Usually Husband and I don’t do much for Halloween other wait for the handful of trick-or-treaters who knock on our door. But thank goodness we made plans this year since we got zero – yes, zero! – trick-or-treaters! How sad! Instead, we focused our energies on hosting a murder mystery party at our place!
Have you ever done a murder mystery dinner party? We had a blast, but I think it’s mostly due to the people we invited totally embracing their characters: costumes, interactions with other characters, full-out acting.
We decided on a game I found online called “Thirst for Blood” through a company called Haley Productions. We went with this downloadable game over boxed games because we could have more people and it was pretty inexpensive at only $24.99. It was a fun plot line and ended up working out really well, but the materials were a little complicated and the script a little hard to follow at times for me as the “organizer” (the person pulling people out of the room, painting vampire bites on people’s necks, arming people with props, etc.). I had to do some tweaking to the materials sent out to people and the script itself to make it a little easier to understand, but all in all it was super fun. Totally recommended!
Wanna see how I decorated the house to make it feel more Halloween-y creepy?!
I hit up Unique Thrift Store (where I’ve previously found some fun stuff) early on Saturday to find some decorating goodies that would play up the early 1900′s setting for the murder mystery. I found a pair of Fenton hobnail milk glass flower arrangement vases for $9.99 (quite a find despite their use for the party!) – that I thought would be just perfect for gracing the dinner table!
putting together some table arrangements
I picked up some flowers in orange and red, as well as some sort of brown cattails, and put together some little arrangements. Now I’m no Eddie Ross, but I think they turned out pretty cute!
the flower arrangements up close
I also picked up that lace tablecloth at the thrift store for $4.99, and the brass candelabra for $6.99. Oooh and see the creepy bleeding candles? Totally Martha…and totally easy! You just drip a red candle on the white one and it looks really spooky. Here’s the whole table set:
the table all set - a tight fit for 12!!!
We had to add the leaf to the table and scrounge up 8 extra chairs – good thing we were all friends because it was a tight fit around the table! And I think this might have been the first time I’ve used those pretty silver Pottery Barn chargers we received as wedding gifts!!!
the drink station
Here’s the buffet covered in some of our liquid acting courage for the evening, and of course everything’s covered in cobwebs.
creepy little crow
I found the crow at a Halloween store half price, as well as that gray netting stuff used as a runner. I stuck some of the leftover cattails from the flower arrangements in a tarnished mint julep cup I already had. And I filled up a few glass bottles from IKEA with water.
wine and scotch and we're good to go!
I decanted some red wine in a decanter (again something I don’t think I’ve used since we received it for our wedding!), and uncorked a bottle of white wine for the ladies and some of Husband’s coveted Macallan 18 scotch for the fellas. I put another pair of eerie bleeding candles in some very tarnished silver candlesticks (polishing silver and I don’t mix), setting the mood for some murder mystery fun! And how great does my Victorian ladies framed print (picked up during the Eddie Ross flea market adventure) look in this mix?!
more halloween decor
And finally here’s the coffee table decorated with another pair of bleeding candles in (tarnished) silver candlesticks, some faux pumpkins I sprayed gold and arranged on the Martha Stewart cake stands (won from the Brooklyn Limestone giveaway over at Houzz awhile back!), and a feather wreath I got on the cheap. Oh, and a giant hunk of gouda waiting for some crackers.
So what did you do for Halloween?! Any fun or unique decor?!
{Sorry all these pictures look so YELLOW – I am terrible at taking indoor pics at night…}
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I love how you decorated for the party!! Everythign looks just amazing, your flower arrangements are my fav!
We must have just crossed paths at Unique! I think you were first, though, because I never would have let those hobnail milk glasses vases go.
The arrangements look GREAT!
I love those square cake stands too – but I have a self-imposed “no more cake stands” creed to deal with right now… it was much needed but as a result, I’m left square-cake-stand-less.
Oh, and your buffet? Wow. That piece is gorgeous.
Looks like the party and your decorations were an absolute hit. Love it all.
i want to see the people!!!
haha love unique!! it looks beautiful & sounds like so much fun!!! what a great idea!!! lvoe the decor!!
xoxo
So cool! I’ve always wanted to go to a murder mystery night! Sounds like you have a blast! Thanks for sharing all the pictures!
Oooh I love the crow and the Victorian ladies print! How perfect for this party! Can you plan my Halloween party next year?
I LOVE the decor for the party- everything looked amazing! You have such a gift with decorating. Loved the bleeding candles and all the great buys you found to spook up your place. And the party itself sounds like a blast- wish we lived closer so we could have joined in the fun!
Looks like your party was a hit! I love your decorations!!!