Mood lighting at a party is terribly important, as Joyce Byers knows. In her deranged state, Will's bereft mother (Winona Ryder) made trashing her lounge to create a communications hub with the Upside Down look easy.
The bad news is that, unlike Byers, you probably won't be able to demand that the man in the hardware shop give you those strings of fairy lights for free. But the good news is that fairy lights are easy to hang and large letters can be adhered to a wall with relatively minimal effort (you can cut out your own alphabet from some dark-coloured paper or print them off a computer).
Some lights will come with a random flashing function to create the illusion that little Will Byers is messaging from another dimension, or, if you're feeling inspired, you can set up your own programme using an Arduino.
Alternatively, make a set-up you can use year after year by painting some letters onto a sheet (floral will best emulate the Byers's homestead) and string lights across there.
If you'd rather party than get crafty, you can buy ready-made alphabet bunting here.
For those who would rather make an effort on a smaller (but arguably more intricate) scale, the Stranger Things pumpkin might be a good option:
Turn your bathroom into the Upside Down
Or your kitchen. Or hell, even your bedroom. You might prefer to leave slime all over a room that has wipe-down surfaces, however.
If you're feeling adventurous, you can make your own ectoplasm - or whatever it is - with a highlighter, some gel glue and an afternoon.
Alternatively, black drapes, fake slugs and this ingenious lampshade, which projects spooky tree silhouettes around a room, will help your guests think they've entered another dimension - especially if you've not cleaned the bathroom in a while.
If nothing else, whipping up a couple of signs could indicate locations such as Castle Byers, Will's den (a rudimentary "All Friends Welcome" notice would set the tone on the front door), Hawkins National Laboratory (rather more sinister) or the merely terrifying Upside Down.
Get the Eggos in
Thanks to the voracious appetites of the young characters in Stranger Things, there is plenty of fun to be had here.
Eggos, the yellow waffles beloved by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), are quite difficult to come by in the UK. However, you can DIY the packaging thanks to this flat-pack available on Etsy and compromise with the closest thing you can buy in the supermarket.
Alternatively, wow your guests with a waffle-maker and some batter - but it's worth appreciating that Eleven enjoyed them best directly from the freezer.
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Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) was a fan of most food, but a table laid with chocolate pudding would be particularly relevant.
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Dress like kids from the Eighties
This is possibly the greatest aspect of a Stranger Things-themed party: if you want to go all-out, there's nothing stopping you from constructing an elaborate headdress to emulate the Demagorgon. But you can also totally get away with chucking on a Star Wars tee-shirt.
There are already several guides to dressing like Eleven, which essentially involves a blonde wig, pink dress and a nosebleed. But why stop there? Make like Steve and poof up your hair, don a clunky radio headset to Do A Dustin, stick on a white coat and a grey wig and you're the ominous Papa / Doctor Brenner - or go for a hazmat suit and, bam, you're his long-lost son.
An air of hungover ennui and a beige shirt will be enough to pass you off as Police Chief Jim Hopper, a bowl-cut and some grey face paint will turn you into Will. Alternatively, you could just go as one giant Eggo, and become the most popular person in the room.
Make sure there's only one Barb
As we've evidenced before, everybody identifies with Barb. This means there may be several Barbs at your party, which will throw Mr Clarke's (achieve the look with a fake moustache, nerdy demeanour, gloriously attractive girlfriend) theories of different dimensions right out. The only solution is to insist upon there being just the one bespectacled cynic at the party - and as host, you are well within your rights to demand that it's you. Deep down, we are all Barb.
Take the playlist seriously
Second only to the lighting, music can make or break a party. Fortunately, Stranger Things provides inspiration for both the awkward early arrivals and the more riotous later stages.
Start things off with the television show's unsettling soundtrack. Created by Texan electronica duo Survive, the synth-laden score attracted a cult following over the summer as increasing millions of people got hooked on Stranger Things. Eerie and low-key, this will set the tone for a Halloween evening while providing just enough beat to remind everybody it's a party, not a trepidatious monster-beating ménage à trois. When people you don't know refuse to leave your house as the evening winds down later on, you can put it on to announce that dancing time is over, thanks very much.
