Halloween Project: Meet the Punkin Bros.

Ok since the warm weather has got me making tons of stuff for my Halloween haunt this year I'd like to introduce my latest creation. Meet Grim:

Grim is one of two paper mache pumpkins I made. Although Grim isn't completely finished you can get an idea of what he'll look like when checking out his brother Grimey:


Grimey is older than Grim (about 2 yrs difference) This punkin was more like a test run before making the newest one. Although Grimey isn't suitable for outdoors, Grim will be which will be perfect for my Sleepy Hallow Scarecrow as I mentioned in a previous post.


-Mr Crafty

Root Beer Pork Chops

Yea, I thought the same thing. Root Beer and Pork? So I gave it a shot and it was surprisingly good. They complement each other very well. If you head on over to Weekly Meal Deal you can find the full recipe and details.

Hint: If you are a frequent target shopper you can snag Hormel Pork Chops for 3.49lb this week and Pepsi Product 12 Packs are Buy 3 Get 1 Diet Pepsi Free. This should save you some $$ when buying the stuff you need for this meal.

-Mr Crafty

Warm Weather Means Halloween Time!!!

As most of you can tell by now I am a Halloween fanatic. I start during the summer each year to build my props and decorations for the season. As I promised, I will start posting tutorials on what I'm making. Hopefully this will get your creative juices flowing and you will concoct props of your own. Feel free to post a comment on what you are doing this year and share your ideas. It's a Halloween free-for-all!!


I will begin my prop posts with my first prop I made for the season. This is a scarecrow constructed much like the one from the film Sleepy Hallow. It was super cheap and adds great character to your haunt. You can find the full tutorial HERE from Halloweenforum.com



-Mr Crafty

Wreath Mania!!!!

I found this neat DIY wreath project sponsored by Fiskers on their site. I especially love the fabric one. These look super easy to make and so versatile as far as home decor.

Click HERE for the full tutorial

-Mr Crafty

Upcycled Newspaper Gift Bags: For Your Inner Eco-Maniac

When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep.


Stack two sheets of newspaper on top of each other. This will be a two-ply bag for extra sturdiness.

Cut out a rectangle that's 15.5" wide and 8.25" tall. If your paper already has a fold in it, align the existing fold with one of the fold lines in the diagram below, unless you don't mind an extra fold appearing somewhere on your bag. I cut out this rectangle, then flipped the paper over so the blue area would be on the outside of the bag.



Fold a flap 1.25" down from the top. Fold a flap 2" up from the bottom. Then measure off and make vertical folds in the places shown in the diagram above. The front and back panels are 4.5" wide, the side gussets are 3" wide, and you'll need a 0.5" flap for gluing the bag together.

Cut two pieces of cardstock or chipboard to 4.25" x 1", then glue them on the widest two panels just under the top fold. These will reinforce the rim of the bag. Glue the top flap down along the length of the bag, covering the cardstock. Since the bag is two-ply, you'll need to glue both flap pieces down one at a time.





Put glue on the outside of the 0.5" tab and bring the left-most panel over to form the body of the bag, aligning the cut edge of the panel with the folded edge of the flap. Add a little more glue to make sure the outermost sheet of newsprint gets tacked down, too







Open the bag so the 2" flap is now up. Fold the short sides inward as if you were wrapping a present. If it seems easier, you could also lay the bag on its side and crease those folds against the table








Put glue on both flaps and fold them inward to form the bottom of the bag. Standing the bag upright and pressing down from the inside will help to secure them.








Cut a piece of chipboard to 4" x 2.5" and glue it to the bottom of the bag to reinforce it and hide the flaps if you want to be an overachiever.




Punch holes in the rim of the bag, adding eyelets if you like, and string some cord through the holes to form handles. Knot each end of the cord so it won't pull out through the holes.

If you want to store your bag flat, pinch the top together, fold in the sides, and bring the bottom up so that it lies flat.




-Mr. Crafty

Mason Jar Lanterns

I was navigating the net earlier and came across a recent DIY project that I couldn't resist. What I found was a versatile piece of decor you can use in or outdoors. I'm talking lanterns people. These are super easy to make, eco friendly, and used as an accent piece anywhere! You can head on over to Make-it-do.com for the full tutorial. I myself will be using these in my garden and yard as warm accents for low level lighting as well as a potential additive for my Halloween display.

Enjoy
-Mr. Crafty

Mother's Day Projects: Picture Frame Jewelery Holder

Money is tight right now. But money doesn't have to stand in the way of honoring your mom (and Mother Earth). You can make a beautiful and more importantly, meaningful, gift for Mother's Day. And what mom would not be thrilled to receive an item infused with meaning made by hand from someone she loves? I now present to you the most affordable, kid friendly, customizable, super special terrific fantastic (I cant think of any other adjectives) mother's day gift to end them all!




PICTURE FRAME JEWELERY HOLDER

1) Choose an old picture frame and remove any backing. You can decorate the frame with paint, fabric or other appropriate decoration to match mom's bedroom or bathroom decor or leave it plain.

2) Cut a piece of window screen that overlaps the back of the frame 1/2 inch. (Remember when the dog charged through the screen and ripped it to shreds? If it's still lying around, here's the perfect use for it.)

3) Staple or nail the window screen to the back of the frame.

4) Screw in some cuphooks along the bottom of the frame to hold rings and/or in the top corners to hold necklaces and bracelets. Earring backs fit through the screen.

5) If you want the holder to hang, add a picture hangar to the back. Otherwise, it can sit on a small easel or rest against the wall.

Rock on mom!!!!

-Mr. Crafty

Budget Spring Decor Idea: Thrifty Stylized Bulletin Board

Fun, festive, and cheap – just the way I like doing home decor!

This project takes 5-10 minutes, and only cost me $5.25 – $5 for the frame at a thrift store and $0.25 for the bulletin board at a thrift store. Not bad, eh?

YOU WILL NEED:

- An old bulletin board, big enough to fit your frame

- Any picture frame you think is interesting or beautiful (NOTE: make sure it has a front-to-back depth large enough to contain the thickness of the cork board you will be using.)

- A tape measure

- Pencil

- Some kind of cutting device (I ended up using a bread knife.)

Directions

1. Measure the inside of your picture frame. Give yourself more room to work with than the tape measure says: for example, if one length of the inside of the frame is 10″, actually use a measurement of 9 3/4″ or something of the like.

2. If there is any kind of border around your bulletin board, snip and pull it off.

3. Using a ruler, trace out the (adjusted) dimensions of your picture frame onto the bulletin board.

4. Cut along the lines you drew. You may have to shave off a bit more from one side or the other if it doesn’t quite fit into your picture frame. Once you get it in the frame, fold down the metal flaps (or staples, etc. – whatever would usually hold the glass, photograph and backing into the frame) to hold the cork board in place.

And just like that you're done!!!!!! Here's my finished product.

-Mr. Crafty

Christmas Tree Pop-up Card

Each year, like many people, I like to create a list of those whom I send my holiday greetings to and try to mail the cards asap. Each year I personally make my cards to send to my list of recipients. I feel it adds a little something extra special to the mix. Sometimes it's cheaper too! I try to not get to crazy and stick to two designs that I mass mail to everyone and their mother. This year I tried to keep things simple and wanted to show one of my designs to those who enjoy reading my blog. So below you can catch a few pictures of this year's card. It was really easy to make and I'm willing to go into how I went about doing it for those who'd like to make one (or more).

-Mr. Crafty