DIY Halloween Roundup!

Even though we’ve had a bit of an Indian summer the last few days here in Boston, I can’t help thinking ahead to my first post-college Halloween.  I’m eagerly looking forward to crunchy leaves, more pumpkin lattes, searching for a fun costume, and hopefully a trip or two to Salem!

To get into the spirit of all things Halloween-y, here are some of my favorite DIY projects that I’ve come across lately. If you have a project to add, link up in the comments!

For spooky glassware, How About Orange has a great tutorial on using packing tape to make image transfers!

Keeping with the spooky theme, check out these Eat At Your Own Risk toppers via Etsy:

All Things Thrifty has a Woman’s Day Mag-inspired Candy Corn Wreath:

If the idea of gluing all those candy corns is too much for you (or for more wreathy inspiration), there’s a similar version on Etsy:

My Paper Crane has a tutorial and template for adorable felt ghost cozies, which you could also string up into a garland or hang from doorknobs too!

Calamity Anne has a fun tutorial on redoing an old clock to give it a Halloween feel… trip to Goodwill or Ikea for clocks, anyone?

My friend Daniela from Berkeley has a great shop, The Art Life, where she’s selling a kit to make your own mini-chipboard Halloween album, complete with embellishments and papers… and it’s on sale! Also, check out the rest of her shop– great stuff!

If you love pumpkins but not the mess of carving them, Calamity Anne also has a tutorial on painting decorative pumpkins:

At The Crafty Cupboard, Melanie has an easy-to-follow tutorial for this wonderful & inexpensive spiderweb table runner:

Yet another project from Brooke at All Things Thrifty: an easy and temporary way to “trick” out your existing decor! (Yes, I love her stuff!)

Last but certainly not least, Boston-based Papercrave has a tutorial and printables for a lovely paper garland. For fun variations on this, you can alternate the cutouts with candy corn, add some glitter, sub printed halloween paper, or string it on colored ribbon!

Visual Inspiration- The Bold and The Beautiful

Part of the reason my blog has been relatively sparsely populated is that I’m attempting to design my own website (omgwtfbbq!) It’s almost as cool as when Mommy Wants Vodka pulled a John C. Mayer… only more on par with my pulling a Glee, which doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, sad.

In the–lengthy and somewhat painful–process of designing, I’ve put together some gorgeous inspiration photos. If you know whose these are (or they’re yours), please do speak up… can’t take credit for any of these, damnit! In the meantime, here’s part one of my inspiration file…

I survived a drive…(plus crafty goodness)

…in Boston! I am VERY VERY proud of myself.  Although I have to say, being in a Prius makes the drive pretty damn nice.

Here’s a pic from when I was stopped on the bridge (woo traffic!)

Action shot! (well, not really)

On the way home, what did I see but the Dollar Store near Lechmere that I’d discovered my first weekend here? Of course, I had to stop. I found these ADORABLE mugs when I walked in:

So cute! Ignore the lack of a mani...

Yes, I have 5-year old hands. That being said, I had to buy these mugs, since the dishes I have right now are the original 70’s Corelle print…quite vintage, not quite me.  Then I found white square ceramic plates and black soup bowls that will look awesome with the mugs. I’m hoping to use a ceramic pen to decorate the plates like these adorable monogrammed ones from Lemon Tree Creations!

Also got some spongebob hooks that I’ll be modpodge-ing over to use as coat hooks in my kitchen/entryway (stealing this idea from Dollar Store crafts!), some nyc color makeup (woot!), diet mtn. dew (cue addiction), jiffy biscuit mix for when I need comfort food, spices for $1!, and my most exciting purchase, foam core to make my inspiration board.

About the inspiration board, I LOVEEEE the looks that people have been doing lately– check out this one from Made by Girl, so cute!– so when I saw a huge gilded frame at a garage sale for $5 when I moved here, I had to snag it. It’s been sitting on the wall above my desk empty for 2 months now, waiting for me to find foam core or cork and fill it up. I’d been hesitating, because foam core can run $4/piece and I need at least 3, and cork is just plain pricey at stores like CVS/Target. But when I found the sheets for $1 today, I splurged and bought 4!

Will post pics of everything when it’s done, keep your eyes peeled!

What Weekend Warrior projects are you working on?

Miss Artimated (Martha) and I are loving the mypapercrane fabrics and dreaming up dresses to make, too!

Cheer up, chuck!

Time for bluntness: I.feel.like.ass.

How’s that for honesty? It might be exhaustion from my first week of real 9-5, it might be from missing my BlogHer babes, or it might just be the awesomeness that is my regular emotional state of being.

Just thought y’all should know.

On that side, here are some links that I’m loving and will hopefully bring a smile to both my face and yours:

• Cats in Hats– I ❤ Color me Katie. A lot.
• Buddha Pears… wtf?? (via Hip Hostess)

• 

  Seriously, those are buddha-shaped PEARS.

• These wedges from ModCloth… OMGLOVE

Academic Path Wedges from ModCloth

• Sexy (although slightly fishy) bookends from Bookshelf Porn
• Gorgeous illustrations (hmm, livingroom art?)
• Adorable rose-colored platform wedges from PlasticLand. Would buy em in a heartbeat if I didn’t have to walk up and down crazy driveways for work!

What would make me happiest right now? A little cookie dough, Project Runway in 8 minutes, hearing from one of my BlogHer girls… and then sleep, glorious sleep!