Don’t let short notice hold you back from hosting a party! If you’re low on time and money, I have some easy, affordable ideas for throwing a last-minute Halloween party!
You can see all my Halloween party ideas on KTLA Morning News! It’s always so fun to join the KTLA team live in-studio! On this visit, I shared some spooky snacks and a creepy (but cute!) dessert using products from Siete Foods and Gelson’s Markets. I also made some simple Halloween decor using items from around my home and craft supplies from Michaels Stores. All my Halloween decor used in the KTLA TV segment is from Michaels (as well as almost all the decor I use in my home for every holiday!).
EASY HALLOWEEN PARTY FOOD IDEAS
Spiderweb Nacho Dip
An easy and festive Halloween party snack with Mexican flair using my favorite Siete Foods ingredients!
INGREDIENTS:
Bottom layer:
2 cans Siete Foods Vegan Refried Ranchero Beans
2 tbsp lime juice
1.5 tbsp Siete Foods Mild Taco Seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
Middle layer:
1 cup Siete Foods Mild Salsa Roja
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Top layer:
1 cup guacamole (I used @gelsonsmarkets fresh guac or you can make your own)
1 cup sour cream (I used Daisy brand’s squeezable for the spiderweb piping)
For serving: Siete Foods Tortilla Chips (my favorite are Siete Foods Lime Tortilla Chips)
DIRECTIONS:
Arrange sliced tomatoes around edge of large platter.
Assemble bean mixture and spread in center of platter, leaving some tomatoes showing. Make sure that you create a bit of a “bowl” with the bean mixture for the salsa to sit in without running all over the platter.
Spread salsa on top of beans, leaving some edge of beans showing.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of salsa, leaving some salsa showing.
Spoon guacamole over cheese layer and smooth into thin layer.
Use Daisy Squeeze Sour Cream to create spider web design. Top with toy spiders. Serve with Siete Foods tortilla chips.
Pizza Witch Fingers
These “witch fingers” are quick, easy and no special chef skills are required! When hosting a big party, I’m all about cutting corners to save time, so for this recipe, I used a frozen cheese pizza and premade dipping sauce that I picked up at Gelson’s Market.
INGREDIENTS:
Frozen thin-crust cheese pizza (I used Newman’s Own Four Cheese Pizza)
1 red bell pepper, cut into small triangles
Premade pizza sauce or marinara sauce
Litehouse Jalapeño Ranch Dip (or your other favorite dip like garlic aioli, ranch or marinara)
DIRECTIONS:
Cook frozen pizza according to package instructions.
Cut pizza into very thin triangle slices.
Arrange pizza on circular platter with skinniest ends of the slices facing outward.
Use marinara/pizza sauce as adhesive to add red bell pepper triangles to ends of pizza to resemble fingernails.
Add a small bowl of Jalapeño Ranch Dip in the center of the platter for dipping. Enjoy!
Spiderweb Brownie Cake
No baking required for this easy and spooky cake! Take 2-3 brownies from the bakery section of the grocery store and add chocolate icing to make a “brownie cake.” Gelson’s Market sells decadent dark chocolate brownies by Renaud’s Patisserie, which works perfect for this! Melted marshmallows create a spiderweb effect!
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 chocolate brownies from your grocer’s bakery section (I chose Renaud’s dark chocolate brownies sold in my local Gelson’s Market)
2 16oz containers of creamy chocolate frosting
1.5 cups mini marshmallows
DIRECTIONS:
Remove brownies from packaging. Place first brownie on platter and top with thin layer of icing.
Add second brownie on top of first brownie and add another thin layer of icing. Repeat this step if you are using three brownies. Cover the sides of the “brownie cake” with remaining chocolate icing.
Place marshmallows into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
Using a fork, stretch melted marshmallows around brownie cake to create a spiderweb effect. Decorate with toy spiders. Enjoy!
DIY HALLOWEEN DECOR IDEAS
Upcycled Ghosts
I pulled empty containers out of our recycling to make these cute ghosts! I ended up using an apple juice bottle, coffee creamer bottle and smoothie bottle, but you could also use jars. Here’s the list of all the materials:
-Recyclable containers
–Flour sack towels (cheap at Target or Walmart if you don’t have old ones lying around)
-Sparkly black felt adhesive (you could also use regular felt or even construction paper)
-Battery operated twinkle lights
–Clear plastic ornaments or polystyrene craft balls (the clear plastic ornaments are fun because you can add lights inside but I didn’t have enough for all 3 ghosts)
Watch how to make these ghosts on my Instagram!
Ghost Garland
This garland is so simple, and there’s no sewing! Create your own cute ghost garland with a handful of items you may already have at home, like safety pins, clear elastic bands and cotton balls. I got my ribbon, fabric marker and fabric shears at Michaels, which has been my holiday craft and decor go-to store for years! What I love about Halloween crafts is that there’s no pressure to make them exactly right – the imperfections make them spooky!
Learn how I made this ghost garland in the video below!
Bats Centerpiece
Look around your backyard to create this easy centerpiece that will surely impress your guests! I cut branches from a tree and spray painted them black. You could also use dried branches found at Michaels floral department. Next, I created a bat stencil from a bat-shaped cookie cutter and used it to cut about 15 bats from black glitter felt that I found at Michaels. Then, I glued the bats to the branches. I recommend using a hot glue gun, Gorilla super glue or Krazy Glue to ensure they have a strong stick. After they dried, I assembled them into a tall glass cylinder vase. It could be fun to use a spooky vase like this one.
Which of these easy Halloween food and decor ideas would you try? Be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok where I share more easy recipes and fun DIY party ideas!
Happy Halloween!
XO Maggie
Maggie Jackson 