Hosting a Happy Halloween Bookish Party

Halloween is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by throwing a bookish Halloween party? Whether you're a horror fanatic or just looking for a creative way to mix literary fun with spooky vibes, a Halloween-themed book party is sure to be a hit. Plus, it’s a great excuse to get together with friends, dress up, and indulge in some spine-tingling activities!

So, grab your cauldron (or, you know, punch bowl) and get ready to plan the best Halloween bash with a bookish twist!

Invitations with a Twist

No party is complete without some fabulous invitations to set the mood. Instead of traditional invites, why not go for something that channels your inner bookworm? Think of designing invitations that resemble old library cards, vintage book pages, or even an enchanted spellbook cover. If you’re feeling crafty, you can handwrite your invites on parchment paper, roll them up, and tie them with string like a magical scroll.

And don’t forget to add a note encouraging guests to come dressed as their favorite book character!

Let’s Get Decorating!

Halloween Decor for Spooky Fun

Looking for a quick and festive way to spook up your space this Halloween? Creating a simple Halloween banner is a fun, easy craft that can add a festive touch to any room. With just a few supplies, you can make personalized Halloween-themed decorations featuring your own spooky designs and words. Watch our fabulous video on how to create your very own DIY book banners!

Here are some more ideas to transform your party space into a literary wonderland with Halloween-themed bookish decorations:

• Spooky Bookshelves: Turn your everyday bookshelf into a haunted literary masterpiece with temporary book covers! We find wrapping your books in butcher paper and decorating them to look like old spellbooks works like a charm! This craft is simple, fun, and a fantastic way to add a Halloween twist to your home without damaging your precious books. You will definitely want to add cobwebs and plastic spiders for that haunted library feel.
• Potion Bottles: Decorate your space with “potion” bottles labeled with bookish concoctions!
• Spooky Lights: Don’t forget to dim the lights and add as many candles as possible. If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out our idea in the Halloween Crafts for Tweens blog!

Creepy (but Tasty!) Snacks

What’s a Halloween party without some deliciously spooky treats? Whether your guests are trick-or-treating their way through your snack table or cautiously nibbling on what looks like a monster eyeball, Halloween snacks should be as creative as they are tasty. And since this is a bookish party, why not add a literary twist to your treats? 

Don’t worry—you don’t need to be a professional chef or even a witch with a cauldron to conjure up these eerie delights. Here are some ideas to get you started that will surely give your guests some goosebumps.

Spooky Caprese Salad — We just had to include this spooky salad from Melissa’s Healthy Kitchen. It's one of the best ideas we’ve seen in a long time!

Boo-schetta — This Boo-schetta is brilliant, and I am secretly hoping some of my colleagues will be inspired to make some for the office!

Spider Taco Ring — Who doesn’t love tacos? We thought this Spider Taco Ring was so much fun, and we can't wait to try it.

Creepy Cupcakes — Every snack table needs dessert, and creepy cupcakes are the way to go! It's all in the icing! 

• Create Your Ghosts: Using white fondant or marshmallow fluff, form little ghost shapes and place them on top of each cupcake. Add black icing for the eyes and mouth—make some look cute, others spooky!
• Graveyard Cupcakes: For a more sinister look, crumble Oreos on top of the cupcakes to mimic dirt. Stick in candy bones or gummy worms, and use mini tombstones made from graham crackers or cookies to turn your cupcakes into tiny edible graveyards.
• Cupcake Toppers: We love creating cupcake toppers; they are so much fun! Let your imagination run wild and create headstones, bats, or ghosts.
• Decorate: Let your imagination run wild—use black icing to write spooky messages on the tombstones, or add a sprinkle of edible glitter for a ghostly shimmer. 

Freaky Fruit Platter — Here is another great idea for dessert that we think should be on every snack table this Halloween! 

Devilish Drinks

You don’t need complicated ingredients or magical potions to make your Halloween drinks look spooky—just a few simple tricks can transform any ordinary beverage into something straight out of a haunted house! From chilling garnishes to eerie effects, here are some fun and easy ways to give your drinks that creepy, bookish Halloween vibe:

Creepy Eyeball Ice Cubes

Turn your regular ice cubes into spooky, floating eyeballs! It’s an easy way to add a fun (and slightly unsettling) detail to any drink.

How to Make Them:

Buy some lychee fruit (canned works great), and stuff each one with a blueberry or a maraschino cherry for the "pupil."

Freeze the stuffed lychees in water in an ice cube tray.

When you drop these creepy eyeball ice cubes into a drink, they’ll float and look like they're staring up at your guests!

These eyeballs work especially well in clear or light-colored drinks, and for an extra eerie touch, you can freeze gummy worms into ice cubes to float alongside the eyeballs!

Drip “Blood” on the Glass Rim

Give your drinks a gory touch by adding a "blood" effect to the rim of each glass. This works perfectly for anything from mocktails to punches, and it’s incredibly easy to do!

How to Do It:

• Mix corn syrup with a little bit of red food coloring until it has a thick, blood-like consistency.
• Dip the rims of your glasses into the mixture and let the red syrup slowly drip down the sides.
• Let the "blood" set for a few minutes, and you’re ready to serve!

This effect looks especially spooky with clear glasses and adds an extra Halloween vibe to your party.

Use Black Sugar or Edible Glitter for a Glamorous (Yet Spooky) Rim

For a less gory, but still dramatic, look, try adding black sugar or edible glitter to the rims of your drink glasses. It’s a super easy way to give your beverages an elegant yet eerie touch.

How to Do It:

• Dip the rim of your glass in a little water or lemon juice.
• Then, dip it into a plate of black sugar, edible glitter, or even crushed black candy.
• Let it dry for a few minutes before pouring in the drink.

This trick adds sparkle and mystique to your drinks, making them look both glamorous and spooky. Perfect for everything from punch to mocktails!

Conclusion

Hosting a Happy Halloween Bookish Party is all about combining your love for reading with the fun and thrills of the Halloween season. With creative decorations, eerie drinks, and spooky snacks, your party is sure to be boo-tiful!

And if you’re looking for some spine-tingling tales to read this Halloween, don’t forget to check out our blog OUABC List of Halloween Horrors, for some hauntingly good recommendations. Plus, be sure to grab one of our limited edition ready-to-ship Halloween book boxes—filled with spooky surprises and the perfect read for the season!

Happy Haunting from all of us at Once Upon a Book Club!