by Miriam Gourley Rawson
Halloween can be a delightful time of year, but it requires a sense of humor and a few bats in the belfry—if you know what I mean!
Witch Hat
This little hat can become a centerpiece, or can be used as a costume for a small child. Have fun with it! You can make the hats in advance, paint them black, and have your children decorate them! It could be a great birthday party activity, if you have a birthday on or near Halloween!
Materials:
2 Sheets orange/red posterboard
Americana® Antique Gold and Ebony (acrylic paint)
Art Glitter – Nite Vision #282
1 ½ Yards Micro Check Ribbon, 1 1/2”-wide Offray Ribbon (1 1/2”-wide)
Krylon Clear Coat spray
Hot Glue gun or Tacky Glue (Silver container)*
Flat paint brush (1”)
One 6” and 14” plate or lid (for tracing circle)
Instructions:
1.Use the 14” plate or lid to trace two circles on one sheet of poster board. Cut out shapes.
2.To make the brim, use the 6” plate or lid to trace a circle on one of the 14” circles. Center carefully, then cut out the middle and discard. (Note: Do not do this on the second circle until Step 3.)
3.Use the first circle with the center cut out to trace the inner circle onto the second 14” circle. This will help you to keep the center circles in the same place.
4.Now, the tricky part—roll up a cone shape with the remaining piece of poster board. It will need to protrude from the brim about 12” when finished. Work on it a little, especially to keep the top end rolled tightly, so there is no hole at the top of the cone. Use the hot glue gun to tack the cone in it's final shape. *I use hot glue because it sets up quickly, but if you are a novice, it might be safer to use the Tacky glue and use a clothes pin or painter masking tape to hold in place while it dries. It is always a little tricky to remove the tape, however, so do it slowly!
5.Use a metal ruler, a self-healing mat, and a craft knife to trim off the excess from the cone.
6.Apply hot glue to the edge of the cone and press it into place until it is set up.
7.Place one of the brims over the top of the cone, and adjust until the cone is centered, and upright at a 90-degree angle from the brim. Use your pencil to trace the place the brim intersects with the cone. You may need to have someone help you with this step.
8.Cut the excess poster board 1” below the penciled line.
9.Clip the poster board up to the penciled line at 1” intervals.
10.Bend each tab up to the pencil line.
11.Place the cone inside one of the brims, and glue to each tab.
12.Glue the second brim on the underside, covering the glued tabs.
13.Use the black paint to paint the underside of the brim and the entire outside of the hat. Note: I use a slip-slop method, meaning that I don't cover all the orange/red color, to give a little bit of antiqued look. Let the paint dry.
14.Use a chisel-shape brush (1”) to create the stripes. Use the broad brushstroke at the base of the hat, gradually changing the angle of the brush to make the stripe more narrow at the top. Practice on something first, if this scares you!
15.When all the paint is dry, use the Krylon Clear Coat to cover the painted areas of the hat. For a second coat of Clear Coat, spray a small section of the hat at a time, and quickly sprinkle a little of the fine glitter onto the surface before the Clear Coat dries!
16.Gather about 1 ½ yards of the ribbon so it will go around the base of the crown part of the hat. When it is gathered, use the wire to tie in a little knot so it can't un-ruffle. (Yes, I know that isn't a real word!) Use your fingers to pleat the bottom edge of the ribbon (doesn't have to be precise), so it will lie a little flatter against the crown.
17.Glue to the lower part of the crown so the ribbon brushes against the brim. Overlap the ends, and glue in place. You are finished! The hat may be worn by a little child or used as a decoration on your mantle!
The Thankful Tree
This tree can become a way to have your guests remember all the things they are thankful for. Set up a small table where they can find a tag or two, and use the stick-on letters to write down their blessings. Even children will want to add their own thoughts, and you can use the hemp twine to attach them to the tree. This would make a good family activity to prepare for Thanksgiving!
Materials:
Twig (latex or from the wild)
Terra Cotta pot
Floral foam
Sheet moss
Variety of paper tags, in fall colors, cut by Cricut®
Press-on letters, small
Hemp twine
Fall pick
Instructions:
1.Use an old bread or steak knife to cut the foam to fit the inside of the pot. Hot glue to the bottom of the pot, and cover with the moss.
2.Push the fall pick into the pot. Dip the twig into some craft glue and push into the foam. Arrange the branches (if it is a latex branch) to spread out a little bit so the tags will have room to hang.
3.Cut out the tags using your Cricut. Use several fall colors, including prints, if you like. Apply the sticker letters to spell out things you are thankful for. Use the hemp string to tie the messages to the tree.
From the moments your guests arrive at your door, they will enjoy their visit. A beautiful wreath on the front door adds such a feeling or welcome and warmth.
Materials
Twig wreath
Fall garland (not too full)
Offray Vogue Ribbon (Chocolate)
Offray Charisma Ribbon (Persimmon)
Offray Arabesque Ribbon (Sherry)
Floral wire
Note: I like to choose ribbon of varied widths and transparency. The Chocolate ribbon is wide, the persimmon a medium width, and the Sherry ribbon is mostly transparent, and also medium width.
Instructions
1.Use the wire to attach the garland to the center of the twig wreath. The garland I used was very delicate, and I was able to bend some of the stems so they extended out toward the edge of the twig wreath. I also clipped a little of the stems to wire into the center to make it a little more full.
2.To make the bow, you will need about 2 ½ yards of each color of ribbon. Take the wide chocolate-color ribbon first, and make one loop. Make a second loop and wire the center to hold it. Set aside.
3.Use the persimmon ribbon to make a second bow, just like the first.
4.With the sherry-color ribbon, you will first find the center and tie it in a little knot with a loop. The loop will be used for hanging the wreath.
5.Place the sherry ribbon around the top of the wreath center, with the loop on the outside.
6.Tie the sherry ribbon just once to keep it in place.
7.Pick up the other two ribbons, with the chocolate on the bottom. Place the bows onto the center of the sherry ribbon which is tied once.
8.Tie the two bows onto the ribbon while making a shoe-lace type of bow. This creates a third set of loops, and your bow is finished.
Apothecary Centerpiece
Here's something to do with that scrap of garland left over from your wreath-making! This will look good on your buffet table!
Materials
Large apothecary jar
Left-over garland from wreath
2 ½ Yards of ribbon
Instructions
1.This is a very simple centerpiece. You will need to bend the garland piece so it curves in a cork-screw type of shape, then place into the apothecary jar. Adjust the leaves and berries as you need to.
2.Place the lid on the jar, tie the ribbon in a simple bow and let it cascade down onto the table. Voila!
Napkin Place Settings
There is nothing like gathering around the table with family and good friends, and fall affords at least two occasions for a special gathering. Personally, I love a good Halloween dinner, and we always have dinner in a pumpkin. I make my best recipe of shrimp/chicken/sausage jambalaya, clean out a medium pumpkin, and put the jambalaya inside. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, place the pumpkin on it, (don't forget the 'lid') and bake for about an hour and a half. When the pumpkin is tender (use a fork to test), the dinner is done! Transfer the pumpkin to a platter, serve with a nice green salad and a light dessert! Your guests will rave! They will also love the little place settings with their names on some sort of Halloween paper! Don't forget to have a bowl of candy corn!
Materials
Cloth napkins
Paper tags (use Cricut to cut)
Small press-on letters
Hemp twine
10-12” ribbon
Instructions
1.Tie the ribbon around the napkin in a knot and trim the edges.
2.Apply the press-on letters to spell the names of your dinner guests.
3.Use the twine to tie the tag to the ribbon. Easy as pumpkin pie!
Decorating Ideas for You
Here are a few photos of things in the store—some ideas you might enjoy! One of the most popular displays has been the small latex pumpkins in our apothecary jars! I always tie a simple bow on the top of the jar and let the tails drape onto the table.
You may enjoy creating a cornucopia for your Thanksgiving table. I used one of the twig cornucopias, glued some floral foam inside, covered it with moss, and inserted various fruits, vegetables, and flowers. If you want to use a fruit or vegetable, you can use a discarded floral stem to attach it into the bouquet. Use a screwdriver or ice pick to make a hole in the fruit, apply glue into the hole, and insert the stem. Trim the stem so it will go into the foam but not put the fruit in too high of a position. You can use stiff floral wire to bend around a clump of grapes to insert into the foam, as well. Let the flowers and fruit/veggies spill out of the cornucopia, in a natural way.
