Getting into the Halloween Spirit!

We are about a week away from Halloween! And I'm sorry to say I'm a bit behind in October posts. We've been battling the sickies at our house :( But we are in the full BOO spirit now! And if you aren't I have some great ideas to get you in the spirit!

1. BOO your neighbors!

Now I don't mean hide in your bushes and wait till they get home. Instead gift them with a little pail of goodies and a cute ghost on their door. You can pick up a jack-o-lantern plastic pail at Walmart for $1. Fill with some candies, pencils, fall soap for adults? Or a candle for a mom? Some glow sticks and erasers are great for kids.

Boo sign Template

2. Get Batty

When I think of a spooky Halloween night I think of a cold dark night accented with some screeches of bats flying across the sky. But how do you bring that spooky magical feeling into your own house? And with out adding in anything so scary it'll give your 5 year old nightmares? My answer is cutouts :)

I just love these bat silhouettes hanging down over our kitchen table. I cut the bats out of black card stock and attached them to one another with a piece of black string. Then I hung them from the chandelier. I think it's so fun and my kids just love it!  

My scanner has decided to hate me this week so I'm having some trouble creating templates for my crafts. I took a picture of the bat I used on a background of white paper. If you print this bat out it'll give you a good template to trace so you can make your own hanging bats. I'm almost 100% sure that this was originally a Martha Stewart Halloween craft idea, but I think she removed since she's now selling packs of her bats in stores. Well, I'm one of those people who love to look through her magazines for ideas, but I'll never go out and spend 15 dollars when it's a paper cut out. This is so easy to do at home, you have to try it! Notice the "fur" around the head of the bat, a very cute detail!

3. Spooky Windows

I did large window decorations that can be easily seen from the street. I went to a teacher's supply store and purchased 12 foot long black paper that's 2 feet wide. I flipped it on it's back and drew out a picket fence. 

I then drew a cat to go on the picket fence....and some bats in the "sky" above the picket fence. Anyway, you get the idea. You can draw or trace out a spooky scene on the flip side of the black paper. Then you cut out your scene. 

Here I am just beginning to cut :)

I have pull down black out curtain on those windows so I taped the scenes to that. But if you do not have anything on your windows I suggest taping it (with painters tape) to tissue paper so light can shine through! It'll create a very spooky effect. Although if it is for a kid's room maybe something a bit sturdier such as a sheet or even a large piece of white paper. It's so simple and so fun!

4. Get Crafty

I picked up some of the $1.00 masks at my local craft store and decided to start painting them for the kids. I finished the Frankenstein one and the kids have looooooved it! 

Halloween Recap

I'm so sorry I couldn't post sooner. I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween this year! Mine was a insane. I had a wedding cake due (next post) on the 29th and a carnival to set up for the neighborhood on the 30th... add in buying a house and the family getting sick. It was insane. And of course, now I'm sick :(  But here are some snapshots of our Halloween this year. And some of the new and improved witch shack!

Side view:

My wonderful hubby and myself :)

For the carnival, I made a witch head out of paper and taped it to an easel. I had bright green stickers for kids to "Stick the Wart on the Witch". I used a simple blindfold and voila! A great carnival game that ALL ages enjoyed. For the kidos under 2 I didn't use the blindfold. And all kids got to pick a prize out of my cauldron. 

The second game for the carnival that I made was a "Hole in One". I used cardboard boxes, black construction paper and some inexpensive fake grass that I purchased at my local home improvement store. This would work with golf balls and golf clubs too :)

Side View:

I cut a hole in the back that the ball would fit through if hit properly. I had my son do it so I knew it could be done. I wanted this game to be challenging, but not impossible. The really interesting thing about this game is that the ADULTS loved it too!!! I've never had adults want to do the carnival games, since we set it up for the kids... but apparently the desire to test their skills was too much :) It was lots of fun, inexpensive and fairly simple to make. All it takes is a little imagination!

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween too! Now we're moving onto Turkey Day!!! Yay!!! :)

With Love,

Becca

Halloween Crafts for Kids

Looking for a cute craft to do with your little ones? How about a Halloween Bat Finger puppet?? Just cut along the outside line and cut out the circles at the base of the bat and your kids can stick their fingers through to make legs for the bat ;) CLICK HERE for the Halloween Finger Puppet Bat Link.

And what is a Halloween Bat without clothes?? Have fun coloring and gluing these on. CLICK HERE for the Halloween Finger Puppet Bat Clothes Link.

Spooky Windows

This week I've been busy decorating for Halloween. I'm posting a post I wrote last October since I'm doing this craft again. But this year, I've had trouble finding long rolls of black paper. I've substituted construction paper and just taped the seams together. Good luck with your spooky windows!!!! 

I've been working like crazy on my daughter's birthday party and I can't wait to show you all I've done. But I have to finish all of it first :) In the mean time I've also finished up my Halloween decorating. I did large window decorations that can be easily seen from the street. I went to a teacher's supply store and purchased 12 foot long black paper that's 2 feet wide. I flipped it on it's back and drew out a picket fence. 

I then drew a cat to go on the picket fence....and some bats in the "sky" above the picket fence. Anyway, you get the idea. You can draw or trace out a spooky scene on the flip side of the black paper. Then you cut out your scene. 

Here I am just beginning to cut :)

I have pull down black out curtain on those windows so I taped the scenes to that. But if you do not have anything on your windows I suggest taping it (with painters tape) to tissue paper so light can shine through! It'll create a very spooky effect. Although if it is for a kid's room maybe something a bit sturdier such as a sheet or even a large piece of white paper. It's so simple and so fun!

Halloween Recap

To say that Halloween was crazy is an understatement. It kept me up late at night planning, crafting and baking. I made a witch's shack halloween booth, 100 cupcakes and a costume for my great dane (....which he loved!). So I'm actually a little bit relieved today that it's all over. Although it was probably one of the most fun Halloween's we've ever had. Our neighborhood carnival was a huge success! The kids had so much fun! And I had a lot of fun in my little shack handing out those cupcakes. 

Left side pictures:

 notice the cat chasing the mouse??

front:

And the right side, with my little cardboard shutters:

...and here I am inside my booth: 

And I did finish my dog's costume! And he loved it! I think he never gets to wear those things since he's so big, so it was a special treat for him. The next morning he kept whinning and nudging his costume...so I let him wear it the next day....he's just like a kid! 

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween too! Guess what... it's only 8 weeks till Christmas! Yikes!!!

Spooky Windows

I've been working like crazy on my daughter's birthday party and I can't wait to show you all I've done. But I have to finish all of it first :) In the mean time I've also finished up my Halloween decorating. I did large window decorations that can be easily seen from the street. I went to a teacher's supply store and purchased 12 foot long black paper that's 2 feet wide. I flipped it on it's back and drew out a picket fence. 

I then drew a cat to go on the picket fence....and some bats in the "sky" above the picket fence. Anyway, you get the idea. You can draw or trace out a spooky scene on the flip side of the black paper. Then you cut out your scene. 

Here I am just beginning to cut :)

I have pull down black out curtain on those windows so I taped the scenes to that. But if you do not have anything on your windows I suggest taping it (with painters tape) to tissue paper so light can shine through! It'll create a very spooky effect. Although if it is for a kid's room maybe something a bit sturdier such as a sheet or even a large piece of white paper. It's so simple and so fun!

Flip - Flop Friday

I can't believe I almost forgot my flip-flop Friday post! I was freaking out so much about all the "stuff" I have to do that I nearly forgot to showcase a very important blog post. This week on my sister's blog Ever Kelly she posted a picture of me in a Halloween costume...in all fairness, I wasn't allowed to argue at the age I was placed in the costume... I think a picture says a thousand words so I'll just let you make your own decisions. I'm the bunny...

Kinda cute since I'm maybe 4? Notice the mullet haircut?? Oh yea, I was "hip". And the bunny nose that isn't really placed right- it's half way on my cheek? Ha! Good times, good times. Hope this inspires some Halloween happiness for you!

Did someone say BOO!?

(click here for the template)

In our neighborhood we have a fun tradition of "booing" our neighbors. There happen to be a lot of kids in our neighborhood and it's a lot of fun for the little ones to receive a fun Halloween surprise on their doorstep. Someone in the neighborhood usually starts this within the first few days of October. It's fairly simple and inexpensive and creates a very fun and welcoming feeling in the neighborhood. The booing package usually consists of some type of container...plastic trick or treat pumpkin shaped containers are available at Walmart for $1 and would work perfectly. There are also some really cute metal containers at Target for $2.50 in their "dollar section." As an example of what to put inside, this year we received a couple pencils, some glowsticks and a few pieces of candy in ours.

If you'd like to do this in your neighborhood here is the wording:

You have been BOOed!

This treat is for you. We hope you enjoy

The idea is simple,

one we hope you'll employ.

You pass Boo along to 2 other neighbors, along with this note

and any kind of Halloween favors.

If we all do our part, and spread good cheer,

by Halloween night it will be very clear.

we're a friendly bunch, we like to share fun,

so please do your part to keep BOO on the run!

(Please do this within 48 hours & leave BOO sign on your door 

so others know that you have been BOOed. The idea is that most

of our neighbors are BOOed by Halloween night)

Preview:

I have a lot of fun crafts and to-do's coming up this month. I have a Dora birthday party to plan, a Scooby Doo Costume to create and a Halloween booth to create. Here's the booth so far:

.... like I said, lots to do! So check back for lots more Halloween fun!!!

More notable cut-outs

Mice....

Real mice make me go "eeek!" But there's something about these mouse cutouts that I love. Maybe it's the fact that I think they are kinda cute and they are not real... I'm definitely not fond of the real kind.

I put my mice around my fireplace tiles so it looks like they're scampering up to their hole.

I'm thinking of adding some more mice to the top shelves of my fireplace.... it seems a bit bare to me. What do you think??

I think I have some more tracing and cutting to do! If you'd like to do this craft you should try it! It's so simple! Click here for the Martha Stewart template. Then trace your template on black paper or black card stock. Remember my painters tape tip, it works great for the mice too! When you go to store your adorable mice for next Halloween separate them with wax paper and store in a manila envelope to prevent bending. Enjoy!!

Halloween is in the air.... or rather on my walls!

I love, love, love Halloween. I'm basically a holiday nut if I'm being honest. But I think I'm so obsessed with Halloween because it's the first of the big 3 holidays in my book... ya know... Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those are the 3 holidays that I go all out! I just couldn't restrain myself this past weekend and I took the decorations out. Some of the first decorations to come out were the hand made ones. Last year I spent a lot of time cutting paper.... and I must say I think it was worth it. I cut bats out of card stock last year and I taped them to my walls. This is what they look like:

....And yes, that is a handmade "Happy Halloween" banner. I'll show you how I made it in a later post. And of course I had to make a hanging bat. We named him Henry. I'm not sure why but he's special since he hangs up side down. This year he's by our back door curtains.... he moves every year :)

To be honest, these bats took some time to cut out. But once they're done I really think they are worth it. I think it's an easy and affordable decoration too! I highly suggest you give it a try. All you need is some black card stock, scissors and tape. To get the bats to stick to my satin wall paint I had to use painters tape (aka the blue tape at your local hardware store).... and a lot of it. But it comes off really easily without damaging the walls! I got this idea from the Martha Stewart magazine. And I give this one 2 thumbs up! Martha Stewart used to have the bat templates available online, but she recently removed these since she's now selling packs of the pre-made bat cave silhouettes. The easiest way to make this at home would be to search online for a bat silhouette, find one you like, print it out, and trace the outline onto card stock. I hope you find this little craft as fun as I did.