SUMMER-WEEN: How To Host The Ultimate Spooky Summer DIY Bash

Who says that Halloween has to wait until October? Enter Summer-Ween, the delightfully eerie mashup os summer fun and spooky vibes. Its the perfect excuse to blend backyard barbecues with haunted house flair -tiki torches meet tombstones, if you will. Here's your go-to guide for creating a SUMMER-WEEN experience that thrills all five senses.

Visual Decor: Creepy Meets Coastal

Set the stage for your Summer-Ween bash with a bold mix of spooky and summer decor:

• Back and Neon Color Palette: Trade orange for neon greens, purples, and hot pinks with black accents for a vibrant haunted-beach look.

• Skeletons in sunglasses:

Position skeletons lounging in beach chairs, sipping from coconut cups or floating in a kiddie pool.

• Graveyard Luau:

Use faux tombstones, hanging bats, and tiki torches to merge scary and tropical.

• DIY Flaming Jack-o-Torch Lanterns:

Carve jack-o-lantern faces into hollowed pineapples, place battery-powered tea light inside, and set them around your patio or yard.

• Spiderweb Hammocks: Use white stretch webbing to decorate hammocks and porch swings.

Scents: Summertime Spook-Scents

Smell is one of the fastest ways to set a vibe. Here's how to infuse your event with Summer-Ween aromas:

• Coconut Clove Simmer Pot: On the stove or a warmer, simmer water with coconut oil, clove, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices.

• DIY Wax Melts or Candles: Blend scents like toasted marshmallows + sea salts, or citrus + smoked vanilla.

• Outdoor Citronella Cauldrons: Use black plastic cauldrons as containers for citronella candles to keep bugs away and stay on theme.

Sound: Spooky Beach Jams

Make a playlist that swings between summer fun and eerie ambiance:

• Mix Surf Rock with Spooky Sound FX: Think Monster Mash meets Wipeout, or Ghostbusters alongside Beach Boys.

• Ambient Track: Create a loop of crashing waves with distant thunder, creaky doors, and laughter layered in for creepy effect.

• Bluetooth Haunted Speaker Trick: Hide a small speaker in a bush or under the table to randomly play ghostly whispers or laughter during the party.

Lighting: From Sunshine to Shadows

Lighting sets the mood from day to dusk. Start sunny and end spooky.

• Glow-in-the-Dark Accents: Use glow paint on pool floats, garden rocks, and drinkware.

• Hanging String Lights: Mix soft white bistro lights with purple and orange ones for a twilight vibe.

• Mason Jar Ghost Lights: Fill jars with LED fairy lights and draw spooky faces on the outside with black paint or sharpie.

• Fire Pit Campfire Vibes: Roast s'mores at sunset with eerie ghost stories to end the night.

At-Home Experiences & Activities

Keep your guests entertained with immersive, Halloween-style games and stations that feel fun in the summer sun:

• DIY Costume Booth: Provide flower crowns, witch hats, leis, and vampire teeth for guests to build their own Summer-Ween look.

• Spooky S'mores Bar: Use dark chocolate, strawberry marshmallows, and black graham crackers for Halloween-themed treats.

• Pumpkin Pool Ring Toss: Paint mini pumpkins (or water balloons) and use glow rings for twilight game.

• Scary Movie Projection Night: Set up an outdoor screen and play a light-hearted spooky film like Hocus-Pocus, Beetlejuice, or Gremlins under the stars.

• "Potion" Drink Station: Set out colorful punch bowls with eerie labels like "Zombie Sweat" (lime soda + sherbet) and "Witch's Brew" (purple Gatorade + dry ice mist).

Final Tips

• Dress Code: Encourage guests to wear spooky-meets-summer outfits - think vampire surfers, ghost lifeguards, or zombie tourists.

• Favors: Send guests home with mini sunscreen bottles labeled "Vampire SPF" or candy bags with tropical flavors.

• Photo Backdrop: Hang a palm tree backdrop with fake cobwebs and tropical flowers for those instagram-worthy selfies.

Whether you're throwing a party or just surprising your family with a one-night spooky BBQ, Summer-Ween is a creative way to blend your love of Halloween with summer's easy-breezy energy. Start small, or go all-out just don't forget the sunscreen and the spiderwebs!