SPOOKY SEASON

Wow family and friends with these fun DIY crafts and festive food ideas. Halloween has never looked this good (or this ghoulish!).

- Photographs by MIKE GARTEN Pumpkin Crafts by ASHLEY TOTH Prop Styling by LIS ENGELHART Food Styling by MICHELLE GATTON Written by LAURA MILLAR AND TRISH CLASEN MARSANICO

FELINE FRIGHT

There's nothing unlucky about this dynamic cat-andmouse scene. All it takes is some carving, careful placement and LED lights.

1. Hollow out 2 large pumpkins from the bottom, leaving stems intact.

2. Ensure that the pumpkins are lined up next to each other; then, using a washable chalk marker, trace our cat artwork (goodhousekeeping.​com /halloween-templates) across both pumpkins. Cut out the silhouette with a flexible carving knife.

3. Place a sturdy uncarved pumpkin on a table and position the carved pumpkin that shows the cat's tail on top of it and lean it on the other carved pumpkin to create the illusion of a leaping cat. To be sure the pumpkins will stay in place, connect them with bamboo skewers.

4. For an eerie glow, add LED lights inside the carved pumpkins.

5. Carve a mouse onto a small pumpkin or gourd to complete the cat-andmouse chase scene.

HAUNTED HIBISCUS PUNCH

Cool down a big-batch drink with floating ice skulls.

Active 15 min.

Total 30 min. plus cooling

For hibiscus syrup

12 hibiscus tea bags, strings and labels cut off and discarded

3 1-in. pieces fresh ginger, unpeeled, sliced

6 whole cloves

6 whole allspice

½ cup sugar

For punch

12 oz white rum

3 oz Cointreau

3 oz fresh lime juice plus 8 lime wedges for serving

12 dashes Angostura bitters (1 tsp) Ice cubes, for mixing and serving Whole star anise, dried hibiscus and dehydrated-lime wheels for serving

16 oz ginger beer, chilled, for topping

1. Fill skull-shaped ice molds (we used Jetkong 6-Cavity Skull Silicone Mold) with water and freeze until solid, at least 8 hr.