5 Killer Zombie Party Ideas (Slideshow)

How much more fun would your prom have been if you could have shown up with fake scabs and scars instead of a bow tie and a corsage? Tell friends to visit the local thrift store to pick up some second-hand prom attire and get to bloody-ing it up. Of course you should deck your party area out with glittery prom essentials; just make sure you add a bit of gore with red food dye or dried ketchup. Crown a king and queen of the prom based on the most elaborate costumes. And of course, prom wouldn't be prom without a bowl of punch — so make it a bloody good one!

For those not quite ready to part with the "sexy" costume free-pass that goes with Halloween, host a zombie beach party. If guests show up in beach attire, this will give them an opportunity to "zombify" their whole bodies to make for some impressive makeup work. You can deck out your venue to be voodoo chic and offer guests an array of slightly gruesome eats like a roast pig on a spit. Just be sure to keep the zombies away from the fire, as fire isn't exactly a zombie's favorite thing...

As a fan of the undead, you probably have this time-consuming game on your smartphone and know the tons of party potential this has. For a fun party activity, invite half of your friends to arrive as adorable plants and the other as the vicious undead. Pit the two against each other in a series of intense drinking games while serving themed foods like flower tarts and zombie bite cocktails.

Take a cue from the most recent Dawn of the Dead film and invite guests to arrive as their favorite "zombified" celebrity. Treat the party as if it were a red carpet event, loaded with Oscar-worthy bites and fancy cocktails. You can even award the best celebrity zombies with Oscars in categories like "Most Gruesome Pop Star" and "Deadliest Diva." 

Since Halloween and tailgate season happily coincide, why not throw a hybrid Halloween party complete with undead ball players? Whether you and your crew are football or baseball fans, show up to your next tailgate dressed as dead players from your favorite team. Barbecue foods like ribs and wings to make your tailgate party extra creepy with discarded bones.