I Need Your Creativity, Girls

Okay, I have less than a month to prepare...

I need AWESOME ideas for our annual Halloween party... we've decided to go with a theme for the first time this year and we're going with

Carnivale

So we need creepy freak show ideas, fun carnival foods, hybrid decorating ideas, I'm taking baby dolls and stuffing them into old jars filled with cloudy liquid... heehee my bff and I are going as creepy conjoined twins

stuff like that.

You guys are the most creative crew I know. Hit me.

ahahahahahaha!!! i'll come as the bearded lady. gah, i have no idea as i am one of the least creative people i know. wish i could help. who's the horrific ring master?

I'm thinking of making magnets of sideshow posters to put in goody bags for the guests... talk to me about printing. can I modge podge onto thicker cardstock? I don't hybrid at all, so I need all the pointers I can get.

also, carnival food, what do you think of? besides funnel cake!

carnival food...hmmm...deep fried corn dogs, cotton candy, caramel apples.

That sounds like tons of fun! carnival foods, yum. think caramel apples, popcorn balls, mini corn dogs (or a more sophisticated version with mini sausages wrapped in crescent dough) and I have a recipe for a delish (and very cool looking) Spiderweb Pumpkin Cheesecake. you can google for a lot of freaky halloween recipe also

a funhouse-esque mirror, marionettes, jack-in-the-box, a crystal ball, some taro cards, glow in the dark symbols and scrawlings on the walls, not sure if any of that is what you're thinking of

Oooooh!! I have loads of tarot cards (I used to do it for a living), I can definitely use those, GOOD THINKING

I wonder where I can get fun house mirrors? or how i can fake them? i wonder if I know anyone with a crystal ball, I don't want to buy one just for a party, they're pretty dear. i think i'm going to oven bake some sweet nuts and put them in those paper cups (I can print something cute on those), popcorn is a good idea, I forgot that they sell caramel apples!! (I looooove caramel apples)

there's going to be roughly 40 people, so I might not want to do a cheesecake... heh, there'll be a riot.

(DH is going to be in a tent as the Amazing Man Eating Chicken... when you go in... he'll be sitting there... eating chicken)

Oh! Look how cute!!
Anyone know how to make these?

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_19&listing_id=13139468

Voodoo_Bryn said:

Oh! Look how cute!!
Anyone know how to make these?

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_19&listing_id=13139468

Click to expand...

I used to make soaps, haven't done it in a while. All you need to do is go buy some glycerin. They will have it at most craft stores. You just melt the glycerin (in microwave, double boiler, etc) and can put it in any kind of molds. And to get the fishies or anything else in it, just put them in while it is still in liquid form and then let it all set.

Oh and you can make magnets with Shrinky Dinks. You can see how here:
http://www.deepfriedkudzu.com/2006/08/shrinky-dink-magnets.html

I made a fridge magnet from a piece of chipboard, photo glued on top, inked the edges and sealed with a coat of Diamond Glaze (clear dimensional glaze). Xyron makes a roll of magnetic tape, I found it in the office supply section and it works great!


You could also have them printed if you wanna save the time and work, check out Keepsake Magnets by SomethingBlueStudios. great quality!

as for the mirror, I imagine you may be able to find some sort of reflective material at a hardware store? I have heard of reflective spray paints but don't know how well those would work.

oh and for a crystal ball, look at the craft store for a round glass bowl. Invert it on a table, you can even dust or paint the inside of the bowl to make it apprear foggy and place a figure (like a dolls head) inside.

haha, that man-eating-chicken makes me LOL every time!

you guys rock!! I'm totally doin' that shrinky dink!! I'm going to make the fish bags as soap, but also as jello shots!!! LOL How cute of an idea is THAT??

I put DH in charge of the midway games, and guess what guess what guess what??

he said I can rent two lenses for the party!!! we're going to set up a photo booth so I can take pics of my guests being silly! and then we're going to have the printer and lappy right there, so they have a pic to put in their goody bag, too!!

can you tell i'm finally getting excited?

Maybe you can get someone to do "palm readings", too. Instead of the crystal balls, maybe you could get those balls that you shake up and it gives you an answer? For the fun house mirror, you can use shiny sheet metal that you warp into position. What about handing out Mardis Gras beads (cheap souvenir)? If you or a friend has a wire crate for a dog and you have a large stuffed bear, lion, or gorilla, you could make a wild animal cage, maybe even with a recording of that animal's sound. What about a cornhole toss or some sort of carnival game? (I only suggest cornhole toss because it's easier to set up and usually someone in the neighborhood has one of those, at least here in the Midwest they do)
It's been a while since I've been to a carnival, so I might have lame ideas....

I ordered the shrinky dink paper! we're going to have a fortune teller who paints your palm red shortly after you sit down. "Didn't you want your palm red?"
DH is in charge of the midway, i'm decorating cute little ride tickets to go in the goody bags, and I'm making prize bags of goldfish out of jello shots. (this is an adult party, after all, heh)

You will have so much fun with the Shrinky Dinks. We did a lot of fun projects with them on Penny's blog here. I sooooo want to come to the party! LOL!! Sounds like a lot of fun!!