Halloween is creeping up on us--is your house ready? I've been having so much fun making spooky decorations for my house. If you need another cheap and easy Halloween decorating idea, check out our guest post for Halloween potion bottles with aged (i.e. coffee dyed) labels over at Make and Takes today. Definitely spooooooky!
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Time to announce to very lucky giveaway winners! The winner of our ottlite craft caddy giveaway is:

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I love that my kids' school still lets parents bring homemade treats for birthdays, etc., because I love making homemade treats! Last year I let my son choose a cake pop from Bakerella's Cake Pops book, and he chose the robots. So darn cute! A ton of work and supplies, though. He wanted them again for his new school, but the book is in storage in Seattle (I couldn't bring everything, remember?).

So while perusing Bakerella.com for some new ideas, I found these brownie spider bites that she put together for Paula Deen's site. They were just right for my birthday boy (who is 8 today--I can't believe I have a cub scout on my hands already!). Aren't they creepy? Also a lot of work, but not so pricey. And my son thought mine were cooler than the original. Score one for mom!

Here they are all packaged up, ready to go to second grade!

I couldn't find the black licorice wheels for the spiders' legs, so we improvised with Twizzlers red Pull-N-Peel. And there was no way I was going to spend the money to buy the raspberry gumpdrops for a bunch of 2nd graders, so I used red and orange M&Ms. I just colored a little black pupil in with a black edible food marker.

Please forgive the pictures, as I was finishing these up after midnight last night. I won't tell you how long after midnight I was up, but I will tell you I love my kids. A LOT. You see, I had to make something for my Kindergartener's class, too, because his birthday is tomorrow and they celebrated it in class today. He chose the ghost pops, which are about the easiest of Bakerella's pops and one of the cheapest (no crazy candies to buy). I made them out of a brownie mix instead of cake (like the spiders called for), which is awesome because they're not only yummy, but you don't have to mix in the frosting and you can skip the freezer. Yipee!
This is Bakerella's photo, not mine. Mine weren't quite as perfect, but just as yummy. One tip. The Wilton edible markers do not write well on the candy bites for some reason. I have had nothing but bad luck with them. I know Bakerella uses a more professional one (not sure what it's called). So I drew my ghost's eyes and mouths on with a little melted chocolate candy coating and a toothpick. They looked cute! Sorry, no pic. I was too tired to think of it by the time I was done with them. But either of these spooky treats would be perfect for a Halloween party. Try them with a brownie mix instead of cake and frosting--they're dangerously delicious!

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My mother-in-law and sisters-in-law recently made cute tulle Halloween wreaths during a girls' trip and sent me pictures (wish I could've been there!). I decided that making my own was the next best thing to crafting with them, so here's my version, girls! Here's how you can make your own. . .

Tulle Halloween Wreath & Plaque Tutorial

Supplies:
*Embroidery hoop (choose a size just a bit smaller than you want your finished wreath)
*Approx. 3 yards tulle off the bolt in black, purple, orange, or lime green (I used a combination of black rough netting and a softer tulle, both available at most fabric stores or at WalMart)
*Wide ribbon (mine was 6" wide) for bow and to hang wreath
*Wood plaque (ready-to-finish plaques are available in the wood aisle at craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby, but I painted one I found at the thrift store)
*Black spray paint or acrylic paint
*Sand paper
*Book pages from an old book
*Computer and printer
*Adhesive (I used Elmer's Craft Bond spray adhesive, but Mod Podge would work, too)
*Clear coat spray or Mod Podge (I like Krylon's Matte Finish spray)

To create the wreath, I started out the same way I did in my Halloween Chandelier tutorial, with an embroidery hoop and about 1 yard of tulle off the bolt cut into 3" x 6" strips. Tie them on the hoop in a square knot. Then I added another two yards cut into longer strips (about 2" by 10"). These longer strips can be tied on the hoop in between the shorter strips until the wreath looks full. 

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A while ago we had a fun guest tutorial series from one of my favorite bloggers, Vanessa at Lella Boutique, for a zig zag quilt. Remember that? It was one of the best tutorials for the zig zag pattern that I'd seen! Some of you noticed that we recently removed the posts from our site as Vanessa has made the pattern available for purchase. (Find it here on Pattern Spot!) She felt badly to have inconvenienced any readers who had bookmarked the pattern to make it later, so she is offering a fabulous giveaway to our readers to apologize! Isn't that sweet?

It's especially "sweet" because this giveaway is for Vanessa's newest pattern--Trick or Treat Bags. One reader will receive custom trick or treat bags for their kids (up to 4 bags), and 5 more readers will receive a free copy of the trick-or-treat pattern to make their own! Just in time for Halloween--that's no trick! Here are the choices (fabrics used may not be exactly the same, but similar):

Leave us a comment about which trick-or-treat bag you love most and you'll be entered to win! Giveaway ends Tuesday, October 11 at 11:59pm. We'll post our 6 winners next Wednesday!

And if you're in love with the fabric she used as the backdrop for these photos, find out what it is and check out the beautiful quilted fall table runner she made using it on her blog! She has a great tip for quilting straight lines, too.

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When I was growing up, recess was one of the best parts of my school day. You would look forward to those little breaks in the day when you could get together with all your friends and play. No work required, just laughter, fresh air, playing, and fun.

There were so many different things we would enjoy. Four square, soccer, playing tag, swings, and more. One of my absolute favorite things was the monkey bars or rings. It was always a challenge with my friends to see who could get across them the fastest and smoothest. I remember I took quite a few falls in my effort to be the quickest, but it sure was fun. I remember practicing on non-school days so I would be better at recess with my friends. So many of my wonderful childhood memories took place at recess. I can see these memories being built in my own son as well.



In the past twenty years, children have lost an average of 8 hours of recess a week. Danimals Rally for Recessis a national initiative designed to create healthy competition, pitting school against school. Go to Danimals Rally for Recess for a chance to win $20,000 for your Elementary school playground. Plus each day Danimals is giving recess-related prizes to keep kids healthy and active. Share your Recess memories below and go to Rally for Recess for more information on how your school can win!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Danimals. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest Rules.

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We are so excited to introduce you to a wonderful site, La Posh Style. They have wonderful clothing and accessories and we know you are just going to love their stuff! Now that it is Fall, I am so excited to pull some different clothes out of my closet. I always love this time of year with all the layers and adorable clothing out there. La Posh Style has some fabulous Fall items.

I am in love with this coat. Love the color. Love the ruffle detail. Love it.

And these boots? Wow. I'm probably not hip enough to pull them off, but they are beautiful!
Ok, I could go on and on, but I know you are dying to get to the giveaway part. This is the exciting part. La Posh Style is giving one of our readers a $50 gift card!! Oh, I am so jealous of all of you. So, if you want to be entered in this giveaway (who wouldn't) then visit La Posh Style and look around. Then come back and leave a comment telling us what item you would get with your gift card if you win. For a second entry you can like La Posh Style on Facebook. Good luck! This giveaway will end Friday, October 7th at 11:59pm PT.

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Thanks to everyone who entered the Baby Blvd. giveaway! I loved that almost everyone who entered said they wanted the turquoise damask. Me too! However, our winner wanted the green & purple flowers tote, which is also darling. You get your wish. . .

Congratulations! Please contact us with your e-mail address and we'll get you in contact with Baby Blvd. for your prize!

If you didn't win, you can still get that turquoise damask fabric (or the pattern to make your own) in the Baby Blvd. shop!

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Halloween Countdown Calendar Tutorial
Supplies:
*5x7 picture frame
*3" book rings (look for these at office supply stores--I found mine at Office Depot)
*Cards with numbers 1-31, cut to about 3" x 4"
*Paper, ribbon, fabric, buttons, etc. to decorate your frame
*Crop-A-Dile or hand drill
*Paper adhesive
*Pencil or pen

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One of the best parts of being a craft blogger is being able to tell you all what products out there are actually worth buying (because I'd want someone to tell me!). Recently I received an OttLite Craft Caddy to try and it has taken up permanent residence on my desk. I'm happy to report that this is one craft supply you're going to want to put on your Christmas list this year!

Why is it so cool? Where do I begin? Well first, for obvious reasons, the light! It's awesome, just like natural light, helping you see details clearly and truer colors, which is always good for crafting. 2. It reduces eye-strain, so you can work longer (and later in my case!). Always a plus. 3. It's energy efficient, and bulbs should last up to 10,000 hours!

And last but not least, the base is a caddy (with removable cubbies) that holds your most-used tools! 

But wait, it gets better. It has a handle so you can move it from room to room! I love that I can take mine downstairs to use while I'm crocheting at night.

But wait, IT GETS BETTER! This has to be one of the biggest selling points for me. The base also features an extra outlet for your glue gun, sewing machine, whatever! After plugging in my computer, Silhouette machine, and OttLite, I don't have any extra outlets, so this is essential for me. Brilliant!

So did I convince you that you need one of these? Good, because we're giving one of these awesome OttLite Craft Caddies away! Here's what you gotta do. Check out the OttLite site, then come back here and tell us which feature you'd like best about this awesome craft lamp. I'm also curious about what craft you'd use this most for, if you want to share. Be sure to leave your comment by Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 11:59pm PT for your chance to win! Good luck!

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It's almost October--time to break out the spiders and skulls! This is definitely a favorite holiday around our house. This week I made a quick and easy Halloween banner and a couple of buntings to hang in my kitchen (I don't really hang it outside, I just can't get a good pictures of it because it hangs in front of a window, hence the outdoor arrangement). My boys came home from school, spotted it immediately and said, "Does this mean it's almost Halloween?!" followed by much hooping and hollering. I may have let out a little "hoop" and a "holler" myself. I'm not ashamed to say I'm looking forward to all those Almond Joys they're going to be handing over.

I started out by cutting letters to spell "Trick or Treat" on my Silhouette machine. I used the Rococo font found here (and on sale for $1 through today!). The black card stock I had on hand was not Stampin' Up!, which is what I usually buy, so it was a little thinner than I like. I solved the problem by cutting two of each letter and layering them to make them a little stiffer.

Next I sprayed them with spray adhesive (you could also use glittering glue or Mod Podge, but the spray is way faster and less messy--just make sure you work in a well-ventilated area!). I like to spray my things in a cardboard box to make sure the surrounding area doesn't end up sticky.

Then I set it on a paper plate and dumped Martha Stewart's fine glitter all over it. Tap it off and you have a sparkly, happy letter! Love it!

To make the paper pennant bunting, I cut strips of patterned paper into 2" x 1.25" pieces. Then I cut them into pennant shapes by hand (do it while watching TV and it will be done in no time).
Using my sewing machine, I stitched them all in a row, leaving 2-4 stitches between each pennant. If you haven't tried this before, don't be afraid to try it! Sewing on paper is one of my favorite things to do, and so far I haven't ruined my machine or any needles. I love how this bunting turned out. I wish I could have these hanging all over my house, all year long. . .they're so festive.

For the paper fan bunting, I used the leftovers from my Halloween bat mobile / chandelier and strung them on a piece of thread with a needle. (See our tutorial or video tutorial for the accordion circles for instructions). 

I love the layered look of the three buntings. They are the first thing actually making me excited about fall! Bring on the Almond Joys, baby.

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