Halloween costumes can be expensive AND there’s likely to be more than one person having the same costume at a party–but not if you make your own! I found this awesome article on theunlikelyhostess.com detailing dozens of DIY costume ideas. I brought some of my favorites.

JELLYFISH

All you need is an umbrella, some lights, ribbon and paper eyes!

Bag of Jelly Beans

Here’s what you’ll need.

• Water balloons in assorted colors (they have more of an oval shape similar to jelly beans)
• 1 large clear gift bag wrapper
• A colored printer (for the Jellybean logo)
• Clear packing tape

Bob Ross

The large wig makes the outfit, while the rest of the costume you probably already have on hand.

McDonald’s French Fries

This awesome photo was included in a roundup post of ways to use pool noodles as DIY Halloween costumes.

It looks like an extra large white t-shirt and white pillow turned ketchup packet help make this costume work!

Corn on the Cob

A comfy green hoodie, DIY corn kernels and some rafia hair as silk ~ perfection!

Chicken

Recycle your white shirt and shorts (with some feather embellishments of course) and attached red felt to a headband to make the chicken comb and rubber gloves for the feet.

SOURCE: THEUNLIKELYHOSTESS.COM

I love to drive around looking at Halloween decorations, especially the houses that really go all out! Those huge skeletons are still very popular around here, but if you don’t want to spend a fortune, here are a couple of ideas to make some decorations yourself!

Plastic Bag Ghosts

This is a quick and easy Halloween decoration!  Take white bags—smaller grocery bags for little ghosts and trash bags for larger ghosts.  (If using one trash bag, you could also cut it into several smaller ghosts as well).  You cut a rectangle, putting the seam at the top for the head. Then cut slits in the bottom section leaving the top uncut for the head. Then stuff the top with stuffing OR use smaller white trash bags and tie off (to create the head). Use a marker to draw on a face and then use string to hang them.

This is another option for Halloween Ghosts!

To make this cute and spooky ghost gathering, use glue dots to stick construction-paper eyes and mouths onto white tissue-paper bells, then drape them with cheesecloth.

The third ghost option uses and old plastic bottle, a balloon, a wire hanger, spray starch and some cheesecloth.

Happy Haunting!

Halloween is right around the corner and I found an easy project to kick off the decorating!  A DIY yarn spiderweb.  The instructions are adaptable to any size—big or small—and are very easy to follow!

From BHG.COM:

How to Make a Spiderweb

In about 30 minutes, you’ll have a spooky decoration ready to go. Follow these simple steps to create your own braided yarn spiderweb.

What You’ll Need

Thick white yarn

Scissors

Hot glue

Yardstick or measuring tape

Step 1: Braid the Yarn

Before you begin braiding, decide how wide you want the web to be and where you’ll hang it. Once you have a measurement, cut nine pieces of yarn. Each piece should be a foot longer than your intended width. For instance, for a 5-foot-wide web, cut nine 6-foot pieces.

Next, tape three strands together at one end and braid them to make one long braid. Repeat this with the remaining threads so you’ll have three braids in total. Arrange these braids so that they intersect at the center with equal spacing and secure them with hot glue in the middle.

Step 2: Arrange the Web

With the center of your web established, you’ll add cross sections to begin constructing the web. Select a braid and mark it 6 inches from the center; repeat this process with each braid. Continue marking every 6 inches until you reach the end of each braid. To match these marks, cut single yarn strands, connecting them to create concentric circles. Or, you can use one long yarn strand in a spiral pattern to achieve a similar effect.

Step 3: Glue Together

After positioning the first layer of strands, secure each one with hot glue. Remember, the side you’re attaching strands to will be the back, so try to place the yarn edges in the center of each braid to make sure they’re hidden. Keep cutting and gluing strands at 6-inch intervals until you finish. If you’re using one continuous strand, continue gluing every 6 inches, and cut it when you reach the end, securing with glue.

Step 4: Prep and Display

When the web form is complete, use hooks, nails, or outdoor tape to hang this fun outdoor Halloween decoration.  Once the web is secured, add some spiders for some extra flair. Pair your oversize webs with spiders for the ultimate scare, or apply clip-on spiders or small spider toys for an easy decor item.

SOURCE: BHG.COM

I found this article, detailing picnic hacks for this summer, on the dailymeal.com site:

As sunny days approach and the rain moves along, it’s the ideal time to start thinking of outdoor activities. Picnics are an inexpensive way to spend time in the fresh air in a way that’s fit for the family, a get-together with the gals, or a romantic date. But picnics take planning and packing. If you’ve ever gone unprepared, forgetting the essentials, you get it. Picnics can survive a few mishaps — being adaptable is part of the fun — but it helps to have a properly-packed bag. You can keep it simple, with small snacks and drinks, or you can go for a full spread. However you make it your own, it’s bound to be a good time.

Yet with the planning that goes into a day out, it can be easy to forget something. Plus, we don’t always think of all the ways picnicking can be even more effortless. Between packing the food, the blanket, and the drinks, there are a lot of extra tips and tricks to keep everything organized and enjoyable. Here, we’ve gathered some hacks to make your next picnic even better.

1 Freeze grapes for ice cubes

2 Use muffin tins for snacks and condiments

3 Keep bugs out of your drink with cupcake liners

4 Convert a cardboard drink carrier into storage

5 Bring a fitted twin sheet to cover picnic tables

6 Freeze bottles of water for ice packs

7 Keep sandwiches secure with string

8 Pack a wooden board for cheese, meats, and fruit

9 Serve salads in mason jars

10 Sprinkle salt in a cooler of ice

11 Never forget the picnic blanket

12 Make adult juice pouches

13 Don’t underestimate the power of a thermos

14 Plan a simple menu

15 Pack leftover fast food condiments and spices

SOURCE: THEDAILYMEAL.COM

This craft is SUPER EASY and won’t wreck your budget either!

Materials to make an Uncle Sam Gnome

Craft Sticks, Jumbo – Dollar Tree

Cotton Mop Head – Dollar Tree

Americana Acrylics by DecoArt – Santa Red, Titanium White, Victorian Blue

DecoArt Galaxy Glitter – Clear Ice Comet

DecoArt Designer’s Brush Set

Wooden Ball – 1” in diameter

Wooden Stars – Dollar Tree

Glue Gun and Glue Sticks – Dollar Tree

Scissors

Pencil

Ruler

To begin the Dollar Tree Craft Stick Uncle Sam Gnome, gather all supplies. To create Uncle Sam’s hat, base coat three jumbo wooden sticks with Santa Red Americana acrylic craft paint, two jumbo wooden sticks with Titanium White acrylic craft paint, and two jumbo sticks with Victorian Blue Americana acrylic craft paint. Let dry, and apply a second coat, if necessary. Using scissors, trim one blue and one unpainted jumbo craft stick to the width of the hat and assemble with a glue gun and glue sticks. NOTE: You can use liquid craft glue for this project, but you will have to wait for it to dry.

Basecoat three wooden stars with Titanium White acrylic craft paint. Let dry, and apply a second coat, if necessary. TIP: Attach small wooden shapes to your work surface with a circle of scotch tape on the back so they stay put while painting.

Cut approximately 24 individual strings from the cotton mop head with scissors. This mop has enough strings that you can make at least 3-4 gnomes.

Flip the Uncle Sam hat over and attach 12 cotton mop head strings along the base of the bottom wooden stick with a glue gun and glue sticks. Glue 12 additional cotton mop head strings on a second layer.

To finish the Dollar Tree Craft Stick Uncle Sam Gnome, flip the hat back over and attach the wooden ball to Uncle Sam’s beard with a glue gun and glue sticks to create the gnome part of this project. Glue the three wooden stars onto the hat band.

Using a paintbrush and a dabbing motion, add the DecoArt Galaxy Glitter Clear Ice Comet to the three wooden stars to add some additional sparkle to those stars and stripes. Dabbing this heavily-loaded glitter acrylic medium onto the wooden stars allows for maximum coverage. Set aside to allow the glitter to dry.

SOURCE: CREATIVELYBETH.COM

Pat’s note: The instructions do not include a hanger for the back, which I would want. Also, there are no measurements given, but using a 1 inch wooden ball makes me think this is not large enough for a door hanger. When I make this, I will make it large enough to hang on my door and report back as to dimensions.

I found this easy to make wreath that can be saved and used over and over for all patriotic holidays!

From GardenCare.org:

DIY PATRIOTIC FELT WREATH

Today we are sharing an easy DIY Patriotic Felt Wreath.  This wreath is easy to make and the use of felt keeps the cost low too.

You too can easily make this wreath with just a few supplies.  The straw wreath form is from Wal-Mart and is under $3.00.  It was wrapped in cellophane and I just left it on.   I used 5 sheets each of blue, white and red felt and straight pins to attach the felt pieces to the wreath form.  Sheets of felt are around 25 cents a piece.

Step 1: Hand draw a tear drop pattern on a thin piece of cardboard.   This tear drop shape measures 2 inches long and an inch and a quarter at it’s widest point.

Step 2: Cut out the tear drop shape and use as a template to cut similar shaped pieces from the felt.  At first I traced the pattern on the felt with a pencil.  I quickly realized that this method was going to take a while, so I started cutting through two pieces of felt at a time, and that made the process go a lot faster.   I cut as many tear drops as I could get out of each piece of felt.

Note: Depending on how big your pattern is, and how close you pin the pieces together, will determine the amount of felt pieces you need.  I used almost all of the pieces I cut.

Step 3: Fold the bottom edges together to make a petal shape and attach to the wreath with a straight pin.

Step 4: Work in a slanted pattern starting at the outside edge of the wreath form and work to the center of the wreath form. The blue felt was added last.

Step 5: The use of felt makes this a vibrant and colorful wreath!  I attached a few white foam star stickers on the blue felt to finish the wreath.

This wreath comes together in just a couple of days.  It did take some time to cut out all the felt pieces, but it was worth it!

SOURCE: GARDENCARE.ORG

Pat’s Note: There were no other pictures with this project, sorry.

I thought these ladybugs were so cute and so easy to do!

You need golf balls…

spray paint Primer…

some acrylic paints…

and water-based varnish.

The procedure is simple:  Use some sandpaper to lightly smooth the surface of the balls.  Spray the primer to help the paint adhere to the surface.  When the primer is dry, use the acrylics to paint the ladybug.

From: gardeningchannel.com

When you’re planning what to grow each season in your garden, there’s an additional choice you may not have considered: whether to grow each plant from seeds or starter plants. Each gardening method has its benefits as well as its drawbacks, and they both perform best in certain situations. Most people choose to use a combination of growing plants from seed and starting with transplants in their gardens. Keep reading to find out when it makes sense to grow plants from seeds and when starter plants are the best option so that you can choose what’s best for your unique situation.

Benefits of Starting from Seeds

Wider Selection: It’s much easier to find exactly what you’re looking for when you’re shopping for seeds. There’s a much wider array of seeds to choose from compared to starter plants, when you can order from online seed companies or seed catalogs as well as checking the seed racks at stores near you. While you can order starter plants from some companies or individual sellers online, the possibilities aren’t nearly as numerous. Whether you’ve been recommended an heirloom variety of zucchini that you want to try growing or you just enjoy choosing what you’ll grow this year from the widest variety possible, seeds win out when it comes to the diversity of your options. 

Lower Cost: Some seeds are more sought-after than others, so you can find seeds at a variety of prices—but most of the time, buying seeds will be less expensive than purchasing starter plants. The small, light seed packages are also much less complicated (and therefore less expensive) to ship than a live starter plant.

You’ll need to purchase additional supplies to be ready to plant either seeds or young live plants, so even considering the complete cost of both options, the lower initial cost of seeds makes them a more economical choice than starter plants. The exception is if you don’t have a spot indoors that offers enough light for your seedlings. In this case, the purchase of grow lights can tip the balance and make starter plants a less expensive option for you.

Some Varieties Don’t Transplant Well: For some of the plants in the garden, transplanting just doesn’t work. Some varieties have delicate roots that are best not disturbed, while other plants just grow so quickly that there’s no real chance to start them indoors. Here’s a list of plants that do best when direct seeded: baby salad greens, beans, corn, greens that grow quickly (like arugula and spinach), microgreens, nasturtiums, peas, poppies, and root vegetables.

The Miracle of Life: A lot of gardeners get so much joy from the process of growing plants from seeds that they couldn’t imagine doing things any other way. While starter plants offer lots of convenience, they can’t compare to the experience of watching a tiny seed come to life underground and grow into a full-sized blooming plant. 

Benefits of Using Starter Plants

Convenience and Simplicity: Raising plants from seeds requires quite an investment of time and energy as you baby the seeds through their germination and sprouting. With starter plants, you simply tuck the plant into the spot you’ve chosen for it, provide it with some water, and you’re done.

Fewer Timing Restrictions: When you plant seeds, you have to do your research about the plant variety and make sure that you’re planting at the correct time for gardeners in your USDA Hardiness Zone. You have much more freedom with starter plants, which mature as the season progresses and are ready for purchase throughout their growing period. Nurseries online tend to hold off on delivering out-of-season plants (like spring vegetables, for example) until it’s time to plant them in your area. Brick and mortar stores will tailor their selection to offerings that make sense for gardeners in your area throughout the year. 

If you just purchase seeds without doing some research into timing and hope to plant them all at once, you’ll be disappointed. We recommend, if you plan to grow plants from seeds, that you spend some time planning with a calendar. Take into account when each plant variety will need to be sown, when flowers will be in bloom, and when edible plants will be ready for harvest.

Higher Performance: While the time from sprouting to transplant can be a lot of fun to witness, it’s a dangerous time for plants, and gardeners tend to lose some of the seeds they plant to illness, insects, and other factors. Starter plants have been cared for by professionals, and they’ve already been through this risky stage in a plant’s life. The starter plants available at nurseries near you have also been especially selected for gardeners in your region, so you have a better chance for success with starter plants from the outset. Just follow the advice in this article on how to choose healthy plants at the nursery or garden center.

No waiting period: Starter plants are ready to go into your garden and start beautifying your home from the day you purchase them, with one exception. If you make a pre-order for an out-of-season plant, the seller will wait to send your purchase until it’s time for gardeners in your zone to put transplants into the outdoor garden. Unless you plan very carefully, you’ll usually need to wait to plant seeds you’ve purchased as well. Starter plants offer more variety and availability year-round.

As you can see, there’s no right answer for everyone, and there’s no right answer all of the time. Starter plants are better when it comes to performance, simplicity, and freedom from a waiting period or timing restrictions.

Seeds work better for gardeners who are seeking a diverse selection, want to grow varieties that don’t transplant well, those on a budget, and those who just want to enjoy witnessing the miracle of life. After learning more about each option, you’re ready to choose which one is right for you regardless of the situation.

SOURCE: GARDENINGCHANNEL.COM

I found a cheap and easy DIY project for spring…Coffee Filter Peonies!

From taunieverett.com:

Hi friends!  Today I’m showing you how to make Coffee Filter Peonies.  Not only are they pretty, they are easy to make.  There are so many possibilities for colors with this project too.  Let’s get started, here’s what you’re going to need:

Coffee Filters

Scissors

Floral Wire

Floral Tape

Food Coloring

Glue or Hot Glue Gun

1.  Fold your coffee filter in half {I did two filters at a time}.

2.  Fold again in to fourths.

3.  Fold again in to sixths.

4.  Last fold so that it is in eights.

5.  Take your scissors and create a scalloped edge around the top of the filter.  You can create a short scallop or a deeper scallop depending on how you want your petals to look.

6.  Unfold to see your pretty scalloped edges.

7.  Once all your coffee filters are scalloped {I used 8 filters per flower, and the flowers are large…so you can use that as your guide for how many filters to cut}.

8.  Grab your floral wire and cut in to 12″ lengths, double that if you want your wire extra sturdy.  Using a pencil wrap the end of your wire several times in to a coil, then press your coil together after you slide it off the pencil.  This gives you a center for your flower that won’t slip through the filters.

9.  Poke the floral wire through the center of the first coffee filter petal, I used a small dot of hot glue on the floral wire coil to secure my filter to it and twist the bottom of the filter.  You can either use regular tacky glue or hot glue {if using hot glue just be careful, it’s hot and the filters are thin}.  I repeated this step until all my filters were on the wire, I glued every two filters, and the very last filter.

10.  Tear off a long strip of your floral tape, about 12 – 16″ long, once you tear it off the roll you will need to gently stretch it – this activates its stickiness.

11.  Starting at the base of the coffee filter where your wire pokes through place a dot of glue and adhere the end of your floral tape.  Start wrapping and spinning your floral tape all the way down your floral wire to create your stem.  I wrapped all the way down and then back up again to give it some sturdiness.

12.  I wanted colored peonies, but you could also leave them white.  If you choose to dye them all you need is food coloring.  Just mix a bowl full of water and tint the water with your food coloring until it’s the color you want.  You can test it by dipping an extra filter in and see how it turns out.  All I did was gently dip my peony one at a time half way in to the water.  Quickly pull it out and lay on a cookie sheet to dry.

13.  Once completely dry you can fluff your peonies and place them in your favorite vase.

SOURCE: TAUNIEVERTT.COM