diy: halloween decor

i think i mentioned that i LOVE halloween.. once or maybe even twice.

so it really shouldn't come as much of a surprise that all my recent craftiness has entailed halloween decor.

last year i was in such a post baby funk, just adjusting to life, that i couldn't get into the mood...

i mean really, who cares about decorating, when you are just happy to find time to take a shower?!

so here are some quick halloween decorating ideas..

for busy mamas of kids, big or little..

or crafty ladies who want a quick-fix for their crafting urges!

bloody drippy candle:

supplies:

-candlestick holders (these are pewter from my parents wedding reception!)

-white candles

-red candle

-lighter

there really aren't any 'step-by-step' pictures.. pretty much you just light your white candles & let them burn down to a height you like. these are more of a decoration, than a functioning candle... once your white candles are at the height you'd like, blow them out & let them cool until all the wax is hardened around the top.

next, light the red candle, and hold it at an angle so that the wax drips down onto the top of your white candles. let the red wax pool & drip down the sides of the candle for a 'bloody' effect & viola.

simple gory-esque candles to add to your halloween decor! and definitely do this someplace where you can scrap the wax off of, because it does splatter just a bit...

trash bag fringe curtain:

supplies:

-black yard/lawn bags (found at the dollar store for $1)

-duct tape/heavy duty adhesive

-scissors

i can't honestly remember where i first saw this idea. martha stewart seems a likely place, but to be honest with you, i just kinda went off my memory of having seen the picture of it however long ago... again, no real 'step by step' pictures. just cut up one side of the bag & then across the bottom seam to open the piece up into one long panel. attach it to your wall with your chosen adhesive ( i used scotch heavy duty outdoor adhesive, it's a SUPER strong foam tape). once attached start at one side & cut varying widths of strips from the bottom to the top. once you've cut fringe across the width of your panel, start at the top of each piece of fringe & pull lightly in two inch sections to stretch out the piece. you can then adjust the length by cutting/ripping off the bottoms. 

i'm kind of smitten with this little curtain...

we have a black light (which you can see in the above picture) that lights up at night..

it's spooky & eerie & not at all well photographed :(

the dude thinks it's 'AWESOME'.. rance laughs when he goes through it..

and my husband eyeballs me with a look that says he's contemplating my sanity,

and asks 'you stuck trash bags.. to the house.. on purpose?'

he likes to give me a hard time.. and he just doesn't get it! :)

these projects cost me $6 total.

$1 per white candlestick

$1 for a box of 7 black trash bags

$3 for outdoor foam adhesive tape

i already had the candlestick holders, and the red candle,

but you can get both of those items at the dollar store as well!

cheap is good after you invest $30 in a harry potter ensemble...

but costumes are something i'm okay with investing a little money in, because it's one thing the dude gets good use out of, he wears them until they are holy & ripped, or he is too big for them!

what halloween decorations have you made this year?

i'd love for you to link them up in the comments!

xo-k

ps.. just a tip.. if your kid is like mine.. snag up discounted halloween costumes the day after halloween & save them for christmas presents! my mom & i have done this a few years now, and i can't tell you how much money it's saved us, as we have to replace spiderman, & batman costumes almost every year because he wears them soo much!! :)

linking to:
get your craft on
tip junkie
sugarbee crafts
ladybug blessings
whipperberry