Monday, September 29, 2014

Halloween sparkle spider tutorial



Dress up your Halloween table with a sparkle spider.  He will guard your goodies in style! Quick and easy sequined spider is a fun project to do while watching TV.  This is a great group project too!

You will need:

2 ½” Styrofoam balls, each ball makes two spiders

Serrated steak knife

½” sequin pins

Gold and silver sequins

Two large red sequins

Tacky craft glue (other glues may dissolve the foam)

Chenille stems, in white/black striped and sparkle white

Black felt

Scissors

White colored pencil

Ruler

1.     Cut the Styrofoam ball in half using the serrated knife.  Rub the two cut sides together to smooth out.


2.     Place the cut circle on a piece of black felt and trace around with a white colored pencil.  Cut out.  Cut four 4-inch pieces of chenille stems from each color.  Add a dab of glue on the ends of the cut stems. Insert into the bottom sides of the Styrofoam ball half alternating each color.





3.     Add a generous amount of glue on the bottom of the ball half and attach the black felt.  Trim any excess if necessary.


4.     Begin adding the sequins.  Add some tacky glue to each area as you work smoothing with your finger. Insert the sequin pin through the hole in the sequin and push into the Styrofoam.  Continue until you have covered almost the entire piece.  Add two larger red sequins on the lower front for the eyes.  (See photo)










5.     Bend the chenille stems to form the legs and display your spider on your holiday tables.




Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Spider web Halloween pumpkin tutorial



Want a quick decorating idea for Halloween?  Make this spider web Halloween pumpkin in just a few minutes.  You can use a real pumpkin or just purchase one of the fake pumpkins that are in all the craft stores.  I’ve done mine on a white pumpkin with black web lines but it would look equally well with a black pumpkin using a white marker for the web lines and eliminate the spider. Quick, easy and so creepy!!

You will need:

White or black pumpkin

Sharpie markers in black, red and white

Pencil

1.     Decide where you would like your center point and make a mark with the pencil.  (If you make a mistake or don’t like how your work is progressing you can easily rub off the pencil marks)  Continuing to work with the pencil begin making spoke lines all around.







2.     After you have made all the spoke lines (See photo) begin to make curved lines connecting to each spoke.  Separate the curved lines about ¼” apart.  Continue all around.  After you have completed your web, if you are not happy with any of your lines you can rub them off and adjust them.





3.     After you have penciled in all your lines and your web is complete, retrace all the lines with a black sharpie marker.






4.     Using the pencil draw the spider wherever you would like him to be.  Make a large circle and attach a small one to the top. Draw an hourglass shape in the center of the large circle.  Make four legs on each side.  Trace around all your lines with the black sharpie marker and color it in leaving the hourglass uncolored.  Use the red sharpie to color in the hourglass shape. Trace the legs with the marker and draw a line at the top if desired.  Make two small white dots in the small circle for eyes. 






Thursday, September 18, 2014

Duct tape beanbag set



If you’ve got some leftover burlap ribbon and duct tape and don’t know what to do with them, why not whip up some beanbags? Make one, two or more and attach them together with a ribbon to give as gifts.  I made one in pink camo for a girl and one regular camo for a boy. 

For Duct tape beanbags you will need:

Duct tape in choice of color

Scraps of burlap ribbon 4 inches wide

Navy beans, black eyed peas or other dried bean

Ruler

Scissors

Plastic cutting board (optional but makes it easier to cut the duct tape)


1.     Measure and cut 4 inches from the burlap ribbon.  If you are using 4-inch wide ribbon you will have a 4-inch square.  Repeat for a second square.




2.     Working with the first burlap square cut four pieces 5 inches long from the duct tape.  Begin to cover the burlap square till you have used all five pieces evenly across.  Turn over.




3.     Working on the backside of the burlap square with the sticky edges facing up, cut four 5-inch pieces of duct tape.  Place the second burlap square on top of the first one. Begin on one side and attach a piece of duct tape.  Repeat for the bottom edge and finish on the opposite side.






4.     Add beans to the open end and close the opening with duct tape.  Pressing around to secure.  Trim up all around evenly.




5.     Cut strips of duct tape and cover the uncovered center across.  Cut four more strips of duct tape 5 inches long and reinforce all around each edge.  Repeat steps 1-5 to make a second beanbag.





Bow for gift giving:

You will need:

Bowdabra mini bowmaker with ruler

Bowdabra bow wire

12 inches of ¾” wide grosgrain ribbon

Extra ¾” wide grosgrain ribbon for wrapping around the bean bags

Hook and loop fastener tape

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1.     Cut a piece of Bowdabra bow wire 12 inches long, fold in half and insert into the Bowdabra bowmaker


2.     Cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon 12 inches long.  Insert into the bowmaker to the 2-inch mark. 


3.     Twist and make a loop to the 1 ½” mark on the opposite side.


4.     Twist and make a matching loop on the opposite side.  End with a two inch tail.


5.     Scrunch down with the bowmaker wand.


6.     Insert the two loose bow wire ends through the loop and pull tight.  Remove the bow from the bowmaker and tie a knot in the back.  Adjust the bow.




7.     Attach with a glue gun a corresponding piece of the hook and loop tape to each side of a piece of ribbon that wraps around both bean bags with some excess ribbon.  Glue the bow you’ve made on the ribbon end.  Use it to attach the beanbags together for gift giving.