Monday, October 21, 2013

Halloween Decor




Halloween is my favorite holiday, so now that we have a home, I was super excited to decorate it for it! I have had this up since about mid September, butI figured it was about time to blog about it, now that Halloween is just 6(!) days away! 

Here is a shot of the mantel, below you can see a "play-by-play" of my items. 

 


1. Bat cut outs. I image those lucky enough to have a Silhouette could use it to it these out, but Ihave access to an old school die cutter, that I used. Dana at made cut hers out by hand.

2. A vintage window that I picked up for $10 at a local antique shop.

3. Scrap paper bunting - I just free handed shapes, then sewed them together, putting about 3-5 stitches between each piece.

4. Halloween Photo Banner -  I printed photos at Walgreen's, then cut them into squares. I wanted to print them in black and white, but I forgot. I still like them though! I used mini clothes pins from Michael's to hang them on a Halloween ribbon, also from Michael's.



5. Happy Halloween Banner - I had a Halloween sticker pack from the dollar section of Target a few years ago. I used the letters and put them onto old book pages, that I cut into squares. Then I used craft glue to attach it to more Halloween ribbon from Michael's. 

6. I bought these vases at a local antique store, to spray paint black, but then changed my mind once the mantel started coming together. The purple flowers and glitter accents are from Michael's. .89 cents each, can't beat it, for a little glitz! 

7. Black Feather Boa - I draped it across the back, in front of the window base, to give a spook factor. There are also purple Halloween lights behind the window. I got then for about $5 from Michael's, but Christmas Tree Shops had them for about $4.

8. Miniature Bird Cage - from Michael's summer clearance section, for just 1 cent! Win!

9. Paper Mâché Skull - I had every intention of covering it in white tissue paper, but I never got to it. But there is always next year! 

10. Jar of Buttons - I wanted to pull my purple, black, green, and orange color scheme to really pull together so I threw some buttons in those color into a jar to add to the effect.

11. Saranac Jug - Joe bring it home, drank it, and I rescued it from the recycling bin!

12. Jar of [googly] eye balls - I bought a pack of Halloween/monster googly eyes at Michael's.

13. Owl - from Pier 1's 75% off section! after Easter. I keep him out all year, but thought he fit in on the Halloween mantel. He is one of my favorites!

14. Candle - large purple sparkle pilar candle from Michael's Halloween section. 


We also have some pumpkins on the front porch, and of course, holiday kitchen towels. 

I love coming home to all the decorations! 
This is my first try at a holiday mantel, but I love it, and that all that counts right?! 

Do you decorate for Halloween? Share your links below so I can check them out! I love getting new ideas from seeing what everyone else is up to.  









Absence Explained

So I apparently haven't written since April, really?! Oyeee! I have no excuses for April - July, but in July we bought a house, so it all went crazy from there! I have lots of home improvement project posts line up, but before that is Halloween! Its my favorite holiday, and this is the first time with a home, so I got to go all out (as I could manage) with my decorations. Post to come shortly! 

Until then, here is our home! 😊

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt

Freezer paper is probably my favorite craft. So quick, so easy, so satisfying.

 This time I used it to make two Camp Half-Blood tshirts for Halloween. One for me, one for the tween I babysit for. She is big on the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series and wanted to be Annabeth for Halloween. I've read the PJ series, and am slowly but surely working my way through the Heroes books, so I decided to make one too. 


We printed a design off the internet, and then went about freezer paper stenciling it onto orange tshirts from Michael's. We bought them on sale, her regular fit was about $3, my ladies fit was $6. 

Dana from MADE has a great freezer paper stenciling tutorial, chech it out here. www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-freezer-paper-stencil-makenna-loves-goldfish.html

I am planning on wearing mine on Halloween too, but I'll either be Piper or Hazel, depending on what accessories I come up with between now and then! 

Freezer paper is great for custom shirts, onesies, or anything you want monogrammed! 

My tween and I have plans to make Camp Jupiter shirts next, yellow print on purple tshirts. Maybe in the next couple of weeks...