halloween

September 10, 2012 3 Comments

10 spooktacular DIY Halloween wreaths

There is something about the change in seasons that always inspires me to create. As I searched for ideas, I rounded up this spooky collection of fabulous Halloween door decor. To start, the “Boo” wreath and tutorial via Craftaholics Anonymous and our The Celebration Shoppe’s Halloween version of the DIY fabric wreath are hauntingly adorable. {wink}

And, since black and white never goes out of style, here’s a few of my favorites from around the web (clockwise from top left):

Halloween glam wreath via Days of Chalk and Chocolate (isn’t the mummy-effect to die for?!)
Paper plate and cookie sprinkles wreath via Blue Sky Confections
Skeleton wreath and tutorial via Mega Spooky
Twine Halloween wreath and tutorial via Kerstie Pederson
Halloween paper bag wreath via Vacuuming in High Heels & Pearls

While I love the clean, modern look of black and white, I have to say, I still favor the bright oranges of fall. These last three wreaths would make any door pop!

Spooky Ghost Halloween wreath via Better Homes & Gardens
Modern fall wreath and tutorial via the CSI project
Pinked felt wreath via All Things Simple {This is on my “must-do” list!}

As always, we hope you’re inspired to craft, bake, create and celebrate!

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boo-tiful party decorating ideas

I’m sharing some boo-tiful party decorating ideas over on SheKnows.com this week. Hop over for some fun crafts and a wickedly creative free printable too!

As always, I hope you’re inspired to craft, bake, create and celebrate!

talking Halloween on parents.com

Thrilled to once again be contributing an article of ideas to Parents magazine and this time I’m talking Halloween party crafts and sharing my Tricks & Treats printable party collection on parents.com.

I had so many favorites from this shoot, with all the fun DIY costumes and crafts, but I think my favorite to make was my DIY Halloween Monster Pedestal Candy Dishes.

For all the details, visit my original posts and tutorials and to shop the collection head over to The Celebration Shoppe for printable party supplies and custom cookies from Sweet Tooth Cottage, and to Sew Jewell on Etsy for Halloween t-shirts, owl table runners and owl chair backers.

And make sure you join Parents for their 100 Days of Holidays to get creative holiday ideas right in your inbox every day.

A big thank you to Angie Arthur Photography for all the lovely photographs of that day! And as always, I hope you’re inspired to craft, bake, create and celebrate!

Join The Celebration Shoppe on facebook, sign-up for the daily ideas to come right to your inbox (a box in the right-side navigation bar), follow us on twitter, pinterest and on instagram at @thecelebrationshoppe

last minute Halloween ideas

These are just a few of the ideas I’ve yet to share that are perfect last minute ideas for tonight!

Pumpkin Oreo pops from The Idea Room
Funny bones (pretzels, white chocolate and mini marshmallows) from Epicurious.com
Spooky Eyes Pretzel Bark from Cookies & Cups
Witch cookies (for under a $1) from All You magazine

As always, I hope you’re inspired and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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it’s not too late!

It’s not too late to download my free Halloween collection featured in Better Homes and Gardens latest Halloween issue! Even if you’re not hosting a party this weekend, there is always next year!

Enjoy! And as always, I hope you’re inspired!

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ghostly good Halloween ideas

Just a few ghostly good ideas to keep us all in the spirit! {wink}

A ghastly ghostly read via Babble
Super simple chocolate ghosts from The “clever” Girls at Eighteen 25
These DIY cozy ghosts from My Paper Crane are a fun way to keep the kiddos busy
Surprise! Greet guests this holiday with a haunting hallway from Country Living

As always, I hope your inspired!

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easy crashing witch cake

A few years ago I made crashing witch cupcakes (just her legs and icing for her skirt) and this year I took it one step farther and made a crashing witch cake!

I used a Keebler sugar cone cut in half for the hat and skirt. The hat has a Keebler Grasshopper cookie as the base and then the bottom of the cone makes up the skirt. Just melt a bit of purple chocolate (available this time of year at craft stores and baking supply stores) and paint it on the hat with a kitchen basting brush, then add a few sprinkles before it dries. For the skirt, roll the edges in chocolate and add a few sprinkles.

For her hair, I cut open a green rainbow Twizzler and spread it out under the hat.

Her legs are orange candy sticks and her boots are Starburst. I just heated two squares for eight seconds each and molded them into the shape of high healed boots. Then I drew on the laces with a food marker.

By the way, the cake is just a flat iced buttercream cake from Kroger ($5.99 per layer) and the border is alternating orange and black sixlet candies. Super easy and no baking required! {wink}

As always, I hope your inspired!

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say “trick or treat?!”

I can’t tell you how often I’m the one saying “Trick or Treat” when we go out on Halloween. My kids often just turn on the shy smile and say nothing until the candy is in the bag and they joyfully scream “Thank You!” as they run away. I guess if I can only get them to say one or the other I would prefer they be polite. That said, I’m strongly considering making them carry my Halloween photo props (from our Trick or Treat collection) around with them!

It’s cute and it keeps me from having to “Trick or Treat” for them. {wink}

Happy Monday everyone!

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{free} sinister sisters

We designed these fun sinister sister witch cupcake picks and wrappers last year and they were a huge hit, so of course we had to bring them out of the broom closet again this year! {witchy cackle} If you look at them closely you’ll see that they’re 3-D. The hat is a separate printable from the face, attached with a foam adhesive dot.

Download yours now! And if you think my little spooky treat is fun, remember that we bloggers live for comments! You can also join me on facebook, signup for our newlsetter, follow me on twitter and pinterest. Or do all five! It’s the best way to make sure you don’t miss my Christmas freebie coming out in a few weeks. {wink}

And if you want a few more goodies to match these girls, you can find them with our spooked pumpkin collection.

And as always, I hope you’re inspired! Happy Halloween!

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not so spooky vampire cookies

My fabulous friend Callye of Sweet Sugar Belle is back this morning with just the right amount of spooky for your upcoming Halloween bash!

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Hi there, it’s getting close to Halloween, so it’s the perfect time to work on cookies for that spooky day. I don’t know about y’all but as my kids get older, its getting tougher to balance their desire for “scary” with my desire for cute. So, I came up with these guys as a way to keep us all happy. They’ve got just enough spook to satisfy my boys, but not so much that I end up with a crowd of scared kiddos in my bed at night.

Believe it or not, I made this guy with a cutter you may already have, a TULIP! All I did was nip off the middle petal before baking.

To make these cookies you will need:

red, black, and white flood and piping icing. If you need a little help with piping and flooding, vistit my “how to” post.
black candy beads

To begin, outline and fill Dracula’s hair.

Next outline the cape and face portions of the cookie.

Let the hair dry for an hour or two so that it will not bleed into the other colors. The longer the better. At this point use white icing to flood the face area, and red to flood the collar. Work quickly so you can move to the next step before the white icing has dried.

While the white is still wet, quickly add two candy beads for eyes. Let the cookie dry completely. Overnight is best.

The next day use black piping icing and a small tip to add a smile. Don’t be afraid to be creative with this.

To finish up, use another small tip to give Dracula a little pair of fangs. After all, a vampire is not much of a vampire without teeth!

When you’re finished you’ll have the cutest little spook you’ve ever seen without having to buy a special cutter! And as always, remember to keep it creative and fun!

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Callye is just full of fabulous ideas, like these Leggy Little Witches, 3-D Witch Hat Cookies, Owl in Pumpkin Cookies {adorable!}, and Sweet Little Vampire Teeth. If you’ve ever wanted to decorate cookies and just haven’t been able to get the knack, hop over to Callye’s and she’ll hold your hand through the entire process!