DIY Witch Costume

October 29, 2013 by Holly

Last year my Amelia wanted a witch costume, but a cute one, not a scary one.
I put this one together real quick using some recycled clothing and few accessories. It’s been great for a dress up outfit since as well, and very comfortable since it was made with stretch fabrics.
For the dress I found this stretch velour dress for $2 at a second hand store.

I added a stripe around the waist with some hot pink crushed panne velour (at JoAnn Fabrics for under $5 a yard if I remember right). And as I sewed the panne stripe on I inserted some strips of tulle in the bottom seam.

For the cape I found this stretch velour jumper. I cut it off just under the arm holes, cut a opening down the center front, then added a large ruffle of the hot pink panne at the top. I made a casing and inserted some wide ribbon to tie it.

I added some pink and black striped tights and a frilly hat to finish it.
This is the best I could do for a picture, as my Amelia doesn’t like to hold still for them for long. 🙂

Filed Under: Crafts / Sewing, Halloween / Fall

Spooky Cupcakes

October 9, 2013 by Holly

To say we are a “girly” household is an understatement. Luckily my hubby is secure in his masculinity or he might begin to have a facial twitch from all the pink around here. My girls don’t like anything remotely scary so these are the closest to spooky cupcakes you’ll see me making 🙂 Make your favorite chocolate cupcakes and frosting to begin.

The trees are made by simply piping or even spreading chocolate on wax paper. I wish I had thought to take a picture at this point, but basically you are making a spiky T shape (the bottom line will be inserted into the cupcake for stability and the top of the T will be roots resting on top of the cupcake), with a tree on top of the T. Separately Make 2 small triangles so that when you place the upside down T into the cupcake you can place a small triangle on the front and back to look like roots and also support the tree a little. While the chocolate is wet sprinkle with orange sugar and some black pearls. You could also use cake or cookie crumbs for dirt around the base. I used some chocolate jimmies.

For the towers cover a sugar cone with chocolate and place a whopper on the top.

For ghosts, pipe white frosting, then insert chocolate coated sunflower seeds for the eyes.

In the book they stacked smaller cupcakes on top of larger cupcakes so it ended up looking like a haunted house. I thought they would look good placed on and around a small tiered cake, but this is what happened in the end. None of the kids seemed to care. 🙂

Adapted slightly from “What’s New, Cupcake?” by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

Filed Under: Cake / Cake Pops, Halloween / Fall

DIY Halloween Bunting

October 26, 2012 by Holly

It may be a little close to Halloween for a craft, but this one is so quick I have to share. I threw it together one evening in no time, and you could too.

SUPPLIES:
Burlap
Letter stamps or stencils
Circle sponge dauber
Felt for backing
Twine
Black ink or paint
Orange ink or paint

Cut triangles out of burlap and add orange dots, then stamp or stencil on black letters.
Cut felt backing out pinking sheers, making them slightly smaller at the top, so burlap can fold over.
Place felt and burlap triangles together, with the twine at the top, fold the extra burlap over to the backside and sew along the top of the triangles, encasing the twine.

Filed Under: Halloween / Fall

Halloween Treat Pouches

October 22, 2012 by Holly

I saw these on Pinterest and while I don’t have the time to make a few hundred for trick or treaters, I knew I could make a few for my daughter’s close friends. They really enjoyed decorating and filling them and I think an older child would easily be able to do the small amount of sewing involved.
These would be fun to make to send family members who don’t live close by, or for a class party as well.

SUPPLIES
Paper, I used white kraft paper, but you could use whatever, even brown kraft paper or brown sacks
Fillers (small candy, Halloween jokes, toys, stickers, etc)
Google eyes and markers as desired for decorating

1. Make a template for the shape you want. I did half in the shape of candy corn and half for ghosts. Keep in mind what you will be filling them with so they will be big enough.
2. Trace onto paper and cut out (1 for each pouch)
3. Place on a piece of paper for backing and sew 1/4 inch from the edge, leaving a couple inches unsewn.
4. Cut out backing.
5. Decorate the front of the pouches.

6.Place fillers inside pouches through the opening. I used some foam jack-o-lantern stickers from Michael’s, pumpkin confetti from Target, candy and spider rings, and Halloween jokes printed from here.

7. Sew opening closed. Done!

Filed Under: Halloween / Fall

Ideas for Turkey Leftovers

November 23, 2011 by Holly

It won’t be long now.

You’ll be looking at the leftover turkey and wondering what to do with it.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite recipes using leftover turkey.

While a lot of the recipes originally call for chicken, these all work quite well for turkey as well.

Turkey Club with Green Onion Mayonnaise

BBQ Turkey Enchiladas with Smoked Onion Dip

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Halloween / Fall, Holiday Recipes

Spider Whoopie Pies

October 25, 2011 by Holly

These are a great kid’s project for Halloween, especially since even the cookies are super simple to make. My kids thought these were more fun than scary, and while I loved the jointed legs, the “hairy” legs were pretty fun too.

Make sure you don’t do too sharp of an angle on the leg joints, or it will be a little tricky to place the other cookie on top without having a big gap.

DEVIL’S FOOD COOKIES

1 pkg devil’s food cake mix

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Mix everything but chocolate chips together in a large bowl using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips if using.

Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper and drop dough by tablespoonfulls onto sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

To make spiders:

Chocolate frosting (I use my easy recipe)

Pretzel sticks

melted chocolate or almond bark

Chocolate jimmy sprinkles

candies for eyes, like M & M’s, mini M & M’s, or something else suitable

To make hairy legs dip 3/4 of the pretzel sticks in melted chocolate and sprinkle with jimmys.

Lay on wax paper to set. Make 8 for each spider.

For jointed legs break pretzel sticks in half and dip each piece completely in chocolate. Lay on wax paper to set, butting up 2 pieces together for each leg.

Frost half the cookies with frosting, lay out legs and top with another cookie.

Dot back of candies with frosting or melted chocolate and place on top cookie.

Spider Whoopie Pies

October 25, 2011

by Holly

Category Cookies Halloween / Fall

Ingredients

For Devil's Food Cookies:

1 pkg devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips, optional

To make spiders:

Chocolate frosting (I use my easy recipe)
Pretzel sticks
melted chocolate or almond bark
Chocolate jimmy sprinkles
candies for eyes, like M & M's, mini M & M's, or something else suitable

Instructions

To make cookies:

Mix everything but chocolate chips together in a large bowl using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until well blended.
Stir in chocolate chips if using.
Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper and drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

To make spiders:

To make hairy legs dip 3/4 of the pretzel sticks in melted chocolate and sprinkle with jimmys.
Lay on wax paper to set. Make 8 for each spider.
For jointed legs break pretzel sticks in half and dip each piece completely in chocolate. Lay on wax paper to set, butting up 2 pieces together for each leg.
Frost half the cookies with frosting, lay out legs and top with another cookie.
Dot back of candies with frosting or melted chocolate and place on top cookie.

Filed Under: Cookies, Halloween / Fall

Cake Pops

October 25, 2010 by Holly

I made Bakerella’s cake pops recently for the first time.

It was fun, but I have to say, it was a little trickier than I had thought!

I’m not going to get into details about how to make them, she has great instructions on her site and in her book. But here’s some tips if you try your hand at them:

– Be patient!

– Keep your cake pops cold until your ready to dip them

– If your candy coating is too thick to coat right, thin with a little shortening

– If you just can’t get the coating thin enough to coat right, just smooth over “bald spots” with a small spatula or knife

– Have fun!

Filed Under: Cake / Cake Pops, Halloween / Fall

Monster Munch

October 20, 2010 by Holly

I made some cake pops for our “pumpkin potluck” and was left with a bowl of white candy coating from the ghosts, and a bowl of orange from the pumpkins. What to do? I saw a box of chex and a bag of reeses pieces on the counter and decided to have a little experiment. I added some peanuts and pretzels for a little salty counterpart and presto! It’s Monster Munch! (I’m not sure on the name, but it was super yummy anyway!) I did it in two batches, half with the white and half with the orange, then mixed together after set. The powdered sugar helped them stay seperate more. I served it in a big pumpkin bucket with a little shovel and some bags. Let’s just say it was a HIT! With both kids and adults, so make this for your little monsters… or big. Either way, they’ll enjoy it!

MONSTER MUNCH

Recipe by My Stained Apron

14 oz candy coating or almond bark*

5 cups Chex (corn or rice)

1 cup peanuts

2 cups pretzels

1 cup reeses pieces

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix together chex, peanuts, pretzels, and reeses pieces in a large bowl.

Melt candy coating and pour over chex.

Stir quickly with a large spoon.

Sprinkle powdered sugar over chex and stir together.

Lay out on a large cookie sheet lined with wax paper to dry.

*You can do this in 2 batches if desired, using different colors for each batch. Then mix together after candy coating is set.