Halloween Decor

This has been a great year for Halloween crafts.  I like to have hand crafted decorations when I can, and this year I have been able to get quite a few new decorations done.  As well as making my feather wreaths, I made this paper Trick or Treat banner out of scrapbook paper.

It's a little hard to get an entire shot of it, but the idea is from The Crafting Chicks website:  it's  a neat place to visit but I recommend blocking off a bit of time to explore it all!

The Boo blocks are also something new this year.

I have seen variations in all sorts of blogs, and I believe the Crafting Chicks website has an example as well.  I used a scrap piece of two by four lumber for those; scrapbook paper and wooden letters from Michaels.

I even managed to finish up my quilted Halloween table runner:

 I started this one in February and it has been sitting around unfinished ever since.  Getting it done the week before Halloween is better than the week after though right?!

Yesterday was a family affair in the making of gingerbread cookies.  I love watching the kids decorate their cookies, and am especially pleased that all the spooky characters look so happy.

When we decorate cookies I make a couple of pots of runny icing (icing sugar and milk), and set them out with icing-only paintbrushes.  The kids have a bit more control over the icing application and there is a lot less mess than big gobs of icing dripping off knife points.  Supplemented with sprinkles and gel icing in tubes it makes for a fun time.

This last week I have also managed to complete an Hermione Granger and Super Mario costume. I tell you I'm on a roll!  I think I should buy a lottery ticket :)

I am attributing all this energy to the woodland walks I have been taking.

It's chilly outside, but those changing leaves can't be beat.

 This was my walking companion on Thursday: isn't he cute?  I mean, if you could see his little face?  I "borrowed" him from a friend.  He is a five month old Westie and very curious!

Thursday Things

After mis-placing yet another homework assignment due yesterday, I finally got it together today to make a pocket file to hold those bits and pieces needed for school.  I had planned on making this ages ago, but what was stopping me was fabric choice.  I couldn't decide if it should match my kitchen; if I should use fabric I liked, or if it should have a kid feel, since it would be used for kid stuff.  I did a bit of a compromise and chose a bright blue/green stripe paired with yellow gingham.  

Now we have a place to store those homework assignments that are not due the next day, but still need to be out so we can see them and be reminded that the due-date is coming up.  It will also hold all those little readers the kids come home with and their school library books.

I also started work on yet another scarf for a friend.  I started a pink scarf for her early in the year, and after unravelling it a number of times and finally completing it I decided it just wasn't right.  Scarf number two is made with a chunky kind of yarn, and I am trying one of those ruffle-y type ones.  I love how fast it's going, but after unravelling it twice and now almost being done, I think it's too long and has to be unravelled again!

It's a good think I love crochet.

Thrifty Halloween Feather Wreath 2

I couldn't resist making another feather wreath yesterday, after seeing the bright orange feather boas and flocked spiders at the dollar store.  This is made in the same way as the black one, only I did use a coat hanger for the base.  The bonus of that is, you have a built in hanger.

 Mr. Crafty World is a bit of an arachnophobe, so this particular wreath cannot be called his favorite.  I'm not quite sure where I'll display this one, but it does look good on the front door! (Just not very welcoming for him though...)

I bought a bigger skull for my black wreath, and think the proportions are much better:

Have a great day!

Thrifty Halloween Feather Wreath

I have seen feather wreaths around quite a bit lately, and after a trip to the dollar store was inspired to create my own.  All supplies - excluding the wreath form, because I already had it - cost five dollars! You could easily use a coat hanger here for the ring because you don't see it.

 It was super easy to make too:

 Secure the end of the feather boa to the metal wreath form with tape.  I used electrical tape because it matches the feathers.  Then just wrap the boa around the wreath form and secure the end with more tape.  I used two feather boas for this project; each one cost two dollars.  The wreath form is twelve inches in diameter.

That part took about two minutes, then I decorated.  At first I thought about putting my silver, glittery skulls all around the wreath:

...but then decided that I just wanted one to suspend from the center with invisible thread. 

 Here it is on the back of my door, but you can see the back of my rectangular autumn wreath:

...so here it is against a plain background:

I'm glad I didn't glue the skulls onto the feathers, because it will let me switch it up next year to a glittering pumpkin, bat or spider.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grandma Called.....

...she wants her curtains back.  Oh I couldn't resist that one :)

Well I'm finished!  I started painting  Monday night and had my curtains sewn and hung by Thursday.  I would have to say this is the quickest 'make-over' I have ever done.  I love it, despite the protests of my aching, creaky body over the last week.  My "Before" pictures are not so great.  Our days have been gloomy, necessitating the use of the overhead light:

The walls were green before: it's a funny green (Castleton Mist by Benjamin Moore)- I really liked it.  Sometimes it was bright and fresh, other times it looked like the color of split pea soup.  Like I said, I liked it and so did Mr. Crafty World, but nobody else did.  Whenever they saw the color they said "huh!"  Now normally I wouldn't care, but Our Crafty World is not one that hangs around for too long in any given place, so sometimes we just have to decorate for potential buyers.  I figured I would rather do the re-painting now, when I was inspired to, than when we get a posting message.  ( I don't know when that is going to be by the way)  I also felt that nothing else in the room was working with this funny, changeable green.  It had its own vibe and things weren't keeping up.

 Now things are so much brighter with my Sherwin Williams 'Creme' paint (color matched by Home Hardware of course!):

I would like to get an all-cream quilt or duvet for the bed and use what's on it now as an accent quilt folded at the foot of the bed.  I think it will calm things down even more.

I got over my curtain fabric panic.  They are kind of old lady looking, but then again I like old lady stuff.  I hope to be one myself some day.  They kind of remind me of bark cloth.  They are also 100% cotton, so if I decide in a few years that I want them lightened up, I can always put them in a light bleach bath.

One of these days I plan on painting that bookshelf white.  That will be quite a while though as I have a ton of projects lined up.  The chair could also use a snuggly ivory throw or something.

So that's it: the Total Bedroom Makeover done and dusted.  I guess I can't call it totally done over, since really I just changed the wall color and curtains, but it feels totally different!