InspireMe Crafts

Free Printable: Have a Finger Lickin’ Good Halloween

My mom is always sending the boys boxes full of stuff…and they usually include candy. The last package was like Mary Poppins' purse, it just kept going…and going…and going. I would pull out candy corn, then some suckers, oh wait, more suckers and finger suckers and eye ball suckers and pirate suckers and skull suckers. You get the idea?! I only have 2 boys, but if you looked in the box you would think she added a 0 to the end of that number. Nonetheless, we always love getting a box of surprises (so please don't stop, Mom). I figured we could give some of these suckers to friends or trick-or-treaters (sorry, Mom). Is that re-gifting? Hmmm…. . Either way, there is no way my boys will finish all those suckers. The finger suckers caught my attention so I made this printable to attach to it.

And since you guys are the best readers ever you can get the download here: Download Finger lickin good halloween printable.

Of course, the boys had a finger-lickin good time!

The finger suckers and free Halloween printable would make great gifts for classmates, trick-or-treaters, teachers, neighbors….just about anyone!

Thanks for stopping by!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

We’ve Been Boo’ed

"We've been boo'ed"

Check out the surprise we found at our door! We were boo'ed. It was our first time at this friendly neighborhood game and the boys thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, little man only took 4 seconds before he was breaking into the candy wrappers. He was trying to be a self-sufficient 16 month old opening that candy wrapper with his teeth….or he was just becoming impatient with mom choosing to take photos instead of helping her son ;).

Here is what the "Boo" paper looks like. Go to www.beenbooed.com to print and spread the Halloween boo's! The gist of it is to try and leave some treats at your friends' door without them seeing you, hang the sign in your door so others know if you have been Boo'ed, and then you go do the same thing to a couple other people.

Isn't he sweet? He wants to share….the piece that was in his mouth (the things I do for my children).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Frankenstein Takeout Box

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title". ~From Scooby-Doo

 

Our happy Frankenstein Takeout Box is easy, inexpensive, cute, and quick to make! We are going to fill them with some yummy and fun Halloween treats and give to Lil Man's pre-school teacher. Here's what you need to get started:

MATERIALS:

Green Chinese takeout boxes (found at Michaels or another craft store in the gift packaging area)
Black & White Felt
Black Permanent Marker
Wiggly Eyes
Brads
Glue & Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Cut out black felt so that the top edge is flat and the bottom edge is in a zig-zag. Glue the black felt on the top portion of the sides for his hairline.
2. Glue two wiggly eyes on.
3. Push the brad through the takeout box to make a nose. On the inside secure the brad in place by separating the metal parts.
4. Draw a smiling face (or mean one if don't want a silly Frankenstein) and a scar above his eye with a black marker.
5. Cut out little teeth with the white felt and glue to the drawn in mouth.
6. Fill with Halloween surprises.
7. Give to someone special.

Enjoy!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Silly Monster Halloween Treat Boxes

Lil Man and I had lots of fun making these Silly Monster Treat Boxes for Halloween. Plus, every time he starts to show a hint of being afraid of monsters we just say "it's one of those silly monsters" and it seems to calm those fears before they jump out of the closet. All you need are some craft supplies you probably have laying around your house. Here is what you need for your next Halloween Craft….

MATERIALS:

Small Boxes with lids ($1 at Michaels)
Craft Paint
Craft Supplies (Wiggly eyes, felt, small pom-poms, pipe cleaners, straw, yarn, buttons, feathers, etc)
Markers, Glue, Glue Gun, Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Paint your treat boxes your favorite colors
2. Start cutting, gluing, coloring, and get creative!
3. Fill with yummy treats
4. Give to your family and friends

Button Billy Monster

 

Triple Eye Timmy Monster

 

Pink Paulina Monster
(Lil Man's Creation)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Crayola Crayon Trick-or-Treaters this Halloween

I wanted to share some of the pictures from readers who decided to give the Crayola Crayon Halloween costume a whirl.  What I love is all the variety you see in these costumes.  That's exactly what I wanted this website to be...to inspire you with an idea and then you can apply your own creativity and variations to the ideas to make it your own.  I think they all turned out adorable!  Take a look....

 

You thought you had your hands full?  Megin C. dressed up her 4 yr old twins and her 17 month old triplets..along with her husband of course.  :)  And don't they look adorable?!?

 

Stacy, Ashly, Holly, Nittaya, Heather, & Amber decided to make their costumes a little more hip than just some sweatpants for their work party.  They found tunics, tank tops, shirts, leggings, and shoes in their colors and used those instead.  Add some fun hair wigs from orientaltrading.com and you are set to go! 

 

Liana, Tony, Joey, and Christina created their tops on fabric that they could put right over their clothes.  Brilliant and cute as can be!

  

And all you can do is go "ohhhh, how cute!" when you see these precious girls.  And yes, they are triplets!  Another mom we should all bow down to in awe. 

Thanks again for our readers who tested it out and shared their pictures!  If you made the costume and want to share your pictures please send them to inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com and we'll share them for everyone to 'ohh' and 'ahh' over!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Happy Halloween! Oh wait, was that yesterday?!

"Happy Belated Non-existent Halloween!"

The title of this post is perfect to explain our Halloween. Please indulge me and let me explain...

As of a week ago, this was my son's costume...CavMan. 

If you are not familiar with Cavman, he is the University of Virginia mascot, and since Lil Man seems to be the biggest UVA fan there is it only makes sense.  Just to put how much he loves UVA into perspective, let me give you some examples:

 

1.  What 2 year old wants to read the UVA Athletic Department Annual Report (basically a financial report with some pics) as his night time story?  No joke.  That's what he wants.

 

2.  He has been practicing his Trick-or-Treat line for Halloween of "Trick-or-Treat. Let's Go 'Hoos" for at least 2 weeks.

 

3.  He will listen to a 1/2 hour CD of the Virginia Marching Band and will stand in front of the CD player and play his trumpet for the WHOLE CD.  He'll even march for you and do a little dance. 

 

4.  If his clothes are not orange and blue or UVA you have to bargain with him to wear them.  Needless to say, we have a plethora of orange and blue in his closet.  In order to get him to wear new shoes we had to buy blue and orange ones and call them "UVA Soccer shoes".

 

5.  He says "Good Night" to the soccer players, football players, CavMan, Basketball team, and the marching band every night before he goes to sleep.

 

6.  If you ask him where he works he says "I work UVA.  UVA Basketball". 

 

As you can see, this Halloween costume is only fitting for the biggest littlest UVA fan there is. And let me remind you that this was not mom or dad's idea...he requested CavMan for his costume for the last 2 months.  If we rewind to yesterday, this is what our Halloween ended up being:

 

You may notice no CavMan costume.  No displaying mom's first real accomplishment on the sewing machine.  No strutting around the campus as the cutest thing ever.  No candy (mom was more disappointed about this than anyone).  No nothing.  Just a simple "Happy Halloweeeeeeen" as he munched on some fried chicken.  Which was also not part of the dinner plan for Halloween. But all of this just reiterates that although we think we may be in control, the opposition from a 2 year old can be hair-pulling frustrating, and trying to say we are in control may be a little white lie.  However, I did have control over one thing....my emotions.  Although I may have been devastatingly disappointed, instead of turning into a walking and talking water faucet I realized that he was having just as much fun munching on his drumstick and talking to his dad as getting a bag full of candy.  Although our evening did not consist of knocking on doors and hearing "trick-or-treat. Let's go Hoos", it did consist of my son's laughter and some special time with dad during a crazy week.  Now that's priceless and better than a bag full of candy for mom....I think ;-).

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun. 

Gotta Bake It: Halloween Popcorn Balls

"Trick or Treat. Be so sweet. Give me something good to eat."

 

I've got a soft spot for Peanut M&M's so there's usually some hiding somewhere in the house...if I can even get them to last long enough to hide them! I purchased a special Halloween bag and noticed a recipe for Popcorn Pumpkins on the bag.  The mouth started watering as I remembered all the different colored Popcorn balls my mom would make for us as a kid.   I use to think it was the greatest thing!  This had to be a project that we would try!  Plus they had a cute idea of making pumpkins out of them (as you can see we didn't get that far because I couldn't find orange cellophane).  To see pictures and to get the directions go to Bright Ideas. 

My son has the same love for Peanut M&M's so they didn't quite make it into the Popcorn ball mixture when they needed to.  Instead of sticking to the popcorn balls, they went right to the bottom of the bowl.  Oh well.  And I must warn you to be prepared for the mess...that corn syrup mixture gets hard rather fast! 

We made some stickers on the computer, tied the bow and we had a gift for him to give to all his friends.  I'm sure their parents will love me since I tried one and oh my gosh does it stick to the teeth!  I seem to have forgotten that memory.  I guess when you are a kid you aren't too worried about tooth decay and cavities :)

I can't believe Halloween is almost here and even more I can't believe its the end of October!  Can someone please tell me what happened to the month of October?  Christmas is going to be here in a blink, and I'll probably miss Thanksgiving if November disappears on me like October did. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Pumpkin Toss & Bean Bags

"Have a fang-tastic Halloween!"

 

If you are looking for a Halloween game for that upcoming Halloween party, Fall Festival or just to have some extra spooktacular(hehe...I'm cheesy) fun with your family, then you'll definitely want to do some version of this Pumpkin Toss.  I took it a little further and made a morning project out of it by making bean bags while the Lil Man filled the bags with beans.  I also used it as an opportunity to practice on the sewing machine.  As you can see I need some more practice, however, to a 2 year old they turned out just perfect!  The greatest thing is that he'll point to it and say "I made it, mommy?!?", and after I confirm for the umpteenth time that "Yes, honey, you helped make it" its followed by the nod of approval and "Way cool".  I have no clue where a 2 year old picked  'way cool' up, but its now part of his every day vocabulary. 

The point of the game is pretty simple...throw the bean bag into the pumpkin.  No athleticism needed.  If you don't have bean bags or don't want to make any then you can use candy!  If the thrower makes the piece of candy into the pumpkin then they can keep the candy.  Another version is that depending on how many pieces of candy/bean bags they make into the pumpkin determines which bucket of surprises they get to choose from.  We've enjoyed playing with it even if the Lil Man likes to cheat and now we have our own set of bean bags to play with! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Bake It: Funfetti Halloween Cupcakes

"Trick or Treat!  Give me something good to eat.  Give me candy.  Give me cake. Give me something sweet to take".

 

I'll keep it short and sweet for you...I love Funfetti cupcakes!  So when I saw the Halloween Funfetti Cupcakes, I couldn't contain myself in the grocery store. If my son was old enough to understand being embarrased, you can bet thats probably what he would have been and then some.  I must have been so excited that I lost my mommy brain cells because we got home and got to work on making them.  The only problem was that when it was time to frost and decorate the scrumptious and fluffy cupcakes, it was right before naptime.  The problem?  My son was not shy about taking finger fulls of frosting and for every cupcake he sprinkled and put a candy corn on he probably ate twice three times that.  I treid to deter him, but that little fellow is quick and sneaky!  But didn't they turn out beautiful?  My son has some serious cupcake decorating skills....;-)!  Anyway, the moral of the story?  Make some yummy cupcakes, but not before naptime or bedtime!  Don't let the excitement of funfetti Halloween cupcakes cloud your mommy responsibilities!  Oh, how I love the simple pleasures in life! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Halloween Quotes, Sayings, & Poems

Here are some Halloween quotes, sayings, and poems that I thought you may find useful for gifts, crafts, etc!

You may be too old to go
trick or treating for sweets,
but I hope you enjoy this gift
filled with tricks and treats.

Have a fang-tastic Halloween

Trick or Treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.

Trick or Treat. Be so sweet. Give me something good to eat.

Old witch Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With moss and slime,
and poisonous vine,
and toadstools all in a row.

Eat, drink and be scary.

If you want a tasty sweet. . .
Be sure to holler trick or treat!

I'll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.  ~Author Unknown

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Where there is no imagination there is no horror.  ~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

You wouldn't believe
On All Hallow Eve
What lots of fun we can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring-and-thimble cake.
~Carolyn Wells

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.
~Author Unknown

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.
- - - H. P. Lovecraft

Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble.
- - - Shakespeare "Macbeth"

Remember the gh'oul times!

Time for a coffin break.

Have a beary scary Halloween

Gone haunting.  Will return at midnight.

I witch you a Happy Halloween

Trick or Treat! Give me something good to eat. Give me candy. Give me cake. Give me something sweet to take!

May our best witches go with you

Mummy's little monster (on a child's t-shirt or under child's picture)

You're so boooo-tiful!

That's witchful thinking.

Old witch Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With moss and slime,
and poisonous vine,
and toadstools all in a row

If you have some more Halloween quotes, sayings, & poems that you think would make a great addition please share!  

Gotta Have It: Mr. Potato Head Pumpkin Kits

 

My mom sent this Mr. Potato Head Witch Pumpkin Kit in our surprise box of goodies and the Lil Man has been eagerly awaiting his chance to stab the pumpkin with eyes, ears, a mouth, and arms.  What I liked most about this was that we were able to do it on a whim's notice.  I was at the grocery store, decided to grab a pumpkin to surprise Lil Man and that night we pulled out the pieces and got to work.  And the cleanup after using the Mr. Potato Head for pumpkins doesn't even compare to carving a pumpkin because there is NO CLEANUP!  You can't get much better than that for a last minute project.  Now, don't get me wrong, this definitely does not replace carving pumpkins, which we'll hopefully be able to do this weekend...but it is an additional Halloween project that's great for kids and parents to do together.  I've seen these kits atboth Target and Wal-Mart so go grab one before Halloween is here...its just around the corner!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Halloween Hand Treat

"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile" - C.S. Lewis

 

This Halloween project is a crowd pleaser! I prepared this special Halloween Hand Treat for my MOMS Club and the moms were just as excited as the kids.  So if you are looking for a fun, easy, inexpensive Halloween craft that is sure to be a slam dunk with all ages then this is definitely the Halloween project for you!  Here's what you'll need:

• Clear, plastic gloves.  (These can be hard to find.  All I could find in stores were latex gloves.  I finally went to a fast food chain and asked if they could donate about 15 of them). 
• Hot Tamales
• Popcorn (no butter)
• Ribbon
• Plastic Spider rings

Once again, you can't go wrong with a project that requires less than 5 items!  So let the good times begin...

• Start by opening up your plastic glove by blowing into it or giving it a nice shake.
• Put two Hot Tamales in each finger to act as the fingernails.
• Add popcorn making sure to get it into each finger.
• Tie the ribbon around the end.
• Add the spider ring on to your preferred finger. 

These would be great at a craft table for small or large Halloween parties or you could even add a tag with a name on it and they could be the place setting or party favor.  Use your imagination and enjoy!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Glass Jar Ghost Luminaries

"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself."

     

I've been holding onto glass jars for a while now waiting for a project idea to pop into my head.  I  save them ALL whether its spaghetti sauce, salsa,  or jam...if its in a glass jar it gets a thorough cleaning and then placed in the pantry.   The time has come to put those jars to use and Halloween is the lucky holiday.  The salsa jars make a perfect base to create glass jar ghost luminaries.  The best part was that this project is one that Lil Man was able to help with so your kids will have a blast making these.  Here's what you'll need for the ghost luminaries:

• Glass Jars
• White & black acrylic paint
• Black Sharpie Marker
• Paint brushes
• Candles

Now that you have the materials situated (and who doesn't love a list that's only 5 bullet points?) let's get started:

• Lay out some newspaper if you have some important areas to protect. 
• Take your clean glass jars (all paper & stickers removed) and start painting with the white acrylic paint.  You may need to add a second coat after it drys.  Let dry.
• Using your sharpie marker draw in your ghost eyes and mouth.  Paint over with the black acrylic paint. Let dry
• Place the candle inside and light it up!

Pretty simple if I do say so myself.  They'll look great if you have some stairs or a path in front of your house.  My glass jar ghost luminaries don't quite look 'perfect' since my 2 year old did the base coat, but if you took the time to do it 'nicely' they could definitely have a very professionall look to them!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Have It: Halloween Paper Lanterns

 

I saw these Halloween Paper Lanterns at the DollarTree and had to have them!  I wish we were having a Halloween party this year because these would make adorable decorations hanging over the table.  But since there is no party, I put them in the fireplace instead.  When you turn out the lights and turn them on they look really good in there!  They take some AAA batteries and then the magic happens!  I wish the pictures did them better justice.  :) 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Halloween Centerpiece

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." -Shakespeare, "Macbeth"

 

I love Halloween and decorating so I needed to come up with some Halloween centerpieces for our dining room table and kitchen table.  I decided to use what I already had laying around...no pulling out the debit card (I'm horrible about having cash on me) at Wal-Mart or Target.  And if you've been to either place lately and seen the adorable decorations, then you'll know how difficult it was for me not to throw those in my cart! 

My dilemma for creating these centerpieces was really the battle of 'fun, not-so-scary' Halloween vs the 'scary' Halloween.  With the lil man starting to understand the concept of scary, I've been going back and forth on what to use for Halloween decorations and more importantly what NOT to use.  So we did somewhat of a compromise.  I have mostly non-scary decorations in the house, but I did create one Halloween centerpiece with bones and skulls.  The other trick of this personal challenge was that I had to use other supplies I already had in my craft closet.

Let's start with the "FUN" centerpiece. You'll need:

• Glass jars, tin cans, flower vases, etc that you've saved to use for that 'special' project.
• Paper
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Colored plate (found at DollarTree previously and used it in the baby shower I hosted)

Once you look at the pictures for the Halloween themed centerpiece you'll notice its pretty simple.  Use some Halloween paper to wrap around vases, tin cans, or glass jars and tape into place.  At the end of Halloween you can remove the paper and use the jars again.  I'm going to put some candy corn in the empty glass jar.  I then had some thick ribbon in a fun design that I simply laid across the table and let some excess hang off each side.

Now for the "SCARY" centerpiece.  You'll need:

• Glass vase
• Ribbon
• Plastic bones
• plastic Halloween candy holders
• colored plate

Once again, this is a centerpiece that could be done andlooking "boo-tiful" in less than 5 minutes and definitely less than $5.  After I made the centerpiece I realized it would work great as a dipping tray for a party.  In the glass vase you could place those long pretzel sticks or long bread sticks and then in the cauldrons and skulls you could place different dipping sauces. 

I apologize that I couldn't share a full blown view of the tables, but to be honest they are such a mess as I'm trying to get Lil man's Halloween costume done.  My quick fix is of course just pushing it off to the side :).  I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and I'd love to see pictures of your Halloween decorations and Halloween parties so we can showcase them right here on InspireMe Crafts!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Halloween Wreath

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.

 

I wanted a Halloween wreath for our front door so I've been brainstorming for a couple days (maybe that's why I can't go to sleep lately...hmmm...).  Well, I thought I had a priceless Dollar Diva idea so I ran to the DollarTree, grabbed my supplies (wreath, ribbon, bones...plastic, of course) and got to work.  The original plan was to cover the wreath in a black ribbon and then have the bones going around the whole wreath.  The problem?  My wreath size to the size of bones ratio was just not right.  The wreath was too small and the bones were too big.  Bummer.  But I couldn't let that put a damper on my creativity so we improvised.  I had some black and silver ribbon (purchased from DollarTree awhile ago) and I wrapped it around the whole Styrofoam wreath.  Then using a plain black ribbon I used some chipboard cut outs to spell "boo!" across the middle of the Halloween wreath.  I added some hand bones (in a pack of 8 at the DollarTree) and here was my new wreath.  I actually think it turned out pretty well for improvising on a failed plan and it looks just perfect on our door!  If you decide to let your creativity flow and make a Halloween wreath, I'd love to see pictures!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It..with the Kids: Halloween Door Hangers & More

"At first cock-crow the ghosts must go
Back to their quiet graves below."
~Theodosia Garrison

I love that the lil' man is REALLY into creating things these days and that he is understanding Halloween. With that combination it was definitely "Gotta Make It...with the Kids" time...the Halloween Edition. :) 

Every time I go to our craft table (aka the kitchen table), he pulls up the chair to the exact position he likes it (there's that OCD coming out again), and says "I make things".  So that's exactly what we did the other day.  We made spiders, ghosts, pumpkins and Picasso worthy art.  There's just something about wiggly eyes and Halloween that make the perfect match so I had to make sure we got full use out of them along with my other favorite supply...craft foam in all different colors. 

Exhibit A:  The Hand Spider : Your child will love this because he/she gets to trace their hands and depending on their age, cut them out.  Glue them to a square piece of paper (the spider body), add wiggly eyes, a mouth, nose and a bow-tie for fun and you have a not-so-scary- spider.  I decided to add a ribbon on the top so we could hang them over chairs or doorknobs. 

Exhibit B:  The Pumpkin Magnet: Although you do not see wiggly eyes on these pumpkins do not be fooled!  Wiggly eyes were placed on the pumpkin I made, but I wanted to showcase lil' man's art.  He decided to add pre-cut shapes in neon colors (another craft supply from his craft basket that we have and love).  To make it a little extra special, I glued a magnet on the back and the neon pumpkins will be getting shipped shortly to the grandparents to proudly display their grandson's artwork.   

Exhibit C: Wiggly Eyed Ghosts: I cut the foam out in ghost shapes.  Lil Man added the eyes, made the mouth (I was so proud of this accomplishment) , and he added a little style to that plain white ensemble with some strategically placed stripes.  :)  I added the ribbon so once again we could hang the Halloween ghosts on a chair or a doorknob.  You could even use them as place setting if you are having a party. 

Exhibit D:  Interpretive Art:  No wiggly eyes on this one, although if you really wanted to nothing could stop you.  I supplied the paint, paper, and paint brush to the creative mind and he let the juices flow and created these fabulous one-of-a-kind pieces of art.  Ok, ok, ok, I might be going overboard - but they do make fabulous refrigerator decorations and there is even one that is going to get a nice special frame! 

Now that lil man is at the age where his curiosity is beginning to bloom (although, we have not reached the 'why' phase yet...thank God!), I'm trying my best to create an environment where he can explore and be creative.  One of the best, and simplest, ways is simply by displaying all his creations all around the house.  He gets so proud every time he sees something he made and the smile says enough.  Make your child feel proud of themselves by putting their art work EVERYWHERE to continue encouraging their creativity.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Crayola Crayon Halloween Costume

I've been getting so many emails lately about my son's Halloween costume from last year that I thought I would post the detailed directions many of you are looking for.  This costume is foolproof and super easy.  I used a hot glue gun and did it in one night...and its not because I am one of those super women. :)  It would probably look more 'professional' if you have that fabulous sewing capability, but at this time last year I was not so lucky :).  Here are some down-loadable directions and templates:

Download crayon_directions.doc

Download crayola_template.doc

Download crayola_gift_bag_pic.doc

Doesn't he look adorable?!?  This year I've whipped out the sewing machine and am beginning a new adventure for his trick-or-treating pleasure.  I have very fond memories of my mom making all our Halloween costumes from Robots, to Clowns, to Rabbit in the Hat's.   I want my son to have those fond memories as well so its time to overcome the overwhelming feeling every time I look at the sewing machine.  I'll keep you updated on my quest to learn how to sew as I hit some major (and minor) milestones!

Take a look at some of the other Halloween ideas from last year by checking out my Halloween Category. (WARNING:  It may take a while to upload.  All of the pictures and posts were imported from my old blog hosting company and I was new to the blogging world and didn't know some of the tricks...so I apologize for the wait)

Stay tuned for some more budget savvy Halloween ideas...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It…Lollipop Pumpkin

"If the broom fits, ride it!"

Looking for some more decorative pumpkin ideas for those last minute halloween decorations?  Last week we showed that some stickers and ribbon can add  a little character to any pumpkin in minutes and today we have a guest post from the one and only....my mom!  She saw this idea from Martha Stewart on the Today Show and decided to give it a try.  She used a plastic pumpkin she found for around $5, drilled some holes, and popped the lollipops into them.  This fun and festive idea could be used for a centerpiece, left on the porch for trick-or-treaters, or for a fun game for the little ones. 

If you are having a halloween party for your little bugger(s) here is an idea that we used at our annual school fundraiser (ahh...the memories).  Make the pumpkin as described above, but before you put the lollipops in the pumpkin, color the bottom of each lollipop a certain color. For example - choose the colors, red, orange, black, and green.  Randomly color them and place them in the pumpkin so the colors cannot be seen.  Then have four 'tubs' that correspond with those colors.  Each tub has various toys, treats, etc in them.  When the child pulls the lollipop out of the pumpkin, he/she gets to pick a treat from the corresponding tub.  Its a very easy game that any age can play and still enjoy.   You could even use the same idea for an adult game - just have the color represent a specific shot of alcohol or any other fun and creative idea you can come up with. :)

The below picture is from Michaels.com as well as the ideas.  I love all the black & white pumpkins and the SPARKLE!!  Check out the how-to instructions here.

Gotta Make It: Halloween Gifts

"The manner of giving is worth more than the gift."  - Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

In need for a quick and affordable halloween gift or party favor?  Look no further because we have one you can do in minutes and you can even include your kids to help!  This halloween cone would be a great gift for your child's teacher, your neighbors, or as a party favor.   Hang it over their chair or their door and they will be in for a great "Trick-or-Treat" surprise and your wallet will be happy too!

I took some scrap scrapbook paper I had and cut it into a 6 1/2in  square.  I then rolled it into a cone and used the good ole glue gun to secure it.  From there, let the decorations begin!  On the orange cone I used some scrap ribbon to glue around the cone and then at the top.  I then cut out the corner of a black piece of paper and glued it to the inside of the cone to give it that little extra contrast.  I had a "S" (our family friends first letter of their last name) to personalize the gift.  I took the "S" ran some thin ribbon through it, tied a bow, and glue gunned it to the cone.  I took some halloween candy, filled it up, and voila!  A stylish, thoughtful, easy, affordable Halloween gift. 

For the design below, I did the cone the same as above, but then decorated it a little different.  I traced around a ribbon spool to get the orange circle, cut two slits in it across from each other, and ran the ribbon through it to the back where I fastened it with glue.  I chose to write "Trick-or-Treat" on the front, but you could do any saying, name, etc.  And who says you can't have a little sparkle around halloween?  My son helped me add some sparkles and we filled it with candy....keeping a couple for ourselves of course! 

Gotta Have It: Tombstone Centerpiece and Place Cards…from the $1 Store!!!!

"I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends."  ~Nancie J. Carmody

It’s amazing what you can find at the Dollar Store.  I promise you one week you will be able to challenge me to do something and I will do it all with ease (and wallet friendly) from the Dollar Store! Ok - maybe I am being a little cocky, but why not...let's give it a try!  So if you have a request send it to me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com right now!

I haven’t been to the Dollar Store for a long time, so with a few extra moments on Sunday my son and I took a little stroll down the aisles.  He was infatuated long enough with a mini mirror (how vain he is!) that I was able to uncover some great finds that sparked that creative corner of my brain. 

For awhile now, I have saved a list of funny tombstone names I came across online that I couldn’t figure out what to do with. My husband and I always like to have a good laugh and incorporate it into our everyday lives so I knew eventually I would have that ah-ha moment.  Well today was that special day.  I found these tombstones for a $1!  They could be used in a couple ways. 

My first suggestion – A humorous and spooky centerpiece.   Buy several of these tombstones and some stickers (I also found them at the $1 store) and spell out your favorite funny tombstone names.  I hope you get a little chuckle out of them just as I did:

Justin Tyme
Yetta Nother
Barry A. Live
Dawn Under
Ted N. Buried
Yul B. Next
Bill M. Later
Lefty B. Hynde
Kerry M. Off
Fester N. Rott
Reid N. Weep
Sue D. Bum
Jess Gough
Barry M. Deep
U.R. Gone
Otta B. Alive
Mummy B. Ware

Once you have your favorites, get imaginative and create your own mini graveyard at the center of your table.  To get those ideas flowing here is one suggestion.  Buy some wheat grass that you can find in your craft store or fresh in a local grocery store.  Trim the grass and put the tombstones in the grass, add some fake spiders, cobweb, and flowers and voila! – you have a funny and spooky centerpiece that will be a great conversation starter for your guests.

Onto idea #2.  Use the tombstones as your guests’ place cards.  Use the same $1 stickers to place their name on the tombstone and place at their setting.  Once again, get creative and use some plastic spiders and cobweb to make it extra spooky. 

I hope you enjoyed these ideas and perhaps they sparked that creative corner in your mind!  Please share some more ideas or pictures from your Halloween party!  Get creative, have fun…and share the photos! 

Gotta Make It: Halloween Invitation

"Eat, Drink, and be Scary!"

Gotta Make It:  Creative Halloween Invitations

 

The above  invitatation would be perfect for a Halloween Cocktail party!  The card was designed and created   at http://www.impressrubberstamps.com/ .  I use to live in Seattle (I love and miss it!) and Impress was one of my favorite stores.  Luckily, they have a website to keep me up to date on the many stamps and accessories.   The green eyes and the orange sparkle they used around the rim of the glass makes it one of those unforgettable invites that gets you counting down until the big shin-dig.  If you want to view the items needed to make this and browse their other halloween ideas click here http://www.impressrubberstamps.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=holidays_ideas. 

Hopefully this sparks your creativity and gets your ideas flowing for Halloween...its going to be here before we know it! 

Gotta Make It: Creative Halloween Costumes

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble."  - Shakespeare, Macbeth

I'm always looking for some creative and funny halloween costume ideas and if you're here you obviously are too! So without further ado (is that right?), here are some ideas that you can do with a plain ole cardboard box.  Some are for kids or adults and others are just for the "big kids".

MOVIE THEATRE POPCORN COSTUME

       MATERIALS:  long carboard box (wardrobe one would be good), white/red/black paint, glue, yellow tissue paper.
       TO DO:  cut hole for head and arms in box and leave the bottom out for your legs.  Paint the box using the 
                       picture above as inspiration. Then crinkle up the yellow tissue paper and attach to the shoulders of your  
                       costume.

CRAYOLA CRAYON BOX COSTUME

          MATERIALS:   Large cardboard box, paint in all the primary colors
          TO DO:  cut hole in box for head and arms and leave bottom out for legs.  Use the photo of a Crayola box like the
                         one above to paint the cardboard box similar
         VARIATIONS:  for a family a parent can be the Crayola box and the kids can be the crayons.  See my post at 
                         http://inspiremecrafts.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/gotta-make-it-crayon-costume/ on how to make
                         the crayon costume. 

GOD'S GIFT TO WOMEN COSTUME
         MATERIALS:  cardboard box, romantic wrapping paper, big bow or ribbon to make bow, cardstock paper (color 
                                    coordinating with wrapping paper of course), tape, large stickers/stencils/or marker

         TO DO:  cut hole for head and arms in box and leave bottom out for legs.  Wrap the box with the wrapping paper. 
                         Take the large bow or make one and put it on the front of the box.  Using the cardstock paper write, use
                         the computer, or use stickers to say "FROM:  GOD       TO:  WOMEN".     Paste the 'tag' to the box near 
                         the bow.  
         VARIATIONS:  If you wanted to do this with your significant other, you could put their name in the "TO" spot. 

MAMMOGRAM COSTUME

        MATERIALS:  small cardboard box, stickers/marker, foil, paint
         TO  DO:  This costume is just going to go over the man's head and rest on his shoulders so the box doesn't 
                          need to be too large.    Leave the bottom of the box out so it just slips over the head.  Cut out 
                          the front of the box in the shape as it appears in the photo.  Then paint the box or cover in foil.
                          Use markers or stickers to write "FREE MAMMOGRAMS" on the top and "PLACE BREASTS
                           HERE" on bottom.  Then find a white lab coat and you are set to go!
         VARIATIONS:  If you want to do this with your loved one, your significant other can dress up as a busty 
                                       nurse.

MORE IDEAS:
      Rubik's Cube
      Domino Piece
      "I'm In the Dog House"  (create dog looking house with box  and paint)
      Pair of Dice
      Lego
      Robot
     

Have any ideas you would like to share?  We would love to hear them at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com  or on our comments!
    

                        

Gotta Make It: Decorated Pumpkins

"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween." - Unknown

Sometimes simpler is better....please give me the pleasure and let me explain!  I had a couple of ideas for decorating pumpkins and I had to discover (as I've done many times before) that things don't always go as planned and turn out as desired.  I am sure everyone wants to hear my disasters as well (you know you do) because it reminds us that we are all human and NOT perfect!  So let's begin with the simple  idea.  Get your favorite ribbon, stickers, and pumpkin and TaDa!....you've got a no mess, 5 minute solution to sprucing up your holiday decor. I am addicted to black & white stuff so I continued that with the decoration of my pumpkins as you can see in the photo below. 

Now lets get to the fun stuff...the failure (ok maybe thats a little drastic).  I had some Mod Podge (can't live without it), tissue paper and one extra pumpkin so I decided to try mod podging the tissue paper to the pumpkin.  It didn't work out so well as far as 'being easy' goes.  The tissue paper is so thin that I had to do several layers and it was just a mess and too time consuming.  Then I realized that the colors really don't go with any of my holiday decor for halloween.  I thought it would be a fun color combination and it was some leftover tissue paper I had....but it just didn't excite me when I was done.   But what can you do?  Moral of the story...don't use tissue paper and mod podge on a pumpkin and remember that sometimes simple is exactly what you need!

The photo of my time consuming, non exciting project.......

Now this next idea I LOVE and its gorgeous...that's why they get paid the big bucks!  Check it out at http://www.marthastewart.com/article/glittered-pumpkins .  If you decide to try it let me know and send me pictures.  I would love to hear how it goes! 

Gotta Bake It: Halloween Chocolate Lollipops…yummy!

OK - my attempt at a "healthy eating lifestyle (aka Diet) is officially in trouble.  I've always seen the candy making aisle at Michaels, but I have never experimented with it, partly because of my overbearing sweet tooth and lack of self-discipline.  Well... that all changed when I thought it would be a cute gift for my son's friends.  I gave it a whirl  and now that I know that it is super easy, fun to do with kids, and yummy....my weight scale might be in for a bit of a surprise.  However, I will be the biggest hit with all his friends and all their parents will be thanking me immensely (yeah right!) .

All you need is a mold (as little as $1), some chocolate (in the same aisle and comes in seasonal colors), and lollipop sticks.  You literally pop the chocolate in the microwave, throw it in the mold, put the stick in it and put it in the fridge.  Voila!  Of course, you can make it more complex.  For example, my 17-month old took sprinkles and put them in the mold before you put the chocolate in (so complex!!!!!).   He had so much fun!  I then took plastic covers and used some left over ribbon I had to gift them.  I then used some stickers to spell "BOO" on the outside of the plastic wrap.

From here, you really can do numerous things.  You can hand them out as they are, put a name tag around them and use them as a place card, use a decorated pot with styrofoam in it to arrange them as a "lollipop bouquet"  and use it as a centerpiece or a gift, etc.  I am sure you have more ideas as well so please share with us and have fun!