Holidays - DIYInspired.com
14th Dec2011

Repurposed Ornament Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Here are some great ways to use holiday ornaments other than on your tree!  All of these repurposed ornament ideas can be done quickly and easily.

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1. Use them on top of a candle stick to create a vignette.  This works great on your fireplace mantel, or any table top.

2. Use them as a place card holder. Many modern ornaments double as small frames to hang on your tree. Use them as a place card holder instead and insert a picture of your guest.  If you have trouble finding a picture, stalk them on Facebook first (ha ha) or you can write their name on cardstock to be inserted.  Have your guests take the ornament place card holder home as a gift to remember the evening.

3. Make a garland with ornaments and ribbon.  Hang the garland down your staircase, drape them across your mantel, or hang them from a window.

4. Display ornaments under glass or in a vase.  It’s time to break out all those unused vases that are collecting dust in your cupboard from all those flowers you’ve received from Valentine’s past. Or make a DIY Apothecary jar to display your ornaments in.

5. Use them as a gift embellishment or gift tag.  Ornaments are a great way to give your wrapping a special touch. Try making this toilet paper roll flower ornament to embellish a hand-made gift.

6. Make an ornament chandelier. Dress up those ugly chandeliers that come with that rental or glam up your existing lighting fixture.  Consider using fishing wire to create a floating effect and hang each ornament at various levels.

7. Make a napkin holder.  Dress up your holiday table scape by simply attaching an ornament to your napkins.  Your guests can take them home as a party favor.

8. Simply hang them in a wreath.  For me, the simpler the better!

9. Make an ornament centerpiece.  Use coordinating colors in your dinner table scape or a top a flat surface.  Mix your ornaments with garland, ribbon, pinecones, branches, and other natural elements.

Happy Decorating!

 

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09th Dec2011

Scrabble Christmas Ornaments

by Dinah Wulf

 

So I made this Scrabble art for my guest room and had some left over tiles. After playing around with some words, and with the holidays coming up, I decided to make these Scrabble Christmas ornaments.

These are SUPER simple and you can get creative with them.  All you need is Scrabble tiles, a few craft materials, and your imagination.  If you don’t have an old unused Scrabble game, you can find them at thrift stores.  Sometimes they’ll even have a plastic bag of extra Scrabble tiles and no board that you can purchase for next to nothing! If you have no luck at a thrift store, and you don’t have a friend looking to get rid of theirs, craft stores actually sell wooden letter tiles that look like Scrabble tiles without the numbers. They are only about two dollars for a bag.

 

I used some ribbon and decorative wire for mine. I also used some scrapbook paper scraps. It’s easiest to use hot glue because it dries quickly and adheres very well to the tiles.  I glued both the ribbon/wire and the Scrabble tiles to scrapbook paper and then cut the excess paper using a cutting knife and cutting mat. For the “Noel” ornament I used a craft punch for the circles.

 

Here is how they turned out.

 

 

 

Other Scrabble Craft Ideas:

  • Scrabble letter Wine charms
  • Scrabble letter Keychains
  • Scrabble tile coasters
  • Scrabble jewelry

Have any other Scrabble craft ideas? Please leave a comment!

 

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9 Comm
06th Dec2011

Coat Hanger Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

Coat Hanger Wreath written by Michal Sparks

My quick coat hanger wreath is one of those holiday decorations that you can make with
just stuff from your house and yard. The only item you might need is thin wire
such as green florist wire that can be found at any craft store.

OK, first you need, a coat hanger, greens, wire and pliers.

Now as for the greens, look around your yard and be creative, magnolia, yew, ivy,
juniper, all sorts of pine, rose hips (sans thorns!) This not a big wreath so
you don’t need much.

You want to get rid of the cardboard bottom of the hanger. If you are using a classic
hanger don’t worry about it, your wreath will just be larger.

        Using your pliers just bend it into a circle and hook the two ends together and bend them closed.

Now start wrapping wire around the greens. Continue to add greens and wrap them all the
way around the hanger circle. You can make it as full as you like and mix the
different greens together, the colors really work! Keep in mind the hanger
“hook” at the top and try to have enough greens on so it will be partially hidden.

Now that all your greens are on it is time to embellish.

I used some wild rose hips for just a touch of color. I just tucked them under some of
the wire that was already wound around.

For my ribbon I used a piece of a green striped shirt from my scrap basket.

Last I added a tag made from antique book pages glued onto a piece of cardboard. I had
water colored it red for a bit of color.

This wreath would make a great little hostess gift or a hand delivered Christmas card!

Have fun with it and be creative!

To see more of Michal’s work, visit her Etsy Shop, A Clever Spark!

Check out more of Michal’s tutorials:

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3 Comm
02nd Dec2011

Easy DIY Christmas Ornaments for Kids

by Dinah Wulf

 

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A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about Crafting with Toilet Paper Rolls.  I thought the gift tag by All Things Paper was adorable so I thought I’d try and make it.  I thought this would be a perfect holiday Christmas craft to do with the kids… in fact I think I may mention it for my next play date.  It’s really easy and not too messy for little hands.

All you need is: toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, glue, ribbon, hole punch, embellishments (rhinestones, glitter, paint, etc.)

First, bend the tube and cut out rings at the desired width.  I cut out seven rings with one toilet paper roll.

Next, arrange your design on a flat surface. I chose to make a flower.

Carefully glue each piece together.  In my case, I like to use hot glue because it’s easy and dries very quickly.  I carefully glued every other flower petal.

Embellish the ornament any way you wish.  I used a simple rhinestone because I like the organic look of the brown paper.  Consider painting or glittering as well.

Using a hole punch or craft punch, punch holes for your ribbon.

String your ornament and hang! Tah Dah! Also consider stringing several flowers and use them as a decoration for a party. P.S. Remind me to do my nails before I post a picture tutorial…

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01st Dec2011

Christmas Countdown

by Dinah Wulf

December first is the time when families put out their Advent Calendars to countdown the days left until Christmas.  Can you believe that the first handmade Advent Calendar dates back to the early 1800’s?  There have been numerous versions and styles and I thought it be appropriate to share some inspiration I found for some do it yourself Christmas Countdown Advent calendars.

Here is a full Ready Made Tutorial to make these cute countdown ornaments.

 

These two are my favorites from Martha Stewart.  The baby socks are so cute!

 

 

Here are two more ideas from Pottery Barn. It’d be fun to make a version of these with some flea market finds.

 

 

These next two I thought were so cute! I couldn’t find the photo source, but viewed the pictures on Pintrest. Love the little buckets hanging from branches.

 

 

As you may (or may not) know, I heart Etsy.com!  Here are my favorite Printables from some Etsy.com sellers, WantsAndWishes and KaydenAshley and TwoSistersOriginals.

You can purchase these cute Advent boxes at WantsAndWishes and hang them on your tree.

 

I love the rustic and simple look of this garland from KaydenAshley.

 

These whimsical and festive ornament printables are from TwoSistersOriginals.

 

Happy counting!!

2012 Update!  Here is my CD Tower Advent Calendar!

 

 

 

 

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22nd Nov2011

Simple Place Card Settings

by Dinah Wulf

Here are some simple place card settings that you can make in a jiffy.

This pear place card is perfect for a Fall party or for Thanksgiving and extremely easy to make. I bought inexpensive foam pears and pinned a black and white picture of each guest at their place setting. I embellished them with ribbon and scrapbook paper.  There’s no need to spend money on photo paper, as plain white paper works well. Additionally, your guests can take them home as a favor.

Tip: If you are lacking photos of your guests, look for recent photos of them on Facebook or other social media sites.

For all you winos, you can also use recycled wine corks and scrapbook paper.  I cut a slit on top and cut off the rounded bottom with a sharp knife so they will stand straight… super simple and inexpensive! I used them as food labels for a Wine Tasting Party, but they will also work nicely for place card settings.

Using natural elements makes a great table scape at this time of year.  Use fruit or vegetables from the refrigerator tied with twine or foliage or flowers from right your back yard.  Use a festive pretty ribbon from your craft or gift wrapping closet.  Also consider using a branch of berries.  For some pictured below, I used a craft punch for the tag.

 Repurpose Holiday ornaments like this one from Btter Homes and Gardens

Use cardboard and twine to make these adorable eco-friendly pumpkins

 

Photo Sources: BHG, Design Sponge, Providence LTD Designs

 

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15th Nov2011

Crafting With Toilet Paper Rolls

by Dinah Wulf

Today, November 15th, is the 13th annual America Recycles Day! What better way to celebrate than to get some craft inspiration for recycling something EVERY American family has in their home?

I have become obsessed with the website, Pintrest, especially the DIY and Crafts section.  It has become a part of my daily routine just like this blog or Facebook. Check it out when you have time, you’ll get addicted too!

Because of my interest in crafts and recycling, I noticed some ingenious repurposed toilet paper roll projects that people were “pinning”. For example, I saw a pin that creatively turned a toilet paper roll into a gift box.  It was adorable and instantly made my craft to do list.  Embellished with ribbon and paper, you would have no idea it was a cardboard toilet paper roll.

I decided to do a Pintrest search on toilet paper rolls and found these very artistic ideas.  They are definitely worth checking out.  Recycling toilet paper rolls into art, one would never guess, seems pretty hip. These designs, some simple and some complicated are all beautiful and definitely inspiring!

 

Owls by Kerrys Paper Crafts

 

Pink Starburst Wall Art by A Subtle Revelry

 

Circle Paint Stamp by Recycled Lovelies

 

Hip Holiday Wreath (my favorite) by See You There Designs

 

Flower Ornament by All Things Paper

 

Flower art on Canvas by Just A Girl Blog

 

Sculpted Faces by Design Swan (Amazing!)

 

Blue Flower Wall Art by Tali Schiffer Oren

 

Intricate carved tree (source unknown)

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11th Nov2011

Glittered Pinecones

by Dinah Wulf

My daughter likes to pick the pinecones off the ground when we go to the park.  We decided to collect and keep them this time around and get DIYInspired. We like to pick the “ugly” unwanted ones that are already on the ground; pinecones that have not yet bloomed.  After you keep them for a few days, they open up and spread their pinecone wings.

The easiest thing to do was, of course, glitter them!  After they bloomed, we washed them off (to make sure there were no hidden stowaways), let them air dry, and glittered the tips in white, silver, and blue. I used Mod Podge and a paint brush because I always have those two things handy in my craft room!

We filled two vases (the free ones you get with flowers) and displayed them in the guest room. We saved a few of them to add ribbon and hang on our tree this year.

Here’s a quick picture tutorial, even though this project speaks for itself, because hey everyone loves pictures!

Tip: Keep several paper or Styrofoam plates handy.

Click here for more tips for glittering.

Consider painting or glittering pinecones vibrant bright colors and display them in a glass vase.

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Attach a pretty ribbon and hang them from a window.

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Make a pinecone garland for your mantel.

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Make cute place card holders for a dinner party or wedding.

[Via]

 

 

 

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28th Oct2011

Danger Do Not Enter

by Dinah Wulf

Homemade Halloween Ideas: Danger Do Not Enter

So this is one of my last Halloween post for this year and I am very sad about it.  I wanted to do something for those last minute Halloween party touches.

Having a Halloween party and want your guests to stay out of certain areas? Here is an easy homemade Halloween idea. Make a quick and easy Danger Do Not Enter sign out of scrapbook paper.  Use blood red and black colors and embellish it with paper skulls and plastic bugs to hang on your doors. Add orange, black, or red rhinestones for the skull eyes and use Chiller font on your computer for an extra spooky effect. It’s cheaper than buying Caution tape! If you don’t have scrapbook paper handy, it is only about 49 cents each at the craft store and one sheet will make two signs.

I ended up giving the signs to one of my best friends little boys for the door to his room because he loved pirates and skulls.  It’s a fun and simple Halloween craft to do with your kids as well.

Tip: Use double sided tape on black plastic bugs, and have them crawl off the sign and down and around the door knob. It is easy to remove and will not cause sticky residue on your door.

You may also like these other do it yourself Halloween crafts with easy step by step tutorials:

Also check out Halloween Costume Ideas:

 

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26th Oct2011

Halloween Party Inspiration

by Dinah Wulf

This is the 7th annual Halloween party for some friends of ours (Aka, Anthony and Cleopatra) and I must say that they do have this Halloween thing down!  It may be a little late to share some of the party decorations and ideas for Halloween this year, but maybe it’ll give you some inspiration for next year!

Their home is located in the beautiful hills of La Habra Heights in Southern California.  We parked the car on a steep slope as close to the house as possible and walked towards the purple and orange lights to a large driveway and grand entrance. We had to stop to put on our headless zombie costumes once we reached a flat surface.  We were greeted by Daphne from Scooby Doo and walked through the arched doorway to find a Halloween mecca to say the least.

To my immediate left was a grand staircase littered with scary pictures and orange lights.  Just below a Halloween village complete with a skull carousel and countless pumpkins.  We turned into the living room where I met a witch, her pirate husband, and their two young goblins.  It looked amazing in there.  Above is a picture of the fireplace.

We went through the doors outside to the patio.  The city view was breath taking.  Take a look at the detail in these photos.  The hosts created a great balance and inter-mixed Halloween decorations with their existing décor like candle sticks, mirrors, and lanterns.  I love the use of fabrics and ornate furniture and rugs.  The theme was Harry Potter for the kids, which included a scavenger hunt, a cookie decorating station, and a spooky castle bounce house.

Dressed as a headless zombie complete with make-up, I failed to think of how frightening I must look to over fifty 3-9 year olds!  I had to make peace with the handful that came up to me with their parents to ensure that I was in fact a fake zombie. Several of them kept their distance but it felt good to get the thumbs up gory costume approval from the parents.

Here are a few more pictures of the inside include one of three food tables.  There was a lot of detail in the food as well including shortbread fingers, sutured ham and cream cheese celery sticks, and black cat deviled eggs.

We had a great time and stayed late (it was tough to leave the margarita machine)… but I can’t help but think about what I’m going to be for Halloween next year???

 

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25th Oct2011

Haunted Halloween Pictures

by Dinah Wulf

Here is another last minute Halloween party decorating idea you can do the day before your party using scrapbook paper.  As with most projects, my goals include projects that are inexpensive, easy, and make an impact.  All you need for this Haunted Halloween Pictures project is:

I made my own haunted picture and portrait gallery on a blank wall for a Halloween party one year.  All I did was print 8X10 black and white and colored pictures and portraits on my computer.  I made boarders out of scrapbook paper and used decorative scissors for the edge.  I made creative name gold plates out of paper as well and embellished some of the with rhinestones.  For example, I used red rhinestones for eyes or a colored rhinestone as a pendant on a necklace.

With a little bit of internet research I came up with these fake names for my “gold” templates.

  • The Sea Witch, 1951 (This was a picture of a haunted clipper ship)
  • Francis Denison of Yorkshire
  • Clifford Carter of Somerset
  • James & Emily Norman of Dorset
  • The Maygrove Estate of Middlesex (picture of a haunted mansion)
  • Faye Birch of Worchestershire
  • Isabelle Heath of Kent
  • Gale Bowdin of Buckinghamshire
  • Jeanlyn Lewis of Cumberland (this was named after my evil step-monster)

Here are some photos.

I hung these on a blank wall and threaded fake cobwebs from portrait to portrait for an even more eerie effect. What is great about this project is that they store very easily and can be used year after year.  And even better, each photo cost less than two dollars to make!

Happy haunting!

You May Also Like:

Halloween Costume Ideas:

DIY Halloween Decorations:

 

 

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24th Oct2011

Finger Food

by Dinah Wulf

Easy Halloween Desserts – Creative Ideas for Halloween

This chocolate pretzel recipe doubles as a great Halloween dessert and as DIY Halloween props.  It definitely gives a new meaning to “finger food”.  These chocolate dipped pretzels are SUPER easy and quick to make.

The materials you will need are:

  • One bag of pretzel rods
  • Melting candy or chocolate
  • One bag of sliced almonds
  • Waxed paper
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Glass Measuring cup
  • Vegetable oil (optional)

Step One: Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.

Step Two: Follow the candy/melting instructions on the bag.  I like to melt the candy in a glass measuring cup in the microwave at defrost setting in thirty second increments. Use a spooky color like green or blue to make it look like monster fingers.

Step Three: When candy/chocolate is melted, consider adding vegetable oil to thin out the candy.  Add a little at a time until you reach the desired thickness.  The vegetable oil will not alter the taste.

Step Four: Break the pretzel rods in half and dip the broken side into your mixture.  Carefully lay them in a neat row onto the lined cookie sheet.

Step Five: Gently lay a sliced almond sliver onto the edge of the dipped pretzel to make it look like a finger nail.

Step Six: Refrigerate until you are ready to serve!

This finger food will be a favorite at your next Halloween party!

Click here for a complete step by step tutorial for candy dipped fortune cookies!

 

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21st Oct2011

Floating Tarot Cards

by Dinah Wulf

Homemade Halloween Ideas: Floating Tarot Cards

Need more creative ideas for Halloween? My inspiration for this Halloween craft was the seance room in the Disneyland’s haunted mansion ride.  The room had a crystal ball with Madame Leota’s head and floating glow in the dark instruments and other glowing objects all around the room.

For a Halloween party one year I decorated the food table by hanging floating tarot cards above the crystal ball shown below.  I set the crystal ball on an old dusty table that was in the atrium and ruined from the rain.  I used stacked books without the paper jackets, candles, and colorful table clothes and rugs to decorate the table. I scattered Styrofoam bones, skulls, and black roses as well.

Check out how I made this easy floating tarot card Halloween craft.

Google Images is my friend (if you don’t know that already). This search engine made this project SO easy.

Step One:

Start by searching and printing out your favorite Tarot Card Images from Google Images.

Step Two:

Using a glue stick, glue the image onto fluorescent colored cardstock. Make sure to put the image on both sides if you are going to hang them.

Step Three:

Using a hole punch or a craft punch, punch a hole in the top center and hang them from your ceiling with fishing line at various lengths creating a floating effect.

Step Four: (optional)

Use glow in the dark paint to make each Floating Tarot Card glow with a black light.

You May Also Like:

Halloween Costume Ideas:

DIY Halloween Decorations:

 

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19th Oct2011

Pirate Wine Bottles

by Dinah Wulf

Here is a simple DIY Halloween craft that you can make quickly, easily, and cheaply. All you need is recycled wine bottles, scrapbook or construction paper, tape or a glue stick, and your computer. I thought of these when I wanted to create a Pirates of the Caribbean setting at Halloween one year. I was able to use them again for a child’s
pirate themed birthday party.

First, remove the labels from your wine bottles by soaking them in warm soapy water.  The type of wine and the type of label will determine the length of time to soak.  Some bottles need a few hours, and some need a full day.  As you notice the label coming off, use the rough side of a sponge to rub the label off.

In the meantime, use clipart, Google Images, or your own design to come up with pirate or Halloween themed labels.  Here are some ideas:

  • Pirate’s Rum
  • XXX
  • Witches Brew
  • Poison
  • Skull and cross bones
  • Ghostly clipper ship
  • Fallen Angel
  • Black Magic
  • Witch’s Blood
  • Deadman’s Rum
  • Time flies when you’re having rum
  • Bloody Rum
  • Devil’s Poison
  • Pirate’s Choice
  • Vampire’s Elixir
  • Ghostly Spirits

Next print out your labels, embellish them with colored scrapbook paper or construction paper to make a boarder, and tape them to you wine bottle. I glued red rhinestones in the eyes of a skull and cross bones.  Be as creative as you want!  There is no wrong way of doing this easy craft! Surround your pirate wine bottles with skulls, bones, plastic spiders, and Mardi Gras beads.

 

You May Also Like:

Halloween Costume Ideas:

DIY Halloween Decorations:

 

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18th Oct2011

Haunted House

by Dinah Wulf

OK, So Martha has to be the Queen of Halloween Crafts.  I am in the running for Princess ;) I HAD to share my favorite Martha Stewart homemade Halloween ideas.  There were so many to sort through so I decided to go with the haunted house theme.

Here are some fun ideas for Halloween by Martha Stewart.  These DIY Halloween props are perfect for haunting your home!

Let’s start outside. Make your own tombstones Martha style. Spook up the yard by covering it with leaves and scattered lanterns and pumpkins.  Find some old gardening tools and prop them up.  Pile the leaves in a mound in front of each tombstone.

As your guests walk up your driveway, you can make the hairs on back of their necks stand with these eerie silhouettes. It’s a simple idea with a great impact.

While entering your front doors, infest your steps with these creepy invaders. Martha even has the templates ready to use on her website.

I love the look of these black curtains.  It reminds me of the haunted house at Disneyland. Don’t forget the cobwebs!

Speaking of cobwebs, this is an easy and inexpensive way to creep out your candles. Use plastic bugs and dead leaves for an added scary effect.

Last but definitely not least, check out her tutorial on making this spine-chilling coffin coffee table.

There you have it; some of my all-time most favorite Homemade Halloween ideas by Martha Stewart. If you’re feeling like a crafty hostess with the mostess, these will surely make your Halloween party a hit!

You May Also Like:

Halloween Costume Ideas:

DIY Halloween Decorations:

 

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17th Oct2011

Halloween Glittered Skulls

by Dinah Wulf

I saw these beautiful glittered skulls in a little boutique the other week.  The first thing I thought of (the first thing I always think of) was that I can make that!  Then, of course, I forgot about it.  A week later I saw them at Target, at another craft boutique, and then again on Martha Stewart’s website!  So needless to say, I finally sat down to make these glittered skulls.

Since I am obsessed with Halloween (and glitter), I didn’t have to buy anything to complete this project!  I had everything in my craft room or my garage.  Here are the materials I used.

This is an easy and fun Halloween craft that you can do with kids.  It is pretty self-explanatory, but I thought I’d post some pictures and some tips to make your life easier (and less messy).

Tip One: Use several paper plates.  Use one plate for applying glue, and one plate for each color of glitter you use.  Also have extra on the side just in case.

Tip Two:  Use a cooling rack to set your newly glittered bugs and bones on to dry.

Tip Three: You don’t have to glitter the parts that do not show.  This will make it easier to hold as you glue and glitter.  If you would like to glitter the entire piece, I suggest applying one side, allow it to dry completely, and then apply the second side.

Tip Four:  Keep a damp paper towel near you at all times and wash your hands in between glittering with each color.

Tip Five: Keep an extra small paint brush on hand.  You can use this one for touch ups.

Tip Six:  The dollar store is a great place to find Halloween items to glitter.

Tip Seven: Wash and clean your paint brushes right away.

Here are a couple pictures.  I chose not to glitter the back of the skulls because I liked the contrasting texture and color.

 

 

 

 

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14th Oct2011

Insane Asylum Patient Hall of Fame

by Dinah Wulf

Need quick budget homemade ideas for Halloween?

What better way to honor your Halloween party guests by calling them insane?  I wanted to include my guests in my Halloween decorations, and turned my bathroom (a place where I knew each guest would eventually end up at some point during the party) into an Insane Asylum.  I created this homemade Halloween idea, an Insane Asylum Hall of Fame to commemorate each party goer. This project is quick, inexpensive and easy, and ends up being a great conversation starter. This Halloween craft can be done the day of your party.

Here is how you make an Insane Asylum Patient Hall of Fame in three easy steps.

Materials:

  1. Computer
  2. White printer paper
  3. Black construction paper
  4. Lighter
  5. Glue
  6. Googly eyes in a variety of sizes

Step One:

First, print out black and white photos of your guests on regular printer paper. If you don’t have pictures, try to find photos of them on social media sites like Facebook or MySpace.

Step Two:

Using a lighter, carefully burn the edges of each photo and quickly blow it out to create a burnt or singed boarder.  Be careful of ash.

Step Three:

Glue each photo onto black construction paper and glue miss matched sized googly eyes. Don’t forget about your family pets!

I pinned each picture on a fabric shower curtain, however you can also tape them to a mirror or wall as well.  Each guest can take them home as a favor to remember you insane party too!

 

You May Also Like:

Halloween Costume Ideas:

DIY Halloween Decorations:

 

 

 

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13th Oct2011

DIY Tombstones

by Dinah Wulf

Homemade Halloween Ideas: DIY Tombstones

Looking for creative ideas for Halloween?

I wanted my front yard graveyard scene to look as realistic as possible.  The Styrofoam tombstones that you can buy are too light weight, and can easily blow over, so I wanted to make my own.

Making your own tombstones is very easy, allows you to be creative, and doesn’t have to be perfect when you assemble them. They are inexpensive and sturdy, and if you have the room to store them, they will last a few years. Here is how I made them in three easy steps.

Materials Needed:

  • Different sized cardboard boxes
  • Duct tape
  • Flat black spray paint
  • Textured spray paint that looks like stone
  • Plastic bugs (optional)
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks (optional)

Step One:

Start by stacking your cardboard boxes to create the desired shaped tomb stone and tape them together with duct tape. It does not matter if you can see the duct tape, it will be spray painted over. Again, the imperfections make it more ghoulish.

Step Two:

Next, spray paint the entire tombstone with flat black spray paint.  Make sure the room is well ventilated or spray them outside. When it is completely dry, spray paint the entire tombstone again with the textured stone spray paint and allow it to dry completely.

Step Three:

Embellish your tombstone, by hot gluing plastic bugs, adding orange or red rhinestone eyes, or adding a headstone name or epitaph. Here are some epitaph examples from Haunt Your Home.

You May Also Like:

Halloween Costume Ideas:

DIY Halloween Decorations:

 

 

 

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12th Oct2011

Baby Buggy

by Dinah Wulf

I love the creepy and crawliness of Halloween.  For some reason I’m drawn to all things gross and scary. I’ve always been like that.  I can recall wanting to show a scary movie at every single birthday slumber party I’ve ever had.

Since this is my daughter’s real first Halloween (she was only 3 months old last Halloween), I couldn’t help but altering her costume and grossing it out a little. I decided to buy her a little strawberry costume with a raspberry trick or treat pail since they were so inexpensive. Infant and toddler costumes are so cute but not eerie enough for me! They just need a little DIY costume tweek.

Here is my attempt at taking the “before” pictures.  Cut me some slack… since she started walking, it’s impossible to take a good still.

This is an easy Halloween costume makeover. I like to call it my little baby buggy costume.  For a few dollars at the 99 cent store, I purchased plastic bugs, flies, roaches and spiders and glued them to her costume. Be careful with the glue, as you want to make sure you protect your little ones by making sure they don’t play with or put any of the glued bugs in their little mouths!

I knew she would tug and pull on the bugs so I only attached a small trail on the front and most of the bugs on the back of her costume, her hat, and her trick or treat pail.

I attempted to take “after” pictures, but you know how that goes.  So here are a few after shots without baby.

Back

Trick or treat pail

Whole costume

Here are some other ideas to creep out your infant or toddlers costume. Wait… I have to make a disclaimer that I’m really not that sick and twisted… I just love the creative (and gross) part of Halloween!

  • Attach a plastic alien to the belly of a cutsie animal costume so it appears to be coming out of the stomach.  Don’t forget about the fake blood!
  • Attach a fake black crow or raven to the shoulder of a costume.
  • Turn your Disney princess into a dead zombie fairy princess.
  • Put tire tracks and cookie crumbles across the face and front of a Girl Scout uniform (I stole this one from my genius brother so if you think I went a little too far with this one, his phone number is… just kidding).
  • Add green “mold” to those cute fruit and veggie baby costumes and attach a fake rat.
  • Attach a stuffed animal to any garment or existing costume at the mouth to make it look like it is attacking.  Add fake blood at the mouth and teeth.

Who doesn’t love a creepy baby? ;)

 

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Category : Holidays, Kid Stuff
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3 Comm
11th Oct2011

Halloween Specimen Jars

by Dinah Wulf

Here is another easy way to make inexpensive DIY Halloween props. Specimen Jars are a great way to gross out your Halloween party guests. I personally like to set up the “science lab” on the bathroom counter.

Select your jar.

You know my motto, “reuse, repurpose, recycle!”  All you need is recycled jars, mason jars, vases, empty clear cream jars, candy jars, or bowls. Apothecary jars work nicely as well. Use a variety of sizes and shapes.

Select your specimen.

Vegetables (the uglier the better)

  • Cauliflower or broccoli for brains
  • Odd shaped potatoes for kidneys or hearts
  • Carrots for baby fingers

Fruits

  • Dried Apples for shrunken heads
  • Grapes for eyeballs
  • Plastic body parts (eyeballs, bones, fake teeth, vampire fangs)

Sponges

Ginger roots (they look like deformed fingers)

Vienna Sausages for fingers

Hard boiled eggs

Pickels for green fingers

Toys (rubber snakes, spiders, bugs, small skeletons, rats, lizards)

Weeds or Poppy Pods

Make your label. 

I think this is the most important part. Tell a story to make the label interesting. Distress the label with dirt or coffee grins. Include the following:

  • Item Number
  • Date
  • Name
  • Locality
  • Description

Fill your vessel.

Fill the jar (or whatever) with water and a drop or two of food coloring and choose your specimen.

I surrounded my jars with a metal cookie tray filled with silver “surgery tools” (or what would pass as surgery tools) from the dollar store.  I bloodied up a pair of latex gloves as well. There you have it… instant Mad Scientist Specimen Lab.

 

Photo Sources: These are some AWESOME pictures from one of my favorite blogs, The Craft Junkie, The Decorologist and of course, Martha Stewart.

 

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Category : Holidays
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2 Comm
10th Oct2011

Headless Man and Headless Woman Costumes

by Dinah Wulf

 

The older I get, the more I love being “scary” things for Halloween.  I decided to be a headless zombie this year.  Searching the web for ideas, I came across some pretty good costume ideas.  My inspiration for this project was mainly from author, connielim_2000 from instructables.com and from Make Magazine, an article about Nicole Magne’s headless Marie Antoinette costume.  I read both awesome articles and made tweaks of my own to fit with what I had to work with.

These are by far the coolest handmade costumes I have made to date. They were surprisingly very easy to make.  Here is how I made my headless man and headless woman costumes for my husband and me.

Materials needed (for one costume):

Torso:

  • Torso Dress Form ($5 each on Craigslist)
  • Child size backpack (check value and discount stores)
  • Duct tape

Clothing:

  • Thrift store clothing or old curtains or sheets
  • Gloves (try the dollar store first!)
  • Needle and thread (optional)
  • Stuffing for arms and gloves (newspaper, old towels, rags, old clothes, or poly-fil)

Gory effects:

Optional:

  • Costume jewelry

Making the torso:

Purchase your materials. Finding the torso dress forms on Craigslist saved a lot of time and money. I found a great contact in Santa Ana, California called The Competitive Store.  Call them directly and ask for Jenny for the clearance items. They have awesome service too.  I also got the back packs on sale a few weeks after school started for $5 each at Big Lots.

 

Insert the dress form into the back pack with the straps and the chest facing the same way.  The child size back pack is the perfect fit for these retail dress forms.  Tightly bind the form to the back pack with duct tape. I tried it on first to make sure the height was ok. I ended up stuffing the bottom of the back pack with an old hand towel to raise it a bit. Make sure you try it on first before you tape it to get the right height.

 

Making the guts:

I used half of a paper towel, dampened it, and arranged it on top of the neck of the dress form to look like guts.  I saturated it with decoupage medium and coated it two times.  Make sure you allow it to dry in between coats. Paint it with a deep red acrylic paint.

 

 

I bought a package of spiders and bugs from the 99 Cent Store and glued them to the neck and shoulders.

 

 

Dressing the headless zombie:

I spent less than $5 at the thrift store as well as dug up some old clothes and tea stained them to give them an antiquated look.  I also embellished the costume with Halloween gauze from the 99 Cent Only Store. I also found some of my past Halloween costumes in the garage to use as well. For example, I used a Grim Reaper cape for the headless man.

For the woman, I used two thrift store blouses and two long skirts. Both blouses were on the form, one skirt went over my arms, shoulders, and back pack, and one skirt I wore normally.

 

If you go with the blouse and shirt (as opposed to a long dress), you have to cut a slit up the front of the shirt, so the back of the costume will look right.

 

For the man, I used an old men’s dress shirt and a Grim Reaper cloak.  With the costume on him, I cut the hole in the cloak for my husband’s head.

Dress your form and lightly stuff the arms and gloves.  I used left over polyester fiber fill from an old pillow project.  I stitched the gloves to the end of the sleeve. I also stitched the fingers to the shirt.  I used a deep red acrylic paint to splatter all over the hands.

During the process it helped that my husband and I tried them on several times to get the right height, fit, etc.

Here are some after pictures of my headless man and headless woman costumes.

My hubby was on crutches (not part of the costume).

These were our costumes in the trunk on the way to a Halloween party.  Just thought this one was funny…

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Update! Lady GaGa goes headless when she performed on the XFactor on November 14, 2011!

 

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Category : Holidays
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26 Comm
07th Oct2011

How to Make Angel Wings

by Dinah Wulf

OK, I am admitting to the World Wide Web that I cheated. I committed DIY blasphemy… The pink butterfly wings pictured here, I didn’t make, I bought (sigh)… BUT they were free technically!!! That’s my excuse and I stand by it! Because of my mini extreme couponing and thriftiness, I got these wings absolutely free, so I couldn’t pass it up!

Being the DIY Diva that I am, that was really hard to admit because I think DIY costumes or homemade costumes are the way to go, but I felt better when I glammed them up a bit with glitter (of course, Martha Stewart glitter) to match my daughter’s dress for a butterfly themed birthday party for one of her besties.

I DO however, know how to make angel wings (or butterfly wings), so I thought I’d do a quick tutorial, especially since it’s so close to Halloween, my FAVORITE holiday.

Here is a quick tutorial for How to Make Angel Wings. You will need:

  • Four wire hangers
  • Wire cutters (optional)
  • Scissors
  • Two pairs of panty hose or tights (any color or pattern you wish)
  • Duct tape
  • Thick ribbon
  • Glue and embellishments such as gems, glitter, feathers (optional)

Note that if you want to make smaller wings, you can use a wire cutter to cut your hanger in half; you will only need two wire hangers for this project.  Each wing consists of four shaped hangers, two on each side.

Step one:

Straighten your hangers as best you can. If you are making small wings, cut the straightened hanger in half.

Step two:

Curve the wire to make a tear drop shape and twist the ends together. Repeat this step for all four pieces.

Step three:

Place the wires in the shape of wings (two on each side) and use duct tape to secure the center. At this point, the structure of your wings is shaped.

Step four:

Cut off one leg of the panty hose about twenty to thirty inches and pull over one of the four wire pieces.  If you are making small wings, use children’s tights. Tie the end over the taped wire closure in a knot. Repeat for all four pieces. An alternative option is to use four knee high socks.

Step five:

I find it easiest to shape or reshape your wings when the panty hose is already on, be careful not to tear a hole.

Step six:

Use thick decorative ribbon to wrap the center of your wings to cover the duct tape and wire.  Leave two long pieces of ribbon on both sides to create straps.

Step seven:

Ribbon can be tied in bows around your shoulders to attach.  Another option is to use two pieces of elastic. Consider embellishing your wings with artificial flowers, glitter, rhinestones, paint, or feathers.

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Holidays, Kid Stuff
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3 Comm
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