WARNING - These tips and tutorials are for informational purposes only. Please follow proper safety procedures when using tools. We assume no responsibility if you try one of these and blow yourself up or something else. Please use common sense! :)

Thursday, May 30, 2013

To Do List

These boxes would make a good filler for spaces.
The original website has a great tutorial video!

Meet Goliath! This is a creation found at The Dead End. This website has some of the most awesome do it yourself props and decorations!! This is a definite on the To Do list...If only I can get my husband to sit still long enough for me to duct tape him!! :)


Found these columns on the DIY Network...They look super easy and want to give these a try!! They will make a great entry way to our Halloween Cemetery!
 

Jack in the Box

 
Found this project at Landee see, Landee do. They look so neat, wanna give these a try!


Found this tutorial at Tipjunkie. How cool would these look on the Halloween table?!?



Mummies and stuff


This was a mummy we made. We started out covering our live model in a trash bag, starting at the feet to the waist. Then we started wrapping her up with duct tape over the trash bags. Once you have wrapped all the way up the trash bag, cut a slit in the back to remove the "form" from the model. We also added some rocks in the feet and a board in the back for stability. Tape over the slit. You can then do the middle section the same way. and we did the head last, using a straw so she could breath :)
When you have all the pieces made, just duct tape them all together!
You can also visit Crafty Mommy & Me for the original project

WARNINGS:
PLEASE CUT TAPE OFF YOUR MODEL WITH CARE!
REMEMBER SCISSORS ARE VERY SHARP!!
  • Remove all traces of duct tape from clothing prior to washing, as washing fabrics with stickers or tape on them can cause permanent damage to the clothing.

  • Never wind any tape so tightly that it cuts off circulation or makes it difficult to remove the clothing.

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    These are two glass candle holders from the Dollar Tree. I made sure one would fit inside the other. Add just a little bit of water and red food coloring to the larger holder. Put smaller holder inside the smaller holder and slide black plastic spiders in between the two glasses. Add tea light or batter operated tea light to inside. Cute, huh?

    
    These skeletons are also from the Dollar Tree and were meant to be trophies for the costume contest. I took them apart and hot glued them at the joints into poses. I then glued them to a wooden base found at the local craft store. I spray painted them with a flat black spray paint. I then dry brushed them with metallic paint (some gold & some silver)
    Then decorate accordingly.
    From left to right: Most scary, funniest (note clown nose), prettiest, and most handsome
    

     
    
     
    
    
    
     

     
     

    Food & Table Goodies



    These are just a few pictures that I could find of tables and food that we have done. I have many more....somewhere!! I hope to add to this post as I locate them.

    This is my crazy husband. He made me a leaf for our kitchen table that had a hole in it big enough for his head.. I then cut slits in the table cloth to allow his big head to fit through it too :) I do wish however that I would have not cut this table cloth...it looks amazingly awesome under a black light!! We then put a light platter or bowl over the hole, and my husband hid under the table and snuck his hands or head through the hole on unsuspecting snackers!! It was great!

    Table without black light
    Table under black light
    Deviled Eye Balls
    Hard boil eggs at a rolling boil for at least 20 minutes in a metal pan. Remove from heat and run cold water over eggs. Let them sit until cooled (you can dump warm water periodically and fill with more cold water). Peel eggs. Cut eggs in half long ways. In seperate bowl, place yolks aside, and repeat until all eggs are halved and empty. Place egg whites on platter, set aside. In yolks, I add onion, salt, a little garlic powder, dill pickle relish, Miracle Whip and a little mustard. I also added a little green food coloring for a little "YUK" factor. Mix with electric beater until well blended. It's a must to "sample" first, haha!
    Fill empty egg whites with a teaspoon of yolk mix. Place a sliced black olive onto the center of each half. I dipped a toothpick into red food coloring and made squiggily lines for the "veins" of the eyes...

    Random Creations

    Paper mache phase
     
    The hand was a rough go using wire and cotton balls, then overlaying it with paper mache and painting. It didn't turn out very good, but it still looked cool in the witches pot.
    The broom was an old used broom from my husbands shop. I took all the weaved twine off that held the bristles, spread them out, and a little spray paint. We made 3 of these and they looked really cool with the witch set up.
    The upcycled milk jug skeleton was found on the internet... These were such a hit, we now have about 5 of them!!
    Click here for printable directions!
    The bat is actually a toilet paper roll and two coffee filters. SUPER easy and they look so cute!! I will try to do a tutorial on those during preperation for this years party.
    The BOO sign was actually something I found on the internet. The original design called for using old metal burner covers. I didn't have any of these lying around, but I did have tons of plastic gallon ice cream lids!! I glued them together and spray painted the lids black, dotted silver metallic paint around the edges, picked up glitter letters from Wal-mart for about 50 cents each, and used some scrap ribbon.. Ta-Da, a cute sign!!
    Dollar store crow, some sticks from the yard spray painted black and I put it inside an old home interior bird cage. Originally the bird was supossed to be holding an eye ball...hopefully I can get that made this year :)

    Costumes

    Dia de los Muertos mask I made for my daughter. I started with an old cheap mask she had actually drawn on with markers. I took a scratcher pad and removed as much of the marker as I could, & covered it with white paint. I then drew the design with a pencil and began painting.
    More painting...
    Now, to add some flowers and lace!
    Here is the finished product. The eyes were covered with black panty hose to "blacken out" the eyes, but she said she couldn't see in the dark, lol. The roses were dollar store roses and a $5 lace spider table cloth from the local dollar store also!
      Here are some more random costumes:

    Jack-O-Lanterns

    No Halloween is complete with out pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns!!


    
    This is an idea we found on Pintrest..

    
    And this is how ours turned out..Super easy and so cute!!
    We also made a cat pumpkin and
    sparkly pumpkins!


    Spider

    I started with a blown up balloonI made a mixture of flour and water with a little Modge Podge mixed in. I tore strips of typing paper, dipped the strips into the flour mixture and covered the ballon. Hung it to let it dry and repeated the process 2 times. This takes several days to do, so start ahead of time on this project! After all the layers were done, I formed the "fangs" with chicken wire and attached them to the balloon with duct tape, and did paper mache over the fangs and then covered the entire piece (body & fangs) two more times with paper mache... Let dry completely before painting!
    I used black gloss spray paint for the spider itself and red puff paint for the hourglass. I wasn't sure what to do with the legs, so I used pipe cleaners inserted into holes I made into the paper mache. I wish I had thought the legs through a little better, but in the dark, it looked great anyway!

    Candles

    We made candles from old PVC pipe and swim noodles we had lying around. Added a little hot glue and some paint!
    
    We started by cutting the PVC into different sizes with a saw.
    Next, we cut the swim noodle in half with a knife.
    We used battery operated tea lights, so use that to judge how much to cut your noodle, you will want the noodle shorter than your pipe, leaving enough room for your tea light to sit "flush" with your pipe.
     






    
    You then need to go around the top with the hot glue. You will need to let it drip, and run. You may have to do several times around to build it up. Don't forget not to get it too close on the top, or your tea light will not fit inside the pipe!! 

    
    Then spray paint with white paint, if you choose, then add tea lights!! You can leave them single candles and arrange them how you want every time, or you can affix them to a board so that you just have one single arrangement. My friend made these with black PVC pipe and Hot Blood Stix and they looked equally as cool!!! I will tell you, I do not put these away after halloween. I use them in my Christmas decorations and even when the electricity goes out!!

    Wednesday, May 29, 2013

    Tombstones

    We started out with a short trail in 2011. It began at the Cemetery", complete with tombstones & a coffin... We bought insulation board at the hardware store and cut out the tombstones with an exacto knife. We will be making a lot more this year, and I will post some more pictures. The coffin is also made out of styrofoam. To get the "wood" effect, I just took a pencil and made lines through it before painting. Spray paint works pretty cool too, because it sort of eats the foam and creates a neat look. Don't use too much however!! I hope to add some "how-to" pictures and before and after pictures this year as well.