OtGW Halloween Party

What's this?? A bonus post? Yes.

In addition to the costumes for Halloween, I decided to have a party. I then decided it needed a theme: Over the Garden Wall. If you haven't seen it, now is the perfect season. Just fyi, it is suitable for the whole family! To carry this theme off I decided to make a few decorative items and a corresponding menu of snacks.

You might remember hearing about OtGW when I made my very own Jason Funderburker frog a while back. Well it was easy to start planning from there. We watched the show again and I took extra notes, thinking about each episode and elements that I could incorporate into the party decor.

I have a piano, so Jason Funderburker sat proudly on top as he played it in the opening. A copy of Adelaide Parade, a song from the show, sheet music was printed out and set on the music stand. Along with our prized copy of Wirt's cassette tape For Sarah.

I purchased two chalkboard signs, one in a pumpkin shape with easel back, and a second shaped like an arrow. These I decorated with orange chalk. The pumpkin sign reads "Welcome to the Unknown" with elements of type and illustration referencing the title cards of each episode. The arrow became a "Pottsfield 1 mile" sign referencing the sign in the episode 2 leading to one of the more creepy episodes if you ask me.

Each room's main table had a centerpiece decoration as well, like a large pumpkin with lots of little glowing pumpkin lights for the town of Pottsfield and a small oil lamp and bundle of sticks for the woodsman.

One of the larger decorations I made was Enoch, also from episode 2.

Enoch

I bought one of those "craft pumpkins", 2 yards of burlap, a few rolls of darker burlap wired ribbon, and a metal 12 inch wreath frame.  I used a dremel tool to cut the pumpkin. First, I cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin not too large but wide enough for my hand and added smaller holes around it which I would use to sew the burlap body to. I also drilled two holes in the stem and used floral wire to make a loop to be able to hang Enoch up.

I used two colors of felt I had on hand as well as a sheet of white craft foam to make the eyes, nose and mouth of his face. They were glued on using Fabri-tac glue which is really amazing for felt.
Once the head was complete, I let it all dry in place.

I cut my burlap into one long wide strip to form the core of the body, about 8" wide by 32" long, then into thinner strips to start layering it on along with sections of the ribbons. I sewed it all down to the flat burlap core then sewed that finished body onto the pumpkin head. Then I "sewed" the burlap and ribbon body to the bottom of the pumpkin to form his neck area with a short yarn needle and crochet thread. I did this because I figured that hot glue would not really work in any lasting way since the burlap body was so heavy. Once it was done I thought I would attach the burlap body ends to the wreath frame to weigh it down and not just flap around like a wind sock, but the burlap was heavy enough that I decided not to.

The food was also appropriately themed. I printed out small signs to go with the various foods:

We had a pond of gummy frogs, to be named by whomever picked one out, as an homage to Greg's pet frog, Jason Funderburker, and the slew of names he has throughout the show.

Eat your Dirt (and worms) is a reference to episode 9 and as Beatrice's Mamma bird told Wirt to do. It was chocolate pudding (the cook kind not instant), with crushed Oreo dirt, and a gummy worm.

In episode 7, Aunties Whispers actually eats one the sinister black turtles that appear throughout the show, so I purchased some chocolate Turtle candies and added a sign. Next time I might crochet some black turtles...

Along with our favorite halloween candy (which I tried to find a pair of Ants in your Pants game pants to put it in as a nod to Greg keeping his candy in his pants) we also had my favorite Funfetti cupcakes with pumpkin flavored mini marshmallows and fall leaves sprinkles on top. Last but not least, I pulled out the orange pumpkin shaped spritz cookies I made.

orange pumpkin and fall shaped spritz cookies

I like to go all out for Halloween if you can't tell... I do not have a Pintrest account because I know I would find a million ideas and more. We had fun, even if the rain meant we couldn't do a bonfire like usual.