I usually like to develop a concept for a Halloween party table and put things together based on my idea. But this time, I began with haunted house paper placemats from Hester and Cook. I think they are great for young kids and folks who want Halloween fun without all the scariness.
Choosing the Table Colors
I placed a black paper table runner down the center and then added the placemats. However, there are many other ways you could have set this table. The placemats have lots of colors, and you could pick up any of them with a colored tablecloth. You can also skip the paper runner and let the flowers be the runner. I chose to use orange and purple on this table because those colors are kid-friendly and easy to find at Halloween.
Using Candles
Children enjoy having a grown-up table that is still colorful and childlike. If there are lots of children, be careful with lit candles. You can always use the candles and not burn them or use battery-operated taper candles. Click here to go to a source for black flameless taper candles.
Using Flowers
Even if you have no aptitude for flower arranging, you can still use them on your tables. Choose colors that match your table, in this case, the placemats. Buy three or four flower bundles. Cut the stems short to fit into small vases (or votive candle holders). Cutting short flower stems means that people (especially children) can see each other across the table. There is no need to arrange mixed flowers together in the vases. Use one type of color in each vase, as shown below. It is easy!
House to Set Plates with Decorative Paper Placemats
Lots of paper placements can be found now, made by different companies. They dictate the color of the table and make it easy to put together something quickly. They are so nicely designed and colorful that I hate to cover them up with plates. There are a couple of different ways to set places with these types of placemats.
Pull the plates down low on the placemats, as shown below. In this case, the moon and much of the haunted house can be seen. Set the flatware at an angle next to the placemats, and it won’t hide the design.
You could also place the plates on the right side of the placemats, as shown below. Then put all of the flatware on the left side. This method exposes more of the placemat but takes up more space on the table.
Nighttime Table
The same table lit by candlelight (below) has a very different look from the daytime table. The low lighting adds a spookier look to the table, making this a perfect table for nighttime entertaining.
