Real Family Time: Halloween crafts

Showing posts with label Halloween crafts. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Halloween round-up 2011

Halloween was Fang-tastic this year! (pumpkin on a Cobble Hill, Brooklyn stoop)

Happy day after Halloween! It's been a super-fun Halloween season and I thought I'd share some of my favorite moments of October, 2011 with you.

First off, a big shout-out to my Twitter friends and my friends on Facebook. I know that when it's time to discuss the relative merits of smooth vs. warty pumpkins or the true meaning of Play-Doh Ghosts, you guys will jump into the debate! Thanks.

Also, it was really fun talking to the variety of journalists who interviewed me and wrote articles about me and my Halloween book, Real Family Halloween Fun. Many of these folks are Halloween nerds themselves and I had some hilarious conversations with rather well-respected newspaper people and bloggers about bloody eyeballs and things like that. Special shout-out to the hardcore Halloween fanatics like 365Halloween.com and AEIOU ... and Sometimes Why for letting me be part of the spooky gang.

I spent October talking to all of you about Halloween. (Sound like fun? Yes, it was.) When I wasn't discussing things like the history of National Candy Corn Day, I was out in my Brooklyn neighborhood taking pictures of the Halloween decorations.

Genuinely scary skeleton on Clinton Street

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, is a bit of a Halloween epicenter, drawing trick-or-treaters from all over Brooklyn - and the trick-or-treating starts at 2:30pm! Residents here really know how to show their Halloween spirit, and it was easy finding great decorations to share with readers.

Some trends in decorations this year:

• giant, fuzzy spiders

• elaborately etched pumpkins

• body parts, often in planters

• using spider webs for blankets and veils

• flat witches that have supposedly crashed into windows

And then, just when we should all have been making candied apples and shopping for the perfect halo, along came a freak snow storm on 10/29/11. They said it was coming but we didn't believe them. This was Dave's reaction:

Luckily, NYC didn't get hit as hard as Westchester county or parts of New Jersey, where one of my friends got 19 inches of snow! In Brooklyn, the snow was all melted by Monday and trick-or-treating commenced directly after school.

Angel, Black Ninja, Red Ninja

And much candy was had by all. And a shocking sugar low was had at around 9pm, despite the pre-trick-or-treating snack. Oh well, it's only once a year.

My kids loved making all the crafts and recipes this year. My daughter is particularly deft at all this and likes to be involved with all aspects of my projects. When I cautioned her to be careful with the glue on one craft she informed me, "I'm always careful." Come on, Mom, get in the game.

Thanks to everybody for the fun & support. See you next year!

Maggie

To the victor go the spoils.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Halloween Craft: Play-Doh Ghosts

Hi! I'm a scary ghost! Boo!

Play-Doh ghosts are just about the easiest Halloween craft ever.

Materials:

• White Play-Doh

• Black Sharpie

Instructions:

1. Fashion small ghosts out of white Play-Doh. These are basically just blobs with little arms and a head.

2. Poke black eye and mouth holes with a Sharpie.

3. Let dry.

4. Done.

In my opinion, kids and Sharpies shouldn't be in the same room together, but on this occasion, and under strict supervision, I think it'll be OK.

You may also like:
Halloween Recipe - Witches Fingers!
Halloween Craft - Luminary Candles
Our Essential Halloween ebook: Real Family Halloween Fun

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Halloween Craft: Luminary Candles

For an air of Halloween magic, Luminaries are a pretty touch. All you do is put about 2 inches of sand (or kitty litter) in paper lunch bags and add a candle. If you want to get fancy, cut some shapes and designs into the bags, but you really don't need to - even plain, old, brown paper bags are magical when lit from within.

If there aren't too many little kids around, use real candles. They're cheap and pretty. Otherwise, use those battery-operated tea lights, possibly the Best Invention Ever.

A hole punch is fun for making patterns - go ahead and fold the bag up to get at the choice spots - you won't see a thing when it's all unfolded and lit.

Let your kids draw and cut whatever they want. It will all look beautiful outside and lit up.

Why can't adults be as original as kids?

The finished product is guaranteed fabulous and the whole thing takes less than an hour. Have fun, let your kids have the scissors and Happy Halloween!