Fast and Simple Halloween Decor

Hey friends!  Guess what?  I'm just getting around to decorate for Halloween.  Finally!  I'm a little disappointed in myself because normally by October 1st I have the house decorated and in full Halloween spirit.  But for the second year in a row I'm off to a very late start, ugh!  The ONLY Halloween item I have in my house right now is the vase I put together a couple of weeks ago.  Now I have my second Halloween decor out and I put it together this past weekend in less than 10 minutes.  My girl helped me and she had lots of fun doing it.  It was easy & fun for her and there was no mess.  Yay for the both of us!

I wanted to "make" something that was quick and affordable.  So I got lucky when I walked into Hobby Lobby and found all the supplies for this little project on sale 40%-50% off (the mason jars I already owned).

Ready for the directions?

• clean mason jars
• open & pour Halloween popcorn into jars
• decorate jars with stickers
• insert battery in candle, turn on and place inside jar
• Voila!

The supplies I used were two jars, a bag of Halloween popcorn (Styrofoam balls), scrapbook stickers and orange candle lights:

I placed them on my bookshelf with a pumpkin and a skull.  My girl loves coming home everyday to turn on the pretend candles.  And both my kids like they way it looks when the house is dim.  It gives it the "safe" eerie feeling.

Now I need to get going on the rest of the house even if the Halloween decor will only be up for a week.  Better late than never! :)

P.S. - Sorry if these pictures seem to small.  I'm trying to fix it! 

Thank you, Pinterest (and Jacqueline Laurita)!

Hey y'all! Well this is a thank you post indeed because thanks to Pinterest my blog has received a lil bit of traffic due to the pins and repins from the projects I've completed. It tickles me pink to think others actually like what I have created and maybe got a little inspired.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with blog land, it seems like there are umpteen-millions out there and mine is one little itty bitty one.  It's no money maker for me or anything of the sort.  It's just a little side hobby that is fun, gets me creative, gets me off my butt and is sometimes therapeutic.  So with that said I appreciate you folks stopping by and lurking around from post to post.

So thank you Pinterest for bringing people over to my blog to check out these projects of mine. Click on each link to find out more about each project.

Glass Vase Snowman Decor {Craft DIY}

Hello peeps!  Who is still stuffed from all of the Thanksgiving deliciousness?  Or broke from those fab after-Thanksgiving sales?  I don't do the whole crazy shopping thing but I am stuffed and happy.  I got to watch lots of t.v. and in my jammies.  Woot!  

On to my latest project, except I made this last year so I'm kinda lying.  I never got to share this with you guys because of lots of computer problems.  Anywho, I made a snowman using two floral vases.

I was inspired to make this snowman after I saw another blogger make with decor with round floral vases.  She used different glitter for each vase and then topped each one with a witch hat.  It was classy and cute.  And darn.  I wish I could remember that blogger and her site. 

Well here is how I got down to business when making this snowman.

Supplies:

2 - round floral vases

1 - sponge brush

Mod Podge

1 - small jar of white glitter

2 - sheets black felt w/glitter

scissors

craft or felt glue

2 - lids from food canisters (like oatmeal)



And just so we're clear, you need two vases for this fella.  :)

First, you pour a little of the Mod Podge into the vase and quickly begin to spread it around with the foam brush.  Add more if you need to as you go along but whatever you DON'T pour too much all at once.  Ahem, I speak from experience.  

Now forgive me but I don't have anymore pictures of this process.  I had to work quickly before the Mod Podge (MP) dried too much.  So basically what I did was pour the MP, coat the vase with it using a foam brush and then I poured in some glitter.  Holding the vase with my hands and on it's side, I tapped and turned the vase around to move the glitter around and have it grab on to the MP.

I used about half the jar of glitter for both vases.  Oh and be sure to completely coat the vase with MP.  Leaving gaps or even small streaks will not give it a good look once the glitter is set and dried on to the MP.  My test vase looked like this.  Again, no pics.  Sorry.  :)

While the MP and glitter dried, I made the snowman's top hat.  I cut the black glittered felt sheet lengthwise at 3 inches.  

I then glued the ends together with the craft glue.  I also used the different size canister lids to make the bottom and top of the hat.  

I wanted the bottom of the hat to be slightly bigger than the opening of the vase.  

Once I had those two coverings cut out I put the hat together.  I did not glue them together mainly because I did not think it would work and because I wanted to be able to put it all away easily once the holidays are over.  

Basically, I just stacked everything on top of each other.  The two vases and the hat parts.  Again, I want to be able to put it away properly when it's time.

Ah but I did find some red ribbon and glue that on the hat part.  

I was going to add a face to my snowman but in the end I liked it better like this.  Simple, pretty and classy.  That's been my motto lately.  :)

Oh and before I forget, I bought all of my supplies at Hobby Lobby.  The vases were on sale for half off and I used a coupon for the Mod Podge and glitter.  Y'all like my snowman?  :)

That's So Witchy {Halloween DIY}

Hola!  Halloween is around the corner and I was finally able to complete this project that I started (in my head) over three weeks ago.  A couple of months ago, some friends of mine were having a garage sale.  I decided to shop at their sale and just before leaving their house I spotted a plain, maroon vase.  My friend gladly gave it to me because she was ready to pack up what didn’t sell and dump it all at Goodwill.  My first thought was to spray paint it but what color and how would I use it?  After some thought I decided to use it as Halloween décor and since I have a few witch hats I then knew what I wanted to do with this vase.

Check it, yo.

And this is what it looked like before:

It is a Pottery Barn vase.  I spray painted a Pottery Barn vase.  Gasp!

Here’s the how-I-did-it down low.

My supplies were Krylon primer, Krylon Glitter Blast in Grape Glitz, and a medium grit sanding block. 

I used an old, clean sock to wipe any dust and debris from the vase, lightly sanded it and then sprayed a couple of coats of primer.

The next day I covered it with the Glitter Blast.  I’m not expert with paint so to the naked eye it is obvious this was not done by a pro.  No prob.  I’ll “fix it” before Halloween next year ‘cause I should definitely be better by then not.

In my best amateur skills, I sprayed 4-5 thin layer coats of the paint.  I waited a couple of minutes in between each coat so I wouldn’t glob it all up.  After 24 hours of dry time I set it up on my dining room table. 

I bought these two tablecloths from the dollar store.

The hat, pumpkin and black crow were bought on clearance from previous years. I also used a small piece of cardboard to help hold the hat steady.  You like?  

Voila.  There is my dining room table a la All Hallow’s Eve mode.  I don’t do table settings, just centerpieces.  Table settings feel too fancy smanchy for me and my laid back family.  I love looking at others though!  And although Halloween is just a few days away, anyone could easily put something like this together for their Halloween festivities come next Wednesday.  Until next time.  :)

Black Kitty Cat Treat Bags {Halloween}

Hi everyone!  Well my house is finally decked out in Fall and Halloween décor and the kids are getting in the spirit.  My goal was to have my decorations up by October 1^st but eh October 15^th was more do-able. 

Anywho, last year I made these Halloween treat bags and to my surprise (honestly) they were quite the hit on Pinterest among other sites.  A big ‘thank you’ is in order to everyone that pinned them and also to those other bloggers that let me share my project on their sites.  Gracias!  :)

I did not think I was going to make any bags this year because the creative side of my brain was low on juice and I had no new creations.  Then it hit me.  A black kitty cat!  My girl and I love Hello Kitty and my girl is fond of kittens because they lick your leg instead of bite it like a dog (according to her).  And since she definitely wants to pass out treats to her friends (okay I too want to pass out treats) I thought of a black cat creation with pink details.  Pink of course! 

Here is what I created:

Like my other craft projects it did not turn out the way I imagined it in my head but it will do and my baby girl loves it. 

Supplies:

·         1 pkg (16 count) small, black paper sacks

·         1 sheet pink glitter paper

·         1 sheet yellow, purple, & black card stock

·         1 small pkg pink/purple/fuchsia chenille pipe cleaners

·         Round & oval paper punch

·         Slot paper punch or 1 black marker

·         Adhesive dot runner, Elmer’s glue, and glue gun

·         Halloween stickers

Here is how I made this year’s treat bags.

Just like my previous Halloween treat bags and my Easter treat bags, I started out by folding the back of the bag.  I do this so I’ll know where to start decorating on the front of the bag and of course to be able to close each bag when it’s time to pass out the treats! :)

Ears & Whiskers: I cut thin strips of the glitter paper and then cut those down to the whisker size my baby girl and I liked.  I think these are kind of long about 2 1/2" but my girl liked those whiskers sticking out.  For the ears, I looked through my daughter’s school papers and looked for a triangle shape.  I found a kite on one of her coloring sheets so I cut it out and in half and that was my ear template. 

 

Eyes: I used my oval paper punch on yellow cardstock to make some eyes and the slot paper punch to make the black pupil.  Of course if you don’t have a slot punch then you can just use a black marker to draw on the pupil.

 

Nose:  I used a ¾” round paper punch on purple card stock for the nose.

After each piece for the face was cut I glued them on to the front of the bag using Elmer's glue for the ears and the strip dot adhesive for the eyes, nose and whiskers.

Tail: I used my finger to wrap the pipe cleaner around it and then I glued it down on the back of the back.  I didn’t want it to be completely curly so I straightened it out some to give it that funky cat look.  I used my glue gun to glue it down making a small U shape at the bottom of the tail.

 

Once it was all dry and set I put pretend goodies inside and closed it off with a sticker.  It’s not time to pass them out yet so of course it’s just a prop!  :)

 

And just like all my other projects, I did not pay full price for the supplies.  Either they were on sale or I had coupons.  With the exception of the glue, card stock and paper punches, all materials were purchased at Michael’s. I used one 40% off coupon for one item and one 20% off coupon for total purchase (spent about $6 or so)

Now I just need to make a few more bags so they can be ready to go next weekend!  Happy Halloween, y’all!

Dallas Cowboys Yarn Wreath {Craft DIY}

Happy September, everyone!  I love this month not only because it means that Fall is around the corner but because it is also my birth month.  I turned 38 a week ago and I'm embracing my new age just like I do every other age.  Go me!  :)

Anywho, let's get down to it shall we?  September also means the start of football season so what better way to kick it off then with a little pride of our favorite NFL team.  Yep, yep!  This week I thought I would show off a wreath I made at my boy's request.  He wanted some Dallas Cowboys decor and a wreath was the first thing that came to my mind.  I did not want it to be too girly so this is the best that I could create in my mind and the execution wasn't too bad.  I mean he does like it so I guess that's good, right?  

I present to you my Dallas Cowboys yarn wreath.

After making this Valentine yarn wreath I said I would never do one again but I figured that making a football wreath out of yarn would be better than ribbon.  Well at least for the boys in my house.  Of course this ain't no manly wreath (is there such a thing?) but my goal was to not make it too girly.  

Here is what I used:

- 1 14" foam wreath

- "I Love This Yarn" in Denim (I think)

- White wood chip letters 

- Silver and blue glitter card stock paper

- Bling adhesive in light blue

- Football wood chip decor

*all items were purchased at Hobby Lobby or Michael's either on sale or with a coupon*

I wrapped the yarn around the wreath a total of three (3) times and I used my all time favorite craft glue to glue down the end piece.

I then got to work on the the star.  I did my best to recreate the infamous Dallas Cowboys star and I even used the same star print-out that I used when I made my charger decor plates.  The print-out I used had a thick black line around it so I used the whole star for the silver star; I then cut out the black line and used the solid white star to cut out a blue star.  I hope that all made sense.  I then used the craft glue to stick 'em together and let the stars set while I got to work on the letters. By the way, I traced the stars on the back side of each card stock.

I could not decide what letters to use until I put them next to each other.  Clearly one set was too girly and way too small for the wreath.  You can't tell in the first picture but the bottom letters are glittery, small and girly.  Remember we are avoiding girly here.  Oh but wait I added some bling to the wood chip letters I chose.  Oopies.  :)

Oh and I used the same craft glue on the letters and the football.  

As for the star, I used a very small hole punch and some white string so that it could hang from the wreath.  I punched a hole at the very top of the star threaded the string through it and tied it around the wreath bring the star to top as much as possible.  The string is thing enough that it blends in well with the yarn and kinda looks invisible.  You really can't tell but I used more craft glue to pat down a small section of the string so that it would not spin around constantly.  I wanted the star to only face one direction so I thought that using a bit of glue would prevent it from spinning every time the front door was opened and closed.

I let it all dry and set for a good 24 hours before I hung it on our front door.  I admit that it did not turn out as "neat-o" as I wanted it to but I got a thumbs up from my hubby and my boy. And some of my friends like it too.  Yay!  And Go Cowboys!

Team USA Patriotic Mantel Decor {Craft DIY}

Hey, y'all.  Well just like every American out there I am very proud of my red, white and blue.  And like many Americans I am glued to the telly (London reference there) right now while the Olympics take place.  I may be a tad of an Olympic freak though because I am ALWAYS watching the events, checking the stats, the medal rankings, athlete bios, etc.  So why not display a little Team USA pride on my mantle alongside my future Olympians?  :)

Check it, y'all.

Okay I'll be honest here.  I'm a tee wit proud of my crafts but I really don't feel like going into detail about how I made these because I have given the telly my full and undivided attention.  And I am super tired y'all.  So I thought I would just show off my mantel and explain how I made these tomorrow.  Hopefully.  :)

Nighty nighty and let's hear it for the home team!  

UPDATE: 8/6/12

Hola!  I'm back to show you how I made my patriotic chargers and tulle wrapped frame.  Here is what I used for the charger plates: 3 silver chargers, 1 red, glitter foam sheet, 3 wooden block letters, Martha Stewart craft paint in Indigo and Crafter's Pick glue.

I first sprayed the wooden letters with primer, let them dry overnight and then painted them with the craft paint using a foam brush.

While the paint on the letters dried, I cut three stars out on the foam sheet.  I did not free hand this star, so I googled an image.  I did not do any star search but a Dallas Cowboys "star" search.  Hehe, I am a dork.  I found a star that I was pleased with, copied to a Word document and enlarged to a full sheet size.  That was the right size to fit inside the charger.  

The foam was self adhesive so all I had to do was peel off the paper back and stick it on the charger.  I then glued each letter on top of each star with my favorite craft glue.  In order for it to set and stick well, I put a jar or can on top of each letter and let them sit over night.

After everything was said set and done, my patriotic chargers were done and ready for my mantel.  I was really hoping to have made these for July 4th but my precious time said no can do.  But at least I had them done in time to kick off the Olympics and cheer for Team USA!

Patriotic Glitter Tulle Frame

I came up with this frame after I saw a patriotic frame at Hobby Lobby.  One of my fave stores.  My daughter is always asking for things with "sprinkles" aka glitter, simmer, bling, etc.  My little diva knows what she likes!  :)

So I came up with this idea after seeing the frame at the store and noticing that the rolls of tulle was on sale for half off.  I purchased my supplies- all on sale or with a coupon like a good crafter.  :)

Here is how I made my frame with red, white and blue sprinkles.

I bought an 8"x10" wooden frame from Hobby Lobby with a 5"x7" opening, three rolls of glitter tulle and 1 silver glitter foam sheet and a medium size star shape paper puncher.  I also used a low temp hot glue gun.

I cut 9 strips of tulle in each color, 20 inches long.  I first started with the blue tulle and wrapped it on the left side of the frame.  I first used the Crafter's glue but quickly realized that using a glue gun would be faster and not as messy.  So take my word for it, DON'T use a craft glue.

I wrapped each strip of tulle on the frame overlapping as much as possible so the wood would not show through too much.  After the blue tulle, I alternated between the red and white tulle starting with the red.  Afterwards, I tucked any extra tulle down with the glue gun.  No biggie.

I then got the star paper punch and punched out one star on some card stock (actually it was someone's business card that I was about to toss).  heehee.  I then used that one star to trace on the back of the silver glitter foam sheet.

I traced about ten stars or so but only ended up using seven of them on the frame.  Oddly enough this foam sheet was not a self-adhesive (like the red one on the chargers) so I had to use the glue gun to put the stars on top of the blue tulle.

Finally after about 30 minutes I had this pretty Team USA frame displaying my future Olympian.  :)

It's not the best quality photo in fact it is a computer paper print out of my daughter and my husband.  I was not able to get an actual photo but I wanted something NOW so this is the temporary photo.  It is a picture of my daughter at her first gymnastics class.  She was a wee bit shy and wanted her Daddy by her side.  He made her feel all better and on she went with the rest of her class.  I LOVE this picture of the both of them.  Maybe it will be used in a P&G commercial when she makes the US Gymnastics team.  :)

P.S. The tulle definitely made the opening of the frame smaller than a 5"x7" so I gently pushed the pictured into the opening and then taped the thin cardboard behind the photo.  I didn't know what else to do but it is a temporary solution and for now it is holding up well.

Once again, here is my patriotic mantle.

I am so enjoying watching the Olympics every day and night. Yep, I am totally losing sleep because I go to bed late every night but I can't help myself.  I am in awe of the games and have been since I first saw Mary Lou Retton score that gold at the '84 Olympics in Los Angeles.  Ever since then I have been an Olympic freak.  Ask my poor husband.  That includes the winter games too.  I am into everything from start to finish- opening ceremonies to closing ceremonies, interviews, mini documentaries, etc.  Told ya I was an Olympic dork.  :)