Happy Halloween.
Hope everyone has a wonderful time trick-or-treating tonight! Be safe!
October 31, 2011
October 29, 2011
Candy Corn Trick-or-Treat Bag
I have been searching for unique trick-or-treat bags for my kids. I hit the jackpot when I found this Candy Corn Bag.
Materials:
One piece (9x12) white felt
One piece (9x12) orange felt
One piece (18x18) yellow felt (I bought this piece by the yard)
Orange thread
Yellow thread
Orange grossgrain ribbon
Directions:
Using this template, cut out your pieces of fabric.
Place the yellow felt on your workspace. Place the white felt on top, lining it up with the point and the sides of the yellow felt.
Place the orange felt on top, lining up the sides with the sides of the yellow felt. Pin together.
Using the orange thread, sew along the top and bottom of the orange piece of felt. Make sure to sew through the white piece of felt.
Fold your candy corn in half, right sides together and pin. Make sure that the colors line up exactly (so when you turn it right-side-out you will have a straight line all the way around the orange).
Using the yellow thread, sew down the pinned side, leaving a 1/4 inch seam.
Sew a straight line across the bottom about 1/2-1 inch from the point. (My stitch in the photo below was about 2 inches from the point. I found that this makes the white portion of the bag quite small so I altered it to 1/2-1 inch in the future bags that I made).
Cut off the point right below your stitching.
Open the bag and press the seam open. Turn the top of the bag over approx. 1/2 inch, pin and and sew using the yellow thread. You can either hand sew or machine sew. I hand sewed this one but found that I liked the look of the machine sew better (not to mention, it is faster!) See how my orange flet is not lined up exactly in the photo below? This is what you DON'T want to do.
If you hand sew it, you want to use long stitches on the inside (shown above) and short stitches on the outside.
Cut a piece of ribbon 20 inches long. Pin at each side, making sure that the ribbon is not twisted. Sew along the existing seam with yellow thread, backstitching to secure.
Turn your bag right side out and you are ready for a night of candy!
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October 28, 2011
Crab Costume
Halloween is almost here!!! I can barely contain my excitement. This year, I decided against paying out the wazoo for costumes. My daughter informed me that she wanted to be a mermaid. I told convinced her to wear her Ariel dress-up dress and promised that I would buy a few sparkly accessories to go with it. We found a cute tiara and wand. Since this is probably the last year that I will be able to dress my son up with what *I* want, I made him a crab costume to go with Ariel.
Here are my two cuties at a recent Halloween Party. My son was supposed to be wearing red pants and he WAS wearing them earlier in the day. That is, until we had a diaper incident. Hence the brown pants in the picture. My daughter looks less than enthused to be sitting next to her younger brother. But they are BOTH looking at the camera which NEVER happens.
Here are my two cuties at a recent Halloween Party. My son was supposed to be wearing red pants and he WAS wearing them earlier in the day. That is, until we had a diaper incident. Hence the brown pants in the picture. My daughter looks less than enthused to be sitting next to her younger brother. But they are BOTH looking at the camera which NEVER happens.
Here is what you need for the crab costume:
Red pants
Red long-sleeve shirt
Headband
Red ribbon or fabric
Floral Wire
Styrofoam balls
Sharpie marker
Repurposed lobster costume (or make your own claws)
Scissors
Glue gun
Directions:
Cut off the t-shirt sleeves and leave approx. 3/4 of the length.
My friend graciously gave me a lobster costume. When I realized it was too small for my son, I decided to cut off the claws and attach them to the shirt. You could also make your own claws by cutting out a two claw templates from posterboard and covering them with red fabric or color them red. Attach to wrist with string or rubber band.
Here is how I repurposed the lobster costume:
I cut the claws off of the original costume and left enough fabric so that when I attached them to the t-shirt, the claws would lay right where the cuffs of the sleeves were.
I turned the claws inside out and slid them up the existing sleeves. I pinned them in place and sewed with a straight stitch.
After sewing, I turned the claws right-side-out.
Headband Directions:
Wrap the headband with red fabric or ribbon.
Twist the floral wire around the top of the headband.
Push a styrofoam ball onto each piece of wire
Using a sharpie, draw a black circle onto each styrofoam ball.
Now you have yourself an inexpensive crab costume that can pair nicely with your little girl's mermaid costume!
Here is a better pic of my daughter. At least she is smiling in this one!
October 19, 2011
Pumpkin Bling
Who doesn't need some extra bling on Halloween? Here is how I "dressed up" my pumpkin.
I just spray painted a plastic pumpkin black. Note to self...buy the good quality spray paint and not the cheap kind. It covers so much better. The bling is from a scrapbooking purchase a few years back. The rhinestones are all connected so they are very east to put on. This is a nice addition to my side table.
I just spray painted a plastic pumpkin black. Note to self...buy the good quality spray paint and not the cheap kind. It covers so much better. The bling is from a scrapbooking purchase a few years back. The rhinestones are all connected so they are very east to put on. This is a nice addition to my side table.
October 18, 2011
Stained Glass Leaves
I love the colors of Fall. When I saw these Stained "Glass" Leaves at Mom on Timeout I knew they would look great hanging in our window.
Materials:
Tissue paper (red, orange, yellow)
Construction paper
Waxed paper
Glue
Popsicle stick
Scissors
Exacto knife
Leaf template (found here)
Directions:
Print out template and cut out the leaves.
Trace the leaves onto the construction paper and cut out with an exacto knife.
Cut around the cutout, leaving approx. 1/4 inch of paper around the edges
Let your child rip the tissue paper into small pieces.
Cut around the cutout, leaving approx. 1/4 inch of paper around the edges
Let your child rip the tissue paper into small pieces.
Tear off a piece of waxed paper and fold it in half. Place glue on one half, spreading it with a popsicle stick. Work in small sections so the glue does not dry before you have time to complete the next step.
Have your child place the tissue paper onto the glue, making sure to cover all the glue with tissue paper.
After one half of the waxed paper is covered with tissue paper, spread glue on the other half of the waxed paper and fold over.
When the glue is dry, glue the construction paper outline to the waxed paper and cut around the green outline.
Hang in a sunny window.
October 16, 2011
Athens Again
Because I was unable to attend my college Homecoming this weekend... here is a post from last fall when I was able to attend. This is what I love about Ohio and this is what I will always remember...
There is a small town in southeastern Ohio that was, is, and always will be my home. Five falls, four winters, four springs, and one summer. The town is Athens, Ohio. The place is Ohio University. Cobblestone streets, brick dormitories, amazing fall foliage. Truly an idyllic campus. I knew it was home when I first set foot on College Green during a campus tour in the Fall of 1993. Yes, I'm THAT old.
Five falls and three of them were the most amazing ever due to one thing and one thing only...the Marching 110. Some people understand and many don't. I'll put it this way...at one time, the football team was 0-13 and the stands were PACKED at halftime due to the band. I traveled back to Athens a few weeks ago and walked the campus that will forever be my home. I "funked" down Court Street and "got down" during halftime and felt the excitement that I took for granted those three falls so long ago.
There is a small town in southeastern Ohio that was, is, and always will be my home. Five falls, four winters, four springs, and one summer. The town is Athens, Ohio. The place is Ohio University. Cobblestone streets, brick dormitories, amazing fall foliage. Truly an idyllic campus. I knew it was home when I first set foot on College Green during a campus tour in the Fall of 1993. Yes, I'm THAT old.
College Gate
Ellis Hall (English building)
College Green
College Green
Entrance to College Green
Five falls and three of them were the most amazing ever due to one thing and one thing only...the Marching 110. Some people understand and many don't. I'll put it this way...at one time, the football team was 0-13 and the stands were PACKED at halftime due to the band. I traveled back to Athens a few weeks ago and walked the campus that will forever be my home. I "funked" down Court Street and "got down" during halftime and felt the excitement that I took for granted those three falls so long ago.
Marching 110 before pregame
Drumline at pregame
It has taken me quite a while to make this trip back to Athens mainly due to 2 babies in 3 years. But next year they will be by my side in their 110 gear while I show them what mommy did before she was mommy and introduce them to Athens and the Most Exciting Band in the Land.
October 14, 2011
Jack-O-Lantern Luminaries
This is a very quick and inexpensive Halloween craft for your preschooler.
Materials:
Glass jar
Orange acrylic paint
Painters tape or Masking tape
Paint brush
Directions:
Remove labels from the jar
Cut out shapes for eyes, nose, and mouth from the tape. Stick the tape to the jar.
Have your child paint the jar with the acrylic paint. Let the first coat dry and apply a second coat. You may want to do more than two coats. Mine turned out somewhat streaky (see pic above). To avoid this, you could mix the paint with some Mod Podge and brush it on the jar using the technique from my Beach Glass Vases.
After the second (or third) coat is dry, peel off the tape and place a votive candle in the jar or just display on your mantle without a candle.
Witches' Brooms Cookies
I'm trying very hard to get into the "fall" spirit. I desperately want some cooler days and I want the leaves to change. So...to give mother nature the hint, I did some fall baking yesterday. I found these cute witches broom cookies in the Betty Crocker fall baking recipe book from last year.
Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, cut in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
2 teaspoons shortening
1. Heat oven to 350. In bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla until blended. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 20 balls.
2. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheets. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble bristles of broom. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown. remove to cooling racks; cool completely.
3. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper. In bowl, melt 2 teaspoons shorteneing and chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered.
4. In bowl, microwave butterscotch chip and 2 teaspoons shortening, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle over chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm before storing. The original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon shortening but I found that this amount did not make the chips liquid enough to drizzle. I increased it to 2 teaspoons.
Make sure to eat one before the vultures in your house get to them. I almost didn't have time to take the picture because they went so fast.
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, cut in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
2 teaspoons shortening
1. Heat oven to 350. In bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla until blended. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into 20 balls.
2. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheets. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble bristles of broom. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not brown. remove to cooling racks; cool completely.
3. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper. In bowl, melt 2 teaspoons shorteneing and chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered.
4. In bowl, microwave butterscotch chip and 2 teaspoons shortening, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle over chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm before storing. The original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon shortening but I found that this amount did not make the chips liquid enough to drizzle. I increased it to 2 teaspoons.
Make sure to eat one before the vultures in your house get to them. I almost didn't have time to take the picture because they went so fast.
October 13, 2011
Fall Mantle
Its my favorite time of year again...Fall. And although the leaves have not started to change colors here yet and it still is about 75-80 degrees (minus the humidity), the mantle is decked out for the Fall season. This year, I only purchased 5 dollars worth of items from the dollar bin at Tar-jay. So here is my mantle this year...
Here is the shelf on the wall above my tv. I replaced the sand and seashells from my summer mantle with pinecones and plastic fall fillers from the dollar bins (I don't even know what they are really called) and I changed out the paper in the "Family" frame. I added ribbons to the hurricane vases and a small jack-o-lantern votive.
Here is the shelf on the wall above my tv. I replaced the sand and seashells from my summer mantle with pinecones and plastic fall fillers from the dollar bins (I don't even know what they are really called) and I changed out the paper in the "Family" frame. I added ribbons to the hurricane vases and a small jack-o-lantern votive.
October 5, 2011
Cutter's 2nd Birthday
Cutter turned 2 this past Friday and we had an airplane themed birthday for him at a local park. The boy is OBSESSED with airplanes so I knew this theme would be perfect. I was originally planning on having a joint party for my kids in mid-October with a pumpkin theme but he became so interested in airplanes in the past few months I knew I had to save the pumpkin idea for next year.
To get started, I ordered these adorable invites from Nounces on Etsy. When I saw these, I was blown away by the creativity of this design.
I was just planning on ordering the invites but when I saw the cute party decorations she offered, I ordered the party package. I love decorating for parties and these packages make it so simple. You just print at home, cut and you are done!
When the kids arrived, they picked up their captain badges for CM Airlines at the Baggage Check-In.
I laminated these so they would be sturdier than just regular cardstock and also waterproof. I punched a hole in the top and threaded some string through.
The Check-In table was decorated with a wooden letter "C" painted red and some toy airplanes that I snagged from my son's room. Cost of these decorations.. zero. I had everything on hand.
For the food, I again went with the airplane theme, labeling the spread "In-Flight Meal" and had ham, roast beef, and turkey sandwiches packaged in containers that you would receive on an airplane. That is, back when airlines served meals at all. I ordered a sandwich platter from the local grocery store but you could go a cheaper route and make the sandwiches yourself. I also had individual packages of chips.
On the "Beverage Cart", guests had their choice of soda, water, or juice.
And finally, the "Dessert Tray" featured cupcakes (made and frosted by me) with cute toppers.
I kept the activities of the day fairly simple since there was a playground nearby for added entertainment. This kids decorated paper airplanes and then had fun flying them around.
The goodie bags were located at the Baggage Claim Area
For the goodie bags, I made suitcases out of cereal boxes and spraypainted them silver. I personalized each suitcase with the child's name using my Cricut. Each suitcase contained a small wooden airplane to paint and assemble.
I also made cookies in the shape of an airplane, decorated with a number two. I packaged them in cello bags and attached a label to each bag. I displayed them in a food carrier that resembled a suitcase.
After gathering their luggage and a treat at the Baggage Claim, the kids stamped their passports before departing the party.
I think the birthday boy really enjoyed his day.
To get started, I ordered these adorable invites from Nounces on Etsy. When I saw these, I was blown away by the creativity of this design.
I was just planning on ordering the invites but when I saw the cute party decorations she offered, I ordered the party package. I love decorating for parties and these packages make it so simple. You just print at home, cut and you are done!
When the kids arrived, they picked up their captain badges for CM Airlines at the Baggage Check-In.
I laminated these so they would be sturdier than just regular cardstock and also waterproof. I punched a hole in the top and threaded some string through.
The Check-In table was decorated with a wooden letter "C" painted red and some toy airplanes that I snagged from my son's room. Cost of these decorations.. zero. I had everything on hand.
For the food, I again went with the airplane theme, labeling the spread "In-Flight Meal" and had ham, roast beef, and turkey sandwiches packaged in containers that you would receive on an airplane. That is, back when airlines served meals at all. I ordered a sandwich platter from the local grocery store but you could go a cheaper route and make the sandwiches yourself. I also had individual packages of chips.
On the "Beverage Cart", guests had their choice of soda, water, or juice.
And finally, the "Dessert Tray" featured cupcakes (made and frosted by me) with cute toppers.
I kept the activities of the day fairly simple since there was a playground nearby for added entertainment. This kids decorated paper airplanes and then had fun flying them around.
The goodie bags were located at the Baggage Claim Area
For the goodie bags, I made suitcases out of cereal boxes and spraypainted them silver. I personalized each suitcase with the child's name using my Cricut. Each suitcase contained a small wooden airplane to paint and assemble.
I also made cookies in the shape of an airplane, decorated with a number two. I packaged them in cello bags and attached a label to each bag. I displayed them in a food carrier that resembled a suitcase.
After gathering their luggage and a treat at the Baggage Claim, the kids stamped their passports before departing the party.
I think the birthday boy really enjoyed his day.
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