Part of the fun of holidays is going bonkers with decorations. But decorating a boat can be a little trickier than decorating your living room, as a boat tends to move a lot more.
Luckily, there are a lot of decorations to sift through, and many of them are now designed with indoor OR outdoor use in mind. Thank you, Party City! This inventive party website hosts tons of ideas that will lend a boater a hand, ranging from legitly creepy to silly and cute. They also offer some great coupons here for saving that extra buck. Here are a few ideas we found:
Electric Pumpkin Lights
Hang this string of cheerful Electric Pumpkin Lights along the backs of lounge seats! The 10 mini lights are made of vibrant, hardy synthetic fiber jack-o-lantern covers that resemble three-inch-diameter paper lanterns. The two-way Pumpkin Lights provide constant illumination that can be either steady or flashing. These are UL listed for indoor/outdoor use and stretch out for 11 feet (with 9 feet total lighted length). They are 120 V current compatibility with end-to-end plugs and four extra bulbs with one extra fuse. Price: $16.99.
Modern Halloween Table Cover
Setting up a card table at the back of your pontoon is an easy way to create a food-and-drink area—and it’s easy to spruce it up with a table cover and other Halloween decorations. This Modern Halloween Table Cover is bordered with an orange and black Halloween theme made of polka-dots, chevron patterns, and silver "BOO" signs. The dimensions are 54 inches X 102 inches, reusable, and disposable. Sale price: $3.45
Don’t forget to purchase the Table Cover Clips to keep your tablecloth pinned down from the wind! These four clips are reusable, easy to slide on, and leave no marks behind. Price: $1.99
Shocktails Plastic Charger
Need some classy trays to serve Halloween treats on? The Shocktails Black Plastic Charger has a smooth surface with a glossy shine and raised gothic detail. If you layer this Black Plastic Charger under other tableware—perhaps something orange to help it pop—it will add a nice, dramatic touch to the treat table. Please note, the charger itself is not food safe, so having a secondary platter is a must. This charger is both long-lasting and reusable, but should be hand washed only. The Black Plastic Charger is 13 inches in diameter. Price: $2.99
Black Light Stretch Spider Web
Gauzy cobweb decorations go with Halloween like jack-o’-lanterns go with porches. This Black Light Spider Web is even more spooky because it glows phantom-like under a black light! But don't worry if you can't easily set up a black light onboard, as the base color of this webbing is already a ghastly green for Halloween. It can be used indoors or outdoors, which is perfect for a boat setting, and is easy to clean up once the partying is done. Stretch this webbing across lounge seats and the helm for an eerie look. The package contains 3.53 ounces of Polyester Spider Web to drape your ‘toon with. Price: $5.99
Fright Night Beverage Napkins
One of those essential-to-any-party things is napkins. For ease in serving up party food or cleaning up spills, these Fright Night Beverage Napkins are sure to charm your guests and keep crumbs and cleanup to a minimum. The scary skeleton framed in creepy spider web scrollwork makes for an excellent Halloween addition to your party repertoire. Each silver-and-black value package comes with 36 folded two-ply paper napkins that measure five by five inches. Sale price: $3.30
Halloween Balloon Kit
This Halloween Balloon Kit includes everything necessary to make a unique Halloween tabletop decoration for your pontoon! The latex balloons are covered in black polka dots that perfectly match the foil spider balloon. Looping curls of festive orange ribbon and the plastic balloon stake tie together this balloon decoration and will add that Halloween party spirit to your treat and drink table. Price: $9.99
Rest in Pieces Skeleton Tombstone
What would look creepier on your boat than this skeleton tombstone propped by the helm? Maybe a real tombstone, but we don’t want to mess with the weight limit the bounty of partying guests are sure to want the most of. Luckily, the Rest in Pieces Skeleton Tombstone is made of foam, so it's much more lightweight. This spooky decoration stands tall at 22 inches and has a current discount of getting three for the price of two. Price: $6.99
Halloween Spray Centerpiece
Finish up the ghoulish table displays with these Halloween Spray Centerpieces. These add an easy touch and a splash of color that will give a festive touch to the snack area. This centerpiece has a black weighted base with shiny foil strips and pumpkins exploding from an orange sign that reads "Boo!" The Halloween Spray Centerpiece can be used to decorate the table or to hold a group of party balloons anchored. This decoration is 18 inches tall. Price: $4.99
Pumpkin Party Cooler
This Martha Stewart idea tops off our list. Though it is a little more DIY than the others, it couldn’t be easier or more fun to put together and will perfectly tie in all the party decorations onboard.
To prepare your Pumpkin Party Cooler, Cut off the top third of a large, wide pumpkin with a serrated knife or keyhole saw. The fun part ensues—scraping out all the seeds and gunk inside. Once the pumpkin is hollow, line the inside with a plain plastic or glass bowl; this will ensure that your pumpkin doesn’t get too waterlogged, because next you’re going to stuff the bowl with chipped ice and whatever bottled drinks your guests fancy.
If the opening of the pumpkin is too narrow for the bowl, simply scrape some more of the pumpkin away from the inside edge to widen the opening.
