HALLOWEEN F un for ALL Ages + PUMPKINS + COSTUMES + PARTIES + FAVORS + WREATHS 2016 ADVERTISEMENT every plant 100% guaranteed ORDER TODAY: Call White Flower Farm 1-800-420-2852 tulips & REFER TO CODE SIP01 daff odils ORDER ONLINE: BHGGardenStore.com GUARANTEED TO PLEASE WEATHERPROOF DAFFODIL MIXTURE Light up your spring landscape with some of the world’s best Daff odils. Large-cupped Narcissus are sturdy performers that stand up to the worst weath- er that early spring can deliver. This exclusive mix includes 20 of the best Large-cupped Daff odil vari- eties, providing a sampling of the full range of colors and shapes found in this vigorous group. Gardeners who plant our attractive mix once are back for more every year. Our off er includes 36 bulbs, which will cover 9 square feet. Bulbs are not labeled. Your bulbs will be shipped at the proper time for fall planting. Recommended for zones 3-7S/10W. Item GM128800, $34.00 plus shipping. REMBRANDT TULIP MIXTURE Decorate your spring garden with bright colors and patterns. The Rembrandt Tulips prized in the 17th century owed their bold feathering and striking good looks to viruses in the bulbs. New Rembrandts have a similar appearance with petals brushed in strokes of contrasting color, but this time it’s thanks to careful breeding. Our mix includes 25 Triumph Tulip bulbs, not labeled, that will cover about 6 square feet. Your bulbs will be shipped at the proper time for fall planting. Recommended for zones 3–8S&W. Item GM232779, $24.00 plus shipping. 6YKLYLHYS`"X\HU[P[PLZHYLSPTP[LKHUKHYLYLZLY]LKVUHÄYZ[JVTLÄYZ[ZLY]LKIHZPZ Table of ONCOCTIONS C 66 44 18 6 38 Crushing on Candy Eerie Edibles These deliciously fun ideas for decorating Sweet and savory nibbles get in the spirit. with confections can transform any buffet Vampire bagels, anyone? table into a sweet smorgasbord. 44 Trick-or-Treat Tots 18 Count Dracula’s Tired of escorting kids in plastic masks Bash around the neighborhood? Dress your Turn scary into merry for little kids, and youngsters in creative costumes made from throw a Halloween counting party filled with everyday stuff. color, food, and fun. 56 Carved in Style 30 Wickedly Our easy DIY ideas help you upgrade Welcoming Wreaths standard pumpkins into dazzling displays that are sure to charm and amuse visitors. 'Tis the season—for hauntingly clever door decor, that is. BHG.com/TricksTreats 1 56 84 66 Mantel Magic 74 Turn your fireplace into a Fright Night focal point with retro silhouettes, a skull with a black bow tie, and other eye-catching decorations. 74 What Are You? Plays on words make for groan-inducing costumes for kids and adults. 84 Home Sweet Haunted Need ideas for decorating your front porch? Set the scene for fun with creepy spiders, hovering bats, and towering pumpkins. 92 Party Favors 4 From the Editor Whether you need a Halloween treat to 5 On the Web bring to school or a gift to send home with 96 Sources guests, we’ve got you covered with these 6 fun ideas just right for kids. 2 HALLOWEEN 2016 Editor ANN BLEVINS Designer NICOLE DEAN TEUT Contributing Editor LACEY HOWARD Contributing Designer KRISTIN CLEVELAND Contributing Copy Editor MARY HEATON Contributing Proofreader NANCY DIETZ Administrative Assistant SUE MILLER MEREDITH SPECIAL INTEREST MEDIA ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Editorial Content Director DOUG KOUMA Executive Editor KARMAN WITTRY HOTCHKISS Vice President and Group Publisher SCOTT MORTIMER Assistant Managing Editor JENNIFER SPEER RAMUNDT Executive Account Director DOUG STARK HOME GARDEN Group Editors ANN BLEVINS, SAMANTHA HART Business Development Director CURT BLADES [email protected] Senior Associate Art Director KIMBERLY MORGAN METZ Director of Sales & Marketing SARA MILLER [email protected] Associate Art Director NICOLE DEAN TEUT National Account Manager ERIC MARZEN [email protected] Graphic Designer OLIVIA CURTI National Account Executive HEATHER GIESEKE [email protected] National Account Executive TYLER SMITH [email protected] GARDEN Regional Account Executive BRIAN KEANE [email protected] Group Editor JAMES A. BAGGETT Assistant Editor RISA QUADE CRAFTS Senior Associate Art Director NICK CROW Advertising Sales Director AMY GATES [email protected] Assistant Art Director JESSICA ENO Advertising Account Manager AMBER DARBY [email protected] Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden® Manager SANDRA GERDES Project Supervisor BETHANY PETERSON [email protected] Sales Assistant ASHLEY JACOBS [email protected] EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATION Senior Copy Editor SHEILA MAUCK LUXURY HOME PORTFOLIO Business Manager, Editorial CINDY SLOBASZEWSKI Group Publisher BETH McDONOUGH [email protected] Contracts and Database Manager MARYANN NORTON Brand Director, Integrated Marketing STACEY FARRAR-HERMES Lead Business Office Assistant GABRIELLE RENSLOW [email protected] Business Office Assistant KIM O’BRIEN-WOLETT Marketing Assistant SOPHIA THID [email protected] Administrative Assistants LORI EGGERS, SUE MILLER Director, Premedia Services AMY TINCHER-DURIK HOME Director of Quality JOSEPH KOHLER Senior Vice President and Group Publisher CHRISTINE GUILFOYLE Director of Photography REESE STRICKLAND [email protected] Photo Studio Set Construction Manager DAVE DeCARLO Associate Publisher TRACY HADEL [email protected] Photo Studio Business Manager TERRI CHARTER Assistant Director, Print Premedia MICHAEL STURTZ HEALTH AND WELLNESS Color Quality Analyst PAMELA POWERS Integrated Account Manager STEVEN CARDELLO [email protected] Northeast/New England Account Manager BROOKE ENGELDRUM FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION [email protected] Associate Advertising Business Manager EDWARD HAYES Midwest Advertising Sales Manager CHIP WOOD [email protected] Associate Business Director JENNA BATES Business Manager TONY ROUSE Midwest Advertising Sales Manager HARTLEY ARNOLD [email protected] Product Sales HEATHER PROCTOR Western Manager CHERYL SPEISER [email protected] FOOD AND HOLIDAY CONTRIBUTING FIELD EDITORS Group Publisher STEPHEN BOHLINGER [email protected] Atlanta Lisa Mowry Baltimore Eileen Deymier Birmingham, Alabama Cathy Still McGowin Advertising Director MALLORY PARKS [email protected] CChhaarrlloesttteo/nS,a Sno Dutiehg Coa Aronldinrae/aS aCvaaungnhaehy S andra L. Mohlmann Account Manager CAITLIN CARROLL [email protected] Chicago Megan Chaffi n, Chandra Hammond, Elaine Markoutsas Advertising Sales Assistant SHARON TAPLIN [email protected] Dallas/Fort Worth Donna Talley Denver Mindy Pantiel, Elaine St. Louis Detroit/Toronto Khristi S. Zimmeth Jaff rey Center, New Hampshire Stacy Kunstel ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Los Angeles Darra Baker, Laura Hull, Robin Tucker 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023 Minneapolis/St. Paul Bonnie Broten, Heidi Pearson, Alecia Stevens Nashville Anna Forkum Associate Production Director APRIL BRACELIN Production Manager DEBBIE REYNOLDS New Orleans Kimberly Clarke, Margaret Zainey Roux Newport, Rhode Island Lynda Sutton NPoerwtl aYnodrk, MCiatyin Jeo Srugsea Sn. SAaralonmgoo n N Peowr tPlaanltdz,, NOerewg oYonr Skh Aannnnao nM Qoluviimk by San Diego Karen Reinecke CIRCULATION San Francisco Sarah Alba Seattle Linda Humphrey Washington, D.C. Jeanne Blackburn Consumer Marketing Director LIZ BREDESON Chatham, Massachusetts Karin Lidbeck-Brent Consumer Marketing Manager BLAINE ROURICK Director, Newsstand JENNIFER HAMILTON DIRECT MEDIA For editorial questions, e-mail [email protected] or write us at Halloween, Fax: 212/499-6757 Special Interest Publications, Meredith Corp., 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. Advertising Director GRACE CHUNG-MUI [email protected] 212/499-6719 Associate Business Development Manager SAMANTHA GIORDANO [email protected] 212/499-6723 Meredith National Media Group President | TOM HARTY EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTS President, Parents Network CAREY WITMER President, Women’s Lifestyle THOMAS WITSCHI President, Meredith Digital JON WERTHER Chief Marketing Officer NANCY WEBER Chief Revenue Officer MICHAEL BROWNSTEIN General Manager DOUG OLSON SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS Chief Digital Officer ANDY WILSON Digital Sales MARC ROTHSCHILD Research Solutions BRITTA CLEVELAND VICE PRESIDENTS Business Planning and Analysis ROB SILVERSTONE Content Licensing LARRY SOMMERS Corporate Sales BRIAN KIGHTLINGER Direct Media PATTI FOLLO Brand Licensing ELISE CONTARSY Communications PATRICK TAYLOR Human Resources DINA NATHANSON Strategic Sourcing, Newsstand, Production CHUCK HOWELL Chief Strategy Officer Kim Martin Creative Content Leader Dana Points Chairman and Chief Executive Offi cer STEPHEN M. LACY Vice Chairman | MELL MEREDITH FRAZIER President, Meredith Local Media Group PAUL KARPOWICZ In Memoriam | E. T. MEREDITH III, 1933–2003 For reuse and reprint requests, contact [email protected]. PRINTED IN THE USA FROM the EDITOR We keep it real! We love Halloween. But like you, we lead busy lives, too. So we’ve made sure to include a spook- tacular number of shortcuts and fun ideas. If you’re looking for kids’ costumes, right, we have the cutest little cupid costume you’ve ever seen. And even more costumes, for all ages, on pages 44 and 74. If you’re planning a kids’ party, page 18, check out how to also make it a learning experience for your little guests with clever Count Dracula! The cute invitations and game cards for the party are just a click away as a download. It’s just not Halloween unless there’s candy, and here are all the ideas you need for confectionary displays, page 6. There are also quick favors, on page 92, and since they’re not all candy, they’re great for school or day care treats. We’ll be having a great Halloween here, keeping it real. I hope you do, too! 4 HALLOWEEN 2016 G N O ET IT OW NLINE at bhg.com Adorable Cupcakes Whip up a cupcake creation that’s sure to dazzle your Halloween party guests. Our cupcake owls, black cats, witches, and ghosts are all magic to make and decorate! BHG.com/HTTCupcakes Custom Pumpkin Stencils Find a new favorite pumpkin stencil by taking this short quiz. Just answer a few easy questions to find out which cool pumpkin patterns and projects are best for you. BHG.com/HTTStencil Which Halloween Character Are You? On October 31, should you patiently wait for the Great Pumpkin, spook the house’s new residents, or claim that you ain’t scared of no ghosts? Take our quiz—if you dare. BHG.com/HTTCharacter Incredibly Cool Halloween Ideas Get spooked by these 13 hauntingly cool Halloween ideas that will have the night’s ghouls and ghosties giggling. BHG.com/HTTIdeas Halloween Door Decor Welcome trick-or-treaters and party guests with front door accents that cast just the right spell. BHG.com/HTTDoor P BHG.com/TricksTreats 5 I C U R NG C D AN Y Kids of all ages will love a happy-go-lucky Halloween party built around stripes, polka dots, and piles of candy. PROJECTS BY SUZONNE STIRLING WRITTEN BY DEBRA STEILEN PHOTOGRAPHER ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI 6 HALLOWEEN 2016 re ers P tty Platt It’s the sweetest way ever to decorate serving platters, opposite. Just attach pieces of candy around the rim with dots of Royal Icing. resse for ess D d Exc Tempt guests with a bountiful buffet, this photo, boasting chocolate bars, candy corn, and other treats—all made Halloween-ready with free tag and packaging downloads. Boost the style quotient with a candy-covered wreath and a stylish gum-ball garland. BHG.com/TricksTreats 7 s r It’ a W ap Upgrade plain chocolate bars with our wicked-cool wrappers, above. Just print, trim, wrap, and secure with double-stick tape. e r en f e Cl a ly Id ti i d Make candy jars look even cuter by hanging stylish tags printed on glossy paper, above right. r n o o orn ones G ab-a d-G P pc C For treats they can eat while mingling, serve caramel corn in paper cones made from polka-dot bags, right. Glued-on candies and ribbon add pizzazz. 8 HALLOWEEN 2016