last minute Halloween garlands in three parts: part III

 

 These happy garlands were made with a pack of stickers, construction paper, and XL scallop punch, and my sewing machine (one vertical and one horizontal). Here is another batch your kiddos can do. If you do not want to jump on the machine or do not have one, you can use this method for creating the garland.

last minute Halloween garlands in three parts: part II

How about some squishy garlands? I used a needle and thread to create both the rat garland and the skeleton garland.

 

I imagined the rat (mice?) garland would be horizontal with the wee rodents scampering across the wall. Alas, the weight of the little buggers makes them spin and get all topsy turvy so they look more like dead rodents than squishy rodents. But if you hang them vertically the mostly behave themselves!

 

As for the skellies, I jabbed the needle through their squishy skulls with maybe a bit too much glee and wished I had picked up two packs instead. They make me think of this cartoon.

I've got one more batch of garlands coming up so get yourself a pack or two of festive stickers, an extra-large scallop punch, construction paper, and your sewing machine (or glue and twine).

last minute Halloween garlands in three parts: part I

Okay, it should be no surprise that I had meant for this bit of garland fun to be a week-long dealio to be posted before Halloween, so let's pretend that it was and that you love it all and will bookmark it or pin it for next year. Okay? 

I picked up an assortment of fun Halloween items from my local Target. Think squishy skeletons, happy erasers, stickers, etc. All of these items are easily garlandified by using tape, staples, yarn, a glue-gun, and/or your sewing machine.

 

 

Many of these are so easy, your kiddo can whip 'em up. That polka dot goodness up there? Those are treat bags. Simply fold the bottom  into itself, add yarn into the crease and tape shut at the corners. Gotta stapler? Use that instead...or stitch it up on your sewing machine.

Got a hot glue gun? Use it to garland-up a set of happy erasers. Be warned, I used a length of doubled thread and my garland became a tangled mess! Use baker's twine, yarn, or embroidery floss to limit the tangling. Trust me! Also, if your temps are on the chilly side, your erasers might pop off the glue.

scrumdilly diy: day of the dead painted paper garland

Oh how I had grand plans for Day of the Dead this year but then this month happened and well...I'll take what I can get. This diy is more an inspiration post than a true step-by-step diy. I used a good old fashioned Sharpie to draw my bones and sugar skull and then used neon colored acrylic paints to add color to the whole party.

I used a large sheet of heavy weight paper and freehanded the bones and sugar skull. I think the paper was about 11 1/2"  X 17". The quality was really nice and played well with the sharpie even though my first sugar skull looked positively cranky. The second one did as well...the third one worked like a charm and so I stuck with it.

My original plan was to make crepe paper flowers but I got lazy and my back got angry. I really like how the flowers turned out. I used four-colors and alternated which color decorated which part of the flower to make it a bit more mix-happy. I could have planned it better but again I blame it on my back.

 

 

I used silver thread in my sewing machine and stitched one side of bones and flowers first, then the other. I almost made this is a mobile instead but went ahead and got all stitch-happy so that I could make the darn bed already!

I have another garland diy coming up. It might be sans the steps as I took those photos many months ago and may not be able to find them but it is another stitched paper garland this time using bias tape...stay tuned and Happy October!

sunshine in the morning

Yesterday I woke up a tad on the early side...for me...at least. The morning air was cool, cold even, and the birds were chittering away as early birds often do. I hadn't slept well or deep as my back pain wasn't ready to leave yet and so like an unwanted uninvited guest it lingered on and dragged me down. The cats were hollering at the mister for food, meowing like a pull-string toy whose string has long been stretched so their calls motored on and on as they wove around his ankles daring him to trip. I shuffled into the kitchen, neon green socks on my feet, huddled in my favorite thrifted wrap and gabbed the tea pot to brew a morning cup of happy.

As the mister meandered into the garden to attack the packed earth with an enormous pick, I settled myself down on the cold patio floor just as the sprinklers decided to make an appearance.

The birds scattered, the mister worked the earth, and I sat in the chill air on the cold ground relishing the scents and sounds around me.

 

After a second cup and a camera wander I snuggled under a patchwork quilt to read emails and send out my lesson plans for school. My back raged at me a little louder and so I shuffled back to the bedroom to read only to fall asleep.

 

When I woke up I spied a tiny yellow bud nestled into a small glass vase atop the old kitchen work table that the sister-a-go-go built many moons ago. The clear glass vase, little larger than a science beaker anchored the large leafy branch with the tiny yellow bud that was so small in size and bulk that nary a dip of the branch could be seen.

 

Yesterday went by in a blur of birds, back pain, kitty noses, and school carnival sounds. It was full and slow and quick all at the same time. 

Today, my back pain feels like it is napping, the little birds are back, and the little yellow bud is open with its green leaves reaching up, up, up in hello yellow

up to something...

back in March I had one of those brilliant crafty ideas that hit when you stumble out of bed into a too dark hallway to pee only to think of a crafty holiday project but since said holiday is months and months away you decide to wait on making it and all you are left with is a painful toe that got stubbed as you ghost-walked through your tiny casa in search of a writing instrument....with any luck something will get finished...or made...or photographed...at least.