by Sharon | Jul 24, 2014
I love making things from common, everyday objects. This miniature Spooky Tree is made from a brown lunch size paper bag. If you would prefer a larger Spooky Tree as a centerpiece, you can use the grocery size brown paper bag. It may be fun to make several of the small ones and place them around your table with different displays at the base. I filled my paper bag with plastic pellets to give it some weight while I blended the center to make the trunk and the branches. Some may glue it to a cardboard base, but I find the plastic pellets to work well.
It’s always good to have a video to show you how it’s done:
There are many different techniques you can use. I prefer to lay out my brown paper lunch bag and cut 1 1/2 inch strips cutting the open double layer of the bag into strips.
Then I carefully open the bag and pour in some plastic pellets for weight before twisting the trunk of the tree. I have found it easier to put the pellets in before I cut my strips, but it works however you choose to do it. Some people have found it doesn’t need extra weight, but it is entirely up to you.
I twist two strips together and depending how many small branches I want, I’ll cut and twist these separately.
The fun thing is when your tree begins taking shape and you improvise the next step for the next branch. That way each spooky tree you make and each set of branches you create are all different.
It’s a fun project to do while watching television, listening to music, or just some down town when you want to relax for a few minutes.
by Sharon | Jul 23, 2014
Halloween is an excellent time to have Party Favors for your guests. I consider Trick-or-Treaters guests, too. Without them scurrying up and down the street, Halloween wouldn’t be worth celebrating. I enjoy the variety of costumes and the enthusiasm these youngsters bring to make the night exciting for those of us who are home handing out the candy.
These Halloween Treat Cones are easy to make, fun to decorate and I do enjoy looking for just the right candies to put inside. The Free Template has the pattern printed on it and there’s another Free Template that gives a Halloween sentiment.
I suggest you make a couple dozen of these to be the highlight of this Neighborhood Halloween Celebration.
Image Compliments of http://www.hgtv.com
Here are the free templates: Halloween Striped Treat Cone and Halloween Party Circles
Now, what do you do?
You’re going to need a few things:
Now, what?
- Print out the free templates on white card stock
- I would print out a dozen or so of the cone template and one or two of the party circles. There may be some expressions you like better than others to put on your party favors treat cones.
- Cut out the cone around the edges. Form it in a cone shape and secure it in place with the double sided tape.
- On both sides of the cone, punch a hole for the ribbon handle on top and embellishments on the sides. I like using curly ribbon to make them look festive and even to have loose ones to top off the top of the cone.
- I have a 2 1/4″ circle paper punch to cut out the party circles, but you can use a compass or jar lid that will give you the size circle you like. Or you can keep it a square for a different look. Once it’s cut out, put it on the front of your cone with double sided tape.
- Fill the cone with tissue paper — I like to tuck it in the pointy part of the cone to keep things from falling out. I also like to have some tissue paper peeking out to add color and to leave room for step 7.
- Fill it up with Halloween candy and Halloween related items you picked up along with the candy.
There you have it! Once you’ve done your first dozen, you may decide you need another for friends, neighbors and unexpected guests.
by Sharon | Jul 14, 2014
Who doesn’t love a ghost, bat or vampire wrapped around a candy bar? The Free Templates allow you to make these Halloween favorites for your Halloween trick-or-treaters, school parties, family, neighbors and friends, at work or for complete strangers as the mood strikes you. Spread the gift of giving throughout this Halloween Season. These are easy enough for kids to cut out and write something inside. You can embellish these Halloween icons however you choose to make them extra special.
The image and Free Templates are compliments of http://www.womansday.com
Here are the Free Template Links:
Bat Chocolate Bar Cover Template
Dracula Chocolate Bar Cover Template
Ghost Chocolate Bar Cover Template
You can use these as a template and trace onto colored paper or you can print them out onto the paper. If using as a template I suggest using a heavy cardstock. You may also need some googlie eyes, colored marking pens, carbon paper and whatever other embellishments you want.
This is a fun project to do with the kids. It’s an assembly line process of tracing, cutting, decorating writing a message inside and wrapping around a candy bar. I closed mine with a small piece of tape, but you can wrap each one up with a ribbon or whatever clever idea you have.
by Sharon | Jul 12, 2014
This is an excellent open candy box that is a delightful hostess gift. My cousin made dozens of these last year for Halloween. By using the Free Templates she traced the outside of the shoe on black cardstock and the inside on printed scrapbooking paper. She adored them by using a variety of buttons and used ribbons that were printed with Halloween themes.
This is one of those templates that can be used for many occasions. It has been used as hostess gifts for a bridal shower. Everyone loves having chocolate goodies wrapped up in a pretty shoe. A Special birthday party is another occasion where these templates have been enjoyed as party favors. I’m sure you can think of other uses for this template, too.
This image and Free Templates are compliments of http://www.skiptomylou.org
Here are the Free Templates:
Shoe Template
Shoe Lining Template
To make these Witches Shoes, you’ll need:
- black cardstock for the outside of the shoe
- printed scrapbook paper for the inside of the shoe
- templates for both the outside and inside of the shoe
- carbon paper to place between the template and the cardstock or scrapbook paper to mark the folded lines
- you may want to use a ruler when marking the folded lines onto your cardstock or scrapbook paper
- folder tool
- glue stick
- mini clothes pins to hold the glued pieces together until dry
- white pencil to trace around the template on the black cardstock
- suitable pencil or pen to trace around the template on the scrapbook printed pattern paper
- assorted buttons
- assorted ribbon
- any other adornments you want to put on your shoes
Assembling your shoes:
- Print out the templates on card stock for tracing onto your black cardstock and scrapbook printed pattern paper
- Cut out the outline of your templates — be sure to mark them for the outside shoe and inside shoe
- Use carbon paper to trace the folded lines onto the cardstock and scrapbook paper using the appropriate template
- Cut out the cardstock outside shoe and score the folded lines with a folder tool
- Fold it following the instructions on the template and glue, holding it together with mini clothes pins
- Use the same instructions when tracing around the template for the inside shoe and tracing the folded lines from the template to the scrapbook paper
- Cut out the scrapbook paper inside shoe and score the folded lines with a folder tool
- Fold the inside of the shoe following the instructions on the template and glue inside the black cardstock outside shoe, hold into place until dry using mini clothes pins
- Once your shoe dries you’re ready to decorate it
- Once all your embellishments are in place, you’re ready to fill them with goodies
With all the directions and materials you’ll need to complete this project, you’ll find it is much easier to put together than it seems reading the directions. If you’re going to make quite a few of these, you can get an assembly line going and have these completed in a relatively short time.
It’s a fun project once the shoes are made. That’s when the kids will want to help you decorate them with buttons, bows, and maybe even sequins. There’s no telling where your or their imaginations will take you or them.
by Sharon | Jul 10, 2014
Here’s a clever idea for your front porch. The sign reads, “It’s all about the CANDY” with two clip boards used for the numbers you’ll be changing daily counting down the days until Halloween or Trick and Treating. This should get the neighborhood kids excited as they walk by on their way to school in the morning and the whole neighborhood as well. It’s a reminder of how many more days they have to get their decorations up or to stock up on candy. Or prepare for their Halloween Party. Oh, my goodness what to wear?
You can use pallet wood or fence wood, cut 2 1/2 feet long for each part of your sign that you’ll nail to two 7 foot long 2″x2″ posts.
For the kids it may all be about the candy and this sign works quite nicely, but it is Halloween and I’m sure you can come up with some spooky sayings to go along with your countdown sign. Maybe to do with witches flying around in the night sky or something about ghosts . . . pumpkins and carving jack-o-lanterns or getting your costume . . . there are several original directions you can go with this project.
This image of the front porch Countdown Sign is compliments of http://www.cornerhouseblog.com I like the bottom display with pumpkins, the skull and hanging skeletons and is that a raven?
The more involved you get with the lettering the more you’ll realize the need for a Silhouette CAMEO Electronic Craft Cutter Deluxe Bundle – Vinyl + Tools to cut out the stencils you’ll be using for your sign. And then you can paint over this one and do something clever for Christmas. For me, it’s all about recycling what I make to use for other holidays. Once you make it, it can be used again instead of just storing it in the garage. For me, it’s not something I would use again next year. My neighbors expect something new.
Besides the pallet boards or fence boards and the two 2″x2″ posts, you’ll want some white paint and use it as a wash over your boards. To make a wash you add water to the white paint so it’s runny and does a light coloring to the wood. You can distress the wood by hitting it with the back of the hammer or the garden tools you have around. Just to mark up the wood so it doesn’t look new.
I use butcher paper to lay out my design to figure out how many boards I need and how I’m going to place everything on the sign. In this sign there were candy corns.
Once you have this all worked out, you’re ready to nail the boards to the posts using 2 to 4 nails for each. Then put down your stencils and paint them using a foam paint brush for dobbing the paint inside the stenciled letters. You’ll also need a variety of paints you can use for this project. I also have a drop cloth on my patio so I don’t leave evidence of this or other projects.
Once the sign is done and while it’s drying you can get to work on the display that’s going to be on the porch to help hold the sign in place and to add some Halloween color.
I forgot the clipboards and the numbers you can print out on your computer, but I’m sure you already figured that part out.
As I said earlier, this is a clever idea that you can use with the saying of this project or work out one of your own.
by Sharon | Jul 9, 2014
This is an excellent DIY Halloween project that is fun to make and will be the envy of the neighborhood.
This project is courtesy of http://www.burtonavenue.blogspot.com
Here are some Halloween fonts you may like to use for unique lettering of your signs:
Sketch Bones Ghoulish Head Hunter Pumpkins Along Came a Spider Horrible Squish Pumpkin Face Jackie O’Lantern Frankentoho Halloween Spider Belfry You Murderer Wild Wood Bleeding Freaks Nightmare Blood of Dracula Skullphabet Haunting Attraction Bloody Slime Jack-O-Lantern
For this project you’ll need:
- pallet wood to make the signs
- various colors of paint for your signs
- a 2″x4″ sign post
Each sign is not of uniform length to make each sign unique. You’ll want to place them at angles to make the sign post attractive and eye catching. You’ll want to paint the 2″x4″ post and allow to dry before attaching the signs and placing it into the ground. It’s a nice touch to put rocks around the bottom.
Each piece of pallet wood is cut at different lengths with one end cut into a point to indicate if that particular street, circle, drive, boulevard, court, avenue, way, road, alley or highway is to the right or to the left. Just as a rule of thumb for this project, but the pallet in half, but don’t measure to make the lengths vary as will the lettering on the signs. For longer sign names, you may not need to cut the pallet other than to make the point.
You will want to sand any rough edges to keep from getting splinters and for easier painting. The edges are painted black on each sign — you may also want to paint the post black.
I would get my names of the various signs together and select my fonts, cut out the lettering and place it on the pallet before cutting.
The easiest way to do the signs is to paint the pallet piece, make a stencil out of vinyl for the lettering, secure it to the pallet and paint the inside of the stencil.
Making vinyl stencils may be difficult for many to do and very time consuming, especially if you are to make many different signs. That may be why you should start your projects early or get a little help with a die cutting machine. One very popular and versatile one is Silhouette Cameo. It may be a bit pricey, but if you’re going to do a lot of craft projects for holidays and special occasions, this die cutting machine is a “must have” item.
This is a fun and rewarding project. This one is specifically for Halloween, but you can adapt the concept for other holidays.
