July-O-Ween: Framed Skeleton Shadow Boxes

 

I know it's supposed to be June-O-Ween and Christmas in July but July-O-Ween is going to have to do! I said I wanted to get ahead of the seasons and this still qualifies so there!

Supplies:

• Wood Boxes (Dollar Tree)
• Halloween Scrapbook Paper (Stash)
• Ornate Frames (Stash)
• Skeleton Hands (Stash)
• Multi Surface Craft Paint (Michaels)
• Mod Podge
• Hot Glue
• Glue Gun

I found these little wood boxes at Dollar Tree in various sizes so I bought two of the large and one each of the medium and the small. 

This idea came to me as I was inventorying my Halloween Craft Stash. I had these ornate frames from one of those they were too good to pass up on clearance trips to Michaels and I had some Skeleton Hands from Dollar Tree in there too. Grabbed some Halloween scrapbook papers and started to play.

I painted the two large boxes with Black Multisurface Satin paint (CraftSmart) and cut the scrapbookpapers to size to fit inside. I also dry brushed the boxes with silver paint.

I love this Multi Surface paint and it works just as well as more expensive brands. I painted the Skeleton Hands with silver and dry brushed some onto the frames. 

This is after one coat on the hands. I did a second. When dry, I used hot glue to attach each hand to a frame, then glued to frame into the box. 

The frames already had a little gold on them so I let that peek through the silver dry brushing. I also picked up some black roses from Dollar Tree and popped two from their stems to glue atop each box. 

I'm impatient so the Mod Podge was still drying in a couple of spots shown here. 

Boo!

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Halloween: Easy Skull Candles

 

Can you ever have enough candles? Especially ones easy to "make" and that go with your Halloween decor? Clearly, my answer is: "Of course not!"

These are super easy to make and can be done in any style you like.

Supplies:

• Plain Glass Candles (Dollar Tree)
• Decorative Napkins (Walmart)
• Mod Podge (Stash)
• Cording and Beads (Stash)

I keep plain glass jar prayer candles from Dollar Tree in my stash, and picked up a $.98 package of napkins at Walmart. 

If you want a more opaque look, you can skip this part but I was going for a more translucent effect so I separated the patterned layer from the white backing. 

This also lets the Mod Podge seep through better. After I separated the layers, I tore the edges of the napkins both for appearance and because they were too tall for the candles. 

If you have any edges hanging over, no worries. Use lightweight sandpaper, a sanding block or an emery board to sand off once the candles are dry. 

Spread Mod Podge down the length of the candle and adhere one edge of the napkin. Normally, I coat the object and the paper I'm adhering but since the napkins were so absorbent, I just tacked one edge, and then applied the Mod Podge atop the napkin as I wrapped it around the candle. 

For this project, all of the crinkles and wrinkles just added to the look! I let these dry overnight. 

You can see here where I had some edges that were hanging over. I used a sanding block on them and they came right off. 

To finish, I grabbed some waxed cotton cording and crystal beads to wrap around the tops. 

When lit, you can see the glow come through the skulls! 

So now we have some spooky candles to accent our table! 

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Sundays on Silverado

Papercrafting: 2023 Halloween Cards

 

I'm easing back not only into making things but also getting them posted, after my unintentional Summer Break. It doesn't take long to forget the work that goes into taking pictures, uploading and photo-editing them, planning out a post, etc. 

Of course, I never take a break from being on the lookout for supplies and ideas and in early September, I didn't skip or delay picking up a fun Halloween Paper stack at Michaels. I needed an escape from the news over the weekend so I got busy making cards for family and friends. I love that a few people keep these and pull them out each year as part of their decor. 

Supplies: 

• Witch's Lair 12x12 Paper Stack (Recollections, Michaels)
• Black 110 lb Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Gold Foil 65lb Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Gold Star Transparency (Stash)
• Tape Runner or Double Sided Tape
• Self Adhesive Rhinestones

This is the stack I used which comes with a mix of plain, foiled, and panel sheets. As much as I love my digital cutting machines, I love these kinds of paper stacks because the panel sheets are perfect focals for cards. 

I generally make my cards 5x7 which I did for these. Cut the black cardstock 7x10 then score in the middle. For the background panels, I chose a few different papers in the stack. 

The panel pages always come in different sizes. If you're not into card making you can simply cut and frame some of them!

Cut and trim the panels you want to use, and then mat with coordinating paper. I used the gold foil or black cardstock. 

I picked up the coordinating washi tape in the Witch's Lair collection which I attached to some of the panels before adhering them to the background panel.

To finish, I used self adhesive rhinestones to add a little glam! 

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Jewelry Making: Spooky Season Jewelry

 

I recently made some birthday gifts for fellow September babies and since Spooky Season would soon follow their birthdays, made them each a coordinating pair of earrings and a bracelet. 

Supplies: 

• Hildie and Jo Witch and "Jack" Beads (JoAnn)
• Bead Landing Coordinating Beads (Michaels)
• Fish Hook Ear Wires (Michaels)
• Jump Rings, Head Pins (Michaels)
• Stretch Jewelry Cord (Michaels)
• Jewelry or Super Glue (Walmart)

I found the Halloween-themed beads at JoAnn over the Summer and got them in the off-season. The other beads are ones I keep stocked in my stash. I hit the Michaels and JoAnn sales or use coupons! It's what we do, right? 

The process is the same for each set. 

For the earrings, string desired beads onto a head pin, then make a wrapped loop. There are a ton of tutorials on You Tube that can show you better than I can. I've linked one here but I find that I have to look for tutorials that make sense to my brain so watch a few different ones.  You will need a pair of small round nose pliers like the ones shown here which are available in jewelry sections of craft stores, bead stores, or online. 

Once you've completed your loops, attach to the ear wire using a jump ring (and here's another video on how to open and close jump rings) and you're done!

For the bracelets, cut a length of stretchy jewelry making cord longer than you need. Some people measure precisely. I don't. I cut about 12 inches for a bracelet because I like having the ends longer for knot tying. Use a clamp (they sell specific ones for jewelry...I use a binder clip or a cheap plastic clamp I found at Dollar Tree). String beads in whatever pattern you like. I just string, do a checkpoint aroung my wrist for size and when I'm good, tie a tight basic knot and add a tiny dab of jewelry glue or I like the gel formula super glue. 

This stuff is great and you really only need a tiny bit. I always make another knot with another dab. Give the glue a minute to dry then trim as close to the knot as possible with wire cutters or sharp scissors. 

I used extra beads and related charms to add a little dangle to my bracelets. String the bead on the head pin as shown for the earrings, close the loop, use a jump ring to attach to the bracelet. Same with the charm. 

Happy Haunting! 

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