Happy Halloween!

We raise a cup of poison tea to wish you a
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
Cathie and Steve

game on

At the game one of the world's series.

we interrupt this blog post....

....cause I am heading to the World Series!

Tune In: Witch Crafts: Treats and Kids Games Oct. 27

Witch Crafts on DIY Network
October 27th at 8:00 am eastern

Don't Forget to tune in all week!

episode 104 - October 28
episode 105 - October 29

Lucy and Ricky aka Cathie and Steve

We are scaring up some fun ideas for tricks and treats! We design a ghoulish candy bowl brimming with crafty touches, share tasty recipes for Halloween sweets, and show off some frighteningly fun activities kids of all ages will love.

Witch's Hats Ice Cream Cones

Caramel Apples

Kid Friendly Dry Ice Punch

Halloween Games for Kids

Apple Bobbing

Mod Podge Candy Bowl

Tune In: Witch Crafts: Costumes Oct. 26

Witch Crafts on DIY Network
October 26th at 8:00 am eastern

Don't forget to tune in all week:
Episode 103 - Oct 27th
Episode 104 - Oct 28th
Episode 105 - Oct 29

Great costumes are the key to Halloween fun, and we are showing off some of our favorite ideas. We create adorable fairy and pirate outfits for the little trick-or-treaters, a crafty witch and a punk mummy costumes for the grown ups, and a hair-raising ensemble for our four-legged friends.

Punk Mummy and Glam Witch

Get wrapped up in this scary mummy costume for grown ups and you’ll be the hit of the party. A simple work blouse and ordinary skirt are transformed into a spine-tingling witch costume full of flair.

Fairy and Pirate Costumes

Landlubbers, look out! This easy, inexpensive pirate outfit will help bring home the booty on Halloween night. With a few embellishments, a plain dress becomes a pretty-in-pink fairy costume.

Spooky Bat Necklace

Who new a toy bat could be turned into a Halloween necklace.

Halloween Pet T-Shirts & Decorated Dog Leashes
Let your pets in on the fun with these easy animal outfits and accessories.

Halloween Witch Crafts: Haunted Halloween Centerpiece

Day 25 of 31...

When it is time to set the table for Halloween, you will need a haunted centerpiece. Perfect for the center of a dinning table, side table or fireplace mantel. Begin with a thrifted base of any color and alter it with paints, extreme glitter and Mod Podge

This Extreme Glitter and Mod Podge project was designed for Plaid. Pop by my page at Plaid to see this project and tons more ideas!!!

Materials:
FolkArt Extreme Glitter - Silver
FolkArt Artists Pigments - Pure Black
FolkArt Metallics - Gunmetal Gray
Mod Podge Gloss
Plaster floral container
Foam paintbrush
Floral foam
Silk flowers and leaves
Detail paintbrush
Medium foam pumpkin
Printed Halloween words
Hot glue and glue gun
Spider webs
Decorative ribbon

Lets Make it!

1. Dry brush paint the flower container with Pure Black paint. To make the aged look, don't paint the entire surface. Randomly paint the container with Silver Extreme Glitter.

2. Fill the container with floral foam. Poke the silk flowers into the foam so that the leaves fall. Randomly paint the flowers with Pure Black paint.

3. Paint the foam pumpkin with Gunmetal Gray paint. Topcoat with two coats of Silver Extreme Glitter. Using a detail brush, paint random stripes down the sides of the pumpkin.

4. Add printed Halloween words to the pumpkins. Coat the front and backside of the words with Mod Podge. Position them on the pumpkin, press any air bubbles with your fingers and smooth your brush strokes.

5. Drape spider webs over the leaves and flowers. Hot glue the painted pumpkin in the center of the arrangement. Add a bow to the base of the pumpkin.

Tune In: Witch Crafts: Decorating Oct. 25

Witch Crafts on DIY Network
October 25th at 8:00 am eastern

We are breaking out our best tips for spooking up your house for Halloween. On Witch Crafts 101 we are making terrifying tombstones you’ll be dying to try, a creepy Halloween tree that won’t leave you hanging, and candles and specimen jars bubbling with spooky surprises!

CLICK THE LINKS FOR INSTRUCTIONS

EEK & BOO Candles
Dollar store candles and wood letters spell out the words of the season.

Specimen JarsRecycled jars get transformed into a mad scientist lab jars.
Glitzy Candles with Glitter
Glitter and paint jazz up simple candles.

Spider Lanterns
China ball lanterns get a macabre makeover with construction paper and brads.

Creepy Tombstones
Add a frightful touch to your yard with homemade tombstones.

Ghost Gourds

Hang ghost gourds in trees to frighten your neighbors.

Halloween Tree & Ornaments

Start a new Halloween tradition with this spooky tree perfect for hanging frightening photos and scary souvenirs.

Halloween Witch Crafts: Glitzy Candles

Candle Paint and Glitter Candles

What you will need:
Pillar or taper candles
Candle DecoPaint—by Marvy Uchida
Ultra-fine glitter
Manila folder

Steps:

1. Use the Candle DecoPaint to add Halloween-themed drawings to the pillar candles. Crazy stripes also look spooky.


2. While the Candle DecoPaint is still wet, sprinkle ultra-fine glitter over areas that you wish to highlight. Work over a manila folder so that you can easily funnel any stray glitter back into its canister.

3. Allow the candle to dry for 24 hours.

Halloween Witch Crafts: Spooky Trees and Ornaments

Start a new Halloween tradition with this spooky tree perfect for hanging frightening photos and scary souvenirs.

Spooky Tree Supplies:
Medium to large urn or container
Plaster of Paris
Water
Disposable mixing bowl & spoon
Dead tree branch
Low tack painter’s tape
Glossy black spray paint
Black & silver glitter glue
Faux spider webs
Dried flowers
1/4 yard silver or grey tulle
Battery operated light strand

Steps:
1. Find a dead tree branch, clean it of dead foliage and spray paint it with glossy black paint. Allow the paint to dry.

2. Fill the urn with water to determine the volume of liquid needed to fill it ¾ full, then empty it.

3. Mix the appropriate amount of Plaster of Paris needed with water according to package directions. Be sure to blend until the mixture is smooth with hardly any lumps. It will be the consistency of cake batter.

4. Fill the urn with the Plaster of Paris mixture and immediately place the tree branch in the center of the urn. Use low-tack painters’ tape to secure the tree in place and leave it to dry. The plaster will have a firm set within 30 minutes to 1 hour, but it will take 24 hours to completely dry.

5. Add eerie detail to the tree by outlining the branches with black and silver glitter glue and twisting faux spider webs across a few branches. Hot glue some dried flowers that have been painted with glitter. Insert battery-powered twinkle lights and hide the plaster with silver or grey tulle.

Spooky Tree Ornaments from Found Objects

1. An old cake topper with the face and hands painted ghoulish green and hung by a string “noose”.

2. Bits of black or silver lace wrapped around a miniature Popsicle stick and decorated with rhinestones and painted feathers.

3. Scrapbooking typewriter letters spelling out “B-O-O” on a black paint-washed filigree jewelry finding.

4. A banshee made from a doll head and a cheesecloth ghost body, sprayed grey and black.

5. A scrapbook escutcheon washed with black and silver craft paint. Add some sparkle tulle and glitter paint to backboard.

6. A haunted house silhouette: Cut two house shapes from black scrapbook paper. Cut out windows and a door with craft knife. Cut one house shape from silver paper and sandwich between black pieces. Highlight windows and doors with a silver marker.

Make it: Mad Scientist Jars

Mad Scientist Jars

Supplies:
Old glass jars
Black spray paint
Wax metallic finishes
Rubber or plastic toys, stuffed animals, knick knacks, etc.
Water
Food coloring
Measuring cup
Stir stick
Tags
Pen
Ink pad
Twine or string
Scissors

Steps:


1. Wash the jars and lids thoroughly. Spray paint the lids and, once dry, apply wax metallic finishes to them for an aged look.


2. Fill a measuring cup with water. Add a drop of food coloring and stir. Add more food coloring or more water to get the intensity of color that you want. Place a toy or knick-knack into the jar and fill the jar with water. Screw the lid on tightly.


3. Using the tags, write out a label for each jar. To antique the tags, gently pat or rub them on an ink pad. Tie the labels onto the jars with twine.

Halloween Witch Crafts: Kids Craft Ideas

Day 24 of 31...
Kids love crafting for Halloween! Both of these projects are perfect for kids 3-6. (Parents and grown-ups will need to help) The puppets use spoons from the dollar store and the pumpkin is a simple lunch sack. These paint projects were designed for Plaid. Pop by my page at Plaid to see this project and tons more ideas!!!

Cover the table and
get crafting with the kids!

Witch Spoon Puppet

Materials:
FolkArt Craft Paint 527 Forrest Moss
FolkArt Craft Paint 480 titanium white
FolkArt Craft Paint 479 pure black
Folkart paintbrush onestroke – liner #1360b
Wooden spoon
Foam paintbrush
Popsicle stick
Yarn – green
Tacky glue or hot glue
Small witch hat
Square scrap of Halloween fabric 10”X10”
Decorative trim
Grey felt – small piece

Steps:
1. Using a foam paintbrush paint the spoon green. Allow to dry. Using black and white paint and a liner brush, paint a scary witch face on the back of the spoon. Paint the popsicle stick black

2. The hat and hair: Gather the yarn into 6” loops. Glue the loops to the back and front of the spoon. Parents – use caution if you are using hot glue. Glue the hat to the top of the spoon.

3. The dress: Cut a small hole in the center of the fabric square. Thread the handle of the spoon through the hole. Add a drop of glue to secure. Glue decorative trim around the neck and around the base of the hat.

4. The broom: Cut the felt into a 2.5” X4” square. Cut small slashes to make the broom bristles. Roll the felt around the end of the popsicle stick and glue to secure. Add a little decorative trim the top of the bristles. Glue the broom to the dress.

Paper Bag Pumpkins

Materials Needed:
FolkArt Acrylic Colors - Pumpkin
FolkArt Metallics - Sequin Black
FolkArt Acrylic Colors - Evergreen
Black
1 Paper lunch bag
Scrap piece of card stock
Foam paintbrushes
Sponge
Scissors (parents help)
Hole punch - decorative eyelet optional (parents help)
Old newspaper
Green pipe cleaner

Steps:
1. Using a foam brush, apply the pumpkin orange paint to the front, back and sides of the paper bag and allow to dry. Paint the scrap card stock with the green paint and allow to dry.

2. Cut the sponge into a triangle shape. Dip the triangle into the black paint and press onto the front of the paper bag in the appropriate spots for the eyes, nose and teeth.

3. Cut 3 leaf shapes from the green painted paper and punch a hole in the top. Add a decorative eyelet if desired.

4. Stuff the bag with crinkled up newspaper, twist the top together, attach the pipe cleaner around the top and add the leaves to the pip cleaner. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner into curly q's.

101 Tees: Skull and Crossbones Pillow recrafted from an old Tee!

101 Tees: Skull and Crossbones Pillow

This seasonal slip cover can be whipped up in under 1-hour! Perfect for adding a little haunted decoration to your living room for Halloween or any day.

Begin with an old Halloween or skull themed T-shirt.

Choose a pillow to make a slipcover for. Remember you can remove the cover after Halloween. Make sure the pillow measures smaller than your tee.

Cut up the side seams of the tee.

Now you have two pieces of tee fabric. 1= front 2=back

Place the front and back on top of each other. Use a fabric marking pen and a ruler to mark a square shape. Make sure the square is slightly larger than your pillow.

Cut out the square shapes.

Pin lace trim around the outer edge. You can use flat or ruffled trim.

Pin the front and back together with right sides facing right sides.

Let's Stitch!

Stitch around the edge. Remember to leave an opening for turning and stuffing.

Clip the corners to remove excess bulk.

Turn right side out and stuff the pillow inside.

Hand sew the opening closed and place on your sofa.

How easy is that???

Happy Halloween,
Cathie