Duct Tape Pumpkin

Halloween decorations are always so fun and I have made lots in the past, but my decor is sadly lacking in pumpkins. While aimlessly perusing Michaels by myself one day (i.e. escaping my children), I stumbled across a small shelf of plain paper mache pumpkins (literally....I stumbled and ran my cart into it). With a 40% off coupon burning a hole in my wallet, I bought it with visions of fabric and Mod Podge dancing in my head. But fate intervened before I could buy Halloween-y fabric, when there was a stray roll of Halloween Duct Tape, on Clearance no less, randomly thrown in with some school supplies at Target. Thus, my Duct Tape Pumpkin was born:

What You Need:

• Paper Mache Pumpkin
• Halloween-y Duct Tape
• Black Paint
• Glitter Glue

How To Make It:

Now this is the really hard part. Be sure to pay close attention:

• Cut strips of Duct Tape and cover the pumpkin with it (stick strips on vertically).
• Paint the stem black. Once dry, paint on some glitter glue to give it a little sparkle.
• Done. Very complex, isn't it?

-Blythe

Places I'm Partying:

 




www.onecreativemommy.com

BOO Wreath

I love Fall! Aside from all the delicious-ness at Starbucks (can you say Salted Caramel Mocha?), I get to decorate for Halloween (even if it is a tad early)! 

I am guest posting today at One Artsy Mama and sharing this super cute Halloween Wreath.

Head on over and check it out! But be sure to come back and mosey around my blog a bit...I love having company!!!

And if you haven't heard, I am hosting an auction benefiting The Children's Tumor Foundation on The Desperate Craftwives Facebook Page. One item per day will be listed throughout the month of September. I have some amazing items that will be up for bid so be sure to check each day. All donations are made directly to CTF and are tax-deductible, so you can totally justify buying yourself a little goody (or two)!

And for more Halloween decorations, be sure to check out these posts:
Framed BOO
Halloween Ribbon Topiary
Halloween Word Collage
Decoupaged BOO Letters

Blythe

Places I'm Partying:

www.tipjunkie.com
www.sugarbeecrafts.com
www.thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com
www.thenymelrosefamily.com
www.lilluna.com
www.gingersnapcrafts.com
www.jaqsstudio.com
www.the36thavenue.com
www.igottacreate.blogspot.com
www.happyhourprojects.com
www.oneartsymama.com
www.littlebeckyhomecky.com
www.thegrantlife.com
www.itsybitsypaperblog.com
www.tatertotsandjello.com
www.alderberryhill.com
www.sumossweetstuff.com
www.craft-o-maniac.com

Rootin' Tutu-in' Cowgirl

My son wanted to be Woody from Toy Story for Halloween, so I had to make my little girl a cowgirl to match. This is such an easy and ADORABLE costume to make for a toddler.

What You Need:

• Blue Tulle (3-4 yards)
• Crochet Headband to Match Tulle Color
• Red Hankerchief (although pink would be really cute too)
• Red Grosgrain Ribbon
• Cowboy Hat
• Cowboy Boots

How To Make Tutu:

• Cut tulle into strips 4" wide by about 20" long (can adjust this to make tutu longer or shorter, fuller, etc.).
• Place crochet headband around back of small chair or table legs to stretch out - this step isn't absolutely necessary, but sure makes life a lot easier when trying to thread through the strips of tulle. I've also seen it done by sitting down and stretching the headband over your thigh.
• Fold single strip of tulle in half and insert folded end through opening at bottom of headband. Pull bottom ends of strip through to tie a knot.

Repeat knots through every opening at bottom of headband and that's it!

How to Make Rest of Costume:

• Fold hankerchief in half diagonally and tie ends around back of your toddler. I was afraid it would fall down, so I took 2 pieces of ribbon and hand-stitched one end to the front of the hankerchief and tied the other ends around the back of her neck.
• Put on cowboy hat and cowboy boots and now you've got yourself a rootin' tutu'in cowgirl!

Notes:

• Elastic can be used in place of the headband. Just measure your cowgirl's waist and subtract 3 inches, then sew ends together. Be sure not to tie the knots too tight on the elastic because it will cause it to stretch out.
• The tulle tutu tends to be a bit sheer, so we wore little blue shorts underneath.
• I also tied a little red scarf around her neck for a little extra flair!

Other Tutu Costume Suggestions:

• Make a white tutu and pair it with a white long-sleeved shirt or onesie with a ghost face on it (can glue on face with black felt or iron-on fabric) for a cute little ghost.
• Make a black tutu and pair with a black shirt or onesie with either a cat face on it or "meow". Add cat ears and a tail for a really cute black cat.

Linking to http://todayscreativeblog.net/

 http://www.thegirlcreative.com/

http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/

http://www.lilluna.com/

http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

http://whipperberry.com/

Framed BOO

It seems we can't get enough Halloween decorations and this one is about as easy as it gets! This project takes about 5 minutes once you have the supplies.

What You Need:

• Black Collage Frame for Three 4x6 Photos (purchased ours at Michaels for $5 using coupon)
• Halloween-Themed Scrapbook Paper, 4.5" x 6.5" size (three sheets)
• B-O-O Letters Cut from Black Cardstock, approx. 3" size
• Glue, Tape

How to Make It:

• Glue each letter onto center of each of three pieces of scrapbook paper (our letters were cut out using a Cricut Expression).
• Remove back from frame. Take out matting.
• Place paper behind matting so that the word BOO is aligned evenly showing through each space. Once each letter is centered, glue or tape into place.
• Place back in frame and replace backing. Done!

Ghost Footprints

This is a great keepsake and fun craft that involves your kids.

What you need:

• 8x10 or 4x6 Canvas
• Black Acrylic Paint
• White Acrylic Paint
• White Glitter (Optional)
• Googly Eyes
• Your Kids Feet or Hands

How To Make It: 

• Paint canvas black with foam brush and allow to dry.

• Paint the bottom of your kids hands or feet with white acrylic paint. Then place painted hands or feet on black canvas to apply print.
• Sprinkle with glitter while white paint is still wet. 
• Flip canvas over so print resembles ghost, and once dry, glue on googly eyes. 
• Using a paint brush or paint pen write their names and year on the canvas.
• If you used the glitter, we recommend using a spray acrylic sealer so the glitter doesn't get everywhere.

Decoupage BOO Letters

Since we LOVE Mod Podge, and we LOVE Halloween, it only made sense to combine the two! Decoupage letters are an easy and inexpensive DIY decoration.

What You Need:

• Paper Mache Letters (purchased at Joann for about $3-4 each, depending on size)
• Acrylic Paint or Spray Paint
• Mod Podge
• Halloween-themed Scrapbook Paper (we used cardstock)
• Fine Grit Sandpaper
• Pencil, Scissors, Foam Brush

How to Make It:

• Use acrylic paint or spray paint to completely cover paper mache letters (we used black). Set aside to dry.

• Place letters on back side of paper and trace the outline, making sure it will be oriented correctly when flipped over. Cut each letter out and set aside.
• Using a foam brush, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the top side of letter and align scrapbook paper letter on top and press down to adhere.
• If the paper is slightly larger than the actual letter, use fine grit sandpaper to remove excess from edges. Touch up paint on edges as needed after sanding.You can also rub black ink around the edges to cover any areas (assuming you used black paint).
• Apply several coats of Mod Podge over entire letter to seal, allowing it to dry completely in between coats (note: Mod Podge goes on white, but dries clear).
• These letters are very lightweight and can be hung on the wall using removable damage-free adhesive.

Halloween Ribbon Topiary

Another fun and easy Halloween decoration is a ribbon topiary. We've made these in the past for themed party decorations and thought they'd be really cute for the holidays too!

What You Need:

• Halloween-colored ribbon, varying textures and widths
• 4" Styrofoam Ball
• Wooden Dowel
• Floral Foam
• Straight Pins
• Small Bucket or Pot for Base
• Tulle or Crinkle-Cut Paper Shreds 

How to Make It:

1. Cut ribbon into 4.5" lengths.

2. Loop each ribbon and secure to styrofoam ball using 1-2 straight pins, depending on width of ribbon.

3. Continue attaching ribbons to ball until it is completely covered. You'll want to make sure you place them close together and at varying angles to ensure a full topiary.

4. Place floral foam into base. Insert one end of dowel into bottom of styrofoam ball and the other end into the floral foam.

5. Fill base with tulle or paper shreds of a coordinating color and you've got yourself a super cute topiary!   Note: You can also embellish your base or dowel with ribbons.

Linking up to Tip Junkie

 http://whipperberry.com/

http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Halloween Word Collage

October has arrived....Halloween is creeping up on us! Let's DECORATE! Here is a great craft we made with the Cricut.

What You Need:

• 8X10 Canvas
• Orange Acrylic Paint
• Black Adhesive Vinyl
• Transfer Tape
• Ribbon
• Hot Glue
• Cricut Expression
• Word Collage Cartridge

How to Make It: 

1. Paint the canvas orange using acrylic craft paint. It may need a couple of coats. 

2. Using the Word Collage cartridge on the Cricut Expression, we cut the vinyl to fit our canvas. 

        Note: Dial set at 9", medium pressure to make a "kiss" cut. 

3. Peel away the background vinyl leaving only the word collage. 

4. Apply transfer tape and burnish using a bone finger or credit card. 

5. Remove backing from vinyl and position word collage onto canvas. Then burnish again to adhere vinyl to canvas.

6. Carefully remove the transfer tape and VOILA!  

7. Hot glue the ribbon to the back of the canvas and now it is ready to be hung on the wall!