Last minute Halloween activities

 Welcome!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam app

Vintage postcard

I don’t know about where you live, 

but here in Colorado, USA

we are expecting a freezing snow storm 

tomorrow. 

They’re calling it an Arctic Blast.

Perhaps you are also stuck inside due to weather.

I thought it would be fun to do some

simple last minute Halloween crafts/activities.

1924 magazine cover

I thought this easy string craft looked fun.

I used to make similar decorative balls back in the 1970’s!

Let’s Fly Away/Blog E Dicas De Viagen

These cute votive candle holders are easy, 

and most likely you can find all the supplies 

either at home or the dollar stores.

You will need:

White yarn, any thickness

Glass container with mouth large enough to place votive

Flameless votive candles

School type glue, Water

Or

Liquid Starch, water

Optional: fake spiders, various sizes

First cut longish lengths of yarn.

If making with little ones, a bit shorter is easier for them to handle. Practice and find the right size for all.

In a bowl pour starch or glue. Add less than 25% water.

Stir well.

For example, 1 Cup starch, 1/4 cup water.

Elmer’s type glue works well, and may not need any water if it is runny/thin enough.

Clean your glass container with a bit of rubbing alcohol. Dry well.

You can use clean jars, Dollar Store vases,

Baby food jars, etc.

Alecia@ChickenScratch NY

Now the messy part!

Dip pre-cut yarn into starch mixture. Be sure it is moistened throughout. Squeeze off excess liquid. Wrap glass container with soaked yarn, 

 making sure it is overlapping 

with no loose ends. 

End each piece on top of or under another piece.

Wrap as much or as little as you want. Remember for a spider web it has to have lots of ‘holes’.

Let air dry. Be patient, overnight is good.  

When dry, hot glue or Tacky Glue a fake spider on.

Put in a battery-operated flameless candle and enjoy!

Have leftover starch/glue?

No need to throw it all away.

How about we make some lacy yarn pumpkins!

One Little Project, Pinterest

For Lacy yarn Pumpkins you will need:

Colored yarn in your choice of ‘pumpkin’ shades.

Elmer’s type school glue or liquid starch

Balloons, different sizes/shapes 

First, blow up your balloons to desired size.

Tie off end.

 Next, cut longish pieces of yarn.

Have your glue or starch ready in a shallow pan.

A foil or glass pie pan works well.

Saturate a piece of yarn.

Squeeze excess off with your fingers.

Start wrapping carefully around your balloon.

Make sure you start and end each piece of yarn 

under another piece of yarn, 

so it is like a continuous long piece.

You might find it easier if you tie a string around the end of the balloon, so you have something to hold on to.

This will also be helpful for hanging when it’s time to dry.

Be sure to leave space, so your balloon is showing through.

After wrapping, hang balloons upside down over newspapers,

 or throw away pans, garbage bag, etc.

I found tying them onto a broomstick handle

that is propped horizontal between 2 chairs worked well. 

Place newspapers on floor for excess glue to drip onto.

Let dry overnight.

Time to pop the balloon and discard it!

Tightly wrap a piece of brown chenille stem around a pencil.

Use glue to stick the coil on top of the lacy pumpkin.

Wrap a green chenille/pipe cleaner around a few 

strands of pumpkin yarn, and under the brown ‘stem’.

Done!

These look great with several in a bowl or on a plate!

My next easy craft is truly EASY!

DumpaDay.com

You will need cardboard tubes, such as toilet paper inner tubes,

or paper towel tubes, wrapping paper tubes, 

you get the idea!

On your cardboard tube draw with a pencil 

some spooky eye shapes.

-Refer to photo-

Here are some more ideas for eye shapes:

Cheznounoucricri.centerblog.net

Here’s the hard part:

Carefully

Cut out shapes with a sharp pair of scissors

Or an x-acto type knife blade.

Really.

Be careful.

At this point you can paint the tube black if you wish.

Next, break a few glow-in-the-dark sticks.

Run a line of glue inside the prepared tube.

Place glow stick on glue.

Place your ‘spooky eyes’ in a few windows, 

or as part of a spooky table centerpiece.

If the weather is good,

these look stunning placed in and around bushes!

Have fun!

A few more ideas for eye shapes:

Julie Robins, Pinterest

That’s all for today!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

(My continued apologies for a messy format, text in odd sizes and places and other glitches. I am still struggling with the ‘new & improved’ blogger. Sigh.)

Vintage postcard

Truth of the day,

Usually discovered before coffee, or 10am, whichever comes first:

When feeding the dog, make sure you place the food bowl where she can reach it.

Forgetting this and leaving the bowl of food 

on the counter is...

Irritating to the dog.