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This mommy got five hours to herself on a Saturday. FIVE whole hours, folks!! Jealous? So I decided to use that time to create a black and white Halloween party (with rats!) for you. (The party was a far better option than cleaning my house.) This look is — of course — easy for you to recreate and low-cost.

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The inspiration was toy black rats I spied at Dollar Tree. I couldn’t stop thinking about creating some sort of art project with them, so I ran out and scooped up 18 rats. (I got a little commentary and strange look at checkout, but I suppose I’m used to that by now…)

Black rats at Dollar Tree

This party was really about shopping at home. Walking through a room, seeing something that might work and bringing it into our party space until I had a big pile of possibilities.

You know I like to start with party colors, and the rats made black an obvious first choice. And, I always like to try something I haven’t done before, so I started down a path of a black and white party. But adding in a pop of orange was irresistible, and I’m really glad I added that touch of color.

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From my party stash, I pulled these items. (You know how I always tell you to buy things you can reuse instead of paper and plastic? This is why.)

  • White fabric tablecloths
  • Black chargers
  • White ironstone dishes
  • Orange fabric napkins
  • White compote bowl
  • Faux mini pumpkins
  • Two black picture frames
  • White foam core board
  • Candle sticks and white candles
  • Black forks
  • Footed dessert bowls
  • Black gumballs
  • Black ribbon
  • Pillowcases
  • Black scrapbooking paper

In fact, the only things I bought to decorate this party were $18 worth of rats. Oh — I take that back. I bought three rat images for my Silhouette machine for $3 total.

Black & White Halloween Mantle

I made my 3-D rat art and from there, it was all about — say it with me — layering. Be sure to hop over to Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams on Thursday, October 9 to see the tutorial. I’m thrilled to participate in Keisha’s annual 13 Days of Handmade Halloween! (It started yesterday so don’t miss out on any of the great posts from your favorite party bloggers!)

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In the center of the mantle, I put my two rat art frames, and then added dark candle sticks with white candles to either side of the art. Keep the number of candlesticks uneven for interest. One candle stick I topped with a rat because (1) I was out of candles and determined not to shop anymore and (2) he looked pretty cute up there. Once I decided to add the pops of orange, I placed three faux pumpkins on the mantle, as well. Just experiment until you create an arrangement that you like.

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I had two bunting ideas, and tried them both. I like them both equally well and I’ll show you idea number two — along with a tutorial — later this week. By far, the easier and faster idea was to hang more rats by their tails. All you need is black grosgrain ribbon and an uneven number of rats. Find the center of your ribbon and tie the ribbon around your first rat’s tail. Hang the center rat by a 3M Command Strip hook centered on your mantle. Then, tie three more rats to the left and right of the center rat, spacing them evenly. Easy as pie.

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Black & White Halloween Dining Table

The dining table starts with a white tablecloth, and the layers build from there. Next come black plastic chargers, then orange fabric napkins, then white plates. To each plate, I added a clear glass dessert bowl filled with black gumballs. I wanted another pop of orange, so I added some leftover orange polka dot ribbon. Want to tie a perfect bow? Try this tutorial from Evermine. Works like a charm.

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Black & White Halloween Centerpiece

The centerpiece is a white compote dish that’s normally on my dinning room sideboard. (Short story: I found it while antiquing with my mom and loved it. It was very reasonably priced, but it was a want, not a need, so I didn’t buy it. My mom doubled back after we left and bought it for me as a Christmas present. Isn’t she sweet?) The Halloween version of my compote is one black rat plus 16 faux pumpkins.

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Black & White Halloween Chairs

The chairs are just black folding chairs and I wanted to spruce them up, so I draped them with Dollar Tree pillow cases leftover from our Nancy Drew Mystery Party. To each pillowcase, I added a black rat, cut using my Silhouette Cameo, and attached to the pillowcase with a few glue dots. Using rats in all the key party spaces — mantle, tabletop, and chairs — helped give everything a cohesive theme.

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TPT 14 Party Planning Cheat Sheets 11-23-1

Party planning should be fun— not stressful!

Don't miss my FREE party planning cheat sheets.

These are the exact 14 worksheets I use to plan all my parties!

Have fun planning your party (and stop worrying about what you're forgetting).

Plus, you'll get all the latest parties, tutorials, and discounts from The Party Teacher.

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TPT 14 Party Planning Cheat Sheets 11-23-1

Don't miss my FREE Party Planning Cheat Sheets!

Don't miss my FREE party planning cheat sheets.

These are the exact 14 worksheets I use to plan all my parties!

Have fun planning your party (and stop worrying about what you're forgetting).

Plus, you'll get all the latest parties, tutorials, and discounts from The Party Teacher.

You have successfully subscribed! Thanks for joining the party!