Fall Barn Party

Ideas for a Fall Party
Although we have been spending 12 hour days working on our new little farm, we decided to go ahead with our annual fall party.

We had very limited time to prepare and it would be a rush job, but we decided to have the party outdoors and in our barn.
Top of my list for a fun party?  Encourage everyone, including adults to come in costume.




We sometimes have a best costume contest with first place prizes for adults, teenagers and small children Everyone votes, then places their votes in a jar.  The votes are then tallied and special prizes handed out.

I also downloaded free Halloween label templates from the Internet to dress up a few wine bottles. It's a simple as downloading the free label, printing, cutting out, rub a glue stick on the back and sticking them onto the bottle. I try to cover the original wine label.  I add a little raffia ribbon and or fake cob webs.  Everyone seems to really enjoy these.

While shopping for decorations I could use for the party I came across this black metal cupcake stand at Target. 

Because of the simple wrought iron like design, I will be able to use this stand for various holidays.

~Desserts at Thanksgiving,
~Cookies at Christmas,
~Appetizers on New Year's,
~Cupcakes at Easter......
you get the idea.

We also wanted to keep it simple this year so used bales of straw for seating around the campfire, which work great.

The bales help provide enough seating and are pretty comfortable.  Having the straw circling the campfire also helped keep small children back from the fire.
To dress them up a bit throw a few warm fall themed blanket throws on top.

A campfire at our fall party has always been a must. 
Just have plenty of hot dogs and smores ingredients on hand.

A last minute decoration:  Turn your garden scarecrow into a fall monster.  I just added accessories like a mask, black shirt, monster hands and a saw.

My garden scarecrow as a monster!

Here is another great idea for a fall party or any party really.  A backdrop for photos! 

I found an idea I really like on a Blog about Rustic Fall Parties.  The backdrop could be anything really, but something to go with the party theme.  I made a backdrop of sorts:  Cornstalks, pumpkins, mums and a store bought backdrop / banner.

I also found photos of a backdrop I just love on Flickr.  The photographer's husband made this backdrop and tree for his school's fall carnival.  

This appears to be made by painting a sheet or tarp and cutting the tree out of cardboard, add a bale of straw and a couple of pumpkins and you have one unbelievable backdrop!

Although it has been awhile since I saw this at a fall party, I could not resist.
Our  barn came with a few old livestock buckets when we purchased it in August, so I put one to use for Bobbing for Apples.

The kids mostly just played in the water, but it makes for a nice fall photo.
Because apples are less dense than water, they will float at the surface. Players (usually children) try to catch an apple with their teeth. Use of hands is not allowed.
A more sanitary variation of the game now exists, so no "germs" are shared, with the apples hung on string on a line, rather than in a tub of water.
Maybe I will hang them from a beautiful fall tree next year.

For decorations have plenty of pumpkins, gourds and mums placed around the party area.  I usually have a graveyard, which is very popular with kids and adults a like.

Creating a grave yard is easy and makes for great back drop for photos:
Use cheap store purchased grave markers.
Tie two sticks together for a grave marker.
Place a Styrofoam head or two near the grave stones.
Pile up fall leaves around the base of the graves.
Add a little dry ice or use a smoke machine for an eerie effect.

Making graves is really easy.  Use 3/4 inch plywood to cut out the shapes of the graves then paint a weathered grayish-brown color.  Screw a stake to the back to anchor the grave to the ground.
Unsure of how to paint a grave?  Swing by an old graveyard for ideas.

For food we usually just barbecue brats, hamburgers and hot dogs.   Many times I make a big pot of chicken or beef stew and have sloppyjoes for sandwiches.
Our friend Heidi came up with this idea.  Serve dip in a small pumpkin.  I love this!

Other suggestions are pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin cookies, or any hearty stew, yummy on a chilly fall day.  Don't forget to serve hot drinks like coffee and hot cocoa and have apple cider available, cold or hot.

A hearty beef stew will warm you on a cool fall day.

In case of rain, we had extra bales of straw and the food tables set up in the barn, along with goodies bags for all the kids.

Don't forget the pumpkins!

Happy Fall and Halloween,

Elizabeth



Other Party Posts

• Italian Dinner Party

• Fall Decorated Christmas Tree

• July 4th Party

• Halloween Costume Ideas

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, 

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

- George Eliot

"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country 

slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools."

- Henry Beston, Northern Farm