10/12/2026
Welcome to Stacie’s Vintage Ventures!
Last week, I threw a vintage-themed pumpkin carving party for my teenage son and his friends.
They had so much fun, and I may have had just as much fun planning and decorating!
A lot of my inspiration came from the old Dennison’s Bogie Books. The originals are highly collectible and can be pretty pricey, but | found some reprints that still have all of those wonderful old illustrations and ideas. Dennison published these little party books in the early 1900s, filled with ideas for using their crepe paper and die cuts to throw the perfect party. They included Halloween menus, decorating ideas, party games, favors and souvenirs, and so much more. Basically, Pinterest for the early 1900s! 😁
We set everything up outside in the stable yard, where I hung my Beistle Halloween die cuts along with balloons, crepe paper streamers, pumpkin paper lanterns, and paper chains.
My favorite green dresser became the food serving station, surrounded by blow molds, pumpkins, festive napkins, ghost cups, and lots of orange and black.
One of my favorite little details was the popcorn boxes. I purchased vintage Halloween treat bag graphics online, printed them on cardstock, and glued them onto simple paper popcorn boxes. We filled them with popcorn for the kids to mix with candy corn and caramel apple candies. Such an easy way to make something new look like it came straight from an old Halloween party!
I also made vintage-inspired prize ribbons using old tart tins. I added ribbon, crepe-paper streamers, bats, and vintage Halloween images, then hot glued everything into place. Starbucks gift cards went along with the ribbons because, they are teenagers.
Prizes were awarded for the most apples bobbed in two minutes and, of course, best pumpkin carving!
They actually bobbed for apples! The kids were great sports and really got into the old fashioned party games.
They also had fun with my Beistle fortune telling centerpiece, which fit the vintage Halloween theme perfectly.
I loved seeing a group of teenagers have such a good time doing some of the same simple Halloween activities kids would have enjoyed generations ago like carving pumpkins, bobb