Dinglehopper Candelabra

Remember the mermaid scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides?  That's where my head was at when, building on the Swamp Lamp idea, I added gadgets and gizmo's, whose-it's and what's-it's aplenty to a basic metal pillar candlestick picked up for a few dollars at the thrift store.  Granted the original sirens were half woman/half bird, through time the mermaid has come to embody the myth of the dangerous creature, luring sailors to their deaths with their enchanting songs.  How festive!!

I started by gathering metal objects that I could incorporate "organically," imagining myself a mermaid gathering flotsam and jetsam and elevating it's terrestrial purpose to art.  Seeing grace in the twists of a now bent dinglehopper (aka fork) rather than it's clear loss of original purpose.  The forks and bottle caps were treated with my usual rusting process and they responded fairly well but did not get the uniform reaction I was hoping for.  So I had to rely on Rust-Oleum Rust Color Spray Paint that in the end, I'm quite happy with.  Had I not done my process first, I wouldn't have all that lovely crust and crud so those couple of days trying to lemon/vinegar/salt rust the forks and bottle caps weren't at all a loss.

Weird, fun, crafty accidental science project tidbit:  The chemical reaction I started with my rusting agent seems to still be alive and working, under the paint. Throughout the day, depending on the weather, crystals will form and disappear.  You can see the crystals in some of the pics.

They keys I purchased off Etsy were already perfectly aged.  I would have loved to have gone on a thrift store hunt for these and other metal detritus but alas, COVID keeps us home.  

From here the process was pretty similar to the Swamp Lamps.  I hot glued my metal bits and shells in place and then used Celluclay to cover the glue and "lock" the pieces in place.  The hot glue simply won't hold this stuff in place permanently.  I skipped the newspaper mache step only because the areas I needed to address were so small I wanted to keep my materials to a minimum.  Using just enough Celluclay to cover the glue, I shaped it to look like rusted or coral growth - what I imagined would happen in an underwater grotto.

After 24 hours, I used a watered down, metallic paint stain the Celluclay.  It's critical to water the paint down otherwise it comes out looking, well, very painted.  I start with a very watered down, light version of my paint to ensure I don't go too dark, too fast.  I can always add more after it dries.  I wish this had come out darker, it would lighten as it dried and I didn't want to paint it much more as it was already taking on a "painted" feel.

Finally, I added a touch of flourish with Muscle Shell Coins and antique bronze jump rings.  I have visions of adorning it more with lockets, watch parts, an old broach... Ugh I want to go thrift store shopping!!!

And there you have it.  A bit of grotto decor for fit for any enchantress, earthly or otherwise.

151 days till Halloween...

(will there be a Halloween?!?!?)

Swamp Lamps: Alluring Illumination

With containment comes time.  Lots and lots of time.  I worry what the future is going to look like.  When October comes, will we feel safe and comfortable going from house to house, drawing close to each other, hands diving into a shared bucket of candy, without fear of deadly germs?  I know it seems silly to think about but it's the normalcy of traditions like Halloween night I miss.  Heck I miss even the freedom of thinking about silly things.

I figured the best therapy would be to plug forward as if all were going to be the same and get to prop making.  I have a long list of stuff I want to try and managed to somehow start 3 all at the same time.  The first to completion (or near completion at least) are these gobsmacking swamp lamps I found via Pinterest & the Halloween Forum.

You can find the instructions here.  They're well written and clear; I pretty much followed them to a tee.  What I posted here are actually the 2nd and 3rd pass at the project.  I kinda messed up the first one when I got to the painting step and I could kick myself.  It's vitally important to use a wash or water down your paint.  It's what gives it the more natural look vs just some craft paint on CelluClay.  And take your time, layer the paint.  You can always add more but you can't take it away.

This was my first time using CelluClay and I LOVE it.  What a fantastic product!  If you haven't used it before, I suggest starting at the base of your lamp where you can experiment and hide "mistakes."  I decided to go over the CelluClay with water using either my finger or a paint brush to smooth it out in an effort to match the smoother texture of driftwood.  I used the CelluClay to bulk up areas, built "bridges" between the bamboo - anything to hide the distinctive look of a tiki torch.

Be patient with the paint, slowly building up the color
for greater realism. 

My daughter and I gathered the wood and some of the shells on a beach trip, the rest was stuff from my stash.  Shark teeth, shells, beach glass....honestly I had a hard time stopping, I just kept thinking of fun things to add.

The shark teeth were found "panning" at a pumpkin festival.
My daughter did gems, I wanted fossils. We both were happy.

Like the "seaweed!"  At first I was going to add moss but then started to worry it would just dry and eventually fall off.   Switching course, I dyed some cheesecloth green (I did two pieces, soaking one longer than the other to get different shades) and then cut small squares.  After pulling at it a bit, stretching it out, I used matte Modge Podge to adhere it to the sides.  I gently brushed more Modge Podge in other areas of the cheesecloth to give it a wet look.  The result is somewhere between seaweed and fishnet, either of which works just fine for me!

Seaweed clings to the outside as light illuminates the creepy
interior of the lamp base

Last note, I realized too late on my first one so remedied it here - it's really incredible when the light is able to find it's way DOWN through the bottom of the jar.  It illuminates the space adding even more visual interest.  I try to keep the tape and CelluClay to a minimum on the underside of the jar.  To cast light both up and down, I taped two LED votive candles end to end.  

This is not an afternoon project.  I worked on mine over days, if not more.  It takes time for things to dry.  And if you're like me, you'll keep thinking of new ways to make it cool thus drawing it out longer.  But man is it worth it.  I still can't believe I made something so cool!

Be safe, we'll be haunting together soon...I feel it.

211 days till Halloween...

My daughter knocked this one over, snapping all the sticks
above the lip of the jar.  After a cry, I got some wood glue and
got to work.  You would have never known, would you?

Pantry Potion: Stained Glass Jars

Officially my new favorite DIY project, these stained glass jars are easy, cheap and full of opportunities to personalize.  I'm in the middle of making a new Halloween prop that calls for a lantern type jar.  I wanted something a little different than my Witch's Jars, something a bit more Enchanted Forest Fairy and less bloody & muck.  YouTube proffered a fantastic & short how-to on staining glass that seemed perfect and everything you need is likely already in your pantry.

Here's what you need:
Glass jars - Mason or rinsed spaghetti, salsa, jelly, etc.  Use Goo Gone to remove any label glue
Modge Podge
Food Coloring
(Bake at 215° for 1-2 hours, until all glue is clear)

I followed the YouTube instructions for my first 2 jars and while I think the overall, consistent color is cool (see the green jars below), it wasn't quite right for my project.   Rather than pre-mixing the food coloring & Modge Podge, I decided to coat the jar with MP first and then add drops of food coloring, working the color around by rolling and tipping the jar.  I also upped the cooking temp to 215° as I felt it cooked a little faster without "burning" the glue.

So far the results are killer.  I think it could still use a bit of tweaking, getting the glue to food coloring ratio just right changes the results.  For now though, I'm in love with my new Fairy Jars.

***Bloody Valentine Votive seekers, scroll down to the end of the post for more details!***

Tips:

• The food coloring will almost run right over the Modge Podge at first, different densities and all.  Eventually they will combine, something you may or may not desire.  The more you work the MP around, the more it will mix.  Too many colors & swirling, the more muddled it will get.  Get it just right and combine two complimentary colors for a fabulous 3 color finish (ie., red & yellow swirls with orange, red & blue with purple, etc.)

• Start with the lightest color.  The darker colors dominate and you don't need nearly as much so add a little at a time.

• Try to avoid excess Modge Podge.  It collects in the bottom and takes forever to dry.  Adding the food coloring adds liquid so you can go a bit light on the MP, even leaving blank areas.  Once you add to food coloring,  you'll have enough to cover the blanks.  (Or leave them clear, up to you.)

• If you do wind up with a pool of Modge Podge, don't despair! You can coat the jar with it again to expedite the drying process.  Using hot pads, take the jar out of the oven and tilt it slightly to one side.  Tilt & roll the jar around, working the VERY HOT, lava-like colored MP around the sides.  Please note this will tend to cause a more even, constant color.  So if you have some good swirly whirly areas, you may want to dodge them as you work the VERY HOT MP around.  BE VERY CAREFUL.  Make sure to keep your eyes peeled, random globs of VERY HOT MP may gather and fall if you're not paying attention.

• You can avoid the previous tip by just using as little Modge Podge as possible.  I wish I could tell you a perfect MP to food coloring ratio but it's really all trial and error and what sort of look you want.  Dig into your Haunt Hoard of glass jars to experiment with color combinations and MP.  It's endlessly fun.

Finally, like most of my projects that involve candles, I recommend using flameless LED. Safety first and it adds to the longevity of your art.

Share your Fairy Jars in the comments!

311 days till Halloween...

Even and light coating of Modge Podge with
6 drops of yellow food coloring

Swirled and whirled yellow food coloring

4 drops of green, swirled and whirled

Few drops of blue. Mid jar you can see where
the color and MP have begun to mix

Last looks before putting it in the oven

Drum roll...

While not my favorite it's a nice view of how the colors work with Modge Podge - mixing, not mixing, etc.  More results from the craft laboratory below...

Yellow, Green & Red food coloring

Blue & Purple food coloring

Yellow, green, blue & red food coloring

This was my first attempt at the new technique. It's muddled a bit but also pretty cool & will work well in my new prop.

I followed the YouTube video for these, using green & yellow food coloring and pre-mixing it in the Modge Podge

MY BLOODY VALENTINE:

For these bad boys, I premixed the food coloring (red) and MP, put a small amount in the bottom and coated just the lower inch or so.  I then carefully dripped the mixture along the upper rim of the jar, varying quantity for different drip lengths.  I used the same knife I had used for mixing color and MP like a spatula for the drips - scooping up a bit and pouring it gently over the rim.

After it baked for about 15 minutes, I swirled the hot lava MP around the bottom for another coating and also added more drips, laying the color in some places and creating new drips in others.  Repeat this process until you get the color and look you like and finish baking until all the MP is dry.  Bloody great candle holders for Valentine's day...

Frighten all the Senses

At a loss for what to add to your haunt next?  No space for a new prop?  Ask yourself, are visitors to your haunt getting an experience that stimulates ALL the senses?

It's pretty easy to overlook a sense that can really drive up the eeriness of your haunt - smell.

In the past I simply burned incense just to create an atmosphere.  Jumbo sticks are available that burn for hours so you can set it and forget it while busy with the trick-or-treaters.  

However a couple years ago I found a company that is simply divine - Dark Candles.  They've managed to craft unusual and unique scents that truly evoke the given name.

Cemetery Gates - smells like metal, not even kidding

Coffin - rotting wood and dirt?  ✓and ✓

Graveyard - damp earth, stone, rot

Dark Grove - fragrant trees, damp earth, moss, woodland spirits

These are just a few of dozens of options.  I place them in areas I knew visitors spend time, taking photos or waiting for candy.  So they move through the gates and into the graveyard, past the coffins and then wait next to the grove for treats.  It's fun to watch people stop, pause and take a deep breath, unsure of what's changed or why it feels different.  A subtle touch that pays big dividends.  

49 days till Halloween...