Halloween 2014 Part 1

Since I'm just a little overwhelmed with life I was bound and determined I was going to buy Halloween costumes.

Unfortunately, my oldest has of course come up with an unique Halloween costume idea. Imagine that, J- unique Halloween costume? Every time I brought up buying a costume he looked willing but sad.
He wanted to be a piece of Modern Art like Jackson Pollock's pieces. I offered to buy a poster of Jackson Pollock's art, but he really wanted to make it himself. So I figured why not he is the one doing the work isn't he?

He started tonight,

I thought he looked just like Jackson Pollock.

Other unique J costumes. Grass and Rock Monster

St Patrick's Day Rectangle Door Wreath

I made a rectangle St. Patrick's Day wreath for my front door. I love my wreath. I also love that I created it myself, instead of imitated something on Pinterest. I've recently realized most of my crafts lately come from what I see on Pinterest-- it feels good to create my own stuff again.  It was quite happenstance that I made it.  My friend wanted to make a moss covered clover for her door, and so we went to Hobby Lobby.  The moss was a few dollars more than I really wanted to spend. But I was so drawn to the green raffia, I had never seen spring green raffia before.  I decided to buy it, and figure out what to do later.  (BTW, Her clover turned out excellent, it was really cool looking.)  That night my husband was fulfilling his scoutmaster duties on a winter campout, so I was left alone with the raffia.  I ended up using my go to craft supply-- cardboard, and made this wreath. I ran out of green raffia, so luckily I already had plain raffia.

I couldn't resist making more rosettes, so I make another shamrock with rosettes.  Everything I already had other than the raffia.  Each package cost $3, perfect price point for my door.

That story has a happy ending, unfortunately I have another wreath with not so happy ending. This story happens before the previous one.  On February 18, my kids didn't have school, and I wanted a St. Patrick's Day wreath.  I thought I surely have enough supplies at home to make a wreath.  I had bought some Pipe Insulation, for just such an event.  I also found an burlap rice sack, and some green felt, what else would I need?! Perfect right?  No, I hated the wreath, luckily it was free.  Also it turns out foam insulator is a terrible wreath form.  Because it has no form!  The longer it hangs on the wreath hook, the more oval it gets.  I'm done with diy wreath forms, if I want a wreath, I'll get a coupon and go to the craft store.  Naturally something this ugly couldn't go on my front door. So I made the raffia wreath. I think if it had a real wreath form, and a different color green felt I wouldn't have hated it.

Possibilities

Last night I fed the kids frozen pizza, when I removed the pizza there was of course a cardboard circle underneath, I looked at it greedily, and though oh the possibilities what crafts could a perfectly formed circle create.....?
I decided a flat wreath form. If you wrap a wreath in something full or fluffy then flat doesn't matter. Actually with a full medium sometimes flat is good so the wreath isn't too huge.

Cardboard is one of my favorite mediums lately. Mostly because its free and I seem to have an endless supply in my garage.

I have yet to have problems using cardboard.  Pinterest has ideas about cheap wreath forms but in my experience they don't work.  

Pool Noodles-- kink 

Insulation tubing-- stretch over time.  

Cardboard no complains, definitely not foam, but works well in its own right.

Too many

I ended up making way too many valentines wreaths! So I gave one to a friend-- she was very pleased.
I cut a heart shape out of cardboard and with the help of a glue gun, I covered it with yarn. Yarn I already had. I used old valentine plaid fabric for my rosettes, and of course a glue gun! Cost of wreath: free.

Lego Rock Monster

Before we started working on the butterfly robot, this is what we were doing.

Making Sulfurix the Lego Rock Monster, from Power Miners.

I was so ready to buy Halloween costumes, I had no desire to make a costume for the 6th year in a row.  But then my son became dead set on Lego Rock Monsters.  He had complete faith that I could make this costume, because I had made all of previous costumes.  But I had no idea how to make this costume.  Here is what the internet offered:
http://relentlessfury.lefora.com/2011/03/18/monstrous-comic-relief/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lego-Rock-Monster-Halloween-Costume/
They helped a bit but overall I was very lost on where to start. I have only ever sewed a halloween costume.

1. We ended up making sandwich board costume.
2. I cut the cardboard the size of my child. 
3. I painted the cardboard, with left over beige sample paint
4. Then I covered it in yellow cellophane, twice so it would be brighter.
5. Then I cut, and folded/molded cardboard rocks.
6. Spray painted them gray.
7. Glued them, lets hope they stay, fingers crossed.
8. For the helmet I used a left over ice cream bucket, and cut the front to resemble the teeth. 
9. My friend helped me paper mache it.  
10. Then Spray painted it gray
11. I cut the eyes from construction paper, and the red is crayon, then I mod podged them on the bucket.

My son thinks its perfect.  If I ever did it again, which I won't, I would make the front of the sandwhich board wider, so it I could make the rocks have the proper room.  I so wish the front board was 6 inches smaller, but J likes it that way.
By the way we didn't make lego hands, because how could he hold his candy if was holding lego hands.
I have to say, I ended up enjoying using the box cutter, and shaping the cardboard.