Making your own decorations is a smart and eco-friendly alternative to buying already made decorations. If you have a family it's also a great way to get everyone involved and in the holiday spirit.
Spooky Spiders
Items you'll need:
Assorted Halloween colored pipe cleaners (purple, orange, black, etc.)
Medium size styrofoam balls (they sell them by the bag at craft stores for under $10)
Assorted eyes (again, by the bag for $5 or less)
Any left over paint or you can pick up a bottle of tempera paint (black is preferred, but any color works)
Liquid glue
Wax paper
Foam brush
Directions:
1. With foam brush, paint the styrofoam balls, coating entire ball, set aside on wax paper to dry.
2. Once dry, bend pipe cleaner and stick one end into glue then push the glue end into the styrofoam ball. Repeat on each side of ball until you have 3-4 legs on each side. (Depending on the size of the ball will determine how many pipe cleaners will fit).
3. Glue eyes onto styrofoam body, as many as you like because they're spiders and it's Halloween!
Pumpkins
Items you'll need:
Empty toilet paper rolls
Orange construction paper cut into one inch strips
Glue (using a hot glue gun works best or you can use tape)
Old cork tops (you know, from wine bottles, don't pretend you don't have any or you can buy a bag from the craft store).
Optional - brown paper bag or newspaper (run it through the shredder to get long, thin strips)
Optional - brown tempera paint
Directions:
1. Glue or tape one end of a construction piece and attach it on the inside of the toilet paper roll.
2. Glue or tape the other end of the piece and attach it on the inside of the other end of the toilet paper roll. Continue until you've formed the pumpkin shape all the way around.
3. Set aside to dry. If painting the cork tops, paint entire surface, set aside to dry.
4. Once paint is dry, attach it to the top of your pumpkin with glue.
5. If using shredded paper, glue one end and attach it near the cork so it resembles the vines of pumpkins.
Painted Pumpkins (by painting instead of carving, it allows your pumpkin decoration to last longer)
Items you'll need:
Any size pumpkins
Assorted left over paint colors
Assorted brush sizes
Directions:
1. Let your imagination go wild...
The web has lots of other ideas using everyday materials or items that you'll be sending to the recycle center anyway. Check out http://familyfun.go.com for some more fun ideas.
Other budget friendly decoration tips would be to check out the dollar section of stores such as Target, they always have some really cute things that are related to upcoming holidays. You can also wait until after the holiday, when everything goes on clearance, to stock up for next year (just don't forget where you store them, not that I've ever done this).
Playing Halloween music and making festive drinks like hot cider, pumpkin lattes or pumpkin smoothies, before you start your crafts, is a great way to get everyone inspired!
On schedule for tomorrow will be recipes to make your mouth water. So until then, happy crafting!
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