Occasions Spooky

What is an Occasions Bin®?

The Occasions Bin® is a tradition Shakira Patterson started in her own kitchen in 2019. It is a bin or basket kept out on the counter, filled with seasonal plates, napkins, cups, straws and festive picks, so an ordinary snack or a Tuesday night dinner becomes a small occasion. Because it lives in the heart of the home instead of a cupboard, the fun pieces get seen and used all season long rather than waiting for one party. This collection was made for exactly that.

How to build a Halloween Occasions Bin

There are no rules about the container. A basket, a crate, a pantry bin you already own, even a bucket the kids can carry. Fill it with the things that make the season feel like the season, then leave it somewhere everyone can reach. That is the whole trick.

• Start with a shaped plate, because it reads as decor even when nobody is eating
• Add napkins, which get used fastest and are the easiest thing to restock
• Tuck in cupcake toppers, which double as picks for sandwiches and fruit
• Hang a banner behind or above it so the corner reads as one whole moment
• Swap a piece or two through the month so it keeps feeling new

Decoration before the decorating starts

This is why a tabletop collection earns its keep. Instead of living in a cupboard until the day of the party, a black cat plate and a stack of ghost napkins sit out as kitchen decoration for the whole month, and then go on the table when it is time. The decorating starts long before the party does, and one set of pieces does both jobs.

What is in the Occasions Spooky collection

• Spooky Cat Paper Plate, a black cat head shape with holographic foil accents, 8 plates at 9 inches
• Spooky Friends Paper Plates, playful characters with chic black scalloped edges, 8 plates at 9 inches
• Spooky Ghost Napkin, creamy ghosts with black and pink accents, set of 24 at 5 by 5 inches
• Spooky Friends Cupcake Kit, 24 baking papers plus food safe toppers in holographic foil
• Happy Halloween Character Banner Set, two stitched 5 foot banners with holographic letters and 13 characters

Cute, not creepy

Every piece leads with a friendly character rather than a frightening one: smiling ghosts, a black cat with green eyes, a witch who looks like she is in on the joke. Cream and pink soften the black, and the holographic foil adds sparkle instead of gloom. It suits a class party, an after school surprise or a first Halloween just as well as the big night, which is the point of a collection built for little ones.

About Occasions by Shakira

Shakira Patterson is the mama of four and active duty military spouse behind OccasionsbyShakira.com and the Occasions Bin® tradition. This Halloween line comes from her collaboration with the design team at My Mind's Eye, an original design from our studio made to match the bright, kid first spirit of her line.