All the Small Things...

Black Cat Pixie Stick...

So I needed to come up with a craft that Scarlet could make as a gift for the opposing cheer squad, but I wanted it to be something she could totally do on her own and that wasn't expensive.  I then saw these masks at Michael's and KNEW just what I'd do!!!

 

Here’s what I came up with:

 

So here is what Miss Scarlet did and did so well!!!

 

 

1. You will need a giant Pixie Stick, a glue gun, some Halloween ribbon and a kitty mask from Michael’s.

 

2.  Take the paper off of the top of the Pixie Stick.

 

3.  Punch a hole in the mask.

 

4.  Thread the ribbon through the mask.

 

5.  Tie the ribbon in a knot.

 

6.  Using a glue gun, attach the mask to the Pixie Stick.

PS-- They were such a hit!!!

A Spooky Craft...

 

The kids got these spooky foam crafting kits during our Halloween dinner and today was the perfect day to put them together!  Scarlet's was a haunted graveyard and Chandler's was a haunted pirate ship.  These kits from Michael's are simply adorable!!!

Address Pumpkin Stack...

These were so fun and easy to make!  I need to find a footed urn to put them in, but I wanted to get them up here before I forgot!

Directions for stacked address pumpkins:

1. Buy as many pumpkins as you have numbers in your address

2. Print out gothic numbers and cut them out- I used DIPLOMA font

3. Trace numbers on pumpkins with a pencil and then go over the pencil with a black sharpie

4. Fill in the numbers with black paint and a small sponge brush

5. Cut stems off of all the pumpkins EXCEPT the top pumpkin

6. Stick a dowel all the way through the bottom pumpkins up through the middle of the top pumpkin OR glue pumpkins together with a strong craft glue

7. Spray with clear top coat to preserve paint (I haven't done this yet... yikes!)

I think I'm going to be able to keep these out for Thanksgiving as long as I wrap some autumn vine around them... I think.  :)

Halloween Advent Calendar...

I decided that we needed a Halloween advent calendar, but instead of counting down from 31 days, I went with the spooky number 13 (a lot less work too!).

This is simply a giant frame from Target that looks like 8- 4x6 frames stuck together all at different levels.  It's a lot cooler looking in person, but you get the idea.  Anyway, the frame was just in their regular frame department and it was $25.  

I removed all the glass from the frame and then added Halloween paper to the individual frame backings.

  Then I added all my envelopes and stickers, etc. to decorate it (ALL the stickers came from Michael's this year, so I'm sure you can still get them all).

To finish it off, I added a pumpkin sticker to a popsicle stick (cut in half) and that will be what progresses from envelope to envelope throughout the days until Halloween!

I think these would be really fun to make for other things to like birthday countdowns, Christmas advents, Easter Advents... anything you want to countdown to!

Accomplished Today... (Tuesday 8/21)

My Halloween Signs (FINALLY!)

Okay, these look  SO much better in person.  I should have hung them, but I didn't put the hardware on the back yet, so I just leaned them up against my fireplace.  They will be hung in October.

The top one has a witch hook on it from Michaels.  It's darling and was $2.50.  The signs are around a yard long and about 8 inches tall.  Again, they look so much better in person.

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Picture of Scarlet Eating a Popsicle

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Set Up for Primary Water Day

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Accomplished Today... (Sunday 8/12)

Everyone October 1st we have a HALLOWEEN BREAKFAST to kick off my favorite month and holiday.  It's nothing fancy, but we use all our Halloween tableware and have a Halloween dance afterwards.  Yes, this usually occurs on a school day, but we get up early and no one complains! 

I always have a little gift waiting by each child's plate and a spooky treat to take to school that day.  Scarlet usually ends up with some spooky jammies too!

While at Michael's last night, I stumbled upon these and KNEW the kids would love them for their little gift.  I know they'll be anxious to get their homework done that day just to work on them!

The pink castle is my favorite, I must say!

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Witches' Broom Pail

The items you'll need to make this craft (This was the only pail I could find, so that's why it has this pattern on it.  I wanted a plain one)

Spray paint pail black

Paint chalkboard and stamp it with a round stamp with black ink.  With a white paint pen, write on chalkboard.  Tie chalkboard to pail with ribbon.

Pretty cute, huh?!

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Halloween Wreath

Okay, I have to admit I was SO embarrassed to buy these roses.  I know... I'm lame, but I was.  I kept saying to Scarlet out loud so everyone in line could hear, "It's going to be fun to spray these black for Halloween, huh?"  In hind sight, people probably thought I was more of a weirdo for spraying flowers black than buying cheesy pink silk roses!

Pull the flowers off the stems and hot glue them to the wreath backing.

Fill the whole wreath in except for a small space on top to add the ribbon.

Add ribbon to hang the wreath and then glue or sew a big bow to the hanging ribbon.

I LOVE how it turned out! 

Am I annoying you with all my Halloween stuff?  If I don't do it now, it won't get done in October. 

Anyway, this was a fun one!

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Layout With An Ampersand

Accomplished Today... (Thursday 8/9)

Painted Planks for Fall Signs

I was supposed to paint one orange, but forgot...   I swear, I have brain damage.

Anyway, now I have 2 Halloween signs...  I am NOT repainting one!  lol

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Went to Stats with my Mom and got some of the spookiest Halloween stuff EVER!  Over the last few years my Halloween decorating has gone from cute to scary.  I still like the cute, but my kids just love all the gross scary stuff, so that's which way I went!  I love them both.  Here's what I picked up:

This isn't the exact face... I like mine more, but picture a huge skeleton face about 3 feet tall.  It's awesome.  I think it needs to go above my garage door or on my chimney.

LOVE him!  He will sit on my window ledge with all my other creepy things!

Okay, this is my FAVORITE!  It is about 6 feet tall with a real human sized body and it will hang from my huge sycamore tree (I think).  It's horrifying in real life!

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Primary Water Day Flyer

What's Been Accomplished... (Friday 8/3)

So, this new blogging thing is killing me!  The pressure!  lol     Now I can't be the slacker I was created to be.   lol

Okay, so I've been slightly distracted today with a few things and a little bit of Halloween craftiness, but I have managed to do a few items on my list and will do more tonight when the kids are night nights.

#1-

I made a card for Sandy.  Not the greatest, but hey... it's homemade... kind of... Okay, it came from a CK kit and took me like 2 minutes to make, but whatever!  It's the thought...

#2

The Dorothy party dress stuff has been purchased.  The rainbow buttons are for the bows in her hair.  So, I'm not staying true to the authentic Dorothy hair ribbons, but I believe if Dorothy would have had the opportunity to wear my rainbow bows, she would have FULLY gone for it.

#3  Okay, this wasn't on my list but I'm going to put it on tonight's list and cross it off immediately, so I feel like I've accomplished more than I actually will have done.  Right?!!!?????!?

So, I decided at midnight last night that it would be super fantastic if my fireplace had witches stockings hanging from it during Halloween.  Okay, how fabulously Halloweenie is that?! (yes, I am tooting my own horn, I am fully aware)

I then promptly grabbed some butcher paper to make a pattern and fabric to sew it with and just went for it.  Here are the beginning stages...

I forgot to mention... after you sew the stocking on the white line, cut it out.

I'll show the rest soon... when it's stuffed and fab.  If you want to join me, buy some black fabric, filling, a fall pick and rusted metal stars.  It should be pretty cute!

As for the sausage quiche... well, we went to Chili's instead.  I'm going to make it for brunch tomorrow and post about it.

Today was good.

I LOVE a Wand!

My FAB friend, Kathleen, introduced me to the world of wands and she hooked me!  She makes wands for her kids and for around her house every holiday and now I do it too!  They are SO easy and gorgeous and I can't tell you how many compliments I get on them!

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They are fun for the kids to play with and REALLY cute sticking out of planters, a grouping of pumpkins or baskets.

Scarlet will be carrying the spider wand on Halloween... it's PERFECT for her costume!

Instructions:

topper (anything with a foam core center)

dowel

acrylic paint and brushes

ribbon

glue

• Cut the dowel to a length you like
• Paint the dowel and add polka dots if you like
• Tie ribbons around the top of the dowel and glue in place
• Make a hole in your topper with the dowel and fill with glue
• Place dowel in hole and wait until it dries

Thats it!!!  These are EASY!!!  I'll post my other wands when those holidays come...

A Halloween Picture Frame...

A fun little picture frame I made... 

Instructions:

wood frame

2 different Halloween papers

a collection of different ribbons

Metal Tag

Rub-ons

Modge Podge

sandpaper

acrylic paint

• Paint all edges of the frame in a complimentary color and let dry
• Tear the bottom paper in half
• Apply a thin coat of Modge Podge to the bottom of the frame
• Place the paper on top of the Modge Podged frame leaving more than an inch of paper hanging over all 3 sides
• Rub the paper gently with a ruler or bone folder to remove all air bubbles (a small bit of glue will probably squirt out of the sides of the frame- wipe away this glue immediately)
• Tear the top paper towards you, so the tear exposes the white part of the paper
• Apply a thin coat of Modge Podge to the top of the frame and and onto the top inch or so of the bottom paper
• Place the paper on top of the Modge Podged frame leaving more than an inch of paper hanging over all 3 sides
• Rub the paper gently with a ruler or bone folder to remove all air bubbles (a small bit of glue will probably squirt out of the sides of the frame- wipe away this glue immediately)
• Wait until the glue is dry and take a small square of sandpaper and in a downward motion, sand the outer edges of the frame (you will first cause a crease in the paper, then the excess paper will simply fall off or you can GENTLY pull it off)
• When all the paper around the outer edge is gone, cut an X into the center square of the frame
• Sand this small square how you did the outer sanding (it's a little more difficult because you have a smaller amount of room to work in)
• After all paper is sanded off, touch up the edges with paint or sand paper as needed (I like a distressed look, so I don't do much unless I've torn the paper and need to do a little camouflaging)
• Now rub the letters on the frame according to their instruction
• Rub the number on the metal tag
• Tie the ribbons around the frame and secure with a double knot
• Place picture in the frame (you can make a backing for the frame with cardstock, but I just leave it as is)