Halloween party ideas and what to write in a Halloween card

Halloween falls on 31 October, and most people plan the whole thing in the last fortnight. That's fine — a good night needs three decisions: a theme people can dress for, four games that fill the gaps, and food that can sit out.

Below is a party plan you can follow as written, then a batch of Halloween card messages you can copy straight into a card for the host, the horror obsessive or anyone with a late-October birthday.

Everything we sell is drawn in house, printed in the UK and posted first class with a kraft envelope.

Halloween party themes that are easy to pull off

• Classic haunted house: black, orange, cobwebs and candles. Cheap and nobody needs a costume brief. Shop this card
• Bad horror films: everyone comes as the worst film they've seen. Guaranteed conversation.
• Witches and wizards: works for kids and adults, and hats do most of the costume work.
• Day of the Dead: colour instead of gore, much better photos. Shop this card
• Halloween birthday: full birthday party in black and orange rather than pastel. Shop this card

Halloween party games worth playing

• Apple bobbing, outdoors, with towels — still the best value game there is.
• Doughnuts on strings, hands behind backs. Two minutes of chaos.
• Murder in the dark, one torch, lights off. Free and brilliant.
• Guess the guts: bowls of cold spaghetti and peeled grapes under a tea towel.
• Pumpkin carving race, ten minutes on the clock, worst effort wins a badge. Shop this card
• Wrap the mummy: two teams, one loo roll each.

Food and drink that can sit out all night

• One hot thing — chilli, jacket potatoes or hot dogs — and let everything else be cold.
• A cake with a Halloween topper beats a whole table of themed food.
• Toffee apples and popcorn in paper bags: cheap, seasonal, no plates.
• One green punch with a ladle, plus cans in a bucket of ice.
• Sweets in bowls by the door for anyone trick-or-treating on the way past.

A running order for the evening

• 7pm: doors, drink in hand, music on, costume photos while everyone still looks tidy.
• 7.45pm: food out, everything cold except one hot dish.
• 8.30pm: games block — apple bobbing, doughnuts, wrap the mummy.
• 9.30pm: cake, prizes for best and worst costume.
• 10pm: lights down, murder in the dark, then music until people drift off.

Funny Halloween card messages

• Happy Halloween. Try not to eat all the sweets before the first knock.
• You've had the decorations up since August. Enjoy your night.
• Wishing you a properly spooky one. Mind the driveway.
• Happy Halloween to the scariest person I know, and I mean that fondly.
• Hope your pumpkin survives longer than mine did. Shop this card
• Have a wicked night — and blame the costume, not the wine.
• Boo. That's it, that's the card.

Halloween party invitation wording

• Halloween at ours, 31 October, from 7pm. Costumes compulsory, excuses aren't.
• Come and be terrified in a semi-detached. Saturday, 7pm, bring a bottle.
• Apple bobbing, bad films and too many sweets. 31 October, from half seven.
• You're invited to our Halloween party. Prize for best costume, shame for no costume.

Halloween birthday card messages

• Happy birthday to someone who has to share the day with ghosts. Worth it for the free decorations. Shop this card
• Born on Halloween, which explains a lot. Have a brilliant birthday. Shop this card
• Birthday cake and pumpkin carving in the same evening. Living the dream. Shop this card
• Happy Halloween birthday — may your candles outnumber the trick-or-treaters. Shop this card

Short lines for kids' Halloween cards

• Happy Halloween. Get lots of sweets.
• Wishing you a spooky night and a very full bucket.
• Trick or treat! Mostly treat.
• Have the best Halloween ever.

Shop all Halloween cards

Party supplies for the night

Banners, cake toppers and confetti that go up in ten minutes.

Autumn cards

For the weeks between Halloween and the first Christmas post.

How to write it so it lands

• Write the card the same day you buy it, or it'll still be on the side on 1 November.
• Name something specific — the costume, the pumpkin, last year's party — in one line.
• Blank inside means the front does the joke, so don't repeat it in your message.
• For kids, keep it to one short line they can read themselves.

Where to shop next

• Halloween party ideas
• Halloween party games
• Halloween party ideas for adults
• Kids' Halloween party ideas
• Halloween card messages
• Halloween birthday cards
• Buy Halloween cards
• Halloween cards
• Autumn card ideas
• Party supplies
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are good Halloween party ideas?

Pick one theme people can dress for, four games (apple bobbing, doughnuts on strings, wrap the mummy and murder in the dark cover most of an evening), one hot dish with everything else cold, and a cake with a topper. That's a full night without a themed food table.

What do you write in a Halloween card?

Keep it short and playful: a spooky greeting, one line that's about them — the decorations, the costume, the pumpkin — and your name. "Happy Halloween. You've had the decorations up since August, enjoy your night" lands better than a generic wish.

When should Halloween cards be posted?

Post first class around 28 October so it lands before the 31st. Party invitations should go out two to three weeks earlier so people can sort costumes.

How much does a Halloween party cost?

At home it's mostly food and drink. Decorations from us run £2.45 to £5 a piece, and food is typically £5 to £10 a head if you keep it to one hot dish, snacks and a punch.

What can I write in a Halloween birthday card?

Lean into the clash of dates — free decorations, cake and pumpkins in the same evening — then add a normal birthday wish. It's a joke everyone born on 31 October has heard, and they still like it.