I. Love. Michaels. Every year, I look forward to their Halloween merchandise, and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed this time.
Unfortunately for me, my town doesn’t have a Michaels, so I have to settle on going to the one near my parents. Fortunately for you, I was due for a visit this past weekend, so I was able to go look at all of their wonderful, creepy goodies.
First of all, let’s talk about Spooky Town. I love miniatures, so of course I’m going to love a little town of mini creepy houses and creatures.
They had some really cute new miniatures, including my two favorites:
Ain’t they adorable?
As always, Michaels has a great mixture of creepy props, fun decorations, and craft supplies. They’re definitely my favorite of the craft stores when it comes to Halloween.
This guy right here will be mine at the end of the season. I should have used a banana for scale, but I didn’t think about it at the time, but he’s pretty big. He’d look great next to a witch’s cauldron.
This animated prop was pretty awesome, too. A tad overpriced in my opinion at $69.99, but still cool. Again, I screwed up, this time by not getting a video of the guy in action, but he basically just moves back and forth with his hands while shouting profanity and racial slurs.
Just kidding. I wanted to make sure you were paying attention. He moves around and groans. No offensive language for Michaels.
And I don’t know what it is about these ceramic heads, but I freaking adore them. They have skulls, Frankenstein’s monster, jack o’lanterns, mini skulls, and skeleton hands. You can paint these to fit your decor, or just leave them as is and pair with anything you want.
I would totally recommend going to Michaels if you’re lucky enough to have one in your area. The items aren’t overpriced, and if you’re a cheapo like me, you can always use a coupon or just catch them on sale.
I was out on the town this weekend, and I was happy to see that so many stores are already putting out their Halloween items! Spirit Halloween and Halloween Express have still not opened their doors for the season yet (at least not here), and Walmart and Target are still peddling school supplies, but never fear! You can satisfy your Halloween shopping fix by visiting the following stores:
Hobby Lobby: They might not have a lot of truly creepy items, but if you’re looking for cutesy stuff, Hobby Lobby has you covered.
Michaels: My favorite thing about Michael’s Halloween merchandise is their cool Spookytown Village miniatures. Minis make me happy. Plus, Michael’s also has a lot of cool small props, decorative items, and craft supplies.
JoAnn: I love JoAnn’s skeleton animals. This year they have two different kinds of dogs, cats, owls, and vultures.
Kirkland’s: This is another one that doesn’t have any really creepy stuff, but, like Hobby Lobby, if you want cutesy, Kirkland’s has it.
TJ Maxx: Skulls, skulls, skulls. I love the variety of decorative skulls and skeletons TJ Maxx has. Check out my review of their 2016 merchandise here!
Home Goods: They have some similar stuff to TJ Maxx, which makes sense seeing as they have the same parent company, but check it out anyway even if you have both in your town.
Well, that’s it for now. I’m slowly working on reviewing all of the merchandise at each of these stores, so I’ll post them as I finish them. My favorite so far has been Michael’s. I’ll post some pics soon.
August is only now halfway over, and I’m sitting here like:
I’m getting antsy for the holiday, so I thought it would make me feel better to think about what I have to look forward to between now and October 31.
August 26:Don’t Breathe premieres in theaters. This movie has great reviews on both IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. I’m going to watch this one in theaters for sure.
September 1: By this date, a lot of Halloween stuff should be out. I already posted about TJ Maxx, and I’m pretty sure Michaels has their merchandise out, too. I asked Party City when their items would be on the shelves, and they told me that everything should be ready by September 1. Target and Walmart will probably drag their feet to get the most that they can out of back-to-school sales, but they’ll follow suit shortly. I’m sure Spirit and Halloween Express will not disappoint me. I even think (*fingers crossed*) that Spirit might actually be opening much earlier.
September 1: It’s only 60 days until Halloween!
September 14: The 6th season of American Horror Story starts! Who the hell knows at this point what this season is about, but I can say the promos for them have piqued my interest. I’ve read that some of them are red herrings, but they haven’t disappointed me yet, so I’m excited.
September 16: Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights begins. I won’t get to go to this, but I like reading about the new stuff they have and watching videos of the creepy attractions. Someday I will make it to the actual event.
October 1: Duh. It’s the beginning of October, so the season is in full swing. And I get to decorate my yard!!! I’m pretty regimented about my decorating. It’s got to be up on October 1st and down on November 1st. Otherwise, I might keep it up all year.
October 16: My favorite Halloween tv event premieres tonight: The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXVII. That’s a lot of horror.
Those are the big things on my countdown right now. If you need a little bit to help you through the impatience of waiting on Halloween, write out your own list. It helps.
We’re at less than 90 days left until the big holiday, and I see signs of it everywhere I look. I posted this pic last week:
That’s a Halloween Express that’s being set up in my town. And yesterday, I snapped this shot:
Excitement! Happiness! Elation! It’s almost time!
Another sight that makes me so happy to see is this:
That’s a section of school supplies that’s been up at a local Walmart. You know what comes after school supplies, right? HALLOWEEN STUFF!!!
So if you’re like me, you’ve been thinking about what you need to do to get ready for the big night. If you haven’t, you might have read the first sentence of this post and thought, “HOLY CRAP! LESS THAN 90 DAYS! I DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME!”
You’re right.
And to help everyone who reads this blog, my Halloween season schedule will be a little different. You can expect the following posts in the next few months:
Merchandise Reviews: I plan on reviewing which stores have the best Halloween items and how they rate on originality, costume selection, quality, and price. I’ll also do store comparisons (i.e., specialty store vs specialty store, etc…).
Decorating on a Budget: What is your budget? 10? 20? 50? I’ll give ideas for various budgets to show anyone can decorate for the big day.
Halloween Food Specials: Stores and restaurants always have fun holiday items, and I’ll make sure to point out any I find.
TV Specials: Are you curious about when “The Great Pumpkin” will air or if your favorite show will have a Halloween episode? I’ll be your guide.
Haunted House Reviews: These will probably only be beneficial to local peeps, but I’ll be going to local haunted houses and reviewing them here.
Those are just some of the topics I’ll cover. I hope that I can help at least a few people with their Halloween. If you have any other ideas for blog posts or if you have specific questions, just let me know in the comments!
It’s August, and since Halloween is less than 100 days away, it’s time to start your projects. You might think, “It’s only August. I have PLENTY of time.”
You’re wrong.
Just check out this picture I took today:
Yep. That’s the beginnings of a Halloween store. Halloween Express to be exact. They’re getting ready for the holiday, and so should you.
If you’re new to the DIY Halloween thang, you might be wondering where to start. Well, look no further for I have been sent here to enlighten your minds! Or at least I’m prepared to help get you started. First things first, we’re talking materials.
PVC Pipe
I wrote a whole post about this stuff, so you should check it out here. From monsters to cages to mausoleums, this stuff can be the base for anything. Adult tinker toys, ladies and gentlemen. That’s what they are. Buy some pipe and fittings today at Lowe’s or Home Depot. And don’t forget your pipe cutter!
Papier Mache
Newspaper and the glue mixture of your choice is all you need to make a crazy awesome prop. I used some to make a cool scarecrow head one year (read here), and I also made a witch head for a prop last year, which I’ve yet to discuss on the blog. That’ll come later.
Monster Mud
This stuff is like heavy duty Papier mache used for bigger projects. To make this stuff, all you need are drywall joint compound (found at any hardware store) and any latex paint you have lying around. Color doesn’t matter because this stuff is fully paintable after it dries. Mix it with a drill and paint-stirrer attachment in a large bucket. After that you can dip fabric in the stuff to cover your props or just paint on the mud itself to create an outer shell. There are a ton of tutorials online. Just check out Google or Pinterest for some ideas.
Wire
You can use different gauges of wire to do different things. I like to use a lighter gauge wire to hang props and heavier gauges to make moldable fingers, spiders, etc…
Foam Heads
These can be found at most craft stores, and they can be used for – well – prop heads. I made a severed head out of one, which you can read about here. They can also be used to finish off a full-size prop or even hung with cheesecloth to make a ghost. Oh, that reminds me…
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is pretty versatile. You can use it to make ghosts and shrouds, you can drape it over mantels or tables for a creepy effect, or you can pair it with monster mud to create detail or make clothing for your props.
Old Clothes
What? You want your props to be naked? Well, that’s your decision to make, but for those of us who want props suitable for the eyes of tiny trick-or-treaters, clothing is kinda essential. Go to garage sales or just raid your closet for old items you don’t want anymore. The fun part is aging them. Bury your prop clothes, rip them, paint them, run them over with your car – anything to make them look nice and old.
Paint
This one is a no-brainer. You want to make some props, you gotta paint them or it’s just going to look unfinished. I use spray paint for larger projects and latex/craft paint for smaller crafts and detail work.
Scrap Wood
I think everyone who has a house probably has a few pieces lying around. I haven’t really used wood to create a large prop, but I’ve nailed pieces together to make a sturdier base for some.
Foam
I don’t have much experience using foam in my crafts, but I’m going to remedy that this year. You can buy large sheets of foam at home improvement stores, and I’ll be buying some soon to create a life-size coffin. Foam can also be used to make tombstones. I’ve got a foam cooler that I plan on fashioning into one in a few weeks. It’ll be my first foam-based project, so I hope it turns out okay.
Well, that list should give you a good start to your DIY Halloween projects. So gather your materials, folks, and get to crafting. You don’t have much time.
One of my fondest memories (before the world got all easily offended about every damn thing) was the yearly Halloween carnival at our school. All the kids and some of the adults in our town would dress up, play games, and eat – a lot. We weren’t worried about kids having too much sugar or kids getting too scared. We ate funnel cakes and cotton candy until we got sick and let little kids go through the PG-13 haunted house without fear of damaging anyone’s fragile psyches.
Now, it seems like these carnivals aren’t as fun as they used to be, whether it be because people are worried about security, because nosy parents are worried about other people’s kids having too much candy, or because the morality police has decided that Halloween isn’t a family-friendly holiday.
The latter makes me think of that King of the Hill episode where one dumbass, holier-than-thou woman gets Halloween banned in Arlen. What the hell is wrong with people? I have to turn that one off whenever it comes on.
Anyway, school Halloween carnivals just don’t seem as prevalent or as fun as they used to be, so this is my plea to all the parents or would-be parents out there to get your kids/future kids involved in things like these while their young. If you find out about a carnival, don’t dismiss it. Kids love that kind of stuff, and if you skip it, you could be missing out on giving your child some pretty great memories.
Halloween is creeping toward us, and I am FUH-REAKING out because I haven’t started on my projects yet. Yes, I have 102 days left as of the date of this post, but I have A LOT planned this year.
I’ll be posting more-involved DIY projects throughout the Halloween season, but since we have a little over 100 days until the big day, I thought I’d just post a quick little project I whipped up a few Halloweens back.
Three Septembers ago (a Friday the 13th actually), we moved from an apartment into a small house. Moving is a lot of work, so I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for Halloween that year. I set out my cemetery and hung up some ghosts and goblins. I really wanted to do more, but I just didn’t have a lot of time (or money – buying a house is expensive). I was proud of my little cemetery, but I thought my house was missing something.
We have a big double window by our front door, so I decided to dress it up a bit. BUT…I didn’t want to spend any money. Luckily for me, I’ve got a creative mind. I had some black, easy-peel contact paper – the kind that doesn’t stick too much. I cut out some eyes and teeth, stuck them to the window, and – VOILA! – window monster.
Ain’t it fun? It took hardly any time at all, but it added a bunch of Halloween flava. Kids loved it, and with it backlit from behind with a low lamp, it showed up great.
What kinds of fun projects do you foresee for your Halloween festivities? You better start planning now! I know I am.
It’s time for another DIY tutorial! Since I shared my love of PVC pipe last time, this week I thought I’d talk about another one of my favorite project materials: Papier Mache.
When my love of Halloween prop DIY began, I ate up everything I could online. There are so many awesome Halloween blogs out there with so many great projects that I felt a little overwhelmed but so excited about the possibilities. Although I looked at every Halloween blog I could find, my three favorites for inspiration were (and are) Stolloween, Pumpkinrot, and Spookyblue.
I fell in love with all the cool, creepy props the artists had made, especially the scarecrows. I liked the scarecrows so much in fact that I decided I would try to make one, too.
One of the first steps when doing a papier mache project is to create a base. This could be a number of things, whatever you can use to create the shape you want. I wanted to make a large pumpkin head, so I used a large plastic grocery bag filled with newspaper. To get the pumpkin ridges, I used masking tape to create the right shape, and for the stem, I used a rolled up piece of a magazine secured with masking tape.
Like so.
After the base has been made, it’s time to make the glue. There are so many recipes for this stuff online. Choose whichever one works best for you. For mine, I mixed flour and water at a ratio of 1 to 4, and then added some white Elmer’s glue and some liquid starch because I read that it would help the mixture adhere to the paper more easily and create a stronger hold.
Next, it’s time to get messy.
Take strips of shredded newspaper and dip them in the glue mixture. After they’re completely covered, start laying them over your base, making sure to create a thin layer over the entire thing and allowing it to dry a bit before adding a new layer. It’s best to do multiple layers for a stronger prop. I think I used about seven layers for my scarecrow head, but you could do more or less depending on what you’re going to be doing with the prop.
Next up is the detail work. After my scarecrow head dried, I removed the newspaper and bag from a hole in the bottom. You can use your own judgment to decide whether or not you need to do this step. If you’re not going to cut into your prop, you can probably skip it. Since my scarecrow wouldn’t be scary without a creepy face, I drew an outline on the form and then carefully cut out the mouth, nose, and eyes with a craft knife.
For the finishing touches, I used spray paint and dry brushing to give my scarecrow head some color and creepiness. Pieces of dried cane from my husband’s grandmother were used to make the scarecrow body, fastened together in a T-shape with tape and twine. Lastly, I draped some creepy cloth over the arms to flesh it out a bit.
Voila! Scarecrow.
Sure. It might not be the fantastic creations of Spookyblue and Pumpkinrot, but although it might not measure up to those guys, I was pretty damn pleased with the final product. Plus, it was my first attempt, and practice makes perfect. I even got compliments from the trick-or-treaters that came to the house. I call that a success.
I’m already looking forward to making some new creepy things this year. There aren’t many days left until Halloween, so I better start planning now. What about you? Are you planning on any cool props this year? I’d love to hear about your creations in the comments!
PVC pipe. If you haven’t played around with this stuff, you’re missing out on some fun. It is so versatile. Just type PVC Pipe in Pinterest and feast your eyes on all the cool things you can do. You can find everything from garden watering systems to a homemade ball pit for kids to organizational projects for the home. And of course, you can use them for Halloween props!
I never knew how much I loved PVC pipe projects until I saw a picture of a zombie prop frame and decided to try my hand at it. I got my project list, headed to Lowe’s, and ended up with this just a little while later:
You’ll have to forgive the low-light pic, but just look at this cool thing. It was my first prop project, but it definitely wasn’t the last. Check out these fun monsters I also made with a PVC pipe base, some masks, clothes, and foam heads:
Sitting Monster Base
Sitting Monster
Kneeling Monster Base
Kneeling Monster
Reaching Monster Base
Reaching Monster
Feasting Monster Base
Feasting Monster
If you want to try some projects out for yourself (and I know you do), just go to your local Lowe’s or Home Depot and check out their selection. The pipe itself comes in multiple sizes, and there are fittings of different angles to make your wildest dreams come true!
Okay. Maybe not your wildest dreams, but you’ll be able to do some pretty cool stuff with it. They’re like adult tinker toys. Seriously. It’s so fun.
Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:
Draw it out.
The only art skill you need for this is basic stick-figure drawing. Drawing your prop first and counting the angles and connection points helps greatly with knowing how many fittings of each type you need.
For example, this is my sketch for the large standing prop:
An artist I am not. But you really don’t have to be. Draw the basic shape of your prop. For this one, I just wanted him to be standing straight with a slight bend to his arms, so it was very simple. For props that need strange angles, just draw them to the best of your ability. These are the guides I used for my monster props in the pics above.
Monsters 1 & 2
Monsters 3 & 4
See? More complicated but not impossible.
Use yourself as a guide to determine how long you need each section to be and write that down. Add all lengths together, and that will tell you how much PVC pipe to purchase.
To easily determine the type and number of fittings you need, use a different color pen and circle where pieces of pipe connect. The basic types of fittings available are 90-degree elbow, 45-degree elbow, 3-way elbow, tee, and cross. There are other types in stores, but these are the basic ones you will most likely use. After you’re finished, count all the circles for each connection. Now, you know how many of each type of fitting to buy.
BUY A PVC PIPE CUTTER.
There’s a reason this one is in all caps. A PVC pipe cutter makes these projects go so much more smoothly and cleanly than using anything else. I tried using a hacksaw the first time followed by an extra small rotary saw blade. It sucked. PVC dust went everywhere, and that’s just not healthy. You can buy one of these cutters at Lowe’s or Home Depot for cheap, and it makes all the difference. Other tutorials recommend the hacksaw, but I’m super partial to the pipe cutter method.
Make it sturdy.
PVC pipe fits pretty snuggly by itself in the fittings, but over time, the pipe can loosen, which can cause your prop to fall or possibly break apart. If you want to make your props permanent, use PVC glue found at any hardware store. Or you can use them on select fittings to keep your props a little more stable but still able to be deconstructed easily.
I don’t use the glue much because I like to be able to take my props apart completely. When you have as much Halloween stuff as I do, space is a big deal. So I use screws. Small wood screws inserted into joints can make all the difference, but you’ll still be able to break down your prop for storage.
Be creative with other materials.
Use your imagination to make your props bigger and better by combining these projects with other prop-making materials.
Create a full base for a large-scale prop by wrapping chicken wire around a PVC pipe base and adding papier mache.
Add thickness and depth to your props by using chicken wire or cardboard under clothes/costumes.
Foam pool noodles can be used to flesh out arms and legs.
Use spray paint directly on the pipe to make cages or “steel” pipes in your Halloween display. There are just so many options.
Combine different sizes of PVC pipe with wire and cardboard to make other body parts. For instance, with some thick-gauged wire, cardboard cut in the shape of my palm, and masking tape, I made these creepy, skeletal hands and arms.
So get out there and try some fun projects of your own. There’s no wrong way to do it. Unless you don’t use a PVC pipe cutter. That’s just dumb.
Let me know your successes with PVC pipe in the comments! And be sure to check out my other DIY tutorials, including:
I love Halloween, but that does not mean I have an all-inclusive attitude toward Halloween things. I have drawn a definitive line at the cutesy stuff. Halloween is meant to be scary or, at the very least, dark and mysterious. I don’t want to look at Halloween things and think “Awww! How adorable!”
Unless you’re talking about little trick-or-treaters. I had at least 3 Elsas come to my door last year, and I thought they were precious.
Anyway, I say this to tell you that my prejudice against the cute almost made me miss out on a pretty sweet deal. A few years ago, my husband and I were at Lowe’s two days before Halloween, and they were clearancing out their merch to make way for Christmas stuff. I only glanced at their dwindling selection. One of the clearanced items was an adorable (read: nauseatingly cute) life-sized, animated witch, complete with pastel pink striped socks, cute little boots, and pink ribbon in her bodice and hat. She was also wearing a brightly-colored tutu.
That’s right. A tutu.
Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with me, and I began to move along, but my husband stopped me. Like me, my husband can’t pass up a good deal, so he’s always on the lookout for a sale. He noticed a sign that said clearance items were an additional 75% off their already 50% marked down price. That meant that this cutesy, originally $150 witch was now $20.
*Record Scratch*
Halloween prop-making was still new to me, so my first thought hadn’t been how to make this work. Those thoughts were just, “Ew. Cute. No.” But after finding out about the crazy low price, I started thinking about how I could improve it. I mean, $20 for a life-sized prop is a freakin’ amazing deal, and I couldn’t pass it up. I knew I had craft paint to up the creep factor and a few black capes I could use to cover the skirt at home. So $20 and some change later, we were loading that baby up in my car.
And this is what she looks like now.
Pretty sweet, right? She’s been greeting trick-or-treaters at my front door for the past two years, and now I never turn down something at first site.
