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Spirited Table Crafts
Put away that book of spells. At Halloween, you need little more than paper, glue, and our original art to set a spirited table. The spookiest holiday of the year calls for entertaining in a frightful fashion. Whether you're hosting a blowout party or just want to give dinner some demonic flair, our easy-to-assemble decorations will fit right in. We created the artwork, and give you some templates (to download them, follow the links in the text). Then set out hobgoblin place cards, devilish creatures to guard candy dishes, and boisterous noisemakers for a bloodcurdling sound track. Bottles of wine and cider sporting macabre labels will cackle "Drink me," and pumpkin lanterns will beckon with an eerie glow. This is a table that will enliven the deadliest of celebrations.
Creature Candy Dishes How-To
These bewitching characters are not as innocent as they seem. If you're not careful, they'll eat all the candy themselves.
1. Print images and cut out pieces, trimming along edge of bird or cat and fence, if desired.
2. To make bodies, cut a foot-long piece of bumpy black or orange pipe cleaner in half. Bend one piece in half to make legs; twist at top to form a tiny loop.
3. Stick other pipe-cleaner piece through loop for arms; twist arms around loop three times so they are shorter than legs. Glue heads to top of loop.
4. For candy dish, fold fence pieces (a three-sided section and a taller back section) along dotted lines; form into a box, and glue fence tabs to stabilize. Add candies, and pose sentries.
These witches and bats cause double trouble -- as noisemakers and place cards.
Noisemaker How-To
1. Download and print rounds. Glue black paper to the backs for sturdiness, and cut out the rounds. For noisemakers, cut mouth slit with a utility knife.
2. Snip stem off an orange balloon, and stick the cut end through the slit from the back. Attach round to wooden craft stick with craft glue. Blow through balloon opening for a supernatural sound. For place cards, fill in slit with a black marker.
3. Write a guest's name in iridescent pen on the black border of each round, and set on dinner plates.
Playful pumpkins open their mouths to let candlelight stream through.
Lantern How-To
1. Download and print lantern; then glue black paper onto the back and cut out. Use a utility knife to cut out eyes, noses, and mouths, and craft glue to affix orange tissue paper or vellum behind the cutouts.
2. Fold lantern on dotted lines, and secure tab with glue to close. Place over a votive candle in a glass holder.
Triple the terror with these labels that urge guests to indulge -- if they dare.
Label How-To
1. Download and print labels. Use craft glue to attach labels to plain room-temperature bottles or carafes (you can soak wine bottles to remove their original labels).
2. Allow two days to set. Or print labels on adhesive-backed paper using an ink-jet printer, then press onto bottles.
First Published: Special Issue 2004