Two Bone-tastic Plushes

Those who know me know that I like creepy cute. I like the juxtaposition of the two ideas that seem like they shouldn't work together. I liked the idea to bring it to Halloween in decorations, once again. The last time I made a creepy, cute Halloween plush was Frank. I still love the little guy. But this time I decided to go with a bone theme.

I drew a couple of different designs for a skeleton  before deciding on this one. I thought that this short design with a large head helped keep the cute along with the creepy. The heart was a last decision when I was cutting out the felt pieces. I felt like it needed some color since the front and back were only black and white. (The back is a black and white dotted fabric.) While watching General Conference I hand-sewed on the bones and heart. Then I used a sewing machine for the rest.

I also decided to make a sugar skull. These are little confections that are seen during Dia de los Muertos. I have always liked their aesthetic. The vibrant colors with dark lines was a cool contrast to me. When I first drew this out I thought I was going to embroider a black line for the teeth. But after rummaging through my embroidery thread I saw that I didn't have enough black for that. So I decided to cut out a whole for the teeth and then use that scrap to make the teeth. Something strange went on when I put them on. There wasn't supposed to be a big gap between the rows of teeth, but somehow it happened. I still like the overall look of the skull, though.

Close-up shot of some of the details.

Crafted by Mule (Megan).

Welcome, Foolish Mortals!

Before this year, our outdoor Halloween decorations consisted of four skulls to hang in the tree, three blacklights, one Styrofoam tombstone & an 'autopsy room' sign. We revamped the autopsy sign and turned it into {THIS}.

We put up the tombstone, but it kept blowing away. I was so sick of placing and replacing the stinking foam that I wanted to make our own set of stones that simply would not move in the wind. We had a couple scrap pieces of 2x8 and 2x12, so we decided to make our own out of wood.

Since we are BIG fans of all things DISNEY, we modeled ours after {The Haunted Mansion}.


Gather It:

• any size scrap wood you want (we used 3 ft-ish of 2x8 & 2x12 scraps)
• saw
• wooden stakes
• screws & drill
• vinyl & cutter or cardstock to make stencils
• ebony color wood stain & brush
• Grey spray paint (I used Krylon double coat) 2 cans, just to be safe

Create It:

1. Find your Wood: We live in a fairly new neighborhood, so there's always some kind of construction going on. If you're lucky, you can find fairly decent pieces of wood for free in their scraps pile; all you have to do is ask.
2. Cut the Wood: We had three original pieces of wood; I drew the top curve of the stones then the hubs cut them out with his hand saw (the guy could really use a miter saw--- Christmas, maybe?)
3. Stakes & Screws: Using two screws per stake, attach two wooden stakes to the back of each tombstone.
4. Stain: Liberally apply the dark stain to the stones. Follow the directions on the can & get every showing piece of wood.
   
5. Create Stencil: While you're waiting for the stones to dry, it's time to create the stencils. Since I wanted to do stones authentic to the Haunted Mansion, I googled for a list of actual tombstones at the Haunted Mansion {HERE}. FYI--- UR Gone is in the mausoleum.. so it is authentic. Then I created the stencils in Silhouette Studio & cut them out. The HM font is called "haunted mickey." As always, if you have a Silhouette & want to make theses, I will email you the document. Weed & apply the vinyl like you would any other vinyl project. If you don't have a cutter, create your stencil by printing your design on cardstock, then cutting out what was painted then use it the way you'd normally use a stencil.
   
6. Spray Paint & Wait: Lay your stones out on some tarps in a well-ventilated area & then spray them like there's no tomorrow. Cover every little itch, wait for front to dry (according the can) and flip over and paint the back. I used all of one can & barely had to open the second. After the paint is dry, use tweezers or a small hook to gently peel off the vinyl. Under the vinyl stayed the color of the stain creating an engraved wore look. If you got the right kind of spray paint & stain, you don't need to seal it, but if you're paranoid go ahead.
   

Your homemade homage to the home of 999 haunts is now ready to display. They'll be dying to see what you did. :)

Stay tuned for one more homage to a different Halloween classic. :)

I'm linking {HERE}

Skeleton Greeter

Two weeks to Halloween!

I have a confession: I love {Pinterest}. I spend entirely too much time on it, but I end up finding crazy awesome ideas. I saw {THIS} idea about a month ago and knew we must make our own.

It's a Skeleton Wreath made by Meg at {Mega-Crafty} & {Mega-Spooky}.

Here's my version:
My Little Notes:

• You really can buy the bones anywhere. We found our at Target. It was $20 for the bones, and I'm sure we could have found them cheaper somewhere else, but I was way too excited to start this project (and so was my hubby) so we caved and got the bones.
• If you follow any of my advice: Don't buy the styrofoam glue (especially if you're impatient like me). In my experience it did not stick at all, I even waited the time it said to, tried to move it and... you can imagine the rest. My husband, the trusty engineer, said he thinks the glue is just repackaged white glue. It sure acted like it... PLUS it's not water-proof; so, if you plan on making it an outdoor wreath, definitely get the corresponding glue. Before I changed my glue, I kept having visions of my Skeleton creation falling apart in the next rain. Even though I don't usually have to worry about THAT in Texas, it DID rain the week after we made this.
  
• Now I bet you're asking, well how do I stick it together now, Amber? Well, I'll tell you: Gorilla Glue (or as our 2-yr-old says Monkey glue--- she has a thing for monkeys and don't ask me how) and some well placed alummium wire to make the joints even more secure. Think about it, Skeleton man doesn't have any cartlidge to help him stay together... that's what the GG does, adds cartlidge.
• Play around with the bone arrangment. Mine started out as a wreath and I quickly realized that wasn't going to be very effective. So we messed around until the bones were perfect. Then we added a spooky sign for an even creepier touch (the sign was actually one of our first Halloween decorations we bought).
• Work in sections at a time, to give the GG a little more time to dry.
• He's hung up with picture hangers and some string behind his head. The positioning of the string makes it so that he protudes out a little... in the face of anyone who comes to the door.

I'm excited to see the expressions of the Trick-or-Treaters... if we get any ;)

I link {HERE}.

2x4 Harry Potter Books

We come from a family BIG on Halloween. I love getting the whole house decked out in a tastefully spooky nature. Each year, we add to our decorations (something I picked up growing up). One of the things we added this year was my "ode to Harry Potter." I'm a rather big Harry Potter fan (still jealous that Meg a.k.a. Mule went to the World in Florida). So, I was bummed our Halloween decorations had no Harry Potter in them anywhere. Que this idea. I loved them so much, I shared the idea with the planning committee for our church craft day and everyone wanted to do them.

2x4 Harry Potter Books

Not attending our Super Saturday and want to make some too?

Gather It:

• 2 ft of 2x4 wood
• 2x2x2 wood cube
• dark stain (optional)
• orange, black, green, purple, cream & gray paint
• vinyl or contact paper
• 2 black pipe cleaners
• acrylic sealer
• glue gun or gorilla glue
  

Create It:

1. Cut your wood. You need two 4 1/2 inches long and two 6 inches long.
2. Stain it using the directions on the stain can. This is an optional step. I wanted my book to look worn & used, so I added an extra layer of color to make the books look really distressed (it's showing through on the Quidditch book).
3. Paint. First, paint the pages. Using the cream paint, paint three sides to make each block look like a book. After that is done paint each book a different Halloween color. I double-coated everything. Don't forget to paint the spider.
4. While you wait for the paint to dry, hop onto the computer and create the book covers, spines & spider face. I used my Silhouette to cut it out of vinyl (or you can use contact paper---thickness 1, speed 2) and use the negative as a stencil. OR-- if you don't have a cutter--- an exacto knife is your friend (I did it A LOT before I got my machine). Trace it onto the contact paper and cut it out with an exacto knife. If you want the Silhouette document, email me.
5. Put the stencils on your books & paint. The bottom books just have spine stencils; the top two have small pictures too. After everything is dry, use a little bit of gray paint to make the books look even more used and distressed--- then seal it so they don't get scratched-- unless you want them to look even MORE distressed.
6. Cut the pipe cleaners into fourths (half--- then half again). Using your glue of choice, glue just enough of the tip of the pipe cleaner to the bottom of the spider... since it's a spider... glue four legs on each side.
7. Assemble the books from bottom to top with a layer of glue in between each, all the way up to the spider. Remember to put the glue on the small book FIRST when you transition in sizes.
8. To glue on the side book, put a strip of glue along the edges of the stacked books, then gentle push the side book on the glue. After that dry, flip the whole thing upside down, and add a little more glue to the bottom of the side book/stacked seams (for added strength).
9. Let dry and enjoy your new Harry Potter addition to your Halloween decor.

If you're not a Harry Potter fan, I also have just Halloween stencil too. The book titles are: Haunting Haunts, Perfectly Potent Potions, Spooky Stories & Tales, and Spells & Charms.

Enjoy!

I link {HERE}.

FREEBIE: Halloween Subway Art

So-- I've been spending most of my time prepping for my church's annual crafting Saturday. We are doing a 'year-round holiday' theme. Every craft has to do with a holiday.

For our super-easy craft, I made (and found some favorites--{Eighteen25} is a GREAT source) Subway Art. The women can either paint a frame or use their own. Like I said, super simple.

One that I designed was the Halloween one. I LOVE how it turned out. Since I loved it so much, I thought I'd share it with y'all.

It was made to be 8x10 or 5x7. Click on the picture, until you get the largest size, then save it. Print it through your favorite store--- personally, I go with Costco.

Happy Haunting!

Click on the link, if you missed the {Easter} one. We included that as one of the Subway options too.

Linking up {HERE}

Craft Dump

I've been so far behind on posting on the blog about my recent craftiness. This post will probably be HUGE. I'm sorry! D= (Anything seen here can be remade. All you had to do it request it on my Etsy. ;) )

This is Frank. I wanted to make a plushie completely out of felt that was Halloween themed, and since I love Frankenstein by Mary Shelley I thought I would make him. I know he's not true to the monster in the book but I guess I took some creative liberties by making him how I wanted him to look.

These next two were gifts for an aunt. Her costume is Steampunk but she doesn't have any accessories that she could wear with it. I decided to make the bracelet first. I wanted to use kanzashi to make something feminine with edgy side. I like the contrast between soft and hard in the materials to the shapes. The wire wrapping and chain making was interesting since I didn't have any pliers. Needless to say my fingers were raw after making it. >.< The ring came after the bracelet. While making the gears for the flowers I had an extra. (All made out of Cold Porcelain clay. Clay I made from scratch!) Then it was painted and had wire hot glued to the back for it to be adjustable.

I held a contest on my deviantART page. The winner had to get an image of my 7,000 page view (along with other information) and then note it to me. The winner actually didn't know what she wanted so I had to nudge her in a direction. At first I mentioned Halloween theme and then she said that was good or something like a panda. So, I made a panda using purple and white instead of the normal color combo. It's about 3.5" tall. It's on its way to Tunisia right now! I hope it makes it safely. *crosses fingers*

While I was making the panda, I made these pumpkin earrings. I thought they would be a nice touch to wear on Halloween and during the Fall season. I almost put Jack-O-Lattern faces on them but I wouldn't wear them any time but Halloween then. I'm actually wearing them right now and they're super light and easy to wear. =)

This was actually made a long time ago. It's a Rabbid from the Raving Rabbid series by Ubisoft. I love these guys. They make me laugh so much. xD I made him in mind of my other felt key chains so they could be put together.

And finally I made this yesterday. This is a Weighted Companion Cube from the game Portal. I love watching the boys play the game and wish I could do it myself. I've been scared to because I know it will be frustrating. Perhaps some day I will try. This also was made to match my other felt key chains so they could be put together on the same key ring.

Trick or Treat Bag

I meant to create this bag for my son a year ago--- but with being 8 months pregnant and moving into our new house it took a back seat. This year is different! Here's a simple and fun way to make the kiddos in your life their own Trick or Treat bag!


Supplies:

• 1 yd of two coordinating Halloween fabrics (if you just want to make the bag get 1/2 yard)
• 1/4 yd heavy weight iron-on interfacing
• Halloween-y thread
• Sewing Notions

Instructions:

1. Cut out your pieces. You'll need 2 of everything in both fabrics. 12" x 7 1/2" (LARGE) rectangle, 12" by 3 1/2" (SMALL) rectangle, and 1 1/2 x 19 1/2 for the straps.
2. Pair opposite fabric straps to each other and sew along both 12" sides with 1/4" seam allowance. Turn inside out, press and sew finishing stitches along each 12" side again. Set aside.
   
3. With RIGHT sides together, pin one L rectangle to one S rectangle along a 12" side. Do with all four pairs. Sew together. You should now have four large squares.
4. Press out, then cut two pieces of interfacing to match size of your two outer squares. Press to bond interfacing. Then sew a finishing stitch just above second fabric (pictured in last photo).
5. With right sides together, sew the similar squares together. DO NOT sew around the top. Outside to outside and lining to lining. Leave a 3-4" gap at the bottom of the inside lining fabrics. (My hole was a bit to small).
6. OPTIONAL: If you want your bag to stand, match side and bottom seams to form a point. Sew a straight stitch 1" down from the point. Double stitch for added strength. Trim off the point and repeat for three other corners. (FYI: this is call Mitre corners).
7. Now it's time to put it all together. With the WRONG side OUT on the outer fabric, pin the straps 3" from the seam. I did matching fabrics facing each other, but you can do opposite. That's the beauty about this bag!
8. Turn inner lining RIGHT side OUT, tuck inside the outer fabric. The right sides should be together. Repin straps through the lining too and stitch along the top of the bag.
9. Pull bag right side out through the opening in the lining, arrange the bag, press and complete the bag with a finishing stitch!
10. Don't forget to hand stitch the opening in the lining. I did and remembered a few days later. I was just too excited to give the bag to my little boy!

You're done. Now all you have to do it convince your little trick-or-treater not to carry in around the whole month of October! Good Luck!

Do you recognize the fabric? I used the extra to make my pumpkins and will finish off the coordination with a table runner!

I'm using this tutorial as an entry for this... wish me luck! Hopefully, I'm chosen!

U-Create Create with Me: Fabric Pumpkins

I took at crack at making some Halloween Fabric Pumpkins with Kari over at {U-Create}.

Super simple! Here's the {tutorial}. I added my own personal touch by using fun Halloween fabric and using fleece to make the face on the green one.

If you have minimal sewing skills and a machine--- this project is perfect for fall! You can even make gifts for neighbors and friends!

Easy Halloween Jar Lights

At the beginning of October I made these to give to my visiting teaching sisters:

I got the idea here, and noticed my cousin and her neighbor made some at the same time I did (here). Instead of using stringed lights or a real candle, I put a battery-powered flicker light at the bottom and stuffed them with candy.

These are REAL easy to make, so if you don't have anything up for Halloween QUICK--- find an empty jar, some tissue paper, mod podge (or something similar), construction paper--- and MAKE ONE (or two)! Here are the steps:

1. Clean out your empty jar and cut the tissue paper into strips.
2. Apply a base coat of mod podge to a section of the OUTSIDE or your jar then GENTLY press the strips onto the jar until the podge is covered. Repeat until the whole jar is covered. Let dry for a few hours.
3. Using the construction paper, cut out a face for your creation. Once the first coat is dry, apply podge to the back of your face pieces and place onto the jar.
4. Wait a few minutes and then apply a even coat of podge over the whole creation and let dry overnight.
5. After dry, place your preference of lighting into the jar and enjoy!

I also made some for my family too, since they were so easy to make. My picture is on the camera and my transfer drive went into a hiding amidst the move, but I made a pumpkin, ghost, Frankstein and Spider. Frank was made from a tall Pace jar and Spidey was a jar of unopened baby food leftover from Little Knight's pureed days.

NOTE: Since we moved into our house, I haven't been able to get to any of my craft stuff. My darling husband says it's getting me ready for the couple months after Little Girl is born; I say I'm wasting my 'nesting' energy. (I'm actually using it to get a few things organized and decorated) :)

So, my goal is to get a couple more things done before Little Girl is done, but I guess, like everything else in our lives right now, it's a wait and see... so ya'll will have to as well!

UPDATE: Here are my jars...

Freezer Paper Stenciling

I discovered this a few months ago and did a bunch for both my Knight and future Princess.Since it's really easy, it's really really addictive! All you need is a shirt, Freezer Paper (I only found it at Wal-Mart), acrylic or fabric paint, exacto knife, brush, iron and an idea. The possibilities are endless.

Draw your own design out on the paper, print it out (after cutting it to fit your printer), or trace it onto the smooth side of the paper. Cut it out with the exacto knife (cut out the small pieces first). Then iron it onto the shirt with a full piece of paper also on the other side. Paint the design, wait for it to dry, then take off the stencil. Last but not least, iron one more piece of paper over the design to heat seal it. Wait for it to cool down and TA-DA!!! A new shirt for your child!!!

Last week, I made this Halloween shirt for Little Knight.

Isn't he cute?!?!

What Started it all... My Little Knight

About a year ago, my adorable son was about to experience his first Halloween. I had previously made curtains and pillowcases for my living room and decided it was time to branch out try a Halloween costume. Mostly I wanted to try because our mom made costumes for us when we were kids and I wanted to do the same.

After a month of frustration, many seam rips, and crying over my sewing machine, this was the result:
I failed to recognize my son's huge head, nevertheless, I did it. If I remember right it was a McCall Baby Costume Pattern.

As I look back, this project is what started my desire to naptime craft. Since then, I've made a lot more crafts and have a 'To-Do' list a mile long. I'll post pictures of what I've done so far, and continue to do so with my newest creations.

This year, with our daughter coming a month after Halloween, I decided to do something smaller for Halloween... but that's a whole other post.