It is officially spooky season! Halloween is just around the corner and makes for a fun, creative holiday, and we have some scary-good gift ideas for everyone to enjoy. Whether you want to go full freaky or want to (trick or) treat someone you love, there are so many petrifying presents ideas that will make this year the best yet!
Baking something from scratch is always a tremendous family-friendly offering, and adding a little scary touch to your sweets will make them fit for Halloween. In a large bowl, beat half a cup of softened butter and three-quarters of a cup of sugar until blended. Beat in an egg and a teaspoon of vanilla essence. In a separate bowl, whisk one cup of all-purpose flour with a teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of vanilla essence for added flavour. Gradually beat this into the butter mixture and shape the dough into portions before letting it sit in the fridge for an hour. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees whilst rolling out the dough into two sections and bake for 8 minutes until the edges are golden brown, remove and sit on cooling racks. Here comes the fun part, find some spooky-shaped cutters to create shapes and whip up orange, black and white frosting for some hair-raising decoration. Silver sugar balls make for some great ghoulish eyes, and a little red colour dye is ideal for a vampire’s fangs! A tray of these will make you the hit of the party.
Another imaginative way to share the festivities is by carving out individual pumpkins for people to use as seasonal decorations. Pop down to your local farmer's market or supermarket and find a large pumpkin, don’t be worried about its symmetry; if anything, the more oddly shaped, the better! Perfection isn’t the goal here; it's all about the fun and offering a thoughtful gift. Use a large serrated knife to cut off the crown (be very careful here), then with a large serving spoon, scoop out the fibres and flesh into the compost. A good trick is to dry and save the pumpkin seeds to roast for a nutritious savoury snack or salad topping for a later date. With a marker pen, draw out your design on the outside of the pumpkin, and with a smaller knife, cut your desired shapes; remember to always cut away from yourself. When finished, gift it to a friend or family member so they can pop a tea light inside for a golden glow that can be put on the doorstep to signal the trick-or-treaters on Halloween night!
If you happen to be artistically gifted and want to share this with the whole family this year, why not offer to do funky face paints to elevate everyone’s costumes! Get inspired with creative online blogs or prepare with some scary movie watching; Avatar, Cruella De Vil, Harley Quinn, Frankenstien, Freddy Kruger….the options are endless! This one is for the adults headed to a Halloween-themed party; there is nothing more terrifying than showing up empty handed. A beautiful Bryon Bay Gifts Hamper is the answer to that dilemma. The Chandon & Brookies Gin Cocktail Hamper is perfect for your hosts to make delicious drink combinations and enjoy a selection of both sweet and savoury treats. The Slow Gin comes with a cocktail shaker jar and a recipe card, so you can play bartender all night if the shoe fits!
Enjoy a fangtastic Halloween from us all at Byron Bay Gifts! Check out our range of hampers and gift boxes to present at your next spine-chilling fiasco!