A traditional Halloween party with orange and black decor including blow molds, vintage inspired Halloween decorations and Halloween party tips.
When you're throwing a traditional Halloween party it has to be orange and black. Period.
Sure, those muted neutral colors might be trendy right now for fall decor, but there's nothing "trendy" about Halloween. It's full of tradition, history and nostalgia.
Stale popcorn balls. Gooey caramel apples that get stuck to your hair.
Those plastic masks that make your face sweat.
So when I decided to throw a little party in the back yard for Bones, it was ORANGE and BLACK all the way, baby!
My husband thinks I named him after Bones, the doctor on Star Trek. Yeah, right.
Dammit, Jim! I'm a Doctor, not a party guest!
It was much simpler than that. He's a skeleton. He has bones. Hence his name is Bones.
I'm sort of basic when it comes naming my skeletons.
I just had to include this Jack-O-Lantern on a cornstalk blow mold I found at a thrift store a few years ago.
TIP - I never use the old original lights and cords that come with these things, just because I don't want to set my house on fire or anything. So I use those Christmas village house lights you can buy this time of year at the craft stores. They use the same type bulbs and they have clips that hold them in place in the back of the houses or in this case, the back of the blow molds. No small electrical fires, but I still get to light the blow molds up!
While we're talking plastic here, I picked up these tiny little pumpkin candy buckets at the local grocery store. I was going to fill them with candy corn, but someone ate all the candy corn.
LOVE that stuff!
Did you notice Bones is having some cocoa out of one of my thermoses?
Didn't think you'd get through a post without one of those popping up did you?
Oops, here's another one.
It's next to my Jack-O-Lantern Fortune Game I showed you in my post on where to find vintage looking Beistle Halloween Decorations On Amazon. The reproduction Beistle black cat banner in the first photo is also from Amazon.
Traditional Halloween Party Ideas:
- Decorate with anything orange and black and I do mean anything (note orange and black thermoses)
- Nothing too matchy-matchy for paper goods. Patterned plates with solid colored napkins work well together. You don't want to look like you just raided the Hallmark store.
- Add a few vintage items into the scene, either reproduction or the real deal.
- Crepe paper streamers, Jack-0-lantern paper lanterns and hanging paper honeycomb balls are great to hang from ceilings or tree branches. You can find these at dollar stores and craft stores.
- Traditional Halloween food is always a hit - popcorn balls, candy apples, powdered donuts, cider, hot chocolate
- Play a few traditional Halloween games - bobbing for apples, pin the tail on the scarecrow, fortune telling games
But the big takeaway from this is - it's all orange and black!!!
And vintage looking. And FUN.
Do you prefer a traditional Halloween party with orange and black that just SCREAMS Halloween?
Or one of those fufu modern parties with muted green and off white decor that playfully gives a slight nod toward Halloween that barely anyone recognizes? Not that I'm biased here.
Here's some other Halloween posts you may enjoy:
Transitioning Your Porch From Fall To Halloween
Vintage Inspired Halloween Projects
Halloween Ghosts Made From Gourds
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
Shelley
love all things vintage! and I am in the black and orange Halloween camp too....yes I do have a white pumpkin and a Mercury glass one too....but overall it's orange and black....certain holidays demand tradition.....
Bonnie Schulte
Loved everything about this post. Halloween is one of the most FUN holidays there is...and I'm with you 100%,
Black and Orange is what it's all about...and Bones too.
Elizabeth Sue Shepard
I love your Halloween post. I too love the traditional Orange and Black theme, that is what I grew up with and I have lots of vintage Halloween collectibles!!! Your blog is such an inspiration and I enjoy reading it. Love your style!!!
Kris @ Junk Chic Cottage
Ok Pam you know I am one of those neutral girls but I have to agree with you on Halloween decor. It has to be traditional and that is why I really do not decorate for Halloween. When the kids were little I did but now not so much. I love your decor it just made me smile. Love Mr. Bones and having his drink out of one of your vintage thermos. Adorable. Love those little plastic pumpkins they are adorable and I have not seen those for a long time. Brings back memories. Happy Halloween. Your decor is spooktacular.
Kris
Ann
Super cute, Pam. Orange and black is the ONLY way! Your party set-up is adorable, love the print on the plates and "Bones" with his thermos. I have the same pumpkin haystack blow mold (and I use the original cord, guess I'm reckless that way). Love how you put it all together, vintage Halloween is awesome! I put my dining room table and chairs in the front yard the past couple years and used my wedding china to have a "Witches lunch" with my 6 witchy sisters! Happy Halloween to you!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
Love, love, love this...and I want to be a guest at this party!
Teri
Pam, I think Bones is drinking either "orange" juice or "black" coffee. Ha ha.
Gay Correll
All of these things are so cool! I enjoyed that article in "Country Living" and found out that I did indeed have one Beistle decoration from my childhood. I also have a few more that are vintage (this I know because there is the "kindergarten" version of how I wrote my first name on the back of them--and I'm pretty sure I'm of vintage age...)but I'll have to check to see who manufactured them. When I was newly married on a thrifting adventure yeeeeeeeaaaaarrrs ago, I came upon a stash of papier mache witches sitting on pumpkins. There had to be at least 50 of them for a NICKEL apiece!! However, I truly only could buy two of them. How many times have I replayed that little event in my mind over the years thinking about what if I would have bought them all?? Oh well. I'm looking forward to stacking a variety of thrifted plastic jackolantern treat buckets like a totem pole and putting lights in them for outside for Halloween night. Haven't figured out the details yet, but I'm sure it'll be grand. Happy Halloween!
Summer
Spooky and cute ideas ♥