Spooky & Fun Halloween Jewelry
Today we have a guest post by Claire Thomas. Claire is a lean mean crafting machine. When she’s not whipping out everything from jewelry to repurposed furniture she is gardening with her daughter.
Three of the best things about Halloween include candy (duh), costumes (double duh) and an excuse to wear strange and / or creepy jewelry. I’ll show you some of my favorites I’ve seen around Etsy, and give you the creative option to make them yourself.
The Full Halloween Moon Necklace
This one will require just a few supplies. Bust out your jewelry making pliers (Wubbers makes the best set), black (half hard) wrapping wire with a chain to match it. You will also need any orange flat, circular bead. A yellow vintage button might work too. First, leave the wrapping wire uncut so as not to waste it. (more…)
Easy DIY Costumes
Source: FoundWalls
I’m Angela Johnson, a keen collector of craft supplies and belt buckles. I spend a lot of time tending to my huge organic garden, walking my dog and writing about my addiction to crafting for hairbowcenter.com.
Halloween is almost here! I can’t believe it! As my favorite holiday ever, I find myself at the height of my giddy excitement as we get nearer to All Hallows’ Eve. I like to go all out with decorations, parties and costumes. Here are a few simple tips for even the most craft-challenged of observers. (more…)
Nightmare Before Christmas Project Part 2: The Rest of it
Good morning my beautiful Minions! Today we finish the Nightmare Before Christmas project we started a couple of weeks ago. As you know, this year marks the 20th anniversary of Jack Skellington and his friends and I thought a Nightmare themed yard haunt was apropos. Come with me as I show you how I made Jack, Sally, and Zero.
Scarydad Rant
I need a hug.
My Nightmare Before Christmas project is giving me pains tonight. Literal pains in which my hand hurts from pinching it in a folding saw horse. But the pinching is not the problem. Crappy plywood is the problem.
Plywood is not cheap. Or rather, it’s not inexpensive. The last couple sheets I got, despite costing the same as it ever does, are damn cheap. It’s brittle and knotty and has a tendency to split or crack for no good reason. So, basically I’ve been working my tail off the past two evenings with the result of having a bunch of useless wood scraps and a half-ass looking Jack with no arm, hand, bow tie, or coattails.
I’m going to have to get a whole ‘nother piece of plywood and start over tomorrow afternoon. Which sucks because I had hoped to be done with that phase by now.
This is why I always suggest you start early on your projects. You never know when the hand you’ve been working on for an hour will decide to split off and shatter on the ground for no apparent reason.
Live and learn.
Nightmare Before Christmas Yard Decoration Project Part 1: Sally
Happy Labor Day everyone. Recently I spoke of a ginormous project I had undertaken and how it was taking up more time than expected. What it will eventually be is several large plywood cutouts of various characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. So, rather than wait however long it’s going to take until this project is complete, I’m just going to show you each character as I complete it. The first of these is Sally the rag doll.
Interview with Heather Gleason: My Eclectic Mind
I’ve probably mentioned before that it’s really hot where I live. Halloween, outside of the regular fun it brings, also means that we can go outside and play again. It’s the harvest and the promise of holidays, cold air, wood smoke, and festivals. It’s not just a day or a month; it’s a feeling. Unfortunately, that feeling is seasonal and, for me anyway, gone all too quickly.
So, I spend my time looking for things that keep that feeling alive. I scour the internet looking for stuff that truly defines the meaning and the spirit of my favorite time of year. A while back I was doing some scouring and I came across an artist who captures both the meaning and the spirit perfectly. When I saw Heather Gleason’s art I immediately felt a cool northerly breeze and caught the scent of caramel and cinnamon and burning leaves…
Interview: Chris from Austin Hot Mods
Hello there my good and faithful Minions! I hope all is well.
Today we are going to do something just a little different. As some of you know I spent many a magical night on stage as a founding member of the costumed super group Thunderpants here in Houston. Although I no longer play out anymore, I still enjoy a good jam session from time to time.
Well, a friend of mine recently started a side business modifying foot pedals for guitar players at an affordable price. And though his interests are not exactly horror-themed, he is a fellow maker and I think what he’s doing is really cool. So over the weekend I sat down with Chris from Austin Hot Mods to see what this whole thing is about.
And with that, please welcome Chris from Austin Hot Mods.
Guest Interview: Amber from Southern Gothica
Tonight we have a guest post from Victoria over at The Autodidact in the Attic. Victoria likes all kinds of really cool stuff and she scours the internet for said cool stuff and talks about it on her site. When you’re done reading this post and buying dolls from Amber, click the links above and below and check it out.
So, without further ado, here’s the interview with Amber at Southern Gothica by V. L. Craven:
There are loads of talented gothy-types out there, but occasionally, you come across someone who’s extra-talented and a little extra-gothy, as well. Amber, who runs Southern Gothica on Etsy, is one such person. She hand-sews 10″ rag dolls of all of your favourite characters–from classics like Frankenstein’s Bride and the Mummy to sure-to-please goths like bats, Wednesday Addams & Eddie Munster to pop icons like Eric Draven from The Crow, the members of Dethklok and Severus Snape. As soon as I came across her shop I had to contact this person and request an interview. Happily, she agreed to answer some questions:
Great White Hot Rod (Part 2)
Hello there my good and faithful Minions. Tonight I shall finish telling you the story about how I make toys for all the good children of the world.
So, after a WHOLE lot of sanding, it’s time to drill the holes for the eyes and the axles.