This Nancy Drew-Themed Halloween Party Will Have You Feeling Nostalgic
Consider this your excuse to stock up on those yellow-spined books.
You will encounter plenty of Halloween gatherings of the guts-and-gore variety this time of year, but we'll admit we prefer party themes that will help us indulge our antiquing habit. Enter: This nostalgic Nancy Drew-inspired mystery party that pays tribute to our all-time favorite tenacious teen detective. Dreamed up by Country Living's very talented Food & Crafts Director Charlyne Mattox, this sleuthing social is chock full of retro charm, which is reinforced by vintage finds including flashlights, luggage, magnifying glasses, and—of course—a few books with those iconic yellow spines.
Assemble a Team
Nancy could always count on friends Bess and George and—usually—boyfriend Ned Nickerson to support her super-sleuthing. Summon your squad with an invite featuring magazine letter cutouts adhered to tea-stained paper with a glue stick. Attach a small key with an embroidery needle and black embroidery floss.
Set the (Crime) Scene
Time's a ticking! Take a cue from the first Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock, and deck the walls with new, vintage, and DIY clocks and keys. (Psst: Can you spot the ones made of paper?) For another thematic touch, decoupage pumpkins with photocopied pages from the series.
Come Dressed to Kill
Encourage party guests to come outfitted in their vintage finest—costume jewelry included.
Get Suspects Talking
Nancy may be forever 18, but your 21-and-over guests can stir up spirits and suspense. This Death in the Afternoon Cocktail is a bubbly Champagne-based concoction that's mixed up with absinthe.
Catch 'Em in the Act
Set up a photo booth to encourage campy detective dramatizations. Create a foreboding backdrop with moody wallpaper and add dimension with a single tree branch spray-painted black. Place props inspired by the original 56-book series—Nancy's signature pearls and sweater sets, magnifying glasses, notebooks, flashlights, and more—in vintage suitcases so guests can help (or incriminate) themselves.
Serve Magnifying Glass Cookies
Party snack or festive prop? These magnifying glass-shaped cookies are both!
Follow the Footprints
Serve up a cake complete with sifted cocoa powder tracks applied via a template, and see if partygoers can resist eating the evidence.
Get the Follow-the-Footprints Malted Sheet Cake recipe here.
Woo the Witnesses
Nancy's original golden-hued hair color may have darkened through the years, but one thing stayed the same: her bribe-'em-with-blondies strategy. Here, Nancy's Brown Butter-Hazelnut Blondies will inspire confection confessions.
Serve an Unexpected Twist
These devil's food cupcake treats spill out a sweet secret: hidden candy inside.
Get the Something-to-Hide Devil's Food Cupcakes recipe here.
Pay Out a Reward
Send gumshoes home with Detect-It-Yourself kits. Fill Nancy Drew favor bags with a magnifying glass and other sleuthing supplies.
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