Thread: Party/Decoration Books

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Can anyone recommend some of the best Halloween decoration and party books? I know these sort of books are hit or miss with little in between, so I want to try and find the definitive books on the subject.

"Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living" is a good one.

I don't have any other books, I collect the special Halloween periodicals (BetterHomes & Gardens, Country Living, Martha Stewart, etc.) put out during the Fall, every year. They have great decor ideas, recipes, etc.

Hope this was helpful... H1

Honestly, there isn't a lot out there, aside from those Halloweenie1 mentions above.

As an economic watermark in the financial year, Halloween is young. Trendcurve released their first Halloween forecast for color trends, motiffs and textures last year, the very first one, ever... and they are still recovering from the huge and unexpected demand. They really missed the revival of Halloween, and they are playing serious catch-up.


Marketers are just now waking up to how big Halloween is, and the holiday is still young in the eyes of designers, who are beginning to give it the attention and serious contemplation it deserves.

Your best bet is Fall and Halloween books by established designers like Martha.
The Big Halloween Book may be a source (don't recall the authors name) but the reviews among serious Halloweeners like us was,... eh - we do better stuff.

Frankly, you are standing in the largest, most interactive guide to Halloween parties, dinners, gatherings and games - this forum.
Start searching and reading, making notes as you go.

Hi again,

I thought about your question and it made me wonder.....I have'nt purchased any Halloween books in years, but then again there was'nt a whole lot out there at the time. So, I did a little searching and found a few books at my local library that I liked:

Matthew Mead's Monster Book of Halloween

Halloween Tricks and Treats (Better Homes & Gardens Crafts)

Ghoulish Goodies: Creature Feature Cupcakes, Monster Eyeballs, Bat Wings, Funny Bones, Witches' Knuckles, and Much More! by Sharon Bowers

In fact, I went to Amazon to order them and found they have a nice selection of Halloween books.....if you are unsure read the reviews, I find that they are very helpful.

I do know Tom Nardone's series of pumpkin carving books are great.....it looks like he has a new one out:

Extreme Halloween: The Ultimate Guide to Making Halloween Scary Again

I hope this helps....enjoy! H1

Hi 2E151,

I found one more book you might be interested in....it's called "A Halloween-How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations" by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne.

This book covers haunt stuff for the house & yard....walkway ideas, how to make pumpkin lamp posts (PVC pipe), candy bowl trick, bubbling cauldron, tombstones, black light, all you need to know about carving pumpkins, concepts and instructions on how to create costumes, how to distress materials to make look old, fake blood recipes, makeup & skin treatments, a smoking pumpkin centerpiece, party games, music suggestions, party food recipes, etc. etc...... and it has a chapter that lists Haunts you can visit.

This book is not the definitive on Halloween. It's a brief smathering of simple (but effective) Halloween haunt ideas/recipes/projects. The explanations are short & simple, (if you are looking to make something more complex, like a how to make a grave jumper, this is not the book) not alot of illustrations, but clear instructions and a few amatuer black white pictures. If you are just starting out, it might be a good one to try. You can find it on Amazon.

Just know most of the material covered, can be found on here on Halloween Forum.

Good luck & have fun! H1

Another place to check out...is http://www.howtohauntyourhouse.com/ they have two books out that can be purchased at amazon.....
The website has very cool sample props & projects to try out.....the books have nice color pics and clear explanations. The website lets you have a look inside the books. There is a cool project for a seance table.

Thanks for posting the question.... it seems there are few more options out there, I did'nt know about...looks like I've got a few books to order! ......Thanks! H1

Amazon.com: Gooseberry Patch Halloween (9780848733919): Gooseberry Patch: Books

This one's new for this year! I found a copy at Books-a-Million and flipped through it. It has a ton of really good-looking recipes and ideas. Don't pick up the magazine Gooseberry Patch has out right now, as the book has everything it has and a WHOLE LOT more. I'll definitely be ordering one soon. Amazon looks to have the best price. It was nearly $20 at BaM.

I agree with Halloweenie1. They have that book at our library & I check it out year after year. Great reading materials with very easy ideas! Martha Stewart has her new Halloween Collectors Edition out. Bought it today. Has a lot of ideas from past years but a couple of new one I will try along with recipes for cocktails I've seen posted on here.