Happy Halloween!

 

I have always done a Fall wreath for our front door, but this year I wanted to do one for our kitchen.  This wreath cost only a few dollars and was super simple to make.

 

I got the idea when Fender and I were at the dollar store and he fell in love with the black crows.  I grabbed a few crows, a straw wreath and came home to get to work.

 

 

First I spray painted the wreath black.  It doesn't absorb completely, but it's hardly noticeable.  I pulled a few strands of the straw out to make the wreath more jagged.

 

Then I tried to attach 3 different crows, but it was too much and I ended up with one.  The dollar store crows have wires coming out of their feet, so dC helped me shove him on!  Fender named him "Headward."   I don't know why. but that's his name!

 

 

Can you spot a little bit of last year's Halloween crafts?

 

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Caramel Apples

We haven't made caramel apples in quite a while.  The kids were begging for them and of course dC and I are the ones who ended up unwrapping all of the little caramel candies!  Too bad they missed out on eating a few along the way!

Fender and I started the morning off in the rain looking for the perfect branches to use for sticks in the apples.  It was dumping pretty hard, but he liked jumping in the puddles!  I trimmed them back and then we stuck them in our apples.  I liked using the branches because they were so sturdy for such heavy sticky apples!

before...

 

 

after...

 



Then I just followed the microwave instructions on the caramel package and we were eating them in no time at all!

Welcome...

 

...my newest addition to the Halloween head family!  I've been dreaming him up for about a year now after buying a bag of putka pods.  I was just baffled the first time I saw them!  They looked exactly like a pumpkin, but small enough to add to Fall crafts.  I just had to put them on a skeleton's hat...so here we are!  I thought I would also show you step by step how I did it, in case you'd like to create your own! 

 

You'll need:

 

aluminum foil

air dry clay (I like Papercraft)

toothpicks

black felt

scissors

paintbrushes

acrylic paints in black and brown

paper towel

craft glue

putka pods

 

Check out last year's post to see the basic construction of the head.

The skeleton head is very similar to the pumpkin except for the extra clay used for his chin.  Again, I used a toothpick to carve out his teeth and nose and a sharpie cap for the eyes.  Then I began the very simple painting process.

Since he will remain mostly white, I really only painted in his eyes, nose, and outlined his teeth.  I used a small paintbrush for the nose and eyes and a toothpick to drag paint between his teeth.  It looks sloppy I know, but it's all part of his "vintage" charm! 

 

 

Just like all of the other's in the past, he got a light coat of brown paint mixed with water to make him look old. Since I still wanted him to be mainly white, I quickly wiped off any paint with a paper towel, leaving only a fine layer of brown behind.

 

 

 

I hand sewed a top hat out of felt, glued it on his head, and added the putka pods to the hat! I haven't told the others, but I think he is my favorite!

Welcoming Fall

We went apple picking this weekend and had a little local family fun.  Last year we went to Chelan, but unfortunately with the wildfires blazing there, we didn't want to take that chance.  We visited a little farm in Sedro Wooley about an hour north of us called Jones Creek Farms.   My hubby even made me an apple crate for our table centerpiece out of an old pallet.

We were first greeted by a protective puppy watching over his hen who had just laid an egg. 

 

 

There was also a small playground for the kids to goof around on including the coveted tire swing and homemade teeter totter.

 

 There were pears, apples and the beginnings of pumpkins growing - but we were there for the apples.  This year we only brought home 12 pounds.  I know it sounds like a lot, but I have major baking plans - and we might fall short!

After a full day of playing, I heated up some apple cider - but put them in special apple cups (I used a melon baller to scoop out the insides of our recently picked apples).

I always love to get a Fall picture of the kids.  Here's "the one" from this year...but my favorite is from 2009:

They've changed so much!!!