Jack-O-Lantern Seeds

Here's an easy one.

Download label here. Print on cardstock using the borderless page set-up. Cut out an individual label, fold and glue or use double stick tape to cover the label from orange Tic Tacs.

Who knew? And you thought they were just breath mints.

Chocolate Covered Witch Warts

Here is an idea for a creepy treat for all of those Halloween goblins. I'm not sure I will ever be able to eat raisins again.

I usually provide labels for only one type of container but today I felt generous. Download label pdf file here. Print out on card stock using the borderless 8 1/2 x 11" page set-up. Fill your container. Add label. It's as easy as that.

Materials:

chocolate covered raisins

card stock

cellophane bag ( at Wal-Mart or Michael's in the cake decorating dept. Target at the wrapping paper area)

bottle

jar

double stick tape

Tools:

scissors

1 3/4" hole punch

small hole punch

Fill a bottle with raisins. Punch out a large circle tag with hole punch. (or cut by hand) Punch a small hole and thread with string. Tie around the neck of the bottle. Obviously I have chosen too big a bottle. Learn from my error.
Fill a jar with raisins. Cut out the smaller label and adhere with double stick tape.

Fill a cellophane bag with raisins. Fold over the bag and fold the larger label in half. Staple the label onto the top of the bag.

Enjoy your warts and don't kiss any chocolate toads.

A Murder of Crows

I think that a flock of crows is called a "murder" of crows. Anyway, it sounds Halloweenish so I'm going with it. Although I'm doing this for Halloween, I'm making it more timeless so that it can be used year round. The Halloween season is too short.

Materials:

old book

small glass panes (mine came from a light fixture, but small frames will do)

white glue (Elmer's)

scotch tape

Tools:

old credit card

copy machine

scissors

Download pdf file for crows. Resize them if necessary, to fit your glass panes. Place the original on the bed of copy machine and make a copy. You should have a sheet of paper printed with crows.

Place book pages over crows and using tiny pieces of tape, tape them in place. Hand feed them through copy machine. Original should still be on the copy machine bed.
You should now have crows printed on each book page.

Put glue on glass and squeegee with the old credit card. Use a small amount of glue and be as smooth as possible to eliminate brush strokes. Carefully place book pages on glass. Turn over and gently squeegee with the dry side of the credit card to press out any air bubbles. Cut off excess paper.

Edgar Allen Poe would be proud.

What Crows Hath Wrought

If your crow pictures (or any artwork for that matter) don't have frames, here is an idea.

I saw something like these small pictures framed in wrought iron and thought I might be able to reproduce the look with elements from the hardware store.

Materials:

rebar wire

steel-like epoxy paste (or any epoxy paste)

masking tape

permanent black marker (optional)

Tools:

rod (screw driver, knitting needle, etc)

wire snips

waxed paper

single-edged razor blade

brush

disposable gloves (optional)

Wrap rebar wire around rod. Slip off and snip wire to form jump rings. Make 2 for each pane of glass.
Tape the front of the glass with masking tape. This will allow you to handle the glass without smudging it. You'll thank me for this tip later when you need to clean everything.

With the razor blade, cut a small slice off the epoxy paste and knead it for about 1 minute. Roll into a thin snake. Place the snake on one edge of the glass and press down onto the front of the glass with your finger tips. Don't worry if some paste comes off, just patch. Trim the paste on the front with the razor blade to make a neat edge. Repeat for all four sides. Roll tiny snakes and thread them through 2 of the jump rings. Fold over and attach to the top of the paste covered glass. Put the handle of the paint brush through the rings to press the rings down into the frames. Roll the brush handle on the front of the tabs like a rolling pin to smooth the paste.
The edges will be bumpy but that gives a hand wrought iron look. Let harden for an hour. Remove the tape from the glass. If you like the dark grey, burnish with a metal spoon to give a steel look. Otherwise, color with a black permanent marker. (you can use any epoxy paste with this method) Twist a few strands of rebar to form a branch or barbed wire look. Attach the pictures with two more jump rings. Hang on your wall with a small nail.

Tips:

You must cut slices off the epoxy paste; don't pinch. The paste consists of 2 parts and you need to obtain the right proportion of each. If you pinch, you run the risk of getting more of one part than the other and it won't harden. (Don't ask me how I know).

As you work with the paste, it builds up on your fingers. This build-up attracts more paste, making it difficult to work with. Changing gloves or scrubbing your hands frequently will help with this problem.

Okay, so it's a Gathering

A Gathering of Crows

One crow for sorrow,

Two crows for joy,

Three crows for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five crows for silver,

Six crows for gold,

Seven crows for a secret never to be told.

Halloween Pop-Up Card

Do you wish to startle and scare your loved ones for Halloween? Give them this greeting card.

Download the Halloween card here. Print on cardstock with a borderless page set-up.

Cut out all three pieces. Using a bone folder or table knife score along the 5 thin black lines on the largest piece. Cut along the middle line (above the Halloween sign) with an exacto blade, leaving 1/2" uncut on either side. Fold along the score lines.

Glue the back of the gravestone to the bottom 1/2" tab. Allow to dry.
Glue the top tab to the the bottom tab and allow to dry. Place in an envelope along with instructions.

Pull open the sides slightly then press down on the top and the gravestone should pop up. It's magic, scary magic, but magic nonetheless.