ALONG CAME A SPIDER

Happy Monday, fellow Halloweenies! Hope you all had a spooktacular weekend! There were all kinds of projects going on at the Manor this weekend.... and speaking of "projects"...

I'm sure you're feeling pretty confident with some of these crafty projects, aren't you? Well here's another one to add to your bag of tricks....

Make this adorable, but creepy spider to hang from your ceiling and welcome your Halloween guests! The directions are a bit lengthy, but I'm sure that if you follow them carefully, you'll work your magic on this one in no time!

Keep in mind, this is just a guideline....no craft project has to be perfect. And you can adjust the size, color and techniques that work best for you! So come on.... ready...set... (witch)craft!

What you'll need:
Black yarn
Waxed paper
Scissors
White craft glue
Paintbrush
Toothpick
Black paint
2 yellow wiggle eyes
Instant grab glue
Fishing line (optional)

How to make it:
Cut eight pieces of black yarn, four inches in length each. Line a baking sheet or sturdy piece of cardboard with waxed paper.

Combine 2 tablespoons of white glue with one tablespoon of water and mix together. Place the eight pieces of yarn into the bowl of the glue mixture and move them around to be sure they are completely covered.

Remove yarn, one piece at a time, removing the excess glue mixture with your fingers. Do not squeeze, you want there to be glue, you just don't want them dripping. Place each piece of yarn onto the waxed paper.

Bend each piece at a 90-degree angle to create the "knee". At one end of each of the pieces of yarn, bend a short piece to create the foot. Set aside. (See photo.)

Wrap black yarn around one finger. Remove it from your finger and continue wrapping and turning to make a yarn ball. Keep wrapping until the yarn ball measures about 1-inch in diameter. Cover the yarn ball in glue mixture and place it on the waxed paper with the legs; set aside. (See photo.)

Wrap black yarn around two fingers. Continue wrapping, as your did above, to make a larger yarn ball, about 2-inches in diameter. Cover ball in glue mixture and place on waxed paper. Allow the glue to dry completely; this could take a few hours. (See photos 1, 2.)

Remove the items from the waxed paper. Peel off any waxed paper that sticks to the yarn.

Glue the head (smaller yarn ball) to the body (larger yarn ball). (See photo.)

Use a toothpick to poke a hole in the side of the spider where you want a leg to go. Wiggle the toothpick around in a circular fashion then remove the toothpick. Add a bit of instant grab glue to the end of the leg and insert into the "hole." Repeat for each leg. (See photo.)

Glue on wiggle eyes onto the face of the spider.

To cover up any remnants of waxed paper, touch up spider with black paint. (See photo.)

If you want to suspend your spider from the ceiling, tie a piece of fishing line around him and secure with glue.

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL

Ok crafty ones....here's our next project.....It's a great Halloween craft idea from the folks at Women’s Day Magazine.

This "face in the mirror" project is courtesy of blogger Kami Bigler of NoBiggie.net, and offers you super simple instructions for transforming any mirror into a cool, creepy decoration for Halloween.

I’m sure that you could easily scour flea markets and the internet for vintage photos to use on the project, and everyone has an old mirror laying around, right? Full instructions for this Halloween craft can be found at NoBiggie.net.

I would dry-brush the frames black, white or even grey for an errie effect, then add a few cobwebs.

Lily Munster would be so proud of your decorating skills!

HEADS UP

Ready for something wild and new to add to your Halloween couture? Well check this out..... Is it a beanie? Is it a wig? The good news is, it’s both! Crazy, huh?

The 100 percent wool knitted wig comes to us from Australia via Etsy (where else?). Created by Grrl and Dog, it’s also known as a “Hallowig,” and comes in several wild shades of weird for just $39. Love it!

ENTER HERE

October will be here before we know it, and that means pulling out pumpkins, spider webs, witches brooms and other utterly eerie Halloween decorations, to create a spooky entrance to your home.

Now, whether you're a minimalist.... or prefer a heart-stopping, scary, stop-'em-dead-in-their-tracks entrance up to your house, remember.... you can do it, and the best part, most are inexpensive DIY projects.

But if you're not sure how to go, check out this pretty simple, but chic decorating scheme from Pottery Barn. It's a great look, and not hard to pull of, at all!

Just take all the elements apart....

all kinds of pumpkins, autumn leaves garlands and wreaths, a few candle lanterns and scary crows... and don't forget the ratty curtain in the front door window!

Now, look at the picture and place what you've gathered in a similar pattern. It doesn't have to look exactly like the picture, so don't even try that! You'll only get frustrated if you try to make it perfect. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

Now stand back and take a look..... you do good work!

PUMPKIN LUMINARIES 101

Ok crafters....here's our first lesson of the season! Today we'll be making Pumpkin Luminaries! This is a pretty easy project to get your fangs wet, jumping back into the project pool.

Here's what you'll need:
•Krylon Fusion for Plastic® - Pumpkin (Safety) paint
•Krylon Fusion for Plastic® - Sunbeam (#2330) paint
•Two 2-liter empty plastic soda bottles
•Con-Tact® Paper
•Scissors
•Xacto® knife
•Adhesive remover
•2 candles
•Sand
•Paper towels
•Newspaper
•Rubber Gloves (optional)

Here's what you'll do:
1.Peel label from empty plastic soda bottle. Use adhesive remover and a paper towel to remove any residue.
2.Wash soda bottles thoroughly; let dry completely.
3.Using Xacto knife, carefully cut off top of bottle. Cut a half-circle out of the back, near the bottom; this will make it easier to add the sand and the candle.
4.Draw facial features on contact paper and cut out. Adhere features to the soda bottle, being careful to firmly seal edges with fingernail.
5.Cover work area with newspaper. Spray soda bottles with Krylon Fusion – one with Pumpkin Orange and the other with Sunbeam. Let dry for 3 hours.
6.When completely dry, carefully peel off contact paper features. (Note: Krylon Fusion will be dry to touch after 15 minutes but should be allowed to cure for at least 24 hours before the luminaries are put into service.)
7.Add sand to base for weight and insert candle. Light and enjoy.

For more project ideas, please visit favecrafts.com

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Well, it's officially the weekend....(almost) and that means it's 5:00 somewhere, right???  So why not kick off the cocktail hour with a spookified martini?

Add that special spook-factor to your martinis by garnishing them with pickled onions stuffed with black fish roe (or caviar, for a splurge). Slide a toothpick through the sides of the onions, (two per pick) and place them lengthwise over the edge of a martini glass for a spooky “looking” martini.

For more great ideas, check out The Hip Hostess!

WE'RE BAAAAAAAACK......

Hello Fellow Halloweenies!

I've arisen from a long slumber at the Manor, and now it's time to get back in the spirit of  macabre preparations, for the most Spooktacular time of the year!

Thank you so much for all the e-mails over the last few months....so many things have been going on that needed my attention (more on that later...) but I assure you that there will be lots of tricks and treats to keep you entertained this blogging season!

So let's break out the potions.... and maybe snack on a few lady fingers to celebrate....we've only got 159 more days until Halloween!