Haunted House for Home Decor

This was a fun project for the kids.   

• We took a medium size box, cut out the sides 
• Painted it all black with acrylic paint  
• We used a cereal box to cut four triangles and taped them together to make the roof  
• We added some ghostly cut outs, curtains and ribbon  
• I placed inside two plastic tea candles, battery operated 
• We also added a lighting fixture on the ceiling.  You can find the miniature house lighting fixture at a hobby store.  You can see the picture below, I photographed it next to a quarter so you can see the actual size of the lighting fixture  
• Lastly, we placed some dancing skeletons inside and pumpkins on the outside.

Witch's Boots Tutorial

Finally what everyone has been asking me about, how to make a pair of Witch's boots like the ones on the Halloween tablescape, see here:

While I can't take the credit for making those cute little boots, I'll show you a way you too can make your own.  It all starts with a visit to the thrift shop.

These are the ones I decided to purchase, a dark brown pair for five dollars

I used some gloss black spray paint and sprayed them two coats.

I used Air Dry Clay, you can find it at Michael's the Arts and Crafts Store and a water spray bottle, you'll need to spray the clay because it gets dry very easily.

I used the clay to mold a piece that will go at the end of the boots:

I affixed these tips to the boots to mold and make sure I get a snug fit.  Let the tips dry for 24 hours.

Next, spray paint the tips with the spray paint to match the boots and adhere them with hot glue

see, how clever:

Next, we'll hide the seam around the tip with ribbon, I liked the ribbon so much I adhered it all the way to the top.  Use your hot glue gun to adhere the ribbon to your boot

Next, get some more ribbon or some shoe laces, mine are actually purple but all the pictures I took came out blue.  Use your heat gun to adhere the shoe lace criss cross all the way up.

Tie a bow at the top

next, use some fabric or paper or tulle to make a bow.  I used tulle and added a button

You can't wear them but you can use it as home decor for Halloween

I'm using them on my Halloween table

Thanks for coming by, hope you liked this tutorial.  Let me know if you try it, I'd like to see how yours come out.

Altered Books for Halloween Decor

What other modern housewife out there can sing an aria or rap to 80's rap music?  I hope I'm not the only one out there.  I guess I'm a bit eccentric that way.

I once challenged my four teenage nephews to an impromptu rap.  Can you imagine their expression when I started rapping New York, New York by Grandmaster Flash!  They had never heard the song and really thought I was making it up.  Specially when I changed it to: L.A, L.A big city of dreams, everything in L.A ain't always what it seems.  You might get fooled if you come from out of town but I'm down by law and I know my way around.....etc....I sang the whole song and the look on their faces was priceless.

I love to sing arias.  A while back I was singing Madam Butterfly, "Un Bel Di Vedremo" Italian aria. I was supposed to have been alone in the house that afternoon.  Unbeknownst to me, my husband and two boys came home early, they were supposed to be at the park.  I was in the middle of my aria, singing as loud as my voice could sing.  With such great emotion and despair.  Feeling the passion and heart broken sadness that Madam Butterly felt herself, when suddenly, they busted the door open thinking I was "screaming in pain".  I didn't know whether to be happy that they worried about me or upset that they thought I was "screaming in pain" when I was singing my beautiful aria......in the privacy of my own home.....alone.  Now that my boys know that mommy is not in pain when she's singing opera and she has not gone crazy when she's cleaning about the house rapping to Run DMC, I can finally sing any song that my little eccentric heart desires.

What are some things you like to do that you think might be a little eccentric? I know you all must have at least one thing on your list of  "I will never do that in public".  It's what makes us all "different" but in a good way.  Who knows, maybe deep down you're looking for the opportunity to have an audience to share your eccentricities with!!!


Now on to my crafts:
I have another fun Halloween project today.  These altered books are so easy to make and they can be used as home decor or as party giveaways for prizes....scariest costume, most original costume, funniest costume, etc..

Here's what you'll need: an old book you don't want

My favorite glue, Mod Podge

Acrylic paints, I love crafts that require this stuff

some extra heavy gel

First, apply Mod Podge on the pages and form them like so:

Next, once the Mod Podge dries, paint the pages with acrylic paint using  a brush:

Then decorate with Halloween decorations.
In the picture below, I used a craft knife to carve out a square.  I then applied the Extra Heavy Gel and let dry.  I used a glue gun to adhere my skeleton parts to the inside of the square:

The one below was done using rubber stamps:

here's a close up:

Hope you liked my altered books and I hope you have a spooktacular day!






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