Talk Crafty To Me » Halloween

Happy Halloween!

kelly — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:37:24 +0000

_{This Jack ‘O Ghost is from Etsy’s ‘Out of Our Gourds‘.}

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DIY Halloween Garland Freebie!

kelly — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:42:55 +0000

Looking for some last minute Halloween decorations? Here’s a quick project I designed that you can download for free!

Print the pdf onto card stock, cut out the circles and thread them along a piece of ribbon or string. Feel free to use the pieces any way you like. Spell out “Happy Halloween” across your mantel, or sting individual circles from your ceiling. You could even shrink them down, attach them to toothpicks and use them as cupcake toppers! The sky’s the limit, so get creative.

- Download the Garland

The pdf contains 5 spooky illustrations, all the letters to spell “Happy Halloween”, and a few assorted patterns to break things up.

(p.s. feel free to send me photos of your finished garland!)

Read the original post here: DIY Halloween Garland Freebie!

Halloween Art

kelly — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:06:53 +0000

I love this Halloween print from Sara Harvey. You can see more of her great work in her Etsy shop.

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Pumpkin Week – Day 6: Virtual Pumpkins

kelly — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:06:41 +0000

No knives required, just your fingers and your imagination! Hallowcarver is a download-able app for your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can select from several different pumpkin shapes and backgrounds, and then start carving. When you’re done you can upload your creation for a chance to win a new iPod Touch.

- Download Hallowcarver
- Check out the gallery

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Pumpkin Week – Day 5: Paper Pumpkins

kelly — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:46 +0000

If yesterday’s handmade pumpkin ideas are a little too much work… don’t worry cause here are some super easy paper pumpkins. They’re kid friendly too!

1. The hostess with the mostess has instructions for this mod take on a paper pumpkin.

2. Laurie Flannery’s craft club spent an evening making these pumpkins.

3. This 3D pumpkin is made from strips of paper fastened together.

4. Turn ordinary paper lanterns it to pumpkins lanterns.

Read the original post here: Pumpkin Week – Day 5: Paper Pumpkins

Pumpkin Week – Day 4: Handmade Pumpkins

kelly — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:05 +0000

It’s always a little sad when that Jack-O-lantern you put so much work into starts to shrivel up on you. Here are some great ideas for handmade pumpkins you can keep forever.

1. Decadent Fibers’ needle felting kit, includes two needles, illustrated instructions, and custom-dyed wool.

2. Martha shows you how to make these decorative pumpkins from rope, and foam balls.

3. Etsy is a great place to shop for handmade holiday decorations, like this cute little pumpkin.

4. David Frykman has several Halloween inspired woodcarvings including this set of three pumpkins.

5. More pumpkins made with hand dyed wool over at Turkey Feathers.

6. Show off your basic wood working skills with these easy wooden pumpkins.

Read the original post here: Pumpkin Week – Day 4: Handmade Pumpkins

Pumpkin Week – Day 3: Carve-less Pumpkins

kelly — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:47 +0000

Not a fan of the messy pumpkin innards? Don’t have time to get your hands dirty? Or just plain don’t like to carve? Why not try one of these easy ‘carve-less’ pumpkin ideas.

1. Try painting your pumpkin white then use a stencil and some black acrylic paint. More examples.

2. Lace inspired. With spray adhesive, place a doily on your pumpkin and use a small stencil brush to fill in the pattern.

3. For a cheap but expensive look, use gold and silver leaf.

4. How about glitter pumpkins to bring a little sparkle to your party.

5. Use ordinary black upholstery tacks to create a pattern on your pumpkin.

6. Ok, so this one does involve a little bit of carving…. Drill holes or use a nail to punch holes in your pumpkin, then place flowers through the holes.

Read the original post here: Pumpkin Week – Day 3: Carve-less Pumpkins

Pumpkin Week – Day 2: Pretty Pumpkins

kelly — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:25 +0000

Not all pumpkins have to be spooky, or even orange for that matter. Check out some of these gorgeous pumpkins for a less traditional look. These would also be great for Thanksgiving decorations as well.

1. Use an electric drill in varying sizes to get a quick and sophisticated look. You can also use a hammer and small cookie cutters to create a similar look.

2. Get inspired by patterns around you. Use lino cutters to carve out an intricate pattern.

3. This autumn centerpiece uses a flea market chandelier turned upside-down. (You could also spray the chandelier black for a spookier display at your Halloween party)

4. Use woodcarving tools or small pieces of pipe to create a lace-like pattern.

5. This thorny pattern is inspired by antique chinaware.

6. Light your front steps or your living room, with a lantern inspired pumpkin.

Read the original post here: Pumpkin Week – Day 2: Pretty Pumpkins

Pumpkin Week – Day 1: Jack-O-lanterns & Creepy Carvings

kelly — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:49:04 +0000

Flickr is your friend when it comes to getting inspiration for your Jack-O-lantern. There are so many great pumpkins on there it can almost be overwhelming when deciding on a design.

Once you’ve decided on your design you can either free-hand it on to your pumpkin, or draw it out on a piece of paper first, then transfer it to your pumpkin by placing a piece of carbon paper between your design and your pumpkin, and then tracing over it (I’ve also done this without the carbon paper… just push a bit harder with your pencil and you’ll leave a slight indent in the pumpkin’s surface).

To hollow your pumpkin, draw a circle around the top of your pumpkin, giving it a slight notch so that later you can easily place the top back in the same place. Also when cutting the top off, cut into the pumpkin on a slight angle. Once your pumpkin is carved it will start to dry out and shrink over several days. By cutting the lid on an angle, you’ll give yourself more time before the lid shrinks enough to fall all the way through. Scoop out all the insides (saving the seeds for roasting later!) and use a plastic spoon to scrape the sides clean.

When carving your design, use a small serrated blade (comes with most pumpkin carving kits) to cut all the way through. To cut only partially through use a linoleum cutter (the same thing we used to carve stamps with back in May). In order to have the partially carved sections illuminated, they should be about 1/4 to 1/2 and inch thick.

To illuminate your pumpkin, use a couple of votive candles, a string of mini Christmas lights, or a battery operated nightlight. If you use votive candles, places them inside a small glass holder filled with a little bit of water so they’ll go out safely. For additional spookyness cut a hole in the back of your pumpkin and blow fog through it with a cheap fog machine (check the Halloween section of Walmart, or Target)

Get creative and have some fun, invite some friends over and have yourself a little pre-Halloween party. And remember if you’re carving skills aren’t as great as you’d hoped you can always go for quantity over quality!

Images from left to right: Burning Jack-O-Lantern; Country Living; Pumpkin Way; Firey Jack-O-Lantern; Multi-Eyed Pumpkin; “Jack”; Ray Villafane

Read the original post here: Pumpkin Week – Day 1: Jack-O-lanterns & Creepy Carvings

Pet Costumes

kelly — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:53 +0000

Part of me feels it’s wrong, and just can’t help but feel sorry for these little guys… but secretly I kinda love it!

From left to right: Headless Horseman; Flying Ferret; Hot Dog; Zelda Bee; Roaring Lion

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