eye-Catching Halloween Tablescapes:
Your table is prime real estate during social gatherings. Whether you are using it as a serving buffet, or to seat people, you can really set the mood for your party with whimsical, DIY decorations. Here are two very different approaches to tablescapes! The Meat Man Buffet Gurney. This picture is all over Pinterest, but I'm not exactly sure where it originated. Whoever you are, you are fabulously twisted, and I thank you for your gruesome inspiration! I think this can be recreated pretty easily. Here's what you will need:
- white sheet
- denim shirt
- pair of big jeans
- fake hands from the party store of your choice
- two tongs
- at least six rectangular serving trays and one round one
- ketchup or fake blood
- something to use as filler around the food trays in the jeans and shirt as needed (maybe you'll buy batting, maybe you'll use extra towels)
- meat ... lots and lots of meat
Here's what we'll do:
- Cover your table with the white sheet to make the gurney
- Cut the front of the jeans to fit the serving trays you're using
- Stuff the sides of the jeans and the arms and torso of the shirt as needed
- Place your serving trays in the jeans and shirt
- Place your round head platter above the shirt -- I'm thinking it will need to be propped up (perhaps with a small pillow)
- Fill it with edibles
I think there's room for a lot of creativity for the edible elements. Two things that I think are essential are the bacon-wrapped meatloaf head (that is so much fun, I need to type it again: bacon-wrapped meatloaf head!) and the kielbasa intestines. You can use your family's usual meatloaf recipe, but bacon bandages and onion eyes and teeth are what make it awesome. If you want a recipe and some instruction, check out the Halloween Alliance's version of it. For the rest of the edible innards, you could use fried chicken thighs, wings, any number of Jello recipes, or delicious dips that look a bit nasty. Have fun with it!
Glam Up Your Halloween Table and Add a Seasonable Place Setting.
Maybe you prefer to focus less on the fake spiders, plastic orange accessories and gore, and more on the bewitching elegance of the season. You can choose white pumpkins and stick to a more streamlined look with a black and white theme. A Halloween dinner party can still feel like a chic affair. So, why not have a sit down dinner and use these elegant place cards? Simply use a metallic or black marker to neatly write your guests' names on white pumpkins, add a tasteful bow or seasonal charm to each and place them with your place settings. Or, you could use twine and rustic tags and the impact is just as nice. White pumpkins could become an obsession because you can transform them into vases, candle holders, lanterns, and a variety of other things and they are all gorgeous! Below are a few!
So, have a great time decorating and preparing for Halloween. Whether you're crafting with the kids, amusing your family and friends, or hosting an elegant dinner party, there are plenty of fun DIY Halloween decorations and tablescapes to make an impact. Enjoy!
By Bridget Gorman Wendling