Halloween DIY Ideas

Decorating with some favorite Halloween DIY’s for the season!
Halloween dishes
 
Halloween Decor Detail

Thrifted dishes with waterslide decals.

Spray Painted Sinister Halloween Ceramics

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.
 
Halloween Decor Nancy Drews
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!
Halloween Day of the Dead Couple
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….

31 Comments
  • maya

    October 6, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    Now 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 pm

    whoa, this is amazing – i wish this was MY house!

  • Jenn

    October 6, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    I 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 am

    can’t wait to see more of your holiday ideas. they’re all so very good!

  • Bernadette

    October 7, 2010 at 4:37 am

    My 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 am

    We 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 am

    Oh, 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 am

    The beetle bug jar is cute! The thought of beetle near my jars of food..pretty creepy. 🙂

  • Sujomi

    October 7, 2010 at 7:46 am

    I 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 am

    What 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 am

    Someday my daughter will read Nancy Drew. Someday…

  • Leila

    October 7, 2010 at 9:30 am

    Ha! — kids as props. Too funny!

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 9:48 am

    Kat, 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 am

    I’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 pm

    Thanks for the info! I want to try my hand at these.

  • Frizz

    October 7, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    love the feathery stuff in your header. this will be fun!!

  • Molly

    October 7, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    The 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 pm

    The Hardy Boys will be just as great (I just remembered we have some of those too!) Yay!

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    Maya, I would love to see your take on the Halloween mantle, go for it!

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    Thanks Jenna!

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:01 pm

    The 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 pm

    Thank you Sarah.

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:02 pm

    Thanks 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 pm

    Yes! Nancy Drews are the right amount of spooky for us here!

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    Isn’t it? Creepy to me too.

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    Oh I’m so happy to hear that! I’d love to see them!

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:04 pm

    My 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 pm

    Yes, Barbie was not happy.

  • blair

    October 7, 2010 at 7:05 pm

    I’d love to see if you make them!

  • lisa s

    October 7, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    BOO !! what fun decorating ! 😀

  • amish bed frame

    October 29, 2010 at 11:02 pm

    This is amazing! The ideas are all so beautiful and it really suits the season.

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