Like monsters, ghosts can come in many different shapes and in varying levels of scariness, making them a wise choice for a kids' craft. In fact, I found so many fun spectral projects that I couldn't narrow them down to just ten. Here's my not-so-dreadful dozen, arranged very roughly from easiest to most complex (though none are particularly difficult — don't be afraid of these ghosts).
Will any crafty ghosts be haunting your home this Halloween?
xo These so-called Stupid Creatures have been around for about a dozen years now, and if you don't know them, you should. Artist John Murphy's sock and fabric monsters are cute, very weird, and sometimes unsettling. (It seems so rude to call them stupid; they're clearly just misunderstood.) These one-off sock monsters were essentially sold door-to-door. There are dozens more on the "classics" gallery. Murphy has also made creatures with other fabrics, opening up new possibilities in shape and texture. This series uses more realistic eyes, which I love. Unfortunately, there's not much available to purchase at the moment. Land of Nod has a couple of his mass-produced models left, and they are deeply discounted (get on it!): There's a Stupid Creatures Etsy shop, but it's currently empty. So, if you can't score one of the Land of Nod SCs, you'll have to make your own, with the help of the Stupid Sock Creatures or The Return of the Stupid Sock Creatures books.
xo I have to admit, I love bats. They are beneficial, in that they eat mosquitoes and other bugs; they're kind of cute; and it is totally amazing that they are actual flying mammals (beat it, "flying" squirrels!). Because I have a generous heart, I don't mind that they have been co-opted into a Halloween motif. I embrace their nocturnal nature, and their somewhat-unsettling wing flapping! So I created this craft, which is made to be flapped. Just hold onto the stick, and move the bat up and down quickly; the wings will flap as you do. To make this easy craft even easier, I've included a template. And to make it even more Halloweeny, I decorated it with glow-in-the-dark paint. This craft would be great for a kids' party, especially if you pre-made a bunch of "blank" bats and had the kids decorate them. Read on for the how-to.
The template is sized so you can fit three bats on one 12-inch-square sheet of paper. (Of course, you can always freehand it; just look at the photo to get a sense of the shape.) Cut out the template. Fold a 12-inch-square sheet of card stock or scrapbooking paper in half. Align the template so the dotted line is against the fold. Trace the shape with a light pencil, then cut it out. Erase any pencil marks. Then, cut a half-inch-long, super-skinny slit along the fold, in the center of the bat's belly. This will allow you to insert the craft stick, later. Apply a generous amount of glue stick onto just the body and head of the unfolded bat. Insert the end of a craft stick, then fold up the paper. Smooth and press the paper around the stick, and make sure everything's sticking together at the edges. Fold the body back up. Fold one wing down, then the other. Make the creases fairly hard; the more you rub the fold line, the weaker the paper will get at the fold, and the wing will get more floppy and flappy. Just don't overdo it, or you'll end up with a wingless bat! Let's paint! I chose to use a fine paintbrush and some glow-in-the-dark craft paint that dries fairly clear. I also tried a 3D craft paint with a bottle applicator, but it's much easier, and faster, to use regular paint and a brush. Plus, you can have several kids painting at once, without having to purchase multiple bottles. Note, however, that it may take more than one coat to get a good glow. Don't be shy when applying the paint! When the paint's dry, the bat is ready for flying. Wait until dark, then charge up the glow paint with a lamp, and head outside. Flutter the bat up and down as you swoop through the night! xo!
Have you met Cecilia Levy? She is a Swedish artist who makes the most beautiful, fragile objects using only the pages of old (like 100+ years old) books and paper mache glue. Sometimes she uses blank pages, other times she uses printed portions, and the words selected can be either chosen or random. In this bowl, she uses the dyed edges of a book to add lines of color. Here she uses the numbered page corners as a design motif. These furry "hobo boots" look wearable, though fragile. Again, these are made with nothing but old book pages and glue. For this detail of a piece called "cuckoo's nest," the odd egg out is made with leaves cut from the unstrung center folds of a book. There's much more to see on her online gallery. I love how she uses the imperfections — the natural features — of the paper in her designs. I am a huge fan of using found materials, and for letting their odd, sometimes aged or damaged selves shine.
xo Recently, as I was sorting through a drum-sized tin of marbles (long story), I found a bunch of clear glass blobs that had been mixed in. I wanted to do something Halloweeny with them, so after a few false starts, I came up with this twist on the classic glass marble magnet craft. Journey with me now into the lair of the all-seeing beasts! First things first: Get some glass marble blobs. (Product links go to an affiliate site; I get a few cents if you purchase things after clicking through. I only link to products I trust.) Then, with the blobs as a size reference, draw several irises with markers on a sheet of regular-weight copy paper. Add irises with a black pen (I used a plain ol' roller-ball writing pen). Cut out the irises, leaving white space all around the edge. Just trim them to be roughly the same size as the flat part of the marble; it doesn't need to be exact. See how the paper appears to fill the space when the marbles are on top? Optics are fun! Now you need to attach the paper to the marble blobs. Brush a coat of Mod Podge onto the flat part of a blob, then place the paper eye on top, drawn-side down. If you peek and look at the round side of the marble, it will look white and gluey. Do not be concerned; magically, it will dry clear. Leave the 'podged blobs paper-side up to dry. Once the Mod Podge is dry, and the image looks clear on the rounded side, you can add a magnet to the back of each one with tacky glue. I would not recommend you do what I did, which is to cut up a free business-card-magnet, because the pieces only barely hold up a single sheet of paper. Try self-adhesive flexible magnet tape or a sheet you can cut to fit; it won't be very strong, but it's easy and kid-friendly. For super strength, get round ceramic magnets (but only if there are no toddlers in the house; they're a swallowing hazard. Kids, please don't eat magnets). Now, the fun part! Cut out monster silhouettes from colored paper. (I did mine freehand, as you can probably tell.) Use your new eyes to hold the shape to your fridge or a spooky, possibly haunted old cookie sheet. I liked keeping my monsters simple with eyes only, but it's a cinch to add other monster features, especially if you have leftover magnets. Attach them to cut-out paper shapes that resemble noses, mouths, eyebrows, and ears. You'll end up with a free-form magnetic Mr. Monster Head! Happy monster-making! xo
All kids are super, but some are superheroes—when they're wearing a wonderful cape, at least. Sure, you can make a cape yourself, but if you have the budget to afford it, I recommend hiring an expert, like Lane Huerta at Lovelane. Her costume pieces are heirloom-worthy works of art. Some capes come with a matching helmet, though you can purchase each item separately, if you have a hat-adverse child. Order by October 10 and you're guaranteed to get your costume pieces before Halloween!
xo I took this a week ago, sitting in the hammock in my back yard. Franklin hopped right in. I think he mostly wanted a better vantage point to spy on the chipmunks.
You know that vintage-esque Dangerous Book for Boys that was all the rage a few years ago? Meet 1945's version, the Boy's Fun Book of Things to Make and Do. 1945, when boys were men, and men were also men. In this book you'll (I mean, your son will) learn how to shoot a gun, use a lasso, whittle fishing lures, and make a radio from scratch. You'll be using electric saws, razor blades, soldering irons, actual rifles, and more. Buckle up! The book lets you know where it's coming from right away with the first project: a complicated balsa plane. See that gridded blueprint? There were no copy machines, so your child will need to transfer that by hand, starting by meticulously drawing a full-sized grid. Take that iPad away and get him going! This page of table tricks actually has things I wouldn't mind trying with a child today, but for the third item, which assumes your child and his friends are hooked on cigarettes: Don't smoke (yet)? Need something else to do with your free time? Try a hobby! It'll give zest to your life, new horizons, new pep. If you don't already have a natural interest in anything, maybe a hobby in the catalog will strike your fancy. OK, this page is actually kind of cool except of course for the sexist "irate housewife" caricature. But the idea of putting something in front of the bike that moves with the wind, or with the turning of the tire, is solid. Dangerous, but solid. Does your high-schooler need toughening? Want to be able to lick your weight in wildcats (what)? Build this Commando Course. "This low bridge is no place for fat boys," the caption says, bluntly stating the obvious much like a four-year-old might. Ah, 1945. Here's a page of matchstick tricks that I can actually recommend you to try with your kids. Answers are on the following image, so I'll leave a bit of space so you'll be able to see the puzzle page without the answers page appearing on your screen. (Scroll down for the answers.) (Here they come!) That's a nice, hippie-ish sentiment to end on, don't you think?
xo |
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March 2017
AuthorI'm Debbie Way, an artist and writer who enjoys making things. |
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