I think it’s fair to say that my love of Charlie Brown has continued unabated since childhood. I got to thinking about poor Charlie Brown on Halloween, his pitiful ghost costume with way too many holes, and how “All I got was a rock.” Without a doubt, the round-headed kid needed his own Halloween party!
I’ve been on a black and white kick, so taking my inspiration from Charlie Brown’s ghost costume made perfect sense. If you are throwing a pre-Halloween or Halloween party, I believe in keeping it simple. You are already going to have your hands full with your kids’ costumes and trying to get them to eat some real food. So don’t let a party be one more challenge on that day — manage the scope so it adds to your fun!
Charlie Brown Rock Costume Party Backdrop
Start with a piece of beadboard or white paneling. Take black 12″x12″ scrapbooking paper, and cut rough circles in a variety of sizes. They should not be perfect!
Make three larger circles to form your ghost face. Use glue dots to adhere the “ghost holes” to your white backdrop.
Charlie Brown Halloween Dessert Table Decor
Since I have a dark wood table, all I did was fold white fabric into a runner and draped it across the table. To the front of the runner, I pinned my ghost bunting — available now in the shop. The googly eyes crack me up!
Across the bottom of the table I arranged real pumpkins that I painted white with chalk paint — one of the many, many projects that make my husband look at me funny.
I kept the serving pieces all white, and added white napkins with large black dots from WalMart. The napkins were held in place with a rock. (Okay, I am corny and think I’m hysterical.)
Charlie Brown Halloween Party Desserts
I wanted all the desserts to either …
- Be in the black and white color palette,
- Have to do with rocks,
- Or somehow look like a ghost or Charlie Brown’s costume.
And, because this was one of those “I’ve had an inspiration and must party NOW and so I have no time to order special treats” parties (that’s a kind of party, right?) … I had to make or buy all the desserts myself.
We served:
- Peanut butter cookies with giant M&M butttons
- Rock candy (the kind that looks like rocks)
- Black and white gumballs
- Madeleine cookies with ghost eyes
- White yogurt covered pretzels (I could eat them ALL DAY)
- Frozen petit fours with a little ghost face that I added using black icing
Dessert Table Cheat Tip!
When you are trying to fill a dessert table AND keep things simple, add non-dessert items. I filled in with milk bottles and party favors.
You can buy milk bottles at most online party shops and even at the dollar store, but I’ve always just washed and reused Starbucks Frappuccino bottles. (Hop in the way-back machine to see how to punch a hole in the Starbucks cap and make your bottles spill-proof.)
Trim white cardstock about 2″ high and tape it to your bottles. Then cut circles from black electrical tape and stick them to the paper wrap. (Or, cut circles from more black scrapbooking paper, and then use a glue stick to adhere them to the paper wrap.) Either way, make three of your circles larger than the others to create the ghost face. Add black and white paper straws for fun.
Charlie Brown Halloween Party Favors
My party favors were more gumballs in white muslin sacks. Just take sticky-back black felt, freehand cut some circles, and you’ve got ghost favor sacks.
Gotta love those, “I have an inspiration parties”! You pulled this one off beautifully.
Thanks, Sandra! My homemade treats don’t compare to yours!