Gather around guys and ghouls, it’s time to host the most spectacular event of the season! Your Halloween party is going to be a hit and do you know why? It’s because we’re here to help you throw it.
These Halloween party ideas for adults cover everything from games and food to drinks and dancing. Each step is designed to make sure you don’t forget a thing. Think of this article as a giant checklist!
Got your pen at the ready? Let’s plan a party that your guests will both despair and delight over.
21 tips for throwing the best Halloween party for adults
1. Pick a party theme!
While not essential, having a theme for your adult Halloween party gives your planning and decorating a bit of structure. Plus, a theme gives your guests instant costume ideas.
Explore our top Halloween party themes to find a concept you love. Famous movies, TV shows, myths and eras in time all work as great party themes.
2. Gather devilishly delicious snacks
No Halloween party for adults is complete without food. Browse our collection of Halloween food ideas for over 30 sneaky snack ideas. It includes the link for these mini pumpkin feta pies.
3. Make DIY Halloween decorations
This is where your creative flag can fly! Based on your theme, start making the DIY decorations for your Halloween party for adults.
We have over 200 DIY Halloween decorations here on Gathered, including the tutorial for this DIY Halloween banner.
4. Prepare some dangerous drinks
What’s the first thing that pops into mind when you think ‘Halloween party ideas for adults’? Beverages of course! Create some creepy cocktails and deadly drinks to serve at your Halloween party.
Include some alcoholic and nonalcoholic options to accommodate everyone. We love this bloody eyeball sangria by An Edible Mosaic. The lychee eyeballs are amazing!
5. DIY your Halloween costume
You’ve got your theme and started on the decorations, now it’s time to start on your costume! Since this is an adult Halloween party you can get as creative as you like.
Choose one of our scary Halloween costume ideas or perhaps one of our funny Halloween costumes. Whatever you choose, we know your outfit will complete the party.
For the costumes mentioned above, and over 200 more, head to our DIY Halloween costume collection.
6. Send some spooky invitations
The Halloween party ideas for adults are flowing and you’re now at the invitation stage! Send your guests an intriguing invitation so they can save the time and date of your event.
You can easily DIY your own Halloween invitations. Use some card and our Halloween printables to create your own.
Alternatively, you can easily buy a pack of Halloween party invitations like these online.
7. Prepare the pumpkins!
It would be a sin to not have pumpkins at your Halloween party. Carve some crazy creatures and scary faces into your pumpkins and use them to decorate inside or outside your home.
You could even set up a mini pumpkin painting station as a fun activity idea! Use our pumpkin carving ideas to create the perfect pumpkin.
Halloween party ideas for your little ones
Head over to our Halloween party ideas for kids and set them up with their very own Monster Mash party.
8. Add an eerie glow to your home
Lighting can really set the tone of an event, especially for Halloween parties. String glowing lights around your home in spooky colours like green, dark purple and red.
Turn the main lights off and use your string lighting and fake candles to illuminate your home. We especially love this neon bat!
9. Set up a petrifying prop area
Perfect for kids and adult Halloween parties, these fun props will help encourage your guests to get snapping.
Bespoke Bride has done all the hard work for you. Simply print out their Halloween-themed props, secure sticks to the back then leave them at your party for guests to enjoy!
Check out our spooky Halloween activities for families for more ideas.
10. Give your pets a Halloween makeover
Got a furry friend who will be attending your Halloween party? Get them involved in the spooky antics by giving them their very own costume.
We have 22 dog Halloween costumes here on Gathered including this adorable ghost doggie! Your guests will love seeing your pet all dressed up.
11. Scary shot ideas
We all know Halloween parties for adults can get a little wild… especially when the shots come out! Set up a shot bar that's as scary as your hangover will be.
Use Sugar & Cloth’s ghost shot recipe to create these memorable ghouls.
12. Dress up your windows for Halloween
These haunting Halloween window decorations will attract all the monsters lurking outside to your party! We’ve collected a whole bunch of ideas to inspire you.
13. DIY Halloween party favours
Everyone loves gift giving and Halloween party favours are a nice way of showing your friends and family you care. Zsu Zsa’s Fireball shot favours sit inside tiny cauldrons – such a fun party favour!
If you want to take things one step further, why not make them a Boo Basket? You’ll be the host of the year if you do.
14. Set the spooky mood
When hosting a Halloween party for adults it’s important to set the overall mood. Small touches such as the smell, temperature and feel of your home will add to the overall atmosphere.
Burn some pumpkin spice candles before your guests arrive. Add some fun fog machines (Entertaining Diva shows you how) for an eerie touch. It’s the small things people remember.
15. Plan a creepy costume contest
Costume contests aren’t just for kids; we think the adults at your party will enjoy it even more.
Encourage their competitive nature by introducing a Halloween costume contest with categories like scariest costume, worst costume, failed costume and funniest costume.
We love these DIY Halloween trophies by Avanti Morocha.
16. Display your fearsome foods
Make your party food the star of the show by creating a spooktacular display to put them on. We have a huge number of Halloween table decor ideas here on Gathered, including this amazing branch set up by Cupcakes and Cashmere.
Place your food among our decor ideas and it will add extra fright to your big night!
17. Decorate your garden
Bring the party outside with our DIY outdoor Halloween decorations. These deadly decorations will keep the outside of your house as weird as the inside.
The best part is you can keep your outdoor display up for your trick-or-treaters too.
18. Don’t forget the sweet treats!
It’s not Halloween without sugar, so we’ve collected 13 DIY Halloween treats which are quick and easy to make. These on-theme sugary snacks double up as mini decorations and are great for a midnight munch.
19. Select the menacing music
Halloween parties for adults need three things: food, alcohol and music. Choose a spooky Spotify playlist that sets the tone for your party.
If your theme is based on a movie or TV show, why not play the soundtrack? Or choose one of the many premade Halloween playlists on the platform.
20. Bring out the grizzly games
Our Halloween party ideas for adults don’t stop at food and decorations. We’ve found games too! My Party Games has some wickedly wonderful printable Halloween games on its blog.
From ‘Halloween Drink If I’ sheets to ‘Name That Tune’ printables, there’s hundreds of Halloween party ideas for adults on their blog.
21. Add some spine-chilling finishing touches
Now you’ve followed our scandalous steps for throwing the best Halloween party for adults, it’s time for the finishing touches.
Learn how to make fake blood and splatter it on your costume and tablecloth to add some last-minute scare factor.
Hook up some crochet spiderwebs to decorate the corners of your home or sew up some fabric pumpkins for your doorstep.
Make your adult Halloween party one to remember
Food, games and decorations are the foundation of a brilliant Halloween party for adults. Once you have all three organised you’ll be ready to throw the Monster Mash of the century!
Discover more Halloween party ideas for adults with Gathered
Want to take your event one step further? Check out our extensive Halloween party ideas which include child-friendly activities.
