Halloween Candles, Take Two



Yesterday I shared a tutorial for this little Mod Podge Halloween votive. After trying it out, I decided that it would be just a bit too "fiddly" for the patients that I have right now so I started pondering how to get a similar look that was a bit more straight forward.

I started thinking about a post I had seen over the summer on Gingerbread Snowflakes about using Mod Podge and food coloring to make luminaries and glassware. So I went back to Pam's blog to take a look and they were just as fabulous as I remembered- hit the link here to go take a peek but don't forget to come back for my Halloween version (yes, Pam has alot of really great things on her blog and you'll be easily distracted).

Here is the "less fiddly" version that I came up with using colored Mod Podge.


You'll need:

A small candle votive
Mod Podge
Food coloring- red and yellow
Wax paper
Brush
Black scrapbook or construction paper
Small container

Clean your votive and turn it upside down on the wax paper.

Pour a very small amount - like 2 tablespoons- of Mod Podge into your little container. I used one of those Glad disposable containers that I never dispose of.

Just in case you're wondering, this project goes much more smoothly if you don't drop the cap to the food coloring into your Mod Podge. I'm just sayin' ...

I started out with one drop of red food coloring and two of yellow.

It was too light and knowing that this dries much lighter and translucent...

... I added two more red and one yellow.

And then I added some more. The total came to five red and five yellow drops of food coloring.

Start painting on the Mod Podge. Some of the folks who have done this discuss things like stippleing and other techniques to get rid of the brush marks. For this project though, I thought the brush markers could serve as the vertical ribbing on the pumpkin so I didn't worry about them and there's no need for you too either.

Once the votive was coated with a nice layer, I put the lid on the Glad container and saved it just in case.

Sure enough, it dried nice and translucent but I wanted it darker so the color would stay nice and pumpkin-y when the candle was lit. So I added a second coat.

This time I added the facial features  to the pumpkin that I cut with the CriCut. Remember, he's upside down. It's OK to coat over the facial features with the colored Mod Podge as it dries translucent.

It looks like one hot spooky mess right now, doesn't it?

Follow the same steps as before to trim the edge of the rim with an exacto knife and add glitter glue around the opening at the top.

And Wa-La!

Now he looks pretty spiffy! The color is a bit deeper with this guy than with the tissue paper votive. I suppose you could tint the Mod Podge for the tissue paper version if you wanted but that seems kind of redundant. Maybe it would give some vertical pumpkin ribbing. Oh man-- now I have to make another one to see .....

There is definitely a difference in texture between the two versions.

Now, because I just have to play with the possibilities, I made another version using plain old Elmer's Glue.

I didn't use as much food coloring (start with two red and four yellow) and the colors right away appeared to be brighter. I knew from a test patch that I did the other day that the white glue does not dry as translucent as the Mod Podge when tinted so I held off with the facial features and let the first coat dry completely.

The white glue tries translucent but without the brush marks.

So I added another coat plus the facial features.

And there is our third little pumpkin. Pardon the messy glitter glue on the rim but I was rushing things along with the hair dryer and, well... things happen.

As you can see, each of our triplets has its own personality. The tissue paper guy(bottom) born first, is a bit rustic. The second pumpkin born has an old world glass look to him while the last of our triplets is smooth and almost modern with his frosty opacity.

Even when lit they have subtle but distinct differences. I guess it all comes down to what you have available- just run with it.

The surprise of how it comes out is half the fun!

Thanks for working through this project with me and please stop back again.

Halloween Candles

I was messing around trying to get a craft together for work the other day so I went with a tried and true project-- Mod Podge Anything! I know, this has been done- but I hadn't done it yet so away I went..

You need:
Small roundish candle votive
Orange tissue paper
Mod Podge
Black scrapbook or construction paper
Glitter glue in a bottle with a tip
Scissors
Wax paper

This perfectly shaped candle votive is from Dollar Tree.

(I know, I need to get a light box rig fixed up but my little Mom Cave play space just doesn't have much, well... space.)

Cut tissue paper into about 1 inch squares. No need to be exact.

Turn your votive over on the wax paper. This prevents the tissue paper and Mod Podge from lapping over to the inside, where it could conceivably catch fire. Safety First.

You know the drill... brush on the Mod Podge in one small area at a time...

lay on the tissue paper ...

and cover with more Mod Podge. I used the Hard Coat flavor Mod Podge for this project since the coated bottom will be in contact with surfaces like window sills, tables, etc. The Hard Coat flavor doesn't stick like the regular does at times.

Work your way around the votive until it is completely covered, overlapping the tissue squares as you go. Go ahead and add some extra patches and layers so that the orange doesn't fade when the candle is lit. Make sure to get the Mod Podge and paper all the way to the edge.  It's OK if the tissue paper hangs over the rim onto the wax paper, just be sure to use your brush to get the paper up against the votive.

I used my CriCut to cut out little pumpkin faces but free hand is just as good. Glue the face onto the votive but remember that he is upside down. I realized afterwards that the face probably needs to be just a taddy bit higher. Lower? Closer to the rim of the candle votive. OK- now let him dry completely, upside down on the wax paper.

When your little pumpkin fella is dry he will peel right off the wax paper. But he will also have these raggedy edges. I used an exacto knife to go around the rim and trim all that off.

Neat and tidy!

Next I went around the edge with the glitter glue and gave him a nice sparkly trim. Let that dry completely.

And there he is!

Of course doing one design, one time, is never going to satisfy me so I conjured up a couple friends for him. The white ghost takes an extra good layer of white tissue so it stays white when lit instead of just looking frosty.

And a cat. Everyone needs a spooky little kitten at Halloween.

Once these were done I started thinking about the patients I currently have and this may be too fiddly, mainly because the tissue paper can be hard to see once you start coating it with the Mod Podge.

So, what to do ....

Check back tomorrow and I'll show you Take Two of the Halloween votives.

Halloween Costumes on Parade

When I was a kid, Halloween costumes were pretty much a cobbled together affair for most of us. Some kids got those flimsy printed jumpsuit things that they wore over their clothes, or maybe we scored one of those plastic face masks with elastic around the back of your head and cut out holes for your eyes and nose.

Here are some photos I found on the web. These are Ben Cooper costumes. Ben Cooper manufactured costumes from the 1950's into 1990's.

From The Bat-Blog



Oh-h-h, an I Dream of Jeannie costume, from the Go Retro Blog

These costumes were packed in boxes and would be stacked seemingly to the ceiling. There were four kids in my family, my dad was in grad school, and mom supported us working at the library. The hope of ever actually getting one of these was a slim hope indeed.

I did a little Internet research and found some of those costumes selling for upwards of $100.

Casper, Wyoming circa 1962



We generally had three standard costumes at our house: gypsy, ghost, panda bear. The panda bear costume had been made by my aunt for her kids and passed down to us. Pandas were popular in the 60's because China had sent a couple to the National Zoo and they were all the rage. Once my brother was old enough to go with us, we had a cowboy in the contingency. A hobo was also a safe go-to costume. We decorated brown paper lunch bags for treats and away we went, out into the night. Way back then kids could still trick-or-treat after dark. In fact, it went on most of the night.

We sure were cute. I'm the gypsy on the left.

After my daughter was born, I couldn't wait to start sewing costumes for her. Oh boy did I ever have plans for her to be the cutest little thing in her day care.

That first year, a dear friend bought her a ready-made pumpkin outfit. I had no plans for "off-the-rack" and certainly not a pumpkin but my friend was so precious and excited that there was no way I would want to hurt her feelings. It really wasn't a big deal anyway. She was kind of pumpkin shaped at the time (my kid, not the friend).

The following year I made a flower outfit for my little rosebud. It consisted of a pink fleece jumpsuit with a green leaf collar. The hat was a simple bonnet with artificial hydrangea glued to it. Poor kid roasted in that thing but she was super cute when the day care came to visit me at work.

The following year was the infamous woodland sprite costume. It had a full lavender ankle length layered tulle skirt and lavender wings with silver glitter and flowers to match the tulle and flower garland around the neck. It also had a floral and tulle garland with ribbon tails for her head. It was beautiful.

But when she tried on the finished outfit, she started crying. Not a little whimper but a full out cry with huge tears dripping onto the bodice. She was inconsolable and refused to wear it. She didn't even want to look at it again. I don't know why and neither did she. All I can think of is that I had sewn tiny little bells to the flower centers and the ends of the over-skirt petals and maybe she thought they were little bees. This photo was taken almost three years later (growing up but not around) and where the rest of that beautiful costume went is any one's guess.

The following year was the year of the cowgirl, mainly so she could get new cowgirl boots and a matching hat. If she had worn underwear as a costume, she would have been happy, just give her a hat and boots.

Next came Dorothy, because she liked that movie and thought the Wicked Witch of the West was the most terrifying thing ever. But there was no way she was going to dress as the witch so Dorothy it was, especially after we found an authentic pattern. And red sparkle shoes? This was her fourth pair.

Ah, the Renaissance Girl, by far my favorite costume. She helped pick out the material: satin for the dress, quilted "velvet" for the bodice and skirt trim, white satin and gold "sheer stuff" for the sleeves and underskirt. I wish I could show you her face because she has the sweetest smile in this picture. However, as a matter of policy, once she began to look like herself, I prefer to keep some degree of anonymity. You mom's understand.

She wore this costume the next year at school with a silver crown, a bow, and a quiver of "arrows" for Story Book Day at her school. The kids were encouraged to dress as their favorite story book character. She was Queen Susan from Chronicles of Narnia.

The following year was a knight in shining armor year. My kid loves knights and Narnia, Shrek and dragon hunters- all in the name of vanquishing evil. It's the reason we took up fencing. Somehow, we don't have a picture of her wearing this costume. I suspect my mother-in-law has one as her neighborhood is the scene of the trick-or-treating mayhem.

We used some of that polyester fabric that's supposed to look like sequined material and turned it inside out to get the chain mail look. My kid would throw me under the bus for a real chain mail suit. She wore black leggings and big ol' black boots. She also had one of her many swords along with her just in case a dragon flew in to steal candy.

The following year, I knew that I would be overseas during Halloween. We gathered all the parts we needed for the pirate outfit, including the fabric, and my mom sewed this awesome Pirate jacket. I was a little envious that I missed getting to make it. I blurred the kid's face but with the beard she painted on her face and the eye patch, she's pretty unrecognizable.

Next came Indiana Jones, a last minute, cobbled together outfit, just like when I was a kid. Zippy loved being Indy and spent the night leaping off of things, charging around the countryside with her whip, whacking at bad guys and nepharious looking trees and fence posts, belting our the theme song the entire time. I do recall that the candy haul that year was exceptional for some reason.

Last year, my good-versus-evil kid made her appearance as an X-wing fighter pilot. Again, no pictures because I was working and no one else thinks of taking pictures. You'd think it would rub off. Anyway, she was adamant that there would be no homemade costumes. My visions of lovingly sewing a beautiful wedding gown someday are beginning to fade just a bit- unless it has a sword or light saber.

Sigh.

We've already begun the wrestling match that makes up our coming to an agreement about what to be for Halloween. There's simply no chance of sewing a princess gown, not even Princess Leia. Maybe Chewbacca.

What wonderful costumes have you been sewing?

Smash Those Pumpkins

I made these pink pumpkins for a breast cancer awareness display at work.

I did a very quick count just now and came up with fourteen beautiful women whom I know who have battled breast cancer. Family, friends, co-workers. Not all of those fourteen women won their battle.

So Save the Ta-Tas. Grammy Your Mammies. Smash Your Pumpkins.

Do whatever it takes to equip yourself with the knowledge you need to protect and detect.

I've listed some resources below:

• Susan G. Komen, as expected, has a website full of information. Check out the page ion Breast Self Awareness.

• CareFlash has a video on how to do a Breast Self Exam.

• BreastCancer.org has a nice video about symptoms that you should not ignore.

• Also check out the site for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

It's Candy Corn Season! Yippee!

I try to eat healthy. I really do. But I have a sweet tooth that just about busts out of my head, so it can be difficult at times. And candy corn- oh momma. Yes, these can make your teeth hurt if you eat more than five or six. There are very few things that I can't somehow manage to jam into a food group in order to justify eating it but candy corn is one of those things. Having a bag of candy corn in the house is like having a sleeping bear in my bed- if I open that bag, there's a good chance the candy corn will come out of hibernation and devour me.That's what it looks like anyway when my entire head is in the bag.

So I refrain. Until I see this---

Food Network- click this link for their recipe.

Isn't it pretty? So I made a couple versions of my own. That's right, two, not one.

The bottom yellow layer of the dessert on the left is lemon jello with pineapple. I really don't care for canned pineapple, which you have to use when adding to jello, so it's probably way better to use fresh pineapple and nix the jello. The bottom layer of the dessert on the right is lemon pudding, a fast and easy stand in to lemon curd. Be sure to use good quality mandarin oranges from a jar as the canned ones taste, well... canned. The recipe from Food Network calls for briefly marinating the oranges in orange liqueur, which I'm sure is yummy, but I wanted to be able to offer this to my kid when I was done. And please pardon the droopy whipped topping- it was close to 95 degrees in my kitchen the day I took these pictures.

So, if you make this with fruit, candy corn is good for you. Eureka!!