A Vintage Halloween
Oct 30, 2013 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
Have a Happy Halloween
“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.” That phrase is like music to our ears; it signals the all clear for buying candy in bulk! Most say that this spooky tradition traveled to the US of A from Europe in the 19th century. Since then we’ve heartily embraced the excuse to indulge in sweets, dress like our childhood heroes, stay up past our bedtime, and party on! Hope you enjoy our tips on celebrating this Halloween like it’s 1959.
Four Classic Halloween Costumes | Get your spook on, in style
Witch
A favorite throughout the ages, a great Halloween witch walks the line between spooky and spunky. All you need to complete this look is a pointy hat (inexpensive to purchase or easy to make – Martha Stewart shows us how – http://www.marthastewart.com/268139/wizard-and-witch-costumes-witches-hats ) and a black dress. You’ll get bonus points for carrying a broom as your accessory!
Skeleton
Simple to assemble and fun to wear, skeleton costumes are a treasured favorite. Simply buy black gloves, over-sized black socks, a black sweat shirt, and black sweat pants. Start with a bone stencil (they’re easy to find online). Using white fabric paint, create the bone outline on the pants, shirt, and socks. Be sure to wear the black socks over your shoes to perfect the eerie appearance.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, 1969
Pirate
Well shiver me timbers! Pirates make a great addition to any party. Create your pirate look with some key pieces. Buy a cheap white t-shirt and make it look a little rugged by ripping and tearing holes into the edges. If you want to go an extra step, paint horizontal blue lines with fabric paint. Take a pair of cheap black pants and shorten them to Capri length. Tear up the edges of the pants as well. Add a bandana around your neck, an eye patch (cut from black construction paper & tied with a bit of yarn), or a belt to create some more mystery. Remember no pirate is complete without his hat. You can purchase or make your own. (Thanks to the site Ugga Bugga for the following directions)
Cat
Channeling Julie Newmar’s 1966 Catwoman is a breeze to accomplish. Keep your clothing monotone in color (although you can feel free to add some sparkles like Julie’s costume). Add some ears, put on a tail, create your makeup look, and you’re good to go. Thanks to Tally’s Treasury for the helpful diy cat ear tutorial. Prepare to intrigue your fellow party goers all night!
Julie Newmar is Cat Woman
Classic Halloween Candy | Four Iconic Brands
Baby Ruth
Originally called the Kandy Kake, this delicious combination of peanuts, caramel, and chocolate nougat first came into existence in 1921. The Curtiss Candy company based out of Chicago made Baby Ruth’s just down the street from Wrigley Field. By coinicidence of geography, most assumed it was named after Babe Ruth. However the candymaker claimed the name is inspired by President Cleveland’s daugher, Ruth. Known for their fun publicity stunts, company founder Otto Schnering once chartered a plane to drop Baby Ruth bars over the city of Pittsburgh. (According to legend, each candy bar had its own parachute).
Candy Corn
William Johann of Port Washington, Wisconsin is credited with inventing this candy in the 1880s. Known by its three colors: yellow, orange, and white, it is typically three times the size of a real corn kernel. All we know, no matter what the size we’ll eat our way through a bag in no time…
Tootsie Pops
Our favorite hard lollipops with the Tootsie Roll center, these treats were invented in 1930 by Lukas R. Weisgram of The Sweets Company of America. Inspired by his daugher Clara, who gave him a lick of her lollipop while he was chewing on a Tootsie Roll, Lukas pitched the idea at an office meeting. (Thank goodness little Clara liked to share!) The candy became so popular the entire company re-branded in 1969 as Tootsie Roll Industries.
Wax Bottles (Nik-L-Nip)
Created in the early 20th century, its name come froms the original cost of the candy (one nickel) and a technique for opening wax bottles (nip).
Tips for throwing a Vintage Halloween Party
Halloween circa 1915
- Keep the decorations simple and spooky
- Use crepe, balloons, and old-fashioned cutouts to set the stage for a great party
- Create mood lighting with jack o’lanterns
- In addition to establishing the atmosphere, jack o’lanterns can be personalized with messages, faces, or patterns
- Entertain your guests with fortune telling, board games, and other classic party activities
- (We didn’t know that the practice of fortunes used to be the bees’ knees at Halloween parties. Thanks to the Vintage Halloween for enlightening us.)
- Get your guests moving and grooving
- Nothing says classic fun like bobbing for apples
- Play a rousing game of musical chairs
- Laugh freely and often while playing Charades
- Get that record player up and running
Cause A Frockus would like to thank our tremendous resources: Wikipedia, UggaBugga, the website the Vintage Halloween, Martha Stewart’s website, and the wondeful people who post their imagery on Wikipedia Commons without restriction.
For our readers:
Send us a picture of your vintage Halloween celebrations and costumes! What’s on your Halloween party play list? Tell us in the comments below…