Mollie's Attic

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine, melted
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

Directions:

Melt margarine in glass cooking dish. Mix cans of corn, cornbread mix, and sour cream together. Pour into casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes, or until done in center.

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Finding a great knitting pattern is a wonderful thing.  Perhaps you've found a pattern for a pullover that you think will be very flattering on you, or a cardigan that would look great on your sister.  But what if the pattern is the wrong size?

Most patterns come in a variety of sizes.  But if you are plus-sized or have unusual proportions that make it difficult to get a good fit, you might have a hard time finding the right size in the patterns you love.  Or if you've run across an older pattern, you might not be able to find it in a different size.  If you want to knit the item, you'll have to scale the pattern to fit.

In order to resize a pattern correctly, you'll need to knit a swatch.  This is a square piece that consists of twelve rows of twelve stitches.  It's necessary because this is the only way you can take into account the behavior of the yarn when knitted.  Once you've completed your swatch, stretch it just enough to straighten the sides, then measure its width at the cast-on side.

Once you've measured your swatch, you'll need to figure out how many stitches per inch you're getting.  To do this, divide the number of stitches by the width.  So if your swatch is 4 inches wide, you would divide 12 by 4 to get 3.

Next, measure how big you need the piece to be in inches (if that's the unit you used to measure your swatch).  Then multiply that by the number of stitches per inch as figured above.  If your piece needs to be 32 inches, you would multiply that by 3 to get 96.  That's how many stitches you will need to do to make it the correct size.

Depending on the knitting style you're using, you might have to adjust this number.  If you're working with a pattern that uses multiples of four, for example, you'll have to round up to the next multiple of four.  In this example, no adjustments would be necessary, but if you came up with 94, you would have to go up to 96.

You'll have to repeat this process for each piece to get a proper fit.  And if the finished product is designed to be shaped, you'll need to take that into account as well.  In complex cases such as this, it's often easier to just go ahead and redraw the entire pattern before you start.

Scaling a knitting pattern to fit is simple in principle, requiring only a swatch, a ruler, and some simple math.  But it's important to look at all aspects of the pattern when you put it into practice.  This will help you get the best fit possible.
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Bobbing for Candied Apples

Okay, so we're not really bobbing for them because that would be sticky and messy.

Ingredients:

2 cup granulated sugar
2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup cinnamon candy
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teapoon cloves
3/4 teasppon red food coloring
6 of your favorite type of apple, roughly medium in size  
wooden skewers (these are often found in the produce dept this time of year)
cookie sheet sprayed with no stick cooking spray or a long sheet of waxed paper

Instructions:

First thing you want to do is as you usually would remove the apple stems and wash them up.   Grab a skewer and stab it right into the middle of the apple and repeat for each apple.  Be careful not to poke out the other side of the apple though. 

In a small or medium sized saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon candies, and water.  Stir and keep stirring until everything is dissolved.  Then stir some more to make sure it's all dissolved.  Medium heat here, you don't want it to boil at this point because that will just make a mess.  Once you've got it all dissolved add cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and food coloring to the mix.  Now we want that to boil to a 300 degree temperture on the candy thermometer.

Dip your apples into your candy coating and be sure to coat them well.  Place them skewer pointing up on the waxed paper or cookie sheet and allow them to harden.  Make sure you let them cool completely to room temperture before eating!  They will be hot for sometime and no one wants a burnt mouth on Halloween.

Giant Warts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, cubed
8 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 bags fun size candy bars, chopped into small pieces

Instructions:

Melt butter.  Remove from heat and add semisweet chocolate.  Cover and let sit until chocolate is meted (3 to 5 minutes approximately) then stir to smooth.  Gradually and carefully add in the heavy cream while stirring, keep stirring while you pour, chocolate will lose it's shine.  Refrigerate about 25 minutes to gain firmness. Roll globs of the chocolate into round balls in the palm of your hand, then roll them in the chopped up candy bars pressing so that it sticks to the edges. 

A great way to get creative with the Halloween candy haul after trick or treating or for a great handout at your party.  Remember not to give trick or treaters homemade candies, most parents will throw it away.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Squares

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 (10 1/2 oz.) pkg. white miniature marshmallows
Assorted soft Halloween candy

Instructions:

Line a 13x9 baking pan with waxed paper, trust me you'll be glad you used waxed paper at the end!  Melt chocolate in double boiler with milk and butter, remove from heat.  Combine nuts and marshmallows.  Fold those into the chocolate.  Press mixture into the lined baking pan, spreading it out evenly as possible.  Sprinkle the soft candy mixture evenly over the top of that.  Refrigerate until firm enough to cut into squares, then store at room temp.

This is a nice adaptive recipe, if someone has an allergy to peanut use another nut, or mix in some candy pieces or dry cereal.  You can even add other things in addition to what's listed here!  Make it colorful and fun. 

Sweet and Salty Pirate Caramel Apples

Ingredients:

6 Granny Smith apples
6 wooden sticks
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Extra chips for decorating

Instructions:

Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple.
Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir often to get a smooth caramel mixture.  Dip apples into caramel.  Place standing up on a sheet of foil or a cookie sheet for easy decorating and chilling.  Sprinkle with the coarse salt and place in the fridge.  Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish.  This is easiest if you microwave for 30-40 seconds, stir, and repeat until you have a whole bowl of smooth creamy melted chocolate.  Drizzle melted chocolate over the apples.  Sprinkle with the extra chocolate chips.  Return to refrigerator until ready to eat.

Halloween Party Punch

What's a Halloween party with a big bowl of punch with floating eyeballs in it?

Ingredients:

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle apple juice, chilled
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 liters ginger ale
1 apple (optional)
Eyeball candies (optional)

Instructions:

Get a large punch bowl or other container to serve your punch from. 
Combine the apple juice, cranberry concentrate, and orange juice.  Stir until any frozen parts are dissolved.  Slowly mix in the ginger ale.  Slice the apple in whole slices to float on top as brain slices among the floating eyeballs.

After Trick-or-Treating Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

ICING:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions:

Get out the big mixing bowl and beat together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin.  Combine the dry ingredients, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add this to the pumpkin mixture and beat together well.  Pour your mixture into an ungreased jellyroll pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting. 

Recommended Frosting:

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla.  Add just enough milk to help get a nice spreading consistency.  You can add a few drops of orange or green food coloring to make them even more trick-or-treat like!


Walking into Spider webs Brownies

Ingredients:

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Instructions:

Stir unsweetened chocolate and butter over low heat until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and beat in the sugar while still hot.  Let it cool off for about ten minutes then add eggs and vanilla, blending well.  Next you'll gradually stir in the flour and nuts.  Pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.  As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven drop spoonfuls of marshmallow creme on top!  Spread it out evenly like frosting a cake.  Time to make some webs.  You can grab a premade squeezable tube of decorator chocolate if you have a shop nearby that sells cake decorating supplies.  If not, you can make one up yourself. 
Melt semisweet chocolate and pour into a Ziploc bag.  Snip a tiny corner at an angle and use the bag like a decorating bag to drizzle web designs over the brownies. 

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Family Activities

Autumn and the Halloween season offer so many options for families to spend quality time together. Here are just a few ideas.

1.  Visit A Local Pumpkin Farm. During the month of October, pumpkin farms usually have attractions like live music, hayrides, and crafts, not to mention the opportunity to hand select your very own pumpkin right off the vine.

2.  Write A Halloween Story Together. This is a great activity to make an annual family tradition. The entire family gets to choose the characters, sometimes making inanimate objects like pumpkins and candy corn come alive. Once you create the characters, the setting and the story line, you’ll be surprised how much each family member wants to contribute to the story.

3.  Save each year’s story in a scrapbook and read the stories from past seasons. It’s a great memory maker.

4.  Watch Halloween Movies Together. Share an annual movie night together by renting “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “Bednobs & Broomsticks,” “Monsters Inc.,” or “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Make some popcorn with orange popcorn salt. Serve it with an orange drink. You could even put orange or black light bulbs in the lamps just for the special occasion.

5.  Go On A Nature Walk. Take a walk together through a hiking trail or park. As you walk, collect leaves, rocks, pinecones and other bits of nature to bring home and display in a large glass bowl. It makes a gorgeous and memorable centerpiece.

6.  Have A Monster Mash Dance Party. There are many Halloween-themed CDs available during this time of year. Have an all-family Halloween Dance Party and dance to all the popular Halloween songs. Your kids will watch you dance and think they have crazy parents, but maybe without admitting it, they’ll also have the time of their lives.

7.  Play “Clue”. Since Halloween is all about mystery, playing the game of Clue will reinforce the season and provide a lot of family fun at the same time.

8.  Paint Pumpkins. Pumpkin Painting is the newest range in Halloween crafts. Carving jack-o-lanterns is a Halloween tradition, but the process is messy, dangerous and the jack-o-lanterns only last a few days after Halloween night. Painting Pumpkins is an activity everyone in the family can enjoy, even the littlest goblins.

By having each family member paint their own pumpkin, you will have a fun and memorable family of pumpkins to proudly display in your home or on your front porch.

Halloween Group Activities

The month of October brings class parties, Boy and Girl Scout get-togethers, community gatherings, hayrides, Fall Festivals and Halloween celebrations.

Where kids gather to celebrate Halloween, parents and leaders frantically search for unique, fun and creative activities that can be done in a group setting.

Here are some ideas for Halloween Group Activities to get your creative juices flowing.

Games

1.  “Pin The Face On The Great Pumpkin”

Cut a large pumpkin shape from orange poster board. Cut three triangle shapes from black construction paper as well as a jack-o-lantern type mouth from the black construction paper. Place on piece of double sided tape on each triangle and mouth shape.

Blindfold the child, spin them around three times and allow them to place the facial features on the great pumpkin.

An alternative to this for younger kids is to simply cut a stem shape from green construction paper and allow the children to “Pin The Stem On The Great Pumpkin.” For this game, tape the facial features to the pumpkin before the game begins.

2.  “Guess The Ghost”

This is a great activity for a classroom party where there are many activities happening at the same time. Using one white sheet, a parent or teacher randomly (and discreetly) selects one student and takes them to the hallway to put the sheet over him or her. The parent brings the student back into the room and the remaining children must guess who the ghost is.

To really stump the children, occasionally place the sheet over the principal, school nurse, librarian or other fun loving individual.

3.  “Bobbing For Apples”

Cut a large apple shape from red construction paper. Place it on the floor. Place a paperclip on a number of stickers, “no homework” coupons or other lightweight objects. Scatter the paper clipped items all around the apple. Tie a string to a stick and at the end of the string tie a small magnet.

The object of the game is to “bob for apples,” or touch the magnet to a paperclip. Whatever the child picks up with the magnet is theirs to keep.

4.  “Halloween Treat Ring Toss”

Again, cut a large pumpkin shape from orange poster board. Place it on the ground and scatter candies and small items (i.e. eight pack of crayons, play-doh, fruit snacks, etc.) all around the pumpkin.

Using diving rings or another type of ring (even doughnuts if you really want to be silly), the child tosses the rings and gets to keep the items that are inside of the ring.

Crafts

1.  "Pumpkin Painting"
By using the tiny, little mini-pumpkins (gourds), newspaper and a little craft paint, kids can create their own Halloween masterpiece.

Cover the table with newspaper. Wash and dry each mini-pumpkin. Using a marker or pen, have each child draw a simple face or design on the pumpkin (or use a stencil or pumpkin painting pattern).

With small paintbrushes, the child can then paint their pumpkin design. After allowing the pumpkins to dry, a light coating of spray sealer will seal the design and keep the paint from peeling off.

2.  "Face Painting"

Face Painting is always a big hit with children of all ages. And it’s not as difficult as it sounds. You don’t have to be an artist to face paint.

There are two ways to conduct a face painting activity at a youth gathering. One is to have an adult who is prepared with a few popular face painting designs to paint a unique design on each child.

The other way is to allow the children to paint each other. There is no telling what kinds of creations kids will come up with when they are given a paintbrush and face paints.

The key with Face Painting is to use the authentic face paints. Do not attempt to use craft paints as face paints. It’s not safe for use on skin.

Popular Halloween cheek art designs include pumpkins (obviously!), ghosts, candy corn, goblins, cats and witches.

Quiet Activities

Sometimes during a Halloween party with large groups, it is necessary for the children to do an activity that requires them to be seated and relatively quiet.

Some simple ideas for the children to do while the snacks are being prepared, for example, include Halloween crossword puzzles, Halloween seek-and-finds or Halloween word maker (writing as many words as you can using the letters in “Halloween” or “Jack-O-Lantern”).

Movement

One of the most fun activities that a group can participate in at a Halloween party is Freeze Dancing. An adult operates a portable CD player containing a Halloween song CD. The children dance to the music until the music stops. At that point, each child has to freeze in the position they were in when the music stopped. Anyone who moves even a little is eliminated from the next round. The last child standing wins.

Using these ideas for Group Halloween Parties, your party is sure to be a success.

Halloween Movies

Having an annual Halloween Movie Night for your family is a great way to celebrate the season together and to create memories that will last for years to come.

Although it would seem that blood and gore should be the central theme of a Halloween movie, try some of these all-family favorite flicks instead.

1.  “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” – Not much needs to be said about this movie. It’s a family classic and will be for years and years to come. Purchase the DVD and keep it in your family’s special movie collection.

2.  “Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie” – Rated G - Perfect for the younger set, Winnie The Pooh and his engaging set of comrades will get even the youngest goblin in the mood for the big night.

3.  “E.T.” – Rated PG - The whimsy and imagination of this timeless classic remind us that the impossible truly is possible when we believe. (Remember this can be emotional and a bit scary for the younger kiddos.)

4.  “Monsters Inc.” – Rated G - This movie provides a funny and non-threatening take on the relationship between “monsters” and humans.

5.  “Casper” – Rated PG - In this Steven Spielberg live action movie, human actors and a special effects “Casper” shows everyone’s favorite ghost in some funny and compromising moments.

6.  “Bednobs & Broomsticks” – Rated G -This timeless Disney movie, has music and mayhem and lots to keep the little ones engaged.

7.  “Scooby Doo’s Creepiest Capers” – Not Rated - This is a funny collection of Scooby’s spookiest cases. Along with his goofy group of cohorts, there are always a lot of giggles when Scooby Doo is on the screen.

8.  “Wallace & Gromit, The Curse Of The Were Rabbit” – Rated G - The cool part about this movie is that these characters, even though they seen completely real, are made out of clay. Kids will love to see the inventions that Wallace comes up with and may even want to talk about what inventions that can create.

9.  “Nightmare Before Christmas” – Rated PG – Although there is so much going on in this film that is great to bridge Halloween and Christmas, younger kids may find this one a tiny bit creepy. Stay close to them and the whole family can enjoy this one that has music and great-looking scenes.

Haunted House Halloween Party


If you choose to celebrate Halloween, you probably want to do it in style. That could mean having a haunted house Halloween party. But how do you make your house look spooky enough to be considered haunted?

Start out by asking yourself some questions. The answers will make decorating easier.

1. Where will you start decorating? Do you begin outside and carry the decorations into the house or will you decorate beginning at the front door?
2. How many rooms in your house will be haunted?
3. How many people can safely fit in each room you plan on using?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you plan a more effective, fun-filled haunted house.

Be aware of the ages of the people who will be coming to your party and plan your decorations and entertainment accordingly. If there will be several children, you may choose to have an area that is set aside for those more squeamish.

Decide how much money you’re willing to spend on decorations. If you can’t afford all of the mechanized coffins and fog machines, you can still have a great haunted house. Here are some ideas:

* Have all family members dress up in scary costumes: werewolves, vampires, witches, and skeletons are good choices.
* Play a scary movie in one of the rooms and have someone dress up like the main character to jump out at the guests at pivotal points in the movie.
* Create a mad scientist lab with plenty of items for your guests to feel. Peel grapes for eyeballs, spaghetti in a bowl, or make a brain out of jell-o.
* Set aside buckets of dry ice throughout the house to give it an eerie feel.
* Use police tape to block off areas that shouldn’t be entered.

Keep safety in mind when creating your haunted house. You need enough light so people can get safely through the rooms, but not so much that the room is fully lit. Cover the windows with dark fabric or plastic bags so outside light doesn’t seep in. Find your old strobe or black lights to change the atmosphere. Use orange or red light bulbs in your lamps.

Create a maze with cardboard or sheets. If you have enough people that are helping, have some of them stand between the hanging sheets to make noise and grab at the guests. Hang bats, spiders and spider webs, and skeletons inside the maze for people to walk into.

If these things haven’t given you any ideas, take a look online. There are websites galore that have pictures of past haunted houses and you’re sure to get some great ideas from them. When it's time to plan your haunted house Halloween party, if you do it right, your house will be a scream!

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Halloween is lots of fun for the kids. They have a blast choosing their costumes, dressing up, and collecting free candy. But if you're looking for an occasion to create some fun crafts as a family, Halloween is a wonderful time for that as well.

There are all sorts of decorative crafts that are perfect for Halloween. You can also make masks, treat bags and lots of other goodies. Here are a few easy projects to get you and the kids started.


Antenna Characters

These adorable characters look great at the top of your automobile antenna. Hey, if your house is dressed up for Halloween, why shouldn’t your car? With various Halloween-themed colors of flat fun foam (orange, black, white, green), draw a light outline of a pumpkin, ghost, spider or Frankenstein head, approximately 4-inches tall and 3-inches wide. Cut out the shapes and with a single hole punch, punch two holes in each shape, one approximately one inch from the top of the shape and another hole approximately one inch from the bottom of the shape.

With glitter glue or permanent markers, decorate the shape with facial features, an outline or anything you’d like. Allow to dry thoroughly. Once dried, you can attach to your automobile antenna by placing the antenna through the bottom hole from the back of the shape to the front. Then place the antenna through the top hole, front to back. The Antenna Character should be secure and should withstand normal driving conditions.

Halloween Mosaics

Mosaic art using tiles is very popular nowadays. Kids can duplicate this popular craft using construction paper instead of tiles or glass.

Prior to gathering the children around the table, cut small squares of various colors of paper, orange, red, blue, yellow, white, black, green, etc.

On a piece of heavy stock, white paper, draw the outline of a pumpkin, Frankenstein or other Halloween character.

With a small dab of all-purpose glue on the back of each square, kids can mosaic their way to a uniquely creative masterpiece that can be framed and hung on the wall for many Halloween seasons to come.

Pumpkin Painting

In less than one hour, you and your child can create the most adorable pumpkin craft ready to proudly display in your home. Pumpkin Painting is the perfect activity for little goblins who aren’t old enough to handle the jack-o-lantern carving duties.

With simple supplies like acrylic paints, markers, newspaper and sealer, kids can paint whimsical, silly faces on their pumpkins. Or they can paint their favorite cartoon character, Halloween motif or harvest design. Painted pumpkins do not rot near as quickly as carved pumpkins so it is much more economical to paint pumpkins rather than carving them and it’s also much safer and more hands-on for toddlers since there is no knife involved.

Halloween Pop-Up Cards

These make great Halloween greetings or party invitations. Here's what you'll need:

* Construction paper (orange and black are good colors)
* Glue
* Scissors
* Markers

1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half to make a card shape.
2. Make a 2 1/2 inch cut perpendicular to the fold, about 2 1/2 inches from the edge. Make another 2 1/2 inch cut 1/2 inch from that one, and make two more cuts 2 1/2 and 3 inches from the other side. This will leave two narrow flaps in the card.
3. Open the card and push the flaps up into the inside of it. Close the card and press with the flaps to the inside so that they are creased.
4. Cut two ghosts, spiders, or other scary items out of construction paper. Open the card and glue each one onto the front of one of the folded flaps.
5. Glue another piece of construction paper to the outside of your card, taking care not to glue where the flaps are. Let dry.
6. Using markers, write a message on the card.

Paper Plate Masks

These are great additions to Halloween costumes, or just for playing pretend. You'll need the following materials:

* Paper plate
* Elastic
* Scissors
* Hole Punch
* Markers
* Glue
* Sequins, pom-poms or other embellishments (optional)

1. Use markers to decorate the back side of a paper plate. Be sure to make the eyes big enough to see out of.
2. Cut out the eyes.
3. Add embellishments if desired.
4. Use the hole punch to make a hole in each side of the mask, taking care to keep them even.
5. Cut enough elastic to secure the mask to the wearer's head, plus a couple of extra inches. Thread each end through one of the holes you just made and tie it securely.

Ghost Wind Socks

These spooky decorations are perfect for the front porch! Here's what you'll need to make them:

* Small white poster board
* Black permanent marker
* Stapler
* Glue
* White crepe paper streamers
* String, yarn or twine

1. Draw a ghost face on the white poster board using the black marker.
2. Roll the poster board into a tube shape and staple the overlapping ends together securely.
3. Cut long strips out of the crepe streamers. Glue or staple them all around the bottom of the wind sock.
4. Cut a piece of string about 2 1/2 feet long and staple the ends to opposite sides of the top of the wind sock to hang.

Edible

Ghost suckers are usually a big hit with children. They’re easy to make as well as fun. All you need is some suckers, white tissues, white yarn, and a black marker. Cover the wrapped sucker with the tissue, tie it on, and then decorate the face.

Candy corn and popcorn are other common Halloween treats. Purchase some clear plastic food service gloves that you can fill. Put the candy corn in the finger tips to denote fingernails. Next fill the rest of the glove up with popcorn. Tie a ribbon at the wrist to keep the popcorn inside. If you’d like to make them spookier, place toy rings (bats, rats, skulls, or whatever you can find) on the ring finger.

You can also make popcorn balls and decorate them like large spiders. Make popcorn balls (you can also use rice crispy treats) into small balls. Attach red licorice ropes for the legs and the mouth and attach mini M&Ms for eyes. This is one spider the children won’t run away from.

Non-Edible

Craft stick mummies take a little more effort than some others, but the effect is worth it. Adults will have to help with this craft because it takes wire snips to cut craft sticks to create the arms and legs (2 ½ and 3 inches, respectively). Glue the limbs onto a wooden craft spoon and wrap the mummy with torn muslin. Attach wiggle eyes.

Spiderman has been a hit among children of all ages for years. If your little ones are enamored with the superhero, they may like to make a creepy crawly spider bracelet. All you need is black construction paper, wiggle eyes, scissors, tape, white paper, and glue. Fold the paper in half and trace the mid-palm and fingers only. Cut that out to create the legs. Make a bracelet by cutting a one-inch strip wide piece of paper and glue it to the spider; use tape to keep the bracelet closed. Glue on wiggle eyes and white fangs. Allow them to decorate as they like with glitter, stickers, or pieces of paper.

There are so many different types of crafts available for Halloween. If you’re creating creepy crafts for school, you can find directions and ideas on many websites by using a search engine. The choices are endless and limited only by the skill and ability level of your children.

Halloween Beaded Jewelry

Dressing up in full costume on Halloween is lots of fun. But don't forget that the perfect costume isn't complete without the right accessories! Why not make some beaded jewelry to finish the look?

Beaded Halloween Jewelry for Beginners

There are plenty of simple beaded jewelry pieces that do not require a great deal of skill. You can whip these up in no time, and they can add lots of punch to your costume (or even an everyday outfit). You don't even have to go by a pattern if you don't want to. Here's what you'll need to make a simple beaded bracelet:

* Elastic thread
* Medium sized beads
* Scissors

Cut a piece of elastic about 10 inches long. Tie a knot in one end large enough to prevent the beads from falling off. Then add beads as you like, either randomly or in a pattern that you like. Once you've added enough beads to make the bracelet the right size for your wrist, tie the ends together and cut off the excess string.

You can find lots of Halloween themed beads at your local craft store or online. Bat, ghost, and skull beads are great for making fun Halloween bracelets. You can also use this technique to make beaded necklaces. Just decide how long you want your necklace to be, and use a piece of elastic that is 2 to 4 inches longer than that.

More Advanced Beading Techniques

You can also make some nice Halloween pieces by doing bead weaving. This is often done on a loom, but it can be done by hand as well. It can produce a flat, fabric-like piece, or a three-dimensional piece. Bead weaving requires certain stitches and knots, but it's not that difficult to learn.

Bead weaving is a general term that encompasses a number of beading techniques. Some more specific types of bead weaving include beadpoint, bead embroidery, bead crochet, and needleweaving. All of these can be used to create great Halloween jewelry. Bead weaving is great for making spider earrings and pendants.

Another beading technique is wire wrapping. This involves placing beads on jewelry wire and bending the wire into decorative shapes. Certain tools are required, including a flush cutter, round nose pliers, and bent nose pliers. There are also other tools that are used to do certain techniques and to make wire wrapping easier.

Wire wrapping is great for making bracelets, earrings and pendants. You can use all sorts of fun Halloween beads to make a bold and unique piece. Why not make a matching set?

Beaded jewelry can add some splash to any Halloween costume. It's also great for wearing anywhere you want to show your Halloween spirit but can't wear a costume. You don't have to be an expert to create nice pieces. All you need is some elastic thread, beads and your imagination to get started.

Create Your Own Halloween Trick-or-Treat Bag


If you are the crafty type, you’re probably used to making crafts with your child. You may even make clothing for them. Have you tried to create your own Halloween trick-or-treat bag instead of buying a ready-made one? Depending upon how crafty you are, there’s nothing to stop you from creating a one-of-a-kind trick-or-treat bag your child will love.

The easiest way to create your own Halloween trick-or-treat bag is to find a solid colored shopping or gift bag. Choose from orange, black, brown, red, and white because they are common colors for this season. Either your or your child can decorate your paper bag in any number of ways. This type of bag is also available in a number of sizes so you can make one to fit the amount of candy you expect to get.

To decorate these bags you can find rubber stamps, stickers, or you can draw pictures on the bag. Cover the outline of your drawing with glue and then sprinkle Halloween colored glitter on the bag to make your bag stand out and sparkle. Haunted houses, skeletons, witches, or pumpkins are common items that you may choose from.

If you’d like to try something a little different, why not make a duct tape bag to hold your trick-or-treat goodies? Find a suitably sized paper bag. Use duct tape in white, yellow, and reflective orange. You can create your own reflective candy corn trick-or-treat bag.

Open up the bag and cut off the bottom of the bag. Cover the bag with the duct tape going across the whole opened bag. Seal one of the short edges of the bag by using duct tape over the edge. Roll the bag into a cone and secure the shape by putting a piece of duct tape to hold both sides closed. Create a bottom by cutting slits and overlapping them. Tape them closed to keep the bag together. Finish the bag off by putting a strap made of two pieces of duct tape, sticky sides together, and attach it to the bag on both sides.

Some moms create Halloween trick-or-treat bags out of cloth bags that can be decorated with fabric paint or embroidery. Still others put together bags out of quilt squares that have been made out of Halloween-themed fabric. They can change the look of the bag each year by having fabric cut-outs that can be tacked onto bag. These are especially great for little girls because if they are made to be reversible, they can be used at other times, depending upon the other fabric used.

Crafty moms all over have made Halloween costumes for years. Now you can create your own Halloween trick-or-treat bag to match the costume. Your child will love having something besides candy wrappers to remember the day by. And you never can tell if you might just pass along the tradition of making Halloween trick-or-treat bags onto your child.


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Halloween Costumes You Can Make at Home

Back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, it seems like kids were satisfied with whatever Halloween costume their mother came up with the night before. In many homes, that meant you were going to be one of three things on Halloween night: a hobo, ghost, or a gypsy.

Nowadays, children are more demanding than ever when it comes to their Halloween costume. In fact, there are so many activities surrounding the Halloween holiday that some kids might wear one, two or three costumes over the four-week long Halloween season.

For trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, they may wear one costume and at the school, church or community center “Trunk or Treat” event, they may want to wear something else.

To purchase pre-made Halloween costumes is an expensive proposition regardless of how much money you have. Purchasing a costume at $20, $30 or even more when the ‘wear date’ is virtually one 24-hour period is just too pricy for most modern families. Convenience comes with a price; however, creativity goes right out the window when pre-made Halloween costumes are worn.

Families have been turning to Homemade Halloween Costumes for the past several years. Homemade Halloween Costumes have many benefits:

- They generally cost less to make than purchasing a pre-made, pre-packaged Halloween costume.
- Making a homemade costume requires ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness.
- Homemade Halloween costume creation is an activity where all family members can contribute.
- Homemade Halloween costumes are simply more attractive and generate a bigger “wow” factor.
- The kids are generally much more proud of wearing a homemade Halloween costume when it’s created with love and togetherness. It makes Halloween night that much more special.

Homemade Halloween costume ideas are everywhere. The first place to look is in your own home.

Do you have a white sweatshirt and white sweatpants? Make a Dalmatian, an angel or a ghost.

Do you have a brown sweatshirt and brown sweatpants? Make a white-spotted puppy dog.

Do you have green pants and a green shirt or sweatshirt? Cut some ‘petals’ from fun foam, hot glue them to an old headband and you’ve got a flower.

Do you have an old robe and old some old slippers? Add some hair rollers and a coffee mug and you’ve got a tired mom costume.

There are dozens and dozens of costumes that can be easily made at home.
And don’t forget about making your child a hobo or a gypsy. It could be the most original costume you’ll see this year.

Costumes Under $10.00


One of the things children like most about Halloween, besides the candy, is the chance to dress up. If your family is on a budget, you may not want to spend much for a costume your child will only wear once. Here are some Halloween costumes for under $10.00 that your child, and your budget, might like.

If you have a good idea what size your child will wear next year, hitting the costume sales at the end of the season is a great way to pay less than $10.00 for a ready-made Halloween costume. Of course, you’ll have a limited selection to choose from, but you will probably be able to buy several for the same amount and could actually mix and match them to create an entirely new costume.

You can also find costumes or elements of costumes – capes, masks, or make-up – online at various costume vendors. You may even be able to find the perfect costume for a very reasonable price, including shipping charges. Check around online and see what you can find in your price range.

Knights are always a costume of choice among little boys. Head over to your local dollar store and you’ll probably be able to find a shield, sword, or a hook. You may also be able to find items so your child can dress up like a cowboy.

Dollar stores will have dress-up clothes for your little girls, too. High-heeled shoes, party purses, and dresses are items your little princess will enjoy. Include a touch of make-up to make her feel special.

Is there a costume store near you? If there is, they may have great costumes that you can rent for $10.00 or under. If you can’t find what you want, you may be able to get some ideas for costumes you can make that will keep you within your budget.

Dress your favorite boy in a flannel shirt, blue jeans, and a life jacket to let the world know he’s a little fisherman.  Have him don a floppy hat with lures attached, and create a cardboard fish that you can put on a fishing pole. He’ll have fun and you probably have everything you need at home.

Hannah Montana is so big right now with little girls. While you might be able to dress up your daughter to look like Hannah, it would probably cost more than $10.00. Instead of Hannah, you can still dress her like a rock star. Use tights with sequins, a blue jean skirt, high heels, and spiky hair.

Halloween costumes aren’t usually used more than once, so spending much on them is frustrating. But, you can find costumes under $10.00 if you look around. Take some time now to start planning and you may find the perfect costume without breaking your budget.

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What You Need:

1 9 in pie crust
1/2 C brown sugar
1 TBSP all purpose flour
1 1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 C light corn syrup
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

How to Make It:

1.  Place the pie crust in a 9 in pie plate; prick the bottom of the curst a few times with a fork and set aside.
2.  Place the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3.  Add the flour and toss to combine.
4.  Add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream.
5.  Use an electric mixer on medium speed and beat until completely combined together.
6.  Sprinkle in the salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. 
7.  Stir with a rubber spatula until combined well.
8.  Pour in the corn syrup and mix with the mixer on medium speed.
9.  Add the beaten eggs and the vanilla and mix until smooth.
10. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie shell.
11.  Bring the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
12.  Cover the edge of the pie shell with aluminum foil to keep it from over cooking.
13.  Bake 25 minutes.
Remove the foil so the edges can brown and continue baking 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

8 Servings

The removal of the foil time can be adjusted according to how your oven bakes. If the oven bakes hot then leave the foil on for a longer period of time if it bakes a little cooler you may need to remove the foil sooner.  When testing for doneness if the knife does not come out clean, allow the pie to bake another 2 to 3 minutes before testing again. 
 

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Ingredients:

2 cups of lettuce, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
4 cherry tomatoes
2 slices of deli turkey, cut up
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup corn chips
Ranch dressing

Instructions:

Place the lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, turkey and cheese in a zip lock baggie.  Add the dressing and corn chips.  Seal the bag tightly.  Shake until mixed together well.

Children are fantastic when it comes to using their imagination.  They’re also pretty great about the three Rs, reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Put those two ideas together and your children will have a ton of fun.  Here’s how to get them started.

Plastic Pop Bottles:

Butterflies-  Grab a butterfly stencil, about four inches square for a large 2 liter bottle and 2 inches square for standard 12 oz bottles.  Trace the butterfly onto the plastic and cut them out.  Butterflies can be strung by piercing the center with a needle.  Hang them outside for extra fun.

Ocean in a Bottle – This project works best with smaller 12 oz bottles.  Fill half the bottle with clear non-toxic oil – like a light canola oil.  Fill the remaining half with water.  Add food coloring, glitter, small lightweight plastic items and confetti shaped like your child’s favorite animal or shape and recap tightly.  Let your child play with them to their heart’s content. 

Cardboard Tubes:

Rainsticks are a fantastic and fun way to spend rainy afternoons indoors.  Not that you’d want to conjure up more rain!  Supplies include:

o Masking tape
o Paper towel tubes
o Tempera paint
o Elmer’s glue or other white craft glue
o Rice, lentils, or small beans

Paint the tubes first and allow to dry.  Poke several very small holes, toothpick sized, into the tube.  Cover one end of the tube with tape and place a small handful of rice or beans into the tube. Cover other end of the tube with tape and let them at it.  Different materials, rice, beans, or lentils make different sounds.  Encourage your children to make several and experiment with sounds.

There are a huge number of items around the house, items that normally end up in the garbage or the recycle bin that can be used to create an artistic masterpiece and hours of fun.  Old egg cartons can be used to make tulips or bells.  Tin foil can be washed and used to make picture frames.  Old newspaper makes great paper mache, baby food jars are excellent containers for luminaries and snow globes.  Tin cans make great planters for starting seeds just be sure to remove any sharp edges with a file. 

Give your children the challenge to come up with ideas of their own. A paper grocery bag could become a suit of armor, a plastic bottle can become a wind sock or a piggy bank.  They have amazing imaginations, creative thinking skills, and they’re truly the experts at recycling and reusing materials around them. 

Felting gives knitted items a whole new look.  It eliminates the definition of the stitches, creating a soft, smooth piece.  Felting is most commonly done to hats, purses and other accessories.

The easiest way to felt your crafts is in the washing machine.  Here's how to do it, step by step.

1. Set your washing machine on the hottest temperature, longest agitation cycle, and lowest water setting.  Adding detergent is optional, but if you do, it's important to use only a very small amount.

2. Place the item you are felting in a pillowcase, preferably one that zips shut.  This isn't absolutely necessary, but it will keep your project from getting hung or lost in the washer and keep any fuzz that is produced during the process contained.

3. Wait for the washer to fill and begin agitating, and drop the pillowcase containing your item in.

4. Check the item every five minutes.  Felting times vary depending on the yarn used, so this step is crucial.  If the washer starts to drain, stop it and reset the dial so that it resumes agitation.

5. Watch for signs of felting, which include loss of stitch definition and shrinkage.  Once these begin to occur, start checking the piece twice as often to avoid overfelting.

6. Determine when the felting is complete.  If your piece was designed to be felted, it will be done when it reaches the dimensions that the pattern calls for.  Otherwise, it's simply a matter of preference.

7. When felting is complete, remove the piece from the washer and let the water drain.  Rinse it with cold water, and wring it out very gently so as not to stretch it.  Shape it and let it dry.

Tips For Effective Felting

* If you're not sure how well an item will felt, make a swatch and felt it first.  That way you won't ruin the project you spent so much time on.

* Some say that yarn crafts felt more quickly if they are exposed to added friction.  An easy way to achieve this is to put something else in the washer with them (but not inside the pillowcase).  A pair of jeans works well, because they're firm and heavy.

* Most washing machines do not start the spin cycle if the lid is up.  If you can't watch your item closely, leaving the lid open will keep the washer from spinning the water out until you can attend to it.

* Items with straps or other parts that could get twisted up will have to be watched especially closely.  Twisting will result in uneven felting.

* White and light-colored yarns usually do not felt well.  If possible, make sure your item is made of medium to dark thread.