1. prepare the sweet cream cheese dip: in a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. set aside.

2. make the pumpkin spice dip: in another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. you can also stir in a tablespoon or two of the sweet cream cheese dip for an extra creamy texture if desired. set aside.

3. assemble the “mummy” pretzel sticks: unwrap the crescent rolls and separate them into triangles. cut each triangle lengthwise into thin strips. wrap these strips around pretzel sticks, leaving a small portion of the pretzel exposed at one end to resemble a mummy’s head. place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. bake the crescent roll mummies: bake the pretzel mummies in a preheated oven at 375 F (190 C) for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. once baked, let them cool completely. if desired, use a tiny dab of cream cheese to attach edible googly eyes to the “head” of each mummy.

5. create the “spiderweb” dip: spread the plain cream cheese spread evenly in a shallow, round dish. place a small dollop of black olive tapenade or finely chopped black olives in the center. using a toothpick, draw lines from the center outwards to create a spiderweb effect.

6. arrange the “monster” olives: drain the black olives. if using whole olives, you can carefully cut them in half lengthwise to create “spiders” by arranging them on the hummus dip. alternatively, simply place them in a small bowl for dipping.

7. build your snack board base: choose a large platter, cutting board, or serving tray. start by placing your prepared dips (sweet cream cheese, pumpkin spice, spiderweb cream cheese, and hummus) in small bowls around the board.

8. fill in with spooky treats: artfully arrange the pretzel mummies, mini marshmallows, candy corn, chocolate sandwich cookies (you can crush some for “dirt” effect), gummy worms, green grapes, and mandarin oranges around the dips. use the cookies to make “graveyard” sections or arrange the grapes to look like “eyeballs.” don’t be afraid to get creative with your arrangement, making it look abundant and inviting.