Homemade Halloween

Have you ever had inspiration just hit you in the head like a ton of bricks? This Halloween for me it all started with some old curly willow I had sitting in my garage for years. I walked past it one day and decided I must make a Halloween tree this year. So next chance I got, Ozzie and I ran to the hardware store for some black spray paint and to our neighborhood Goodwill for the perfect little urn.

I only wish I had taken a picture of the urn before I spray painted it. It was a lovely gilded gold number and was a whopping $.70! I spray painted both the urn and the curly willow black. I fully intended to figure out a way to age or distress the urn but when we brought it in from outside, it distressed all on its own. I'm sure any chemistry genius could tell me why it happened but I was just happy that a step got saved. I added some reindeer moss from the craft bin and my Halloween tree was done. I had originally intended to add some hanging pumpkins or spiders but after seeing it on the mantel, I liked it just as it was.



Last year my friend Brooke printed potion labels from Love Manor's Flickr set. I loved it so much that I book marked it and saved it for this year. Like Brooke, I used items from around the house to fill my apothecary jars.

Graveyard Dust using the sandbox sand.

Earth Worms using potting soil.

Twisted Twigs using the extra black curly willow from my tree.

Vampire blood is a tube of fake blood from the Dollar Store and water.

 The mantel complete with candles, black satin fabric and some old trick or treat plates I had from a previous Halloween. I do think it's missing a spider web or bat on the empty frame behind it but with Halloween only 10 days away, I'm hanging up the towel.

I had extra black spray paint and decided to paint some old frames. I saved the tree and boo print from some one's blog last year and I am really sorry that I don't remember who it was to give credit to. Funny thing about the mini-pumpkin, it was fully decorated from a pumpkin decorating play date but after a few weeks of sitting on the table, Ozzie slowly took decorations off until it was bare.

It used to look like this. Ozzie decorated it with orange and black glitter, four eyes, an O sticker and a feather.

And because it is my favorite item to decorate each holiday, my branch frame with vintage Halloween cards.

The best part about these Halloween crafts is the cost. Here is the breakdown:

Black spray paint- $2.99 from the hardware store.

Urn- $.70 from Goodwill.

Potion labels, tree and boo sign and vintage cards- free off the Internet.

Curly willow- free from my garage.

Jar fillers- free from around the house.

Vampire blood- $1 from the Dollar Store.

Black satin- $3.99 from Joann Fabric.

Reindeer moss- free from the craft bin.

Votive candles- 6 for $3 from Joann Fabric.

Total cost- $11.68

You gotta love a good bargain! Happy Halloween!

p.s. I have to apologize for the quality of the pictures. Unfortunately we misplaced our camera charger so I was forced to use my phone to take all of these pictures.