Halloween 102 - Spooktacular

All great holiday decor starts with the door, it is after all how your guests enter.
So on to how I made my Halloween Spooktacular Wreath

Step 1: Grapevine wreath - I got mine at Micheal's

Step 2: Randomly glue Spanish Moss to wreath - I used a hot glue gun

Step 3: Pull the hot glue gun strings throughout the Spanish Moss,  this adds a spider web look as well as assists with keeping the moss from blowing away in the wind. 

Step 4: Anchor Spanish Moss even more by gluing leaves throughout

Step 5: Add larger decor pieces - for me this was 2 crows on top and large skull at the bottom, again hot gluing to secure Spanish Moss

Step 6: Fill in the wreath with remaining creepy smaller decor ...

Step 7: Spray wreath all over with sealant (Rustoleum Protective Enamel), helps with wind and rain

Halloween 101 - Gather Your Ideas

Before any holiday I search the web high and low for my inspiration.  I go to Micheal's at least a half a dozen times, then the ever so trusty HomeGoods, Target, and Walmart ... Gathering ideas is where my creative juices just start flowing.
This is the first of a series of posts about how we will decorate our domicile (sounds scarier than home) for Halloween this year.  I feel the need to make sure that within each room there is some element that has a expected twist.  Below are some of my ideas:

Martha Stewart

 

 

 

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

These are only just a few of pictures I am using for this year... I also find so much inspiration each day in the parties I attend (check out the Party Time page) and the blogs I read daily.

Dollar Store Ghosts

Happy Halloween!!  I know it is early but early is in the eyes of the reader right?? Any whos, I started pulling out all the decorations from last year, determining how I can step it up this year AND keep on a budget ...
In comes The Dollar Store, next random stuff around the house ... and this is what you end up with ...

Collect needed supplies:
- Bag of Skulls - Dollar Store
- Random pieces of fabric, varying textures
- Tea bags
- Needle and thread - I love the little sewing kits from hotels :)
- Glue (i used glue gun and Gorilla glue)

- Use tea bags to make dying solution
- Soak fabric in solution for varying amounts of time

- Allow fabric to dry
- Cut varying sizes

- Stack various fabrics on top of each other
- Bunch center, and bring to a point
- Sew pieces together and form the point
      (I just did a quick cris cross over the top and

       tied it off)

- Attach the head
- Add a little flare to separate the girl ghosts from
   boys

Once everything dries you end up with this:

 

Grandparents Day - September 12 2010

What is Grandparents Day??  Who came up with that holiday??  Where was I??
As a new step mom to two, I am generally caught by surprise at all the different holidays I am suppose to know about.  Well if you are wondering, I did some "Googling" and this is what I found:
National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to learn from the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
So I poured through all the craft stuff and this is what we put together ...

Hand painted coffee cups - oh boy that was interesting.
Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats - not sure who ate more, them or the receivers
Handmade Cards

The boys seemed very excited to give the gifts and in the end that is all that matters.

Happy Grandparents Day!!