Out of the Box Ideas for Your Halloween Party

It’s creeping up on us. Halloween is just around the corner!

If you're already thinking of new ways to celebrate one of the year's most awaited holidays, then read on, because these brands from the Packola community have some tricks up their sleeves.

Whether you’re preparing a Halloween party for the little ones or a spook fest for your friends and family, there's something on this list to spice up that soiree.

Challenge Guests to a Dance Off

What's a party without music? Not your party that's for sure!

But instead of simply cranking up Thriller or Monster Mash and letting everyone sway their own way, encourage your guests to form groups and battle it out on the dance floor. Winner takes home all the candies, of course.

We'll leave the competition rules to you. What we can do, though, is recommend a great place to get your dancewear-slash-costume from.

The startup online shop Totally Addicted To Dance sells dancewear and accessories. Their catalog offers a wide collection of products from around the world and ranges from belts and jackets to bodysuits and even full ballroom sets.

The company ships orders within the U.S. and to the U.K. in custom boxes that are so beautifully designed, you can repurpose them for your dance-off prizes.

"The design inspiration for our boxes came from the wonderful dance photos of professional dancers Tykhon and Yana Zhyvkov. Tykhon and Yana are such beautiful dancers whose passion and emotion shine through the photos of their dancing. We want our customers to be as excited about dance as we are. We hope to feature other professional dancers on our boxes in the future," shares Totally Addicted To Dance owner, Melanie Mottram.

Based in Southern California, the company was created from a passion for dance and the need to find unique practice dancewear and dance attire.

Learn more about Totally Addicted to Dance on www.totallyaddictedtodance.com.

Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn About Witchcraft

The Eclectic Green Witchery custom mailer box

Settle down, this one doesn't cast spells on anyone but yourself; and it's all about spiritual well-being.

If a night of socializing is not your cup of tea, then by all means, trick or treat yourself to a much-deserved evening of self-care with a little help from The Eclectic Green Witchery.

Founded by Laurie A. Gouley, this fascinating online store from Wilton, NH, provides amazing resources for learning witchcraft, mindfulness, and walking a spiritual path.

According to Laurie, "I teach witchcraft and spiritual well-being and I curate witchy boxes. Some are very basic tools to aid the novice witch into the craft and others are based on self-care, meditation rituals, and teas."

While the word "witch" may still carry some negative connotations in this day and age, it is far from how Laurie describes one, particularly a green witch who she explains is someone who works with the elements and is able to harness energy from natural sources by developing a close connection with the plants, animals, and herbs.

As for her witch boxes, they contain curated kits for healing, empath protection, and there's even one for winter remedy. She tells us, "I've had WONDERFUL responses to the boxes. I love them and I will be ordering more once I run out."

Learn more about The Eclectic Green Witchery on www.theeclecticgreenwitchery.com.

Follow them on Facebook and Instagram

Solve a Mystery

Invite the mystery lovers over because this Halloween, you are going sleuthing... sort of.

Put your thinking caps on and let Gruzzle take you, clue by clue, through a spine-tingling journey with puzzles!

This small puzzling company is created and run by the mother-daughter team of Joan and Eureka Emanon. Gruzzle produces subscription by mail mystery puzzle boxes featuring family-friendly mysteries that contain creative and original puzzle sets.

Every Gruzzle box contains a series of interconnected puzzles which could include word ciphers, number puzzles, visual clues, enigmatic messages, and even 3D constructions that require deduction, logic, and out-of-the-box thinking to solve.

The puzzles may involve a museum theft, a puzzling will, or an initiation into a secret society. The mysteries are nail-biting and are best solved in groups.

Intrigued by their custom box design, we asked Vicki Hayes to share with us the inspiration for the look. She happily obliged:

"Our logo features random intersecting arrows. Our box design includes these arrows and other objects that represent puzzles, and a picture of an inquisitive child peering through a magnifying glass to represent mysteries."

Learn more about Gruzzle on www.gruzzle.com.

Follow them on Facebook and Instagram

Read Tarot Cards

Shitty Arcana tarot cards product packaging

If the puzzles are getting too hard to solve, perhaps the tarot cards can offer some insights?

Jenny Hubbard's Shitty Arcana - A Set of Majors is a beautifully illustrated deck of tarot cards featuring her original artworks. She describes the set as "scruffy" but we disagree—they're absolutely for keeps! And they'll come in handy for a night of mystical explorations with your friends.

Jenny's tarot cards are packed in custom product boxes which she also designed herself. Printed on the back is her inspiration for creating the set which reads, "Shitty Arcana: A Set of Majors was inspired by a personal mission to draw more."

Check out her shop on www.etsy.com/shop/jennyhubbardart.

For updates, follow Jenny on Instagram.

Lift Your Spirits

Yes, wine made it into this list. It’s not a new or unique Halloween idea at all, but this wine brand could be your "new" staple on the party table.

The Vara Winery & Distillery is an international family of Spanish and American wines and spirits that celebrate the origin of the American wine experience thanks to the historical connection of Spain and New Mexico.

Shining the spotlight on the Sweet & Seco Gift Box, Vara's creative director, Rudi Backart, has this to share about their must-try drink:

"The Vermut Sweet & Seco Cocktail takes inspiration from the Vermuts of Spain where vermouth became a treasured tradition soon after its discovery in the late 18th century. ’La Hora del Vermut‘ meaning ’The Vermut Hour‘, is a designated time to drink vermouth and share tapas with family and friends in preparation for more serious consumption of the evening meal.

The graphics on the box speak to this hour in a fun manner along with the directions for preparation of this great cocktail."

Learn more about Vara Winery & Distillery on www.varawines.com.