It's hard to believe it's already that time of year again — Halloween is just around the corner! 

No doubt, you're in the middle of planning your big celebratory bash. While your home is likely filled with design ideas to entertain your friends, you're in need of some really cool ideas to take things up a notch this year. You don't really want your Halloween bash to come across as just the average party — you want to "wow" your guests. 

Let's see if we can help.

Dimly Lit Pathway 

Your pathway out front is an opportunity to set the mood for your guests as they approach your doorway. If there's no snow on the ground (or even if there's a little bit) you can create Halloween luminaries then light and place them along your path. You'll want just enough light to make a spooky impact, but not so few that they don't do their job lighting the way.

BEWARE: fill the bottoms with sand so they don't blow away and set the neighbourhood on fire.

Spooky Haunted "Mirrors"

You're not really into blood and guts but you do want to spook up your home for your gathering. Create your own haunted "mirrors" throughout your home by printing a spooky black-and-white picture of a face, and spraying the glass of the picture frame with glass finish spray paint. Keep the paint thin in areas to ensure the face still comes through.

Black Candles & Holders 

Locate dark-coloured wine or spirit bottles at your local dollar store, second-hand store, or other places you might find empty glass bottles. Insert black candles into the mouths of these bottles and place them throughout your home. If you can't find dark coloured bottles, paint the insides with water-based black paint.

Smoking Pumpkins 

Nothing makes a spooky Halloween quite like dry ice. Carve some jack-o-lanterns up and place them in the main areas of your home where your guests are likely to gather. A little bit of dry ice in warm water at the bottom will produce a spooky smoke to billow across the floor. 

Dry ice is a harmless product when used in moderation (be sure to ventilate if you're using this indoors), and can be found at various dry ice suppliers throughout Calgary.

Unconventional Plating 

Serving a meal at your party? Consider different ways to offer a meal in theme with the season. If you're serving soup, consider using acorn squashes as your bowls. Simply scoop out the inside, brush with olive oil and salt, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Et, voila! You have a fall-themed serving vessel.

If you're hosting a full dinner party, be sure the ambience is just right. Serve by candlelight, or if you have a dimmer in your dining area, set it as low as possible to create the spooky mood without making people have to blindly find their meals.

Spook Up Your Candied Apples 

Nothing says Halloween quite like candy apples. Make yours the talk of the party by adding black gel food colouring to the caramel. This will darken them up a bit and make them look extra spooky for your gathering. You can also get creative with your sticks and find spooky-looking plastic twigs at your local home décor retailers.

Create a Special Drink 

Nothing makes a party more memorable than a really good signature drink. As an example, light a cinnamon stick on fire (with caution, of course) and place it in the glass before pouring in your cocktail (bourbon cider is a good choice for this.) 

This creates a smoky, spicy drink, something your guests are sure to remember.

Experiment with unique Halloween drink ideas before your party and serve up your favourite concoction as your party's featured libation.

Black Candy Buffet 

Candy bars are pretty hot at parties and gatherings, and that doesn't exclude Halloween, the candy event of the year. Offer a candy buffet at your party, selecting candy that's all black and/or white, such as liquorice, taffy, black cherry hard candy sticks, jelly beans, and any other black or white candy you can find.

No matter how large or small your gathering is this Halloween, you can make it memorable by thinking outside the box when it comes to the details. From the décor, to the ambience, to the manner in which you present the food and drink, every little detail counts. Have fun with your planning, and enjoy watching the reactions you're sure to achieve with your guests.

Did you spend so much time planning your party you forgot about a costume? No worries – these DIY Halloween costume ideas are easy to put together and even easier to love.