Treat Tables: Trick-or-Treat, Socially Distant Edition

 

Trick-or-Treating, what to do?!?  It's not what could be inside the treats that could be troubling this year but just the very act itself that is causing consternation.  I've seen that folks are offering drive thru ToT while other communities are trying, fruitlessly I suspect, to ban it altogether.  Yesterday I saw a fantastic TikTok from Jersey of a zip line delivery system that delivered treats for the kids, and beer for the parents.  Pure genius.  

Another option is the Treat Table.  Individually wrapped treats can be left out on a table for little goblin hands to grab and the right size table forces some social distancing between the treat giver and recipient.  And for a Haunter like myself it quite generously offers up yet another landscape for me to decorate.

My daughter's school is going this route, the kids will ToT to the different rooms, each classroom pod setting out a table with treats.  You just know I had to offer up my decorating services.  My goal is to have a different theme for each table.  One catch: I won't know until I get there what size tables I'm working with.  Each classroom will free up what they can, so it will be a mismatch of long, short, round, square which means I need to be able to adjust the designs on the fly.

First up, the Giant Monster Mouth!  Variation on a fantastic porch decorating theme you likely have seen before.  And easy peasy.

Materials:
Red plastic table cloth (I like the giant rolls you can find at supply stores like Smart & Final)

Tablecloth clips
Foam Core Board
Command Poster Strips
Ruler
Xacto Knife
Scissors

Pretty self explanatory from here.  Cut the teeth out of the foam core board using your knife and ruler. I cut one and then flipped it over and traced it so the two sides would match.  No need to be as exact, some random lengths, different sizes would also look equally monster mouth-y.

I cut the tablecloth to the desired length, making sure it went all the way to the ground to hide the table legs.

Attach the clips to the table, making sure they line up behind the teeth.

Finally, use the Command Poster Tape to attach the teeth to the clips.

I'm cutting out all sorts of sections of teeth so that I can do this on anything from a 4' to 6' table and have either teeth all the way across, or just side fangs like in the picture above.

Check back in the coming days as I add more designs to this post.  I was just so happy with my Monster Mouth, I had to share it straight away!

Tarantable!

I'm so in love with this Tarantable, I just giggle when I see it.  It turned out as good as I had hoped for despite some hiccups in my initial plan.  There's likely some more tweaks I could make to improve upon it more but for now...

Materials:

4 pcs 1" x 6' Pipe Insulation

Black Electrical Tape

Black plastic tablecloth

1 package Tablecloth Clamps

1 package large plastic ornament ball halves, 2x halves total

2 packages small plastic ornament ball halves, 4x halves total

Krylon Metallic Silver Spray Paint

Krylon Black Matte Spray Paint

Hot Glue

Sharp Scissors

Xacto Knife

Duct Tape

I can't find a link to the plastic ornament balls but they're in the DIY ornament section and they come in two pieces that are meant to then be snapped together.  The paint doesn't come out as shiny as the cap would lead you to believe so to keep the reflective effect for the eyes, I sprayed the insides of the balls rather than the outside.

I laid the half dome pieces out on a piece of cardboard, traced around them, cut it out with my Xacto and then gave both sides a quick coat of Black Matte Spray Paint.

To attach the domes, I used VERY hot hot glue on the inside lip of the dome and then flipped it over and into place, allowing the glue to drip down and dry, holding the dome in place.  I double checked they were on there good and added glue where needed.

By spraying inside the domes, they eyeballs stay perfectly
arachnid reflective

I cut the plastic table cloth so that it would just cover the top of the table and used the clamps hold it in place, keeping in mind these clamps would also serve to help attach the side legs.

The legs will depend on your table but basically I just eyeballed the first one, cutting the foam at the length and angle where I wanted the "knee" to be.  When you flip one the pieces you've just created, they'll line up and form the "bend" in the leg.  You may need to futz with it a bit to get the angles the way you want them and be sure to cut the end that attaches to the table at an angle as well so that it lays flush.

I first used hot glue to attach the two leg pieces together but the glue was so hot it was melting the foam.  The result was a partial attachment with some melted gaps.  So I grabbed some black e-tape and used that to cover the seam and it worked like a charm.

To attach the legs, I cut small pieces of cardboard, just slightly bigger than the diameter of the table end of the leg.  I slid this under the tablecloth clamp and then used e-tape to attach the leg to the cardboard, cover the bit of brown entirely to help maintain the illusion.  I extended the tape a bit beyond the cardboard as well to make sure it was on really good.

The front and back legs are easy - just cut the insulation to whatever the table length is and wrap the insulation straight onto the leg.

I used 2 of the metal clips at the front to attach the eyes to, sliding a piece of Duct tape sticky side out between the tablecloth clamp and the table that was shorter than the width of the eyes.  This turned out to be far more secure than I expected.  I'll likely add more tape when I set this up at my daughter's school because, well, 3-5 year olds.

One more angle, just for fun...

PS this is just a short kids table, the angle of the photo
makes it seem like a monster!

This is a simple one that would work in a variety of Haunt themes and I'm calling it, Sad Sack. 

Materials:

Garden Burlap

Manilla Rope

Cut burlap to length and then use the rope to hold it in place by threading the rope through holes in the burlap.  Cut strips and pull a the loose fibers to give it a more aged look.  Done.  You could also dye the strips with green and brown Rit dye to give it a swampy, mossy look. 

Witch Way to Treats?! Right here my pretties!

For this sweet sorceress, you'll need:

Halloween Themed Fabric

Pipe Insulation

Striped Knee Socks

2x Black Glitter Foam Sheets

Spool of Ribbon

Scissors

Hole Punch

With the exception of the pipe foam, I was able to get all of the necessary supplies ON SALE at Joann's.  Late Halloween shopping at 75% off is my kind of shopping although I have noticed they put the stuff out so early each year, it's already 30% off by October 1st.

I stop by the the remnant bin every trip to the fabric store, especially this time of year as there's often a bounty of Halloween prints at a fraction of the cost.  This time I found 2, a shiny purple and then a reflected black with shiny, opalescent dots.  Very witchy!

They had lots of color combo options for the knee high socks: black/orange, purple/black and green/black.  I bought them all, I just couldn't decide!

Using a sheet of plain paper, I drew up a basic outline for a boot and lined it up so the heel side was along the fold.  I lined this up with the foam and cut it out.  Make sure you keep the boot wide enough to wrap around the table leg but if it's a little short, you can always use more glitter foam to make a "tongue" for the shoe to help hide the sock.

Had to use my scissors to keep it from opening up
when I took the picture :)

I used my single hole punch to make holes for the ribbon shoelace.  My hole punch couldn't accommodate both sides so I did one and then did my best to line up the holes on the other side.

From there it's just a matter of lacing up the boots with the ribbon which I did by lacing up one side and then figuring out how much I needed to do the other side.  Be sure not to cut the ribbon too short that it won't make it around the table leg (I may have made that mistake on my first try.)

 

I had the pipe foam already on the table legs from the Tarantula so it was just a matter of slipping on the socks, sliding on the boots and draping the fabric.  I left the edges of the fabric remnants for the skirt raw as I know very few witches with tidy hem lines.

  

A Haunting Hiatus

 

Little Pearl is dark this year.  And my heart hurts.

It wasn't COVID that shut it down, but that had been weighing heavily on my mind as to whether or not we'd even have a Halloween this year.  Rather, it was a decision to move back to the area I grew up that I now find myself sitting here on the 3rd day of the greatest month of the year and all my haunting goodies are in a 16' POD somewhere in Oakland, CA.  And I am not handling it well.

What will all those kids who've come by to Trick-or-Treat think when instead of a Halloween feast for the eyes, they find only a "FOR SALE" sign?  Have I let them all down?

I will of course rebuild.  I told the realtor that my #1 priority was that my new neighborhood had to be Halloween friendly.  Because I'm coming in hot and with zombies.  On October 1st.  Every year.

In the meantime, I drive around with painful envy of the most meager of yard displays.  Even poorly done spider webbing makes me jealous (sort of, it's still pretty bad. Stretch it people!  Stretch it!)

What this has afforded me is the opportunity to tackle an idea I've been knocking around: the "$100 Haunt."  Halloween props, GOOD Halloween props that is, can be expensive; the high price a deterrent to decorating for just "one day."  Home Depot's 12ft Skeleton nearly came home with me when I went to get some soil in August.  At $300 and in the middle of a move, it would have been hard to explain to the Mr.

You can pull off any number of my Property Possession themes with a handful of smart purchases for around $100.  From there, you can add as you desire, growing the display as you find more treasures over the years or you can choose to leave it at it's economic perfection.  As I was feeling rather low, I hit the nearby Home Depot for some Halloween Retail Therapy and bought everything for a Witch's Lair display, including the pumpkins.  Here's how I did it.

Shopping List:

1x Wood Crate                         $12.98

1x Lantern Candle Holder        $13.98

2x Metal Paint Bucket              $10.44 (pack of 3)

1x 3/8x 50ft Manila Rope         $9.97

1x Jute Twine                           $2.87

1x Steel Pail                             $22.88*

BBQ Brush                               $5.98

Paint Brush                              $2.00

Cinnamon Broom                     $4.99

Total:                                        $86.04 (w/o tax)

*This is an old pail I have been using for years to mix concrete for my tombstones so technically I didn't need to purchase it this go around.  I've included the cost to be fair.

The following are items I always have on hand for crafty stuff.  Whatever you can't find at Home Depot you can pick up at the grocery or dollar store:

Paper Towels

Distilled Vinegar

3% Hydrogen Peroxide

Salt

Lemon Juice

SOS Pads or Steel Wool

Rubber Gloves

Goof Off (degreaser)

2x Pumpkins

    *At Home Depot they were around $5 a piece which is a great value.  Add to your discretion.  My personal minimum of double digits had to be curtailed this year.  Grr.

I aged the crate with my favorite SOS Pad solution and rusted the buckets over the course of 2 days until I got the color and look I wanted.  That's pretty much it! 

Stacking rusty metal buckets is another idea I've been wanting to share.  Straw bales and crates are great, I obviously very much like crates.  It just felt like in order to have fun with levels and height, that's all there was.  Meanwhile, I was working on my rusted buckets post which produced, mildly put, A LOT of buckets.  And when you're doing things like this to make it happen:

...funny how creative genius works.  The crate reached a particularly lovely deep grey color; SOS Pad solution still beats Steel Wool in my book.

The lantern was discovered in the clearance area they set up outside the store, an area that frequently offers up great props at a great price, especially candle holders & lanterns.  What would have been a lovely lantern for an outdoor summer dinner party is now at half the price and ready to illuminate a haunt instead.  P.S. Later I picked up one more VERY cool lantern online that was also on sale not because the display really needed it, I just couldn't help myself when confronted with it's coolness. 

Just those items alone produces a display rich in color and texture that could take you all through Fall.

From here, just about anything could be added to this base over the holiday, the months, or years.  In my case, it was more like hours.

My 4 year old has an eye for the Nefarious by Nature and found some old wasps nests, a Magnolia tree seed pod, feathers, oak tree branches with lovely green lichen, and some detritus from a tree that look like snakes.  Corn stalks were picked up from Michael's "Fall Foliage Sale."  A fossil, picked up on a trip to Wyoming many years ago, was found in a drawer at my dad's and ticks both the Nefarious by Nature box and Sinister Souvenir.

My Haunter Hoarder stash contributed the rusted tin can and stained glass jar.

Goodwill offered up some Thrifty Thrills in the form of a pillar candle stand, small engraved metal pitcher and an engraved metal ball.  Side note, my metal bucket stash was mostly built from thrift stores.  Beverage buckets, buckets from gift baskets and flowers, etc. often find their way to these stores so you can stock up on metal buckets in all sorts of sizes and shapes for far less than retail.  My amazing stash that sits, scared and sad in a POD in Oakland, will eventually make for a killer post. 

I also wound up getting a roll of burlap and made a creepy cloth drape for the door and used the rest to cover up some building supplies that were seriously effecting the Halloween vibe.  Burlap has many uses in a haunt, from false walls, to covering areas you don't plan on decorating, to creating vines or creepy curtains.  And all for under $11!

Here's the end result.  I really wish I had access to my antler sheds as I think they'd look great in the mix.  Otherwise, I'm very pleased with my set up and can't wait to show you how to flush out more haunt themes without breaking the bank.

3/8 Manila Rope threaded through the burlap, hung from hooks.
I cut the rope long so it would hang down & then used it to tie the
"vines" back so we weren't getting tangled every time we went in or out

Untied, blowing in the breeze.  Creepy!

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: Rusted Metal

I love the romantic decay of rusted metal.  The colors and shapes speak to years of use, storms passed and time gone by.  In a haunt, a rusty bucket can hint at neglect, abandonment or perhaps even a nefarious use.  Here's how to get a perfect patina that doesn't require years of patience, just some pantry staples.  

I'm going to show you how to do a galvanized metal object.  If you're using a tin or unsealed object, you can skip Step 3 as noted below.

What you'll need:

• Metal Object
• Lemon Juice (for galvanized objects only)
• Distilled White Vinegar
• 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
• Salt
• Paper Towels
• Plastic Tray or cardboard box (optional)
• Gloves
• Clean BBQ Brush
• Degreaser (Goof-off)
• 2x Spray Bottles
• Matte clear Polyurethane spray

I picked up the bucket at a favorite supply source - the kitchen store - for a mere $5.99.  They're great for Hydrogen Peroxide, gloves, BBQ brush & spray bottles on the cheap as well.  The rest you can find at your grocery store.  Look for store brands and "pantry staple" sales year round.

Wear gloves to prevent oil from your hands from getting on the metal and interfering with the rusting solution.

Step 1: Degrease the metal with the degreaser to remove any dirt, oils or finish that will prevent the rusting solution to work.  

Step 1 - Degreased and ready to go

Step 2: Use the BBQ brush to distress the metal, taking care to brush in various directions as you go (I like alternating circles and X's).  I find this helps expose the metal to the rusting solution effects.

Step 2 - already looking less shiny

Step 3: Soak the metal in a bath of 90% vinegar to 10% lemon juice.  For larger objects, wrap metal in paper towels soaked in the solution. Ensure as much contact between the object and towels as possible and try your best to keep the towels wet.  A spray bottle of the solution is handy for this step and can even be used to apply the paper towels (spray object, apply towel, spray towel).  Let soak overnight. (Skip this step if your not using galvanized metal).

Tip: This is a messy project so I highly recommend using something to protect your work area.  A plastic tray can act as a catch basin and the paper towels as wicks, their ends soaking solution pooled below.  Mixing tubs and Plastic planter saucers are great for this.

Step 3 - Bath time!

After just a few hours the shine is gone

16 hours or so later.  Already some rust forming. Upper inside
didn't have a nice contact with the formula soaked towel leaving
it somewhat shiny.  Grr.

16 hour mark, other side

Step 4: Mix the following in a spray bottle: 4 parts vinegar to 2 parts 3% hydrogen peroxide to 1/2 part table salt.  Mix VERY WELL, dissolving all salt crystals before using.

Tip: This next step works best with a little heat so if possible, work in direct sunlight, allowing the metal to warm up.  The heat acts as both a catalyst to the reaction in addition to causing it to dry quickly.

Step 5: Lightly spray the metal with the solution from Step 4.  Allow to dry and repeat until you reach the desired effect.  Be mindful of using too much solution as it can drip and run, leaving the rust in the plastic tray below rather than on the metal where we want it.  This process can take just a few hours or days, it's up to you.  I find leaving things out exposed to the elements at night and spraying during the day for a couple days works best.

Step 5: After first 10-12 sprays..

About another 20+ sprays later...

40+ sprays, a night out, hit by the sprinklers...

Step 6: Seal object with Polyurethane spray.  The rust is powdery and can come off on your hands so it's a good idea to fix the patina in place.  Especially if you're doing a beverage bucket and plan to have ice/water inside.  For beverage buckets, I'd suggest either skipping Step 3 on the inside or, in addition to sealing, use a plastic liner/bag that can be held in place with magnets so that the beverages don't wind up swimming in rusty water.

Step 6: Sealed

A slight change in angle and colors shift, so cool!

Finished product in disguise as a cool way to chill beverages...

262 days till Halloween...