Pinterest Inspired Pot Lid Pumpkins!

Cute Pumpkins as Seen on Pinterest...made by Organized Clutter

 

Front Door...Under Construction! 

My front door is a work in progress most of the Fall season.  I start out by taking down the ivy and sunflowers...or whatever I've got hanging around.  I replace the lights...if needed...then get out the hose and drown all the spiders!  They had the great plan to pre-decorate my front porch with nasty cobwebs.  If I want webs I'll put them there!  Once I get the leaves up, I can take my time with the rest.

 

Pot Lid Punkins...

Definitely...a work in progress!

 

Every year I try to make something new for the front door.  My favorite Halloweenies are Black Cats and Jack-o-lanterns.  So I really loved the "junk" pumpkins I saw on Pinterest.  They looked fun and easy.  When I went to the thrift store I didn't see any old cake pans...but there were plenty of pot lids without pots.  What I loved about them were the handles...they would make the best little black noses!  Then all I would have to do is find some old hardware and rusty gizmos.  My husband's work garage is full of crap...but do you think I could come up with any great old hardware?  Of course not!

 

 

Then there was the quest to find spay paint that wasn't bright orange.  I found this lovely cinnamon color at Home Depot.  I am totally inept at spray paint...so George sprayed them for me.  I cannot leave things alone...I keep playing with them, too impatient to wait for paint to dry.

 

Since I didn't have any cool sprockets or gizmos...I painted some wooden discs black and glued on buttons for eyes  Then I had George cut up some 25 cent Walmart rulers for mouths.   I admit they are a tad strange...but it is Halloween after all!  Best thing is that I spent about $6 total to make them. 



Tied to the grapevine garland with polkadot ribbon...they will look fun with the rest of my decorations...to be added later!

Quick, Fun & Cheap...Burlap Owl Pictures!

Whoo's Crafting Halloween?

He's winking at you...yes, you're the guilty party!

 

I couldn't believe my eyes when I found the display of stretched burlap frames at Walmart last weekend!  What could be better for Halloween crafting?  They were cheap inexpensive and came in a nice variety of sizes.  I bought 6" by 8" (two for $3.47) and 10" by 10" ($4.47).  I later went back and bought a bunch more...if you snooze, you lose, right?

 

 

I brushed a coat of modpodge on the owl pics before I cut them out.

 

These were so easy...literally only minutes to create!  Note: because I did them in a hurry, the trim on one of my smaller pics needs to be straightened...lol!  For the bigger owl I would use a heavier scrapbook paper or glue it to cardstock.  The orange and black paper was printed on a heavy craft so it has a sturdier feel. 

I love this owl...he looks pretty cranky!

 

Get out of my tree!

 

The possibilities are endless!  If you are like me, you are a graphics hoarder collector or have a bunch  pinned to your Pinterest Halloween boards. 

 

Random Acts of Decorating...

 

 Spooky banner letters from Andrea at  The Cottage Market







I found this little spice rack at a vintage flea market shop...Morgan's Emporium in Idaho Falls.  I thought it would be a fun way to display some of my "littles"...those things that tend to get lost in the crowd.  I backed the shelves with my favorite "newsprint" paper and hung it in my kitchen by the pantry door.  The noisemakers, candle and crepe paper "popper" are from my vintage Halloween collection.

 

Get crafting, my little Halloweenies!

 

 

 

 

Some fun graphics I might use to make more...

I use these a lot...they're my favorites!

 

muted color version

bright color version

 

 

Happy Crafting!



Jack-in-the-Box...Halloween Style!

Jack-in-the-Boxes Scare Me!

I posted this picture a few months ago when I wrote about the "Fear of Clowns." Coulrophobia!  What is it about these cute little Mattel toys that are so terrifying?  I remember how when I was very small, I couldn't bear the suspense of turning the little handle...music box playing...and waiting for the "Pop! Goes the Weasel."  I hated it every...single...time!  Even to this day it bothers me.  I also hate popping balloons and opening the Pillsbury biscuit tin. =D  So what is more natural than to turn "baby's first nightmare" into a couple of fun Halloweenies?

 

Charlie-Moon-in-the-Box

Meet Charlie...

He is all in blacks and creams...mounted on a rusty bedspring inside the box.

He's more of a bobble head...but he is in a box!

Charlie is a harlequin clown kind of guy.

I love this moon face!

The box legs are striped with paper strips...cause I can't paint stripes...lol!

Wooden moons and paper rosettes.

 

I'm adding him to my Haunted Village.

I hope to make more buildings in a "Night Circus" theme.

I used the same paper for Charlie's box as I did for my village.

 

Here is last year's Charlie Moon.

He's a fun guy!

 Happy Owl-oween!

This is Thomas Owlbert...named after my Dad!

He's wise...always thinking outside his box.

 

The side of Owlbert's box.

Wooden spool legs match Owlbert's hat.

He just perches inside the box...no jumping out and scaring people!

 

Doing a bit of Christmas gift crafting...

Play food for my youngest Grand, McKinley.

Vintage labels modge-podged to painted wooden blocks.

Each block has two different foods...front and back.

She loves Superman...so I found a bandaid label.

Had to make a box to store them in.

Luckily they fit!

Kinley will be three in December.

Santa is bringing her a shopping cart and cash register.

 

One gift down...about a zillion to go!

So...what are y'all up to today?

 

Three more days 'til September...

then I'm getting my Fall on!

 

Repost...What Was in Your Trick-or-Treat Bag?

Sweet, Sweet Memories!

 

Don't you miss Trick-or-Treat?

 

Those who have followed me for awhile may remember that Swiss Days and Labor Day Weekend is the "kick-off" to my holiday crafting season.  To help get you in the mood for Halloween projects I am reposting a "sweet" post on Halloween candy.  I first posted the following in October of 2011...when I had maybe a couple dozen followers.  I did a lot of fun Halloween posts that year...so I may just be repeating a few more of them as the leaves fall and the apples ripen.

 

 

"What didja get?"
As soon as we got in the door with our bulging pillowcases of loot, the older...non-trick-or-treat...members of the family would pounce.  We dumped the booty in the middle of the kitchen table and commenced sorting.  Apples...no way!  Popcorn balls...pretty good, but not quite there.  The golden ticket, blue ribbon, cherry on the sundae...the prize of prizes...was the full-size candy bar...preferrably chocolate!

Vintage Candy!
I just took a little trip to the Candy Wrapper Museum to find the candy we all wanted to find in our Trick-or-Treat bags.

 

The following candies are from my childhood...some of which I had forgotten even existed.

What were your childhood favorites?
 

I thought using marshmallow was a waste of good chocolate.
 

Second best candy bar in the lineup.

 

 

 

Don't think I ever had one of these.  Peanut butter is okay.

 

I know I never tried this one...no chocolate.

 

Did anyone else feel cheated when nickle candy bars became a dime?

 

Don't know if this is my era or not...the 5cents says it probably is.



Milky Way...the Holy Grail...to me...of chocolate bars.

Acceptable Substitutes

Gum is always good.

 

When I was little, I thought these were made from chickens.

 

These always got stuck in my teeth.

 

You chewed these one at a time until they went sugary...lol!

 

I was never sure what the deal was with these.

It was great to be a kid!  Mom would always say, "You can eat three pieces tonight, then you have to put them away and make them last!"  Yeah, right!  I am sure I am not the only one who woke up about noon the next day with candy wrappers in my hair and a tummy ache.  The dog is in a candy coma in the corner and your little brother hasn't stopped running in circles for hours! That grimy bottomless pillowcase wasn't so bottomless all!

May all your Halloween memories be sweet ones!