As I’ve gotten older, Halloween has become less about the candy and more about the party. Obviously, sweets (and spirits!) are still part of the equation. But these days, I’m more interested in creating a chic treats table or spooky dinner centerpiece than picking a costume. Might have lost some of you with that last statement, but maybe I can win you back with this party table inspo.

Black-and-white is such a classic color combo, especially at Halloween. They’re the colors of so many spooky things—ghosts, bats, black cats. But here, a black-and-white DIY abstract spiderweb Halloween tablecloth is anything but scary. It’s pretty amazing what you can do with a drop cloth and paint from The Home Depot plus a few sticks from your yard (if you have one). I’d use this Kelly Wearstler look-alike for a dinner party with people who’d actually appreciate that reference. But really, you’d get a lot of mileage out of this tablecloth year-round.

Again with the sticks as a centerpiece. I know, I know. I’m clearly having serious backyard fomo right now, because this pared down, kind of natural and simple dessert table via Indulgy is working for me. I also like the idea of using plain runners to colorblock the table in Halloweeny colors. And normally, it might bother me to see the same food on both sides of the table (it feels like cheating by making too few things!), but here the symmetrical setup feels purposeful because of the way the linens were placed.

Of course, you can go the goth road , and embrace your dark side. Or do the whole goth thing in a really aesthetically pleasing way, like Camille Styles ‘ contributor did. Basically it’s all black everything, with the exception of dark gray napkins and silver flatware. I love the idea of using vintage apothecary bottles for flowers and stacks of old books to prop them up on. Even the candles and candleholders are black-on-black.

Or maybe you’d like bring an untraditional color into your Halloween party palette. After seeing this spread from Tell Love and Party , I’m starting to think a dose of hot pink could be the answer. Or even blush? With the right shade of orange, I think that could be done. Note the dedication to the colors here. Even the napkins and cookies have pink designs on them.

Back to the whole nature idea, what’s not to love about Shelterness’ boho-inspired Halloween table covered in greenery? Think of it as more of the science meets specimen aesthetic, and add dark linens plus a fake spider or two for good measure. Bonus: At the end of your party, you can either gift the potted plants in your centerpiece to guests or move one to every room in your house.

Having a life-sized skeleton “tend” your bar or treats table is pretty darn creative and would make a big visual splash. Thanks for the idea, Loralee Lewis ! You could also try using a skeleton as a serving surface, if you could figure out a food-safe way to do it. It’s kind of an undead take on the already creepy way people were serving sushi on basically naked models a few years ago.

Rustic is so not my aesthetic, but if you have an old door or set of drawers laying around, now’s the time to turn those things into a vintage-look dessert bar as seen here from Tuesday Morning . Again, I seem to be gravitating toward all things spider this season, but they’re a quick read, meaning everyone knows their shape and gets what they are. Same with bats. I liked the idea of buying a bunch of felted spiders in different sizes and having them “climb” up your wall with a little bit of webbing, which appears to be what’s going on here (only with fool-the-eye “door” patterned canvases that are propped against the wall). It’s a fun way to engage more than just your tabletop surface when decorating. And if you need an idea for a photo wall, this could totally work for that, too, if we’re still doing photo walls.

And last but not least, if you want to have the party all the cool kids are having, go with a supernatural theme, which seems to be on trend this year with Stranger Things coming back to Netflix this month and everyone freaking out about the stars and horoscopes. This photo only shows a DIY ouija board tray , but that’s just the beginning. Imagine what you could do if you brought things like tarot cards (placecards?), crystals and more into the mix. Forget sugar skulls, this year it’s all about fortune tellers and clairvoyants.

Whether you like your tables pretty or pretty disturbing, hopefully there’s at least one idea you can factor into this year’s Halloween party planning.