How to Set an Elegant Halloween Table in Black and White

This elegant Halloween table, featuring black and white elements, offers ideas for creating a moody atmosphere at your All Hallows’ Eve party. Gather friends and family for a spooky night without all the spooks!

Black and White Elegant Halloween Table

Halloween, without the usual spiders, severed hands, and frightening zombie faces, can still be festive with an elegant tablescape. The inspiration for this design stems from sweet little ghost-printed cocktail napkins in black and white. Although they’re not spooky, these napkins effectively establish the color scheme and create a fun, playful atmosphere for the table.

Set an Easy and Elegant Halloween Table

This elegant Halloween table features easily accessible items, such as white ribbons and white spider mums. While the plates, flatware, and glasses are all reusable, you can easily find plastic or paper alternatives at party supply stores. If you opt for plastic tableware, remember that it can be washed and reused for future celebrations.

Establishing a Black and White Look for an Elegant Halloween Table

This dark table starts with a black mesh tablecloth, commonly referred to as a “creepy cloth.” Inexpensive and reusable, this versatile fabric can be tied together to create tablecloths for various table sizes. (Click here to see how easy it is to make a Halloween tablecloth.) To add a touch of brightness, incorporate a white table runner, which creates a classic black-and-white color scheme.

Spider Mums for an Elegant Halloween Table

Rather than using black plastic spiders to give this elegant Halloween table a spooky look, I opted for white spider mums instead. I trimmed the stems short and arranged single blooms in small clear glass votive holders. These large, striking flowers effectively created a beautiful centerpiece, forming a table runner with just six blooms. While spider mums typically remain fresh for several days, changing the water daily can help prolong their fresh appearance.

Black and White Pumpkins

For this elegant Halloween table, I used real orange mini pumpkins and larger white pumpkins. I cleaned them using a mixture of water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio, then dried them thoroughly. The orange pumpkins received a coat of matt black paint, while their stems were covered with painter’s tape to preserve their natural look. Although faux black pumpkins are available as an alternative, nothing quite compares to the elegance of real pumpkins.

Add Greenery and Lights

Use Greenery for Filler

Incorporate garden greenery that you cut or purchase as filler for your centerpiece. The cuttings displayed on this table come from gardenia bushes, which are long-lasting and resistant to wilting. I sprayed a few branches with the same matte black spray paint I used for the pumpkins, adding a striking contrast of black and green to the arrangement. This spray not only enhances the visual appeal but also helps to preserve the cut greenery. For any unpainted cuttings, place them in a vase of water when they’re not in use.

Keep Greenery Fresh Longer

Cuttings from shrubs such as gardenias, boxwoods, or camellias can remain fresh longer if kept in water between table settings. This same greenery can be repurposed for various tablescapes or serve as filler in a vase of flowers.

Light the Centerpiece

To complete the centerpiece, I arranged a few tealight candles in glass holders alongside black velvet pumpkins and a string of battery-operated, tiny white lights running down the center.

Glassware for an Elegant Halloween Table

Black Goblets

I used black glass goblets on this table—they always add a festive touch! If you’re not looking to invest in glass, plastic black goblets are a great alternative. When selecting goblets, choose ones that hold at least eight ounces or more if you plan to use them during the meal. This way, you won’t have to worry about refilling them frequently.

Sugar-Rim Glasses

To enhance the festive atmosphere of this table, I used stemless champagne glasses decorated with honey and black sugar crystals. Start by applying a thin layer of honey around the rim of each glass, using a food-safe paintbrush or your fingertip. Paint about 1/4 inch (approximately 6 millimeters) down from the rim.

For a more playful, drippy effect, you can apply a bit more honey to let it run down the glass, but be sure to keep it above the area where you would typically hold the glass. Next, pour black sugar crystals into a small bowl and immerse the rim of the glass, twisting it to ensure an even coating of sugar over the honey. Gently shake off any excess sugar.

For a frozen drink to serve in these beautifully decorated glasses, check out the White Shivers Cocktail (or mocktail) recipe.

Flatware

I tied elegant white ribbon bows around the sleek black flatware and positioned them on top of each plate. For a more casual touch, or if you don’t have black flatware, you can substitute it with black decorative plastic cutlery. Beneath each dinner plate, I placed white cloth napkins, although large dinner-sized paper napkins are also a good alternative. The combination of the napkins and ribbons enhances the table’s aesthetic, complemented by the whimsical ghost cocktail napkins.

Black and White Halloween Table Another Way

Remove the white runner and tie black tulle around the white pumpkins to create a different vibe for this table.

To create another look on this elegant Halloween tablescape, I removed the white table runner. I replaced it with black tulle tied around the white pumpkins. This simple change adds an air of mystique while maintaining the black-and-white theme. The soft texture of the tulle and the removal of the white runner transform the table into a simple, whimsical scene that evokes the spirit of Halloween without straying into traditional spookiness.

Other Halloween Ideas You Might Like

Click on each name to link to the post.