Mystery Party Centerpieces

Murder on the Menu is often asked to suggest centerpieces for our murder mystery parties. Thought I'd share some ideas, so you can do this at your 'home' mystery party.

A great centerpiece is the Board from the Clue Game. On top of this you can place votives, floral arrangements, or weapons. Weapons? Yes, easy to make or buy weapons such as bombs, dynamite (covered toilet paper insert), noose, knife, pearls (strangulation). One client recently used the cards and the weapons and people from the game. Any of these items can be inserted into the flower arrangements or scattered on the Clue Board. Word of advice. Don't use cap pistols, water pistols or other guns. They're noisy and disruptive to the flow of your party or event. A few years ago, a Silicon Valley client had water pistols in their centerpieces. The guns were quickly removed and used by the group, shorting out the sound system.

Here's another idea: Flower arrangements filled with tea-stained mystery novels (I know, a sin to book lovers and to me, the Editor of the Mystery Readers Journal (see my other blog: Mystery Fanfare), magnifying glasses, Sherlock Holmes hats (deerstalkers), fedoras.

Other centerpieces could include mystery accoutrement based on motives, cops, detectives (different types of hats).

Other ideas to get into the mood. Name your tables after different fictional (movie, TV, book) detectives. Ask your guests to come dressed as their favorite sleuth. This is easy for the guys--a trenchcoat and fedora. Or, you can always supply the fedoras and boas (if it's a period piece) or other hats and small costume pieces.