halloween

Pumpkin Halloween Decorations + The Jack O’ Lope

4 · Sep 1, 2015 · 5 Comments

Guys I’m so excited… We are heading into my favorite time of year!

AUTUMN!!

And with Autumn comes all kinds of fun decorating… Back-to-School, Fall, Apples, Pumpkins and Halloween to name a few. I am thrilled to be one of this year’s Michaels Makers and this months challenge is PUMPKINS.

I’ve always loved pumpkin Halloween decorations and I decided to take kind of a silly route with my challenge and make my version of the Jack O’ Lope…

I thought it turned out fun! It was so easy to put together, I just gathered a few supplies at Michaels Craft Stores. Did you know that Michaels is carrying HALF pumpkins?! No more will we need to pull out the heat knife to try and cut our craft pumpkins in half. We can buy them that way now! Well played Michaels, you always know what we need.

I found this great chalk board at Michaels (I couldn’t find it online, but it is in stores) and thought it would be fun to add some antlers to my half pumpkin for a fun wall piece for my Halloween display, to make a Jack O’ Lope of sorts.

First, I seasoned my chalk board to give it that worn in look.

I crushed a little chalk and then rubbed it all over the board with a cloth or paper towel.

That way it looks more like a used chalk board rather than a black sign.

Then I hot glued some antlers that I had hanging around onto the board…

Then, I glued the half pumpkin in place right on top of the antlers.

It fits perfect!

Next, I set-out to create a fun Halloween display to show-off my Jack O’Lope.

I grabbed some of Heidi Swapp Marquee Bats (sorry, they aren’t online but they are in-store) and spray painted them black with Krylon Chalkboard Spray Paint.

Then I added some paper wall bats that are also available in-store.

I added a Halloween printable that I created last year, I still LOVE it!

You can download it HERE.

To fill-out the scene, I added some more pumpkins to the drawer of my buffet…

I wrapped one with a pumpkin sleeve from the Martha Stewart Halloween collection at Michaels. They look really cool and are an easy way to dress-up any pumpkin.

Last but not least and made another set of large dice to use as decor this time. I just love how they fill-in the scene with a little more whimsy. These are super easy to make and are fun to have on hand for all kinds of things. I LOVE my new black set for Halloween!

All together, I think it makes a pretty fun scene for the season. My kiddos think it ‘s pretty cool anyway.

How do you like to decorate with pumpkins? Do you like to decorate for fall, or do you jump right into Halloween like we prefer to do?

Michaels is having a great sale on the crafting pumpkins this week, 40% off… Run and grab some quick before they disappear!

Disclaimer // I am a member of the Michaels Maker crew, this is not a paid position but I do receive store credit in order to create projects for the Michaels Makers program.

DIY Chalk Paint Halloween Apothecary Jars with BB Frösch Chalk Paint Powder

5 · Oct 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

+ Guest Post by BB Frösch Master Jonelle Morris from Chalk-a-Lot +

EEK! It’s almost Halloween! I’m not one for the guts and gore of the holiday, but I do love me some fun Halloween decor. I have wanted to make an apothecary display for a few years now, but never got around to it thinking, “oh that will take too long,” or “that will be too expensive,” or “I wouldn’t make it look good.”

Well, since I have joined the BB Frösch team, I have been trying all sofrts of things I never thought I would do. I set out to good ol’ Michaels to see if they had any glass bottles I could turn into something amazing, and as luck would have it, they did!

And the best part, each one was a $1.29 or under—score! But my luck didn’t run out there. Most of their Halloween stuff was 50-60% off, so therefore I made my whole display with what I purchased at Michaels, plus a couple small things I already have for….drumroll….$25! Double score!

I wanted some of the bottles I made to be black, and thought I would put the “BB Frösch bonds to virtually anything” claim test. I started out with my plain glass bottles and put a quick few coats of BB Frösch chalk paint with some leftover black paint I had from another project. BB Frösch isn’t just for furniture!

And when I say quick, I mean quick. Three coats on those four bottles took me about 25 minutes, drying time included. I then took a wet rag to wet distressed the tops and corners of the bottles to create a more authentic vintage look. I chose to leave the other bottles clear, so I could put some water with food coloring inside.

Then, because I am cheap 🙂 I searched for free vintage apothecary labels online and found some awesome options! I printed them off on regular paper and Modge Podged them under and on top of the label.
I used the labels found here:

Two Crafty Paws

Love Manor

The Graphics Fairy

For some other wonderful options you can go here:
Lil’Luna

Then to complete my display, I printed a beautiful, but slightly creepy picture of an old Victorian house (that was most likely haunted) on burlap.

Yes, you read that right, I printed on burlap, as in on my home inkjet computer.

Amazing! You can find this easy to follow tutorial on Domestically Speaking. It seriously took me about 10 minutes. The graphic I used as well as several other vintage halloween images can be found on The Graphic’s Fairy.

There, I did something I never thought I could do, and quickly and inexpensively! Happy Halloween!

Brownie Ghosts

2 · Oct 12, 2014 · 9 Comments

+ This spooky Brownie Ghosts are brought to you by Pillsbury Baking +

I love the whimsey that this time of year brings. There is just something special about Halloween and all of the cool little treats you can make for your little ghouls and goblins. This super cute treat is so easy to make, you can even do it with your kiddos.

All you need is a box of Pillsbury Brownie mix, some Cool Whip topping and some of the super cute candy eyes.

Mix-up your brownie mix according to package directions and then bake in cupcake liners rather than your typical brownie pan. Reduce your baking time a bit to account for the smaller size. I baked mine for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Next, fill a pastry bag that is fitted with a jumbo round tip with Cool Whip. (I order all my baking supplies from Sweet Baking Supply, love that shop!) Then I pipe the ghosts on top of the brownies. They don’t have to be perfect. Ghost come in all shapes and sizes, don’t ya know.

Then I place the candy eyes on my cute ghosts.

Isn’t it so cool how you can whip something up so easy with your kiddos and feel like a ROCKSTAR! No advanced skills needed here, just a little box of Pillsbury and a little spooky love!

For more fun baking ideas, visit the Pillsbury Baking site or their Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram feeds. Each of these sites are packed full of ideas that can turn your ho-hum cake mix into something aaaamazing!

Disclaimer // This post is sponsored by Pillsbury Baking. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own. However, I want you all to know that I will never promote a product or company that I do not love and use in my normal day to day life.

Boo to You Free Halloween Printable + 8 More Halloween Printables

5 · Sep 25, 2014 · 16 Comments

Eeeeeeek, it’s that time of year… Time to start working on your best spooky decor! My kiddos and I are already in full planning mode and can’t wait for Halloween this year! To get us in the mood, I created a stylish, yet spooky free Halloween printable sign for you to incorporate into your Halloween decorations!

I am just in love with the geometric trend right now and coupled that with some watercolor bats… it’s a match made in Halloween Heaven.

Click on Image to download my Boo to You Free Printable!

What’s even more fun is when you have 8 fabulous free printables to choose from!! Here are 7 more fun printable idea from some of my favorite people around blogland!!

1. Kiki & Company: Every house needs a
little “BOO” for Halloween. Use this garland to give any little area a
little festive flair!

2. Simple As That: Add some
retro flair to Halloween gifts, party favors or memory keeping
projects with these printable tags.

3. Eighteen25: Your Halloween Table will look
spooktacular when you put these Eat, Drink and Be Scary Prints to use!

4. Paging Supermom: Use this “Monster Meal” oatmeal can wrapper to create a
fun gift for neighbors and friends.

5. Whipperberry: This frightfully geometric sign is
ready to frame for your mantle or entry table.

6. The Idea Room: Print this spooky “Spells and Enchantments” book cover to
create a spell book for your Halloween decor.

7. The Crafting Chicks: Halloween Scattergories! Get
those brains working with a fun Halloween twist!

8. Thirty Handmade Days:
Surprise friends with this cute “You’ve been boo’ed” packet of
Halloween printables!

halloween

Click on Image to download my Boo to You Free Printable!

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