The spookiness of Halloween draws us in like a moth to a flame. The endless festivities are fun for kids and adults alike. These festive Halloween table settings set your Halloween party apart from all the rest.

Some like to host a neighborhood Halloween block party, inviting all to gather candy, share some witches’ brew, and barbecue. Others enjoy attending community trunk-or-treat or harvest festivals, complete with corn mazes, crazy costumes, decorations and candy apples.

FOR MORE HALLOWEEN DECORATING IDEAS: 13 frightful Halloween decorations

If big neighborhood fetes are not your cauldron, perhaps you should have a Halloween dinner party in your home. With the ideas below, you’ll be sure to have a spooky and chic dinner party.

Memorable dinner parties always have a fantastic, festive tablescape because the table sets the mood of the dinner while also displaying the creativity of the host. Welcome your guests to your table with creative Halloween centerpieces.

Lory from To Have + To Host uses slightly dried roses in her Halloween centerpiece, lending a spooky, eerie and macabre feel to the table. Simply buy a bunch of roses a few days ahead of the party and allow them to sit in a vase with water for a few days. The petals will begin to dry and the color will fade, creating the perfect look for your dinner table.

Dark and spooky accessories to make your table stand out

Make a spooky and lovely centerpiece yourself by using deep-colored flowers and leafy foliage. Using a wide-serving platter, fill it with ferns, deep red roses, mums and gardenias. You can also use bare tree branches, spray painted black, as a centerpiece. Craft stores will have branches in the loose flower areas.

Pick up a few bare branches and spray paint them your favorite color, then put them in urns for a graveyard feel.

While you’re at the craft store, pick up some Halloween-themed figurines like black crows, skeletons and skulls. These items can be incorporated into either the centerpiece or the tablescape for a fun and interesting look.

Starting in mid-September, be on the lookout for black or charcoal-colored tablecloths or table runners at department and craft stores. A dark tablecloth will set off the table perfectly, getting everyone into the Halloween mood.

Using fruits and vegetables as decorations

Halloween centerpieces can also double as part of the dinner. Using blood-colored and black fruits will intensify the mood, and they can be enjoyed by your guests.

Red and white raspberries, red and black grapes, and black plums are not only delicious, but in the context of Halloween, they’re also quite gruesome.

You can also use visually appealing vegetables like artichokes, olives with pimentos, or black olives to create a delicious mood. A lot of grocery stores also carry witch finger grapes or fingerling potatoes. Try and incorporate those into your meal for a tasty Halloween side.

Creepy, crackling bones

The possibilities are endless for your tablescape, especially if you’re willing to DIY it. With a can of black spray paint, a skeleton and everyday items, you can create something spooky and eerie.

Lory has the great idea to buy a couple of skeletons and break them apart to set at the individual place settings. How creepy to sit down next to a femur!

Candlelight dinner

Don’t forget the candles. Taper candles are perfect for Halloween, especially as the wax drips down for the duration of the party. Start burning the candles a couple of hours or days before the party to get the full wax-drip effect.

Check thrift stores for candelabras and candle holders. And if you find one in a brass color, break out that spray paint and give it a new look.

Foggy and mysterious

To fully set the mood for your Halloween dinner party, use dry ice. Is there anything as spooky as fog? Dry ice is found at large grocery stores.

To make the fog, you’ll need a metal or plastic container half filled with hot water. Add a few pieces of dry ice to the hot water to create fog. The fog will last about 5–10 minutes, so you’ll need to add more hot water and dry ice for continued ambiance.

Set up right before guests arrive; the fog creates the right mood for a spooky, chic and elegant dinner party.

An elegant Halloween dinner party doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Hopefully with our easy Halloween table setting ideas and a little bit of time, you, too, can create a fun and spooky atmosphere.