Create a Spooky-Cool Halloween Centerpiece

Hello, friends!  Thank you for visiting my blog!   Halloween is just around the corner!  In light of this, I thought I would share a super-easy spooky-cool centerpiece idea!  I was planning a tablescape this year with a Burton theme....here is my process.

My supply list:

One large coffin with Styrofoam insert
Pumpkin figurine
Fake plastic skulls
Cardboard
Black spray paint
Wooden dowel or skewer
Tan paint
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

I began by tracing my coffin to create a template.

Shown here.

Cut out.

Trim to size until the cardboard fits just inside your coffin.  Hot glue the cardboard template onto the Styrofoam to create a platform.

Spray paint black.  Set aside to dry.

Next, I removed the hat from my little figurine, I think he resembled a Tim Burton pumpkin much more without it.  :)

Here is a glimpse of Mr. Burton's exhibit at MOMA NYC (Museum of Modern Art) which ended in April 2009.  Do you see the similiarities?  If you'd like to see more of the exhibit, you may visit the article in the Los Angeles Times here.

On the platform, I began gluing skulls one on top of the other until they were a small pile.

Right in the center, I pushed the wooden skewer through the cardboard platform and down into the Styrofoam.  These reminded me of the Burton film Corpse Bride.

 

I used a paint similar to the bones of Mr. Pumpkinhead to paint the skewer.

Allow to dry.

Set Mr. Pumpkinhead right onto the dowel/skewer. 

Arrange to your liking and hot glue into place.

All set!  Cute and spooky, isn't he?

Where to buy:

Mr. Pumpkinhead figurine, K-Mart
Plastic skulls, The 99¢ Store
Paint, Wal-mart
Wooden skewer, local grocery
Cardboard, Hobby Lobby
Coffin, a lucky find at a local thrift, items similar are sold at Michael's Crafts


To see this centerpiece featured in my 2014 Tim Burton-inspired Halloween Tablescape, please visit the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

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DIY Mackenzie-Childs Candles

Hello, friends!  How are you enjoying the cooler weather thus far?  I know I definitely am loving it!

Fall and Winter are such whimsical seasons!  Decorating during these seasons also can be.  I am a huge fan of Mackenzie-Childs, one of the most whimsical design houses I've ever seen.  Mackenzie-Childs has done a brilliant job of meshing fun and classical.  It saddens me that the company is no longer held by its creators, Victoria and Richard Mackenzie-Childs; they truly had some fabulous ideas.

I was perusing the internet in search of candles for a tablescape I was planning, when I came across these lovely beeswax candles created by an outside manufacturer for the brand.  Although not officially Mackenzie-Childs, these were created to compliment items from the collection.  Lovely, no?

Unfortunately, it was very recent when I found them, and I didn't want to pay a fortune to have them expedited.  I figured I could make my own version.  Here's my process.

You will need:

Plain white taper candles
A permanent marker
Wax paper
Scratch paper
Two-ply tissue or toilet paper

I began by marking my Kleenex at every two-inch interval.  Be sure to use a piece of scratch paper or it will bleed through.

Create stripes by coloring.  Do so delicately, or your tissue will tear.

Wrap the tissue around the candle and cut to size.  Remove the top layer of tissue.

  Wrap candle in wax paper cut to size.

Use a hair dryer to melt the tissue onto the paper.  The heat will melt the wax in the paper onto the wax of the candle. Once melted, the tissue will adhere to the candle. Remove and discard wax paper. Voila!

You can use this method for transferring any design you wish!  So fun!  To see these featured in my Tim Burton-inspired Halloween tablescape for 2014, visit the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Spooky-Cool Goth Tea Sachets

Hello my friends!  I hope everyone is enjoying the beauty of Fall so far.  In honor of Halloween which is just a short time away, I thought I'd begin preparing for a spooky Goth or Dark Tea.  Hosting a tea party is such a fun way to get together with girlfriends, and if you've read any of my previous posts, you know I love making little tea sachets as gifts.  These have a decidedly darker theme.  I made two sets of sachets, a set of black or purplely-grey, and a set of black and red.  I hope you enjoy the post.  

  

Black/Purplely Grey Sachets

You will need:
Doilies
Black fabric dye
Black tissue paper
Black ribbon
Packaged tea bags
Bowl
Rubber gloves to protect your hands

Begin by washing your doilies in the dye.  I used rit.  Rather than follow the instructions, I used a minimal amount of water and poured directly onto the doilies instead.

When the doilies have absorbed the color,

remove and place between paper towels.

Pat to remove excess liquid.

Place on clean paper towels and allow to dry.  The color isn't exactly black; they are more like a purplely-grey.

 

Cut black tissue paper to size for the amount of sachets you want to make.

Place packaged tea inside and close by pinching.

Place in the middle of doily, and pinch to close.

Adorn with black ribbon. 


Red and Black Goth Sachets

You will need:

Black lace or Spooky black netting material
Red tissue paper
Packaged tea bags
Red ribbon

Stretch your spooky fabric out.

Cut to size for the amount of doilies you want to make.

Cut your red tissue paper to size.

Place teabag in the center of your tissue paper cutout.

  Pinch to hold closed.

Set in the center of your black cloth.

Adorn with a red ribbon. 


These spooktacular little sachets are perfect for Halloween or a Dark Tea event.

To see these featured in my Dark Tea Party, you may visit the post on my other blog, Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

Where to buy:  

Doilies, 3/99¢ at The 99¢ Store

Spooky cloth, The 99¢ Store

Ribbon, The Dollar Tree

Tissue paper, Spritz brand by Target, The Dollar Tree

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

 

 

Fall-Infused Witches' Broom Swag

Hello, dear friends!  Thank you so very much for visiting my blog!  I haven't written here in quite some time, but today I felt inspired.  :)

It is officially Fall, with Halloween a short time away. Most folks decorate for early Fall beginning in September, and by the time October rolls around, they are ready with their spooky items. 

Unfortunately, I am shamefully behind on getting my outdoor décor Fall or Halloween-friendly, oh dear.  My solution:  Outdoor swags that incorporate both Halloween and Autumnal elements, thus making the transition to late fall an easier one. I hope you enjoy the post!

You will need:

A witches' broom

Fall foliage swags

Burlap ribbon

Raffia

Burlap or hemp twine 

Industrial-strength Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Mini pumpkins

For this project, I used a total of five fall swags.  One each of sunflowers, one each of darker foliage with an acorn per broomstick, and I split evenly one last swag of autumn leaves. 

Bead glue onto the broomstick.

I placed the sunflower swag first.  Hold in place until the glue cools.

 

Bead glue on top of the swag stem.  Add your second swag. 

Hold in place while glue is still hot,

and wrap a bit of raffia around to bind.

The glue is very hot, so I used the tip of my scissors to hold in place until the glue cooled.

Next, I added the remaining Fall foliage upside down on the broomstick opposite the other swags.  Repeat the process of binding with raffia.  Set aside.

Cut a piece of burlap to size, one for each of your broomsticks.

On the reverse side of your broomstick, bead a small amount of glue to hold the ribbon in place.  Tie your ribbon.  The ribbon should cover the raffia binding.

The broomsticks come equipped with a hanger at the top, so I simply hung it on one of the wrought iron swirls of my front door.

I pulled the swag at an angle and tied it down with a small bit of raffia.

Another shot. 

  Here is a close-up of each side.  Right.

Left. 

I thought they were missing something, so I decided to add a small pumpkin to each.  Remove the tag of each pumpkin, but do not remove the plastic.

Loop a small bit of burlap or hemp twine through the plastic, and tie to one of the stems on at the top of the broomstick.

All complete!!

Here are a of couple close-ups.  Right.

 Left.

This was an easy project, and each swag ended up costing less than $5 to complete.

 

Where to buy:

 

Broomsticks, The 99¢ Store

Fall Foliage, The 99¢ Store

Mini pumpkins, The Dollar Tree

Hemp thread, I had on-hand from The 99¢ Store

Burlap Ribbon, Wal-Mart

Raffia, The Dollar Tree

 

 

I hope everyone is enjoying their Fall so far!  Thank you for visiting. 

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤