It's the spookiest time of year!

I'm so excited to share my Halloween party tricks and treats with you today! I can't believe Halloween is just around the corner. It always seems to sneak up on us, doesn't it? No matter how you're celebrating this year, there are so many ways to make it a memorable night for the kids. I'm here to help you do exactly that.

I've teamed up with Nellie's Free Range once again to bring you some fun Halloween party ideas that I hope will inspire you to take part in all the spooky fun that this time of year brings. I'll be sharing my recipe and decorating instructions for homemade purple people eater cupcakes (yes, those one-eyed, one-horned creatures from the song!), plus an adorable DIY spider craft that you can make with your empty egg cartons.

Halloween themed decor

When it comes to Halloween, there are so many ways to decorate your space. You could go extra spooky with faux cobwebs, skeletons, and bats, or you can lean into the playful aspects of Halloween, which is what I did. I found an adorable "EEEK!" eyeball balloon and decided to make it the centerpiece of my d√©cor. To complement the colors on the balloon, I added pops of green, purple, silver, and black to my party setup in the form of a larger balloon garland, faux pumpkins, table settings, and a ghost garland. I absolutely love how the party backdrop turned out—and it sparked the perfect idea for the main event: purple people eater cupcakes.

Halloween themed party treats

Whether or not you're trick-or-treating this year, Halloween themed snacks and treats are a must-have for your party. In addition to purple people eater cupcakes, I set out some popcorn and a cotton candy cake.

Purple people eater cupcakes recipe

I was so excited when I came up with the idea for these one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater cupcakes. They may look like they require some skills to decorate, but they truly couldn't be simpler. I used one large piping tip to pipe the purple icing, and a small tip for the little white details. Don't forget to turn on the classic Halloween song while you make them with the kids. Just be warned: it's very catchy!

For the cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Nellie's Free Range Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large Nellie's Free Range Eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Nellie's Free Range Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Red food coloring
• Blue food coloring

For decorating:

• Medium and large candy eyeballs
• Purple sprinkles
• Chocolate cookies, halved
• Large star decorating tip (for the fur)
• Small star decorating tip (for teeth and tongue)
• 2 piping bags

To make the cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake baking papers. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
• Turn speed to low and mix in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Divide batter evenly between the lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops feel set when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting:

• Place butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add in vanilla extract and milk. Beat on high speed until fully combined.
• Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat on high speed until fully combined. Repeat with remaining powdered sugar, adding a 1/2 cup at a time, until frosting is fluffy and fully combined. If your frosting seems too stiff, add extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is achieved.
• Set a small amount of white frosting aside for adding details like teeth to your cupcakes. To the remaining frosting, add 10 drops of red food coloring for every 5 drops of blue coloring, adding color until you achieve your desired shade of purple.

To decorate:

• Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a piping bag with a large star tip to pipe the purple frosting onto your cupcakes in your desired design.
• To bring your purple people eater cupcakes to life, use the halved chocolate cookies for the mouths and candy eyeballs for the eyes. Place your white frosting in a piping bag with a small star tip, then add piped little teeth and tongues onto the mouths.
• To give your purple people eaters their classic horns, place a single piece of candy corn just above the eyes.
• Finish with purple sprinkles, then enjoy your one-eyed, one-horned treats!

Halloween themed party activities

It's not Halloween without spiders! My kids had so much fun creating these creepy crawlies from our empty Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons. The best part? You can use paint, glitter, and other materials to customize your spiders for any Halloween theme, whether scary or not-so-scary.

DIY upcycled egg carton spiders

Chances are you already have most of the supplies you need to create these egg carton spiders; just check your craft closet and recycling bin, then grab a couple bowls or mugs from the cupboard, and you're halfway there. Putting these spiders together couldn't be easier. You'll just need to cut out the individual egg cups from your cartons, do a bit of painting, and add some finishing touches. My kids used pipe cleaners for the legs and googly eyes to bring their spooky spiders to life.

Supplies:

• Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes
• Mini cups, bowls, or mugs
• Pipe cleaners
• Googly eyes in varying sizes
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Glue

Directions:

• Cut out individual egg carton cups. Paint them in the colors of your choice. Let them dry completely.
• Cut 2 pipe cleaners in half, then fold those cut pieces in half again to create 8 legs.
• Punch 2 holes on each side of your egg carton cup and attach the legs by poking the bent end through the holes slightly, and then twisting them on the inside of the cups to secure them in place.
• Attach googly eyes to the cups using glue to bring your spiders to life!

I hope these spooky (or not-so-spooky) party ideas put a shiver down your spine, friends! Happy Halloween!

Did you throw a Halloween themed party? Tag your photos with #nelliesfreerange so we can see! Or click here to see our other themed parties in the series. And don't forget to check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Party for more inspiration.