#29 Vintage Witchy Recipe box

For a while I have been meaning to organize all the Halloween recipes I've collected over the years in a fun way. 

So I was feeling crafty the other day as usual.
On all of my big projects either the paper mache was still drying or I didn't have supplies to continue, and it has been so hot I just didn't feel like going out and shopping.

Anyway, I found an old unfinished recipe box (they sell them in the unfinished wood section at most craft stores). I've had it for a while actually just never could decide what to do with it.

My first thought was  to decoupage on it. So I started looking up vintage Halloween images online. Here are a couple I really liked...

But then I saw an image on a vintage paper hat for sale for $100!

(hmm can't find the link anymore.)

I just fell in love with it. 

So I decided to hand paint the box with a similar design.

First I simply painted the box black and the top of the lid orange with acrylic paints.

Then eyeballing it, I drew the image on in pencil and went over in black paint.

Added more details until I was satisfied.

I glued on a pretty ribbon as trim around the lid, and then sealed the whole thing with a matte varnish.

For the inside dividers, I made tombstone shaped tabs out of black card-stock and wrote on them in white pencil. 

I will probably redo these a little better soon with some of the pretty Halloween paper craft stuff they have out now.

Lastly I just I printed up the halloween recipes on cardstock in the appropriate sizes.  

Now all my witchy goodies are in one organized space. 

#26 Vampire Kit

Vampires can be a real nuisance!

That's why I like to have my trusty vampire kit on hand! 

Especially on those late nights

 when I am alone working in my garage.

It all started on one fateful trip to Hobby Lobby.

I found this box in the unfinished wood section. 

I glued on the cross cutout (also in the wood section) and stained it all.

What inspired me most are this beautiful little bottle and a silver crucifix. 

The bottle was in a perfume bottle display. 

As for the crucifix... if you haven't been to a Hobby Lobby, 

to say they have a lot of Crosses is an understatement!

 There are so many lovely ones to choose from.  I decided to stay on the simpler side for that.

Garlic, I actually had a fake garlic garland from the dollar store. 

I just tore a couple off and tied them up with raffia.

For the wooden stake I used a 1"wooden dowel (below, also in the wood section).

I cut it the length to fit my box, and carved a sharp point.

I almost killed myself several times doing this.

 I also used my wood burner to make symbols in the side, 

just because that seemed like the right thing to do. 

I then stained it and wrapped some twine around the handle and used glue to keep it secure.

I lined the box with cheap velvet wanna be scraps that I had on hand. 

If I had it to do again I would buy a stiffer felt like fabric because the floppy velvet was a nightmare!

 I ended up cutting pieces of scrap felt and covering them with my velvet.

It was annoying and time consuming but it looks pretty now. 

I was just being cheep, but I wont do it that way again.

Oh and i wanted it to have sections for the pieces. 

I measured and cut cardboard and covered them with the velvet as well 

and then glued them in place.

So there is my Vampire Kit!  

Ready on hand in case I ever need it!

Warning: This Vampire Kit may not work on Twilight Vampires!

The best way to destroy a Twilight Vampire, 

 is to tease them until they develop an eating disorder.

Just kidding....I like to make fun of Twilight, but I don't hate it. 

And my nieces like it, so I can't be too mean.

#10 Medusa Mirror

I was looking at hand mirrors in the dollar store, trying to come up with a gothic project. 
I had a few ideas come to mind but this is what I did first.

This would make a perfect gift for young girls and it teaches a good lesson.
 All beauty decays with time..... and it could all go out the window fast one day, if you piss off a Goddess!






Anyway I started with my little dollar tree mirror. 

I Covered it in ridged wrap. It comes in a bag, in the clay section at michael's. Easy to use
 just add water.

Sorry there are no pictures of it covered in the wrap. I took them but must have accidentally deleted them. any way you can cut this stuff up in strips and you just need all the plastic parts covered.




Then after the wrap was dried and started building medusa face with the paperclay.

I love this stuff!!! Its like a clay. You can get it damp to manipulate it.

But it is super light weight and it air dries.

I formed her face kind of crudely from the clay on the back. 

Flared nostril,  scowl,  eyebrows, sharp teeth... ya know scary stuff. 

Kind of a cross between a vampire and a witch actually.

Then I started making and draping snakes. They are pretty easy to make but you can only do a few at a time or else they get all banged up. So I just did a few a day here and there, until I got what I was looking for.

Next with a very wet clay a filled in the seams between all the snakes. The reason is I want it to appear as if it was carved from stone, so it needed to look like one piece.






The paint part is easy, you just need a small detail brush a bigger, bristly brush, and black and white acrylic paints.


After priming I did a base coat of black over the entire thing making sure I got in every little pour and crack.


Next I made a very dark gray from the white and black. I painted over it with a medium loaded brush...not needing to get in every crack the time... letting flecks of the black show through.


Then I made a much lighter gray. After lightly loading the brush tap of the excess paint so you have a dry bush and brush on. avoiding the shadow areas...want them to stay dark.


This photo kind of shows the progression of layers.

lastly I went in with my dark gray and added more detailsshadows, 

This is hard to mess up because even if you mess up just add a darker or lighter color where needed.

Thats about it...... 

See, one side you have your pretty young face then....

Take heed  young maidens!!!!!!

#3 Countdown to the Halloween

I saw a count down Halloween calendar similar to this in Pottery Barn Kids a few years back. 

I really wanted it, but it was some ridiculous price. 

I had already made a homemade Christmas advent calendar like the one my mom had made us as kids, We loved waking up each morning to that special treat, and counting the days left till the big day. 

It is very similar to this, so here is my Halloween version.

This one I don't have the tutorial on but its pretty explanatory.

I had thought of making a shape like a pumpkin or a witches hat but I liked the simple look of the orange pockets on black in PBKs, so I replicated that layout. But you could do any shape you what is just felt so its no sew.

I started with a big piece of black felt, this is about 3 x 5.

I folded the top and hot glued it, to make a pocket sleeve just big enough for the curtain rod to go through. You could sew this if you like.

Then I made pockets out of orange felt. I made more than 31 because i like the way it looked all squared off .. so they get a little something extra a couple days before and after October.

When you are measuring them, make sure to get them big enough to fit the stuff. 

I have three boys, so I need mine big enough for 3 of everything.

I glued these on too of course leaving and opening at the top.

 It's a pocket...get it!  Duh!

Again you can sew them on if you want.

All the little pictures on the front are felt pieces,

 I drew them on felt, cut them out and glued em on. Added some more details with fabric paints. 

I did the dates on some... I still mean to do them all. Its not finished as you can see. I do a little more every year.