Happy Halloween!
That’s it today. 
I’ve been busy with the little one and the hubs today so I don’t have any designer-y posts. I just want to thank you all for reading and to enjoy your Halloween weekend! Harper will be a witch! A nice witch, of course! xo, L.
Isn’t she a doll?
This is what pumpkin patches look like in Likely, ha!
{Not So} Secret Giveaway!
I’m busy on client projects this morning, so I just wanted to post a quick little post offering a one-day-only giveaway! And this isn’t a random.org givewaway where only one person wins, today EVERYBODY WINS! Just leave a comment telling me which Print-At-Home PDF Halloween Party Set you’d like (by 8 AM PST tomorrow morning, October 29th I’m feeling generous so keep ‘em coming! I’d love to see my party set out there!! Happy Halloween!!) and I’ll e-mail it right over to you! Or you can buy it for $4 in my Etsy Shop. You choose, hehe…
Your choices are ‘Ghoulish Glam’
{Scrolling skulls, witches, spiders, bats, pumpkins and “Happy Halloween” graphics for grown-ups!}
Or ‘Little Monsters’!
{With cute little jack-o-lanterns, witches, monsters, aliens, spiders, skeletons, mummies, spiderwebs, and “Happy Halloween” graphics for the kiddies!}
And I’ll e-mail you the 5 page file that looks like this (without the watermarks, of course!):
My only request is that if you actually print it out and use it, then please send me pictures! Enjoy!! xo, L.
Read More{DIY} How to make cupcake toppers!
So you want to buy a PDF/Printable/Print-At-Home Party set off of Etsy but you’re not sure what to do with it? Fear not…I’m here to help! For example – how do you make cute cupcake toppers like this out of what a seller sends you?
Easy peasy. Actually, I’m not sure exactly what the packages look like from other sellers, but this is what I sell and this is how I make a ‘cupcake topper.’
Required/*Optional Tools:
- White cardstock (available at Wal-Mart, Target, Staples, etc.).
- A printer (you’re on your own here).
- Glue or tape (I use hot glue and double-stick tape)
- Lollipop sticks (4″ is a good size for food toppers)
- *Scissors or…
- *Craft Punches (I’ll go into details a little later on WHICH craft punches you need).
If you buy a PDF Print-At-Home Party Set from me, this is what you’ll get: 5 pages of instructions and patterns, all of which you can print over and over again and use however you want. Just don’t give the PDF file away or sell it. I worked hard on it…I’m sure you understand.
This is the instruction page – it gives you some tips on how to use the patterns:
These are my ‘Ghoulish Glam’ patterns that you can cut out with scissors or with a 1.5″ circle craft punch (see below). It’s much easier/faster/nicer looking with a craft punch.
These are the striped backgrounds, which I’ve made approximately 2.5″ wide. You can cut them out with scissors, or punch them out with a craft punch. I use a 2″ craft punch (a scalloped circle), but you can also punch out regular circles, squares, ovals, etc.
The same thing here with the solid backgrounds – I didn’t put the graphics directly on the backgrounds so that you can customize them however you’d like!
And this is the striped pattern that I’ve included as well! You can cut triangles out of it (3 per page – instructions are on my instruction page) to make a pennant banner, you can use craft punches to make gift tags, napkin rings, cupcake topper backgrounds, confetti, or print them on label paper to make wine bottle labels. You can also fold them to make place cards, Halloween cards or favor tags. Or use your imagination because the file is yours to use however you’d like!
Here are some examples that I made using the file!
These are my “Little Monsters” party set, which is the same as the “Ghoulish Glam” set, except the center graphics are different!
So what is a ‘craft punch’ and where do you get it? Most people would just head down to their local craft store and find them in the paper crafting section (Michael’s, JoAnn’s, etc.). If you live in Likely, nowhere near a Michael’s, you have to shop online. I like Scrapbooking Alley.com because they don’t charge tax and have free shipping! Then you can (usually) find what you need – they seem to be sold out of the 2″ scalloped circle punches right now but I’ll show you the different brands anyway!
- {Click here for a list of places that sell the Uchida of America Super Jumbo 2″ scalloped circle punch.
- And click here for a list of places to buy the EK Success XL 2″ scalloped circle punch.}
What you’ll need is something like this (this brand is EK Success Paper Shapers – but this link will take you to the 3″ size – you need the XL 2″):
There is also the Uchida of America brand (which is what I have – but this link will take you to the Mega size, which is 2.5″ – you need the Super Jumbo):
When buying the Uchida of America brand, they come in lots of shapes and sizes, and here is a handy guide to their sizes:
- Xtra Giga (Blue/green color) is 3.5″
- Giga (Purple) is 3″
- Mega (Pink) is 2.5″
- Super Jumbo (Blue) is 2″ (the perfect size for making cupcake toppers!)
- Extra Jumbo (Yellow) is 1.5″(the perfect size for the center circles for cupcake toppers or napkin rings, etc.)
- Jumbo (Green) is 1″
- Standard (Peach) is .5″
You can also buy punches from a Stampin’ Up demonstrator, if you happen to know one. Stampin’ Up sells the EK Success brand.
Now how to make a cupcake topper: If you haven’t figured it out yet, I simply punch out the background color (printed onto white cardstock) with a 2″ scalloped circle punch, punch out the center graphic with a 1.5″ circle punch and then tape them together with double-stick tape. To attach lollipop sticks to the back (I use 4″ and I buy them on eBay), I like to use hot glue. Easy peasy, right?
And don’t forget, that if you want someone else to make some for you (ahem…me!), then you can buy them from my Etsy shop (I always pay for the shipping)! My oven is finally fixed, which means that I can bake some cupcakes to photograph my new cupcake topper designs – be on the lookout for new holiday toppers — so cute!!
Happy Halloween!!
Read MoreI Just Couldn’t Help Myself!
These crack me up! Did you ever “Elf Yourself” on the Staples (I think it was Staples?) website for Christmas? All your friends do a little elf dance. Kills me – I laughed for HOURS!! And when I saw that JibJab had a free Halloween Monster Mash dance I just had to go for it. This is me (the mad scientist), Glenn (the vampire), Harper (the Frankenstein monster), Erin (Glenn’s sister – the bride of Frankenstein) and Ben (Erin’s fiance, the werewolf). And I just had to share. Maybe I should have added John & Sherry Petersik from Young House Love, ha!! Oh well, maybe next time.
Enjoy!!
Boo!
Aren’t we scary?? Halloween 2007 at Glenn’s sister’s Halloween party – I was a {sexy} French Maid, but…I decided to be dead. I always like to do that (probably because I’m so good at the makeup by now!) – whatever I am, I’m dead, or at least make myself look dead for Halloween, ha! And Glenn actually wore eyeliner for his Johnny Depp/Captain Jack Sparrow costume. I was amazed.
I’m breaking out the Halloween decorations this week, but as I’ve been getting into my storage boxes I realized that I forgot that I donated a lot of my decorations when I moved last year! They were a little on the cheesy side and I’m looking for more of a “Martha Stewart/Pottery Barn” Halloween look now. I know, I know, don’t judge! It’s all so pretty, though!! I was really inspired and excited after watching the Martha Stewart show today – their set is decorated with the most adorable and crafty Halloween decorations!! Here are a few of my favorites from their website, and hopefully I can try a few of them out this year:
Hehe…“Head-Waiter Tray.” This is made out of a foam head and gauze dyed with brewed coffee. And the reviewers say that theirs are still holding up from last year.
Hanging vellum lanterns – an inexpensive to make project, but would make a big impact with a lot of them! They also show them with these more sophisticated scrolling snake and frog designs:
You can print out these “Spooky Candy Jar Labels” right from the site. They say things such as Rotten Sweets, Deadly Morsels, Dreadful Edibles, Witch’s Sticks, Twisted Treats, and Devilish Delights. Pretty cute, right? I’d also like to make my own wine labels in a similar style.
I really like these outdoor Graveyard Ghosts. They make the heads with pumpkins, and I love their glowing eyes – but I really love the billowy fabric for their bodies! And those white pumpkins on the ground are gorgeous!
This Funkin’ Scarecrow is pretty cute, too! I’m sure I could find some clothes for him to wear and the few trick-or-treaters we do have would get a kick out of him!
I really love this Autumn Wreath Pumpkin Chandelier. Unfortunately there is now “how-to” for this one, but I’m sure you could figure it out if you really wanted to make it! It’s a grapevine wreath with real leaves and little pumpkin candles attached, suspended from a ceiling hook. Theirs is outside, but it would be pretty indoors, too!
This Black Silk Flower Wreath is a great idea for Halloween and would be simple (and cheap) to make! As long as you have access to the materials…always my problem living in Likely!!
Now this is a pumpkin that I could carve!! I’m waaayyy too impatient to make a fancy-schmancy jack-o-lantern like some intricate ones out there, but I love this one!! Imagine how this “Mouse Motel” would look at night, all lit up! Maybe it would scare the real mice that are out here away…
I loved the way this one looked – and it’s backdrop! What do you think of this Pumpkin Lollipop Holder? I need a broom like that. I also really need a big, beautiful porch for all of this fun stuff! Mine is too dinky so I guess I’d have to use the lawn.
Yes, Martha, great job on the glittery skulls! These are so pretty! I’ll have to search for inexpensive skulls for this one.
Hmmm…I still need a coffee table. What do you think?? A Coffin Table stand-in until then?
And I need to make about a hundred of these. Fun! Glittered Spiderweb Hurricanes. I also saw a tutorial for a Halloween candle jar using tissue paper, a mason jar and Modge Podge that you should check out!
Did you know that window cleaner will completely remove stamp pad ink from glass? Then go crazy with a spider stamp like this:
Garland is a great piece of holiday decor that can go a long way – use it over doorways, on mantles, in windows – I would use it everywhere if I had enough!! MS has tutorials for garlands made out of paper, real leaves, teeny tiny gourds and more. I love the ones that have natural (or faux natural) materials in them – leaves, pine cones, pumpkins, etc. Click on the images to link over to the how-to’s!
Not into hand-crafting your own holiday decorations? I love how places like Pottery Barn offer a lot of free shipping on holiday items!! Love these!! Click to shop.
This is the kind of garland I need. And how great is that black door?? They don’t seem to sell the garland or wreaths, but it might be a fun project to DIY or keep shopping around for.
I love their tablescapes. Catalogs are great for studying to learn styling tips!
Anyway – what are you doing for Halloween decor? Any cool DIY projects you’d like to share? Do you have any other good sources for products or ideas? Then leave a comment and share, share, share!!
Read More‘Little Monsters’ Cupcake Toppers and Print-At-Home Party Set Up in the Shop!
Well…the title of this blog post pretty much explains it all. I loved my ‘grown-up’ “Ghoulish Glam” party set so much I decided to make a separate kids’ version! Aren’t they cute? I call them my “Little Monsters.” I love the little witches, monsters, aliens, jack-o-lanterns, mummies, spiders, skeletons and spiderwebs! Check it out!!
Plus making the brownies so that I could photograph them was even better! Yum!!
And don’t forget the striped pattern that’s included in the print-at-home version to use however you want!
They’re up in the shop as a pre-made set of 25 cupcake toppers, or a print-at-home PDF file that you can print and use over and over! Enjoy!
Read More
About Me
I'm an interior designer and a draftsperson, but I live in the country. I like it that way. I'm also a firefighter's wife, mom to 2 cute kids, and a homeowner and I like that even better. But right after that is a pretty and affordable space...and I mean a REALLY affordable space. Because I believe good design can be for EVERYONE!
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