Monday, October 26, 2015

DIY Creepy Halloween Haunts

I tried to make non-scary Halloween decorations, but I failed. These things are SO creepy!

At least the kids don't seem to be too afraid of them.

Here's the basics of how I made these easy creepy haunts:

I came across this tutorial, from Martha Stewart... oh how I love Martha. She calls these creations "Cheesecloth Spirits", which sounded pretty tame to me. Here's what her version looks like:

I decided to give it a try! First I found the wig heads, for much cheaper on Amazon than the sources listed in the original tutorial. Because it's always good to use odd number grouping when decorating, I ordered 3.

I followed the directions on the tutorial, using a mixture of watered down Stiffy, and craft glue. But, it would work just as well with some outdoor mod podge.

To apply it I used a cheap foam brush. You could probably just use a sponge too.

This is a messy job, and you'll need LOTS of cheesecloth. I'd plan on at least several yards per "spirit". Start by placing a piece of cheesecloth over your Styrofoam head, coat with outdoor mod podge.

Continue to layer on more sheets of cloth, ripping the ends to give it an erie look.

But, once these were dry, the looked too plain to me. There wasn't much definition in the face, so I decided to bring more attention to the eyes.

Using watered down acrylic paint, I added deep purple to the eye area. Because it was so watered down, it dripped down the face and into the folds of the fabric, causing a super erie "bloody tears" effect. You could use blood red, but I prefer subtlety suggestive halloween decorations. Overdoing it on the "blood and guts" always seems like kind of an easy cop-out to me. Subtle is creepier.

But, I have little kids in the house, and they looked a bit too creepy. So I decided to try to tone down the freaky factor a little bit.

For slight sparkle and texture I applied some mica flake medium that I had on hand.

I also covered up some of the dark purple with plain white acrylic. They were a little less disturbing after this.

Time for them to find a home!

I glued/ screwed white cup hook into the top of each head, and suspended them from small bamboo sticks.

Be sure you really rip up the cheesecloth at the bottom, so that there is plenty of extra fabric to flutter in the wind.

I tossed a couple of strands of christmas lights in the bushes bellow these cheesecloth ghosts, because up-lighting is always spooky, and they were ready for fright night!

Happy Halloween!

Also, if you like DIY decorations as much as I do, you may enjoy this post:

Dollar Store Pumpkin Make-Over

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to these fun crafting blog parties:

http://www.skiptomylou.org/made-by-you-monday-260/

http://madincrafts.com/mad-skills-party-283/

http://diyshowoff.com/2015/10/25/that-diy-party-64/

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/party-time-diy-inspired-no-69/

http://titicrafty.com/2015/10/bewitchin-projects-block-party-121/

http://www.sewcando.com/2015/10/halloween-time-craftastic-monday-link.html

http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2015/10/mix-it-up-monday-blog-party-without_25.html
http://www.funkypolkadotgiraffe.net/2015/10/too-cute-tuesday-linky-par-tay-256.html
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/inspire-me-monday-83/
http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/tip-me-tuesday-happy-crafters-share-10-27/
http://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2015/10/titus-2-tuesday-179.html
http://thecraftyblogstalker.com/create-link-inspire-linky-party-100/
http://www.carolynshomework.com/2015/10/the-inspiration-board-creative-party_27.html
http://ladybug-blessings.com/?p=6329
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2015/10/wow-me-wednesday-229.html#
http://www.mygirlishwhims.com/2015/10/your-whims-wednesday-234-and-features.html
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2015/10/wow-us-wednesdays-245.html
http://thenymelrosefamily.com/2015/10/whimsy-wednesdays-191.html/2#
http://thehappyhousie.porch.com/delicious-fall-desserts/
http://thewinthropchronicles.com/2015/10/share-it-link-party-190/
http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-91/
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/come-on-over-and-show-off-your-stuff-fdtr-190/
http://www.posedperfection.com
http://bloomdesignsonline.com/2015/10/lovely-little-link-party-49.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2015/10/29/creative-inspirations-linky-party-161/
http://www.artsyfartsymama.com
http://www.coloursaturatedlife.com/6-fabulous-fall-decor-ideas-brag-worthy-link-party-3/
http://livelaughrowe.com/around-the-house/

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Hayley Brentmar

Hello! My name is Hayley Brentmar. Thank you for visiting my blog! I am an: artist, designer, mother, literature nerd, daughter, sister, homemaker, wife, traveler, and teacher turned homeschooler. I am a sucker for packaging, and I suck at playing sports. Aesthetics are crucial. Please visit my professional webpage: https://hayleybrentmar.com Let's be friends on GoodReads! Find my profile with this URL: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1452367-hayley-brentmar Also, please visit my first website at this URL: https://sites.google.com/site/hayleydeeenestbio/ Professional and Educational experience: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayleybrentmar123/

Friday, October 9, 2015

Working With Ugly Carpet

Sometimes, working with a modest budget means that there are parts of your home that you simply can't change. In other words, sometimes there are things that you just have to work with.

In our new house, that "thing" was an unfortunate shade of mint green carpet.

Before

When bought our house the walls were pink, and the carpet was green (my husband nicknamed it "pistachio").

Before

Staying within our redecorating budget meant that the carpet had to stay. But there were aspects of the space that we could change.

For example, we knew that we could paint, bring in new furniture and add natural light. By making these feasible changes, we could still update the room with a fresh new feel.

To start, I created a Pinterest board where I began to gather ideas and inspiration. Using everything from wedding cakes to clothing as inspiration, I gathered images of visually pleasing color combinations featuring mint green.

Shades of green look lovely and modern when paired with red. Green and red are considered "complementary colors," so they tend to go well together.

Grey is a popular color in interior decorating right now. So, to update the space, I added a trendy midcentury modern style couch, in a rich warm grey.

I was pleased to find this sofa at CB2 (an affiliate of Crate and Barrel). Both Crate and Barrel, and CB2 are excellent sources for reasonably priced, midcentury modern inspired pieces.

avec sofa

Next, I painted the walls using my favorite go-to paint: Benjamin Moore, #925 (the perfect warm white).

We also added three inexpressive sun tunnels into the ceiling. Sun tunnels are a budget friendly alternative to traditional skylights, and they will flood your space with natural light.

We purchased the two accent chairs from the previous owner, and had them reupholstered. To see "before and after" images of these chairs click here.

I found inexpensive throw pillows in perfect coordinating colors at Target, and added them to the seating areas.

I also purchased a grey "poof" for extra seating, and painted the dated fireplace white.

Then I added red curtains that echod the modern color pallet.

To give the illusion of larger windows and let in the most light, always hang your curtains so that they rest directly in front of the wall to either side of the window (the idea is to hang them so that they don't actually cover any of the window itself when they are open).