#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.

#25 Something Old, Something New

So I was walking in the good will and saw an old wedding dress 

for just $20!

I love old wedding dresses! Usually just dying them grey and messing them up a little is great for a ghostly costume or prop. 

However this time I wanted to go for something a little more ambitious.

I decided I would be Lydia, Winona Ryder's character from the 80s film "Beetlejuice" for Halloween!

Me doing my best Lydia face. I had been told I look a little like her since the movie came out back when I was a kid. 

 I grabbed a couple bottles of Rit red Dye and did the messy deed of turning an old wedding dress red. However the dye did not take to the fabric and its was a dull rose color, and the lace unfortunately turned kind of burgundy.

If I had it to do over i would skip the dye process all together and went strait to spray paint.

They sell fabric spray paint and I used about 5 bottles. I spent more on paint than the dress. It was quite a lot of fabric on the dress and it was very messy!

I did it mostly in the garage and I never want to smell fabric paint again thanks!

I wonder if regular red spray paint would work? 

The dress was a little crunchy anyway so what would it matter?

Anyway I finally had it looking somewhat red, but it needed a little more punch and fluff.

Like my feet?

I bought a bunch of red tule fabric and made a veil and added some to the dress here and there to punch up the  color.

Here you can see how unfortunately some of the lace turned very dark but oh well.. live and learn.

Notice the eerie background set of my cluttered bed room!

I added some gloves that helped punch it up a bit too.

The hair is naturally that messy no need to do anything there.