Framed Bats

Check out this inexpensive simple Halloween decor project that took me about 5 minutes to make! Another nice and easy thing for me to add to Ronda's October display table.

Supplies:
-dollar store frame
-cardstock to fit inside the frame
-a piece of newspaper, burned around the edges
-3 bat silhouettes
-gluestick


Directions:
-carefully burn the edges of a piece of newspaper. This was the hardest part (and it's easy). Obviously use caution when doing this, you'll be amazed how fast the paper burns! I did it with a lighter over our big kitchen sink, burn a small portion at a time and be ready to blow it out quickly - watch for the little embers that fly away so they don't land outside of the sink.
-glue the paper to the cardstock.
-punch or cut out bat silhouettes from black cardstock and glue on top of the paper.
-put in dollar store frame.
-display!

Found this cute idea here. 


one year ago today: funky pumpkin decorating by Brooke
two years ago today: BOO painted mug

Bats!

I found something to do with that extra pumpkin from the too tall pumpkin tower - I had ripped out a magazine page from Better Homes and Gardens in 2005 and stuck it in my idea file and of course forgot about it...till now. I modified their example slightly by using a package of foam bats already cut out, glued on orange paper eyes that I hole punched out of scrap cardstock, hot glued them to 20 gauge wire that I found in the floral section at craft store, stuck them into holes in the top of the pumpkin and hot glued them in place, then covered the holes with some natural excelsior moss. You can bend the wire any which way to place the bats where you want them. This would be cute with any Halloween or Fall shape you want - leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, whatever!

Mossy Halloween Wreath

I made 2 of these wreaths a while ago - even though it isn't a new project for me to show you I still think they are cute and worth sharing. They have held up really well, I occasionally have to hot glue a spider or bat back on but overall they are doing great.

I started with straw wreaths and wrapped a chenille stem around to hang them from (you could tie a long ribbon around the finished wreath instead if you want to see the hanger), then hot glued preserved reindeer moss (I found it at Hobby Lobby) all over completely covering the straw on the front and sides (any part that won't be hidden against the door). I got some rubber and plastic spiders, scorpions, and bats at the craft and/or dollar store, put some glitter glue on them so they are sparkly ;) and hot glued them randomly on top of the moss. I put a large straight pin thru the heavier pieces (large tarantula and bat) to help anchor them into the wreath. That's it! Definitely one of the easiest wreaths I've made.

 You could easily change this up and add whatever Halloween items you would like - check out the different small things at the craft store like pumpkin picks, feathers, witch hat and brooms, etc. I can also see this at Christmas with ornaments, pine cones, snowflakes, etc. instead of the bugs!