Halloween DIY Ideas
Decorating with some favorite Halloween DIY’s for the season!
Thrifted dishes with waterslide decals.
Spray painted ceramics is an easy, very fun DIY project. (Instructions for both of these projects- and more- can be found in my book, Wise Craft: Turning Thrift Store Finds, Fabric Scraps, and Natural Objects into Stuff You Love.)
I surprised even myself when I jumped into decorating for Halloween as soon as the calendar said October, but I did. I guess doing these projects has warmed me up to the whole idea of Halloween. (Plus, its another reason to rearrange things around here, you know?) I’ve been keeping a few of the completed projects in orange bins down in our basement so that I could easily find them. I still need to put up the black ivy and spider web for the front yard…the kids are insisting.
I pulled out a few Nancy Drews with sinister titles for the living room side tables.
I am currently hunkered down and working on Holiday DIY projects and having some fun. I don’t know why I still get surprised at what can be made with humble thrift store items, but I do. The fun is in the transformation!
Little do my kids know, but this weekend I’m taking them to a Christmas tree farm for photoshoot props.
Cause that’s how we roll around here….
maya
October 6, 2010 at 5:56 pmNow you’ve got me in the mood for dressing up MY mantle. I love fall decorating, but I’m not as good at the Halloween stuff. My kids envy your kids.
jenna
October 6, 2010 at 6:16 pmwhoa, this is amazing – i wish this was MY house!
Jenn
October 6, 2010 at 6:42 pmI love it. the thrift store finds with the decals are my favorite part. Also I never would have thought to paint stuff black, like the owl with the rhinestone (?) eyes… fun fun fun!!
sarah
October 7, 2010 at 4:05 amcan’t wait to see more of your holiday ideas. they’re all so very good!
Bernadette
October 7, 2010 at 4:37 amMy favourite part of this post is the books with spooky titles. I just love the attention to detail.
Mama Urchin
October 7, 2010 at 5:07 amWe decorated our halloween mantle last weekend. I’m on the hunt for an old tarnished candelabra and some black candles to finish it off.
Melanie
October 7, 2010 at 6:51 amOh, my goodness! I just pulled out my daughter’s Nancy Drew books for Halloween decorating purposes, too 🙂 !!! I was thinking the same thing–spooky titles + mysteries = perfect Halloween props!
Gina
October 7, 2010 at 7:04 amThe beetle bug jar is cute! The thought of beetle near my jars of food..pretty creepy. 🙂
Sujomi
October 7, 2010 at 7:46 amI went crazy with the black spray paint and ceramics…I even gave some finished projects to my sister!
kat
October 7, 2010 at 8:42 amWhat waterslide decal paper do you use to do the dishes? The only one I can find requires you to spray it with a couple coats of clear acrylic after printing & I don’t see that step in your instructions.
Rachel at Stitched in Color
October 7, 2010 at 9:11 amSomeday my daughter will read Nancy Drew. Someday…
Leila
October 7, 2010 at 9:30 amHa! — kids as props. Too funny!
blair
October 7, 2010 at 9:48 amKat, I used Lazertran waterslide decals. The plates I did are intended as decoration only, but I know there are ways to make these more permanent, like baking. They have a pretty comprehensive website, hopefully you can find something to answer your questions there. http://www.lazertran.com/
Amy_in_Stl
October 7, 2010 at 11:38 amI’m guessing the same thing happens to Barbie’s hair that happenned to the styrofoam balls I tried to spray with fake snow to make snowmen. It was ugly.
kat
October 7, 2010 at 1:11 pmThanks for the info! I want to try my hand at these.
Frizz
October 7, 2010 at 1:37 pmlove the feathery stuff in your header. this will be fun!!
Molly
October 7, 2010 at 6:41 pmThe Nancy Drew books are brilliant. I’m trusting our Hardy Boys analogs will have some juicy titles to contribute…
blair
October 7, 2010 at 6:59 pmThe Hardy Boys will be just as great (I just remembered we have some of those too!) Yay!
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pmMaya, I would love to see your take on the Halloween mantle, go for it!
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pmThanks Jenna!
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:01 pmThe ceramic pieces painted black with red eyes, is SO fun to do (and my bet is you’ll be like me and not want to put them away when Halloween is over).
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:01 pmThank you Sarah.
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:02 pmThanks Bernadette, they were fun to pull out, it actually gets the kids suddenly interested in reading them too.
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:02 pmYes! Nancy Drews are the right amount of spooky for us here!
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:03 pmIsn’t it? Creepy to me too.
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:03 pmOh I’m so happy to hear that! I’d love to see them!
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:04 pmMy daughter is just barely into them at 11. She always surprises me though, she goes at her own pace. Her friends were feverishly reading them in 4th grade and she couldn’t be bothered at the time.
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:04 pmYes, Barbie was not happy.
blair
October 7, 2010 at 7:05 pmI’d love to see if you make them!
lisa s
October 7, 2010 at 8:51 pmBOO !! what fun decorating ! 😀
amish bed frame
October 29, 2010 at 11:02 pmThis is amazing! The ideas are all so beautiful and it really suits the season.