How to turn your living room into a crime scene (in a fun way)
When you are hosting a mystery night, creating the right vibe without breaking the bank can truly be murder! Many hosts believe that they need expensive decorations, pricey props, and hours of effort to transform their homes into a killer crime scene, but that isn’t the case. Here we will share some of our favourite tips and tricks to turn your living room into a room to die for!
Step 1 – Select your mystery game
The first step is to choose the murder mystery you wish to play. You cannot begin to plan the decorations and layout until you know what the setting will be. Are you in a Speakeasy in the 1920s? At a swinging ‘60s festival? Or are you at an elegant soiree in the style of a Bridgerton-style ball? Pick a theme that seems fun and fits the rough group size you are planning to invite.
Don’t worry if it seems less suitable for your venue, with a little imagination and a few top tip you can turn your ordinary room into whatever setting you like. Go for the game you want and take it from there!
Step 2 – Choose your layout
Think about your chosen theme and how best to showcase this setting through the layout of the room. If you have chosen our 90s music awards after party, for instance, you will likely want a good bit of space for a dancefloor. (With the tunes on our Spotify playlist that space will definitely be filled with guests getting jiggy with it all night!)
For a prohibition party, arrange a bar type area, group a few seats together, and even allow for a ‘stage’ where your group can entertain. For our 60s festival you may prefer to set down some blankets and sit on the floor, while other games are more suited to a long table where all your guests can gather.
Step 3 – Props and decorations
Many of the items that you have in your home already can be repurposed or posed to work well as part of your crime scene. Many common kitchen items could be arranged as cauldrons and ingredients for your Harry Potter themed mystery party, and don’t forget cocktail mixing equipment too.
Hang a blanket over the door for a secret entrance to your speakeasy in your 1920s game or arrange any art in the house as an exhibit in our 1960s mystery, the Art of Murder. Set up tea pots and cups to drink out of for both our Bridgerton inspired game and to sneak booze during prohibition, or grab a cooler full of cans for your festival themed party.
Step 4 – Add your killer touches!
Now we get to the really fun part – adding the small touches that will really set the tone for your night! One of the best ways to do this is by creating a chalk or tape outline of a body (we use white masking tape, just make sure you pick one that won’t harm your floor!) Your guests can pose in it, murders can occur there, and it is a simple way to remind people why you are here.
Another great option is to set up a ‘mug shot’ area. You can print off the background showing different heights, use a chalk board to list your ‘crimes’, and for a fun tip, consider taking Polaroids and using them to identify the characters on a ‘murder board’. Set up a finger print station (again make sure you aren’t using any permanent ink or powders that are irritating!) and be liberal with the crime scene tape (available at a fairly reasonable price online).
There are so many ways you can set up a party to die for, but all that matters is that you and your guests have a killer time, so go as big or relaxed as you like and don’t forget to tell us how it goes!
