Category Archives: Crafts ~ DIY ~ Projects

Halloween Pumpkin Candle Holders Made From Oranges

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Use fall leaves and twigs to landscape a backdrop for a group of unique candle holders. Elevate some of the oranges on boxes and urns for height variation.

 

This Halloween, scare up a batch of bewitching little candle holders to add a ghostly glow to a table or mantel. Made from oranges, these little jack-o’-lanterns are so small that you can use them in multiples for big impact. To create a seasonal centerpiece, cluster them among leaves on a platter or cake stand or simply use individual candle holders to mark place settings at a Halloween supper.

It lakes just minutes to make each one. First. cut a slice from the top of an orange, and scoop out the contents, saving the fruit for cooking or a salad. Cut out spooky eyes, a nose, and mouth from each orange with a craft knife. For the candles, use tea lights, the type of small candle that’s enclosed in aluminum to contain the melting wax. Use dried leaves and berries in combination with the jack-o’-lanterns, being careful to keep all flammable materials well away from the heat of the candles. To prevent the lightweight oranges from being tipped over, place a piece of sticky florist clay on the bottom of each one.

Step 1: Use the top of a spice jar as a guide for drawing a circle around the top of an orange. Then draw a face onto one side, (A pen or felt-tip marker works best.) Slice off the top of the orange. Scoop out the contents with a melon ball cutter, using a knife to cut the fruit away from the sides of the orange.

Step 2: Place the curve of a large spoon inside the orange, against the drawn face. Using a craft knife, cut out the features of the jack-o’-lantern. (The spoon gives a surface to cut against and protects your fingers from the knife.)

Step 3: Set a tea light candle inside the orange. Use a small piece of florist clay to keep the jack-o’-lantern fixed to the spot where you’re displaying it.

Fall Lighted Pumpkins – A New Idea

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An Interior Desgners Gingerbread House

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AN INTERIOR DESIGNER’S GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Every year James Deartron makes a ginger­bread house part of his holiday decora­tions. His professional experience gives him lots of good ideas for decorating the delicious structure, and he has become known around town for these clever cre­ations. Here are some of his tips.

Cotton batting is perfect for smoke com­ing out of the chimney.

Un-shelled sunflower seeds give the look of flagstones.

Chocolate-covered   graham   crackers pave the walkway outside the house.

White frosting makes good snow; to cre­ate the effect of rooftop icicles, allow frosting to drip down eaves.

Powdered sugar resembles the freshly fallen snow.

Pine cones provide some outdoor land­scaping (tip them with frosting for snow).

A red-and-white  peppermint drop is a good stained-glass window.

Meringue latticework is used for the doors and windows, which are glued to gingerbread pillars with royal icing (a mix­ture of egg whites and powdered sugar).

Bread Dough Aztec Mask

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A stunning wall decoration created by molding and layering simple template
shapes combined with surface texturing techniques. The earthy yellow, red
and greens blend do well together to produce a strikingly authentic effect

YOU   WILL   NEED
1 batch salt dough
Roiling pin
Flour
Pastry board
Tracing paper
Pencil
Plain paper
Scissors
Small knife
5-inch diameter saucer to use as a mold
Plastic food wrap
Modeling tools
Wooden skewer
Fine srade sandpaper
Paintbrushes
Acrylic paints
synthetic sponge (optional)
Satin polyurethane varnish

~ Roll out the dough to a thickness of  1/4  inch on a lightly floured pastry board. Trace off the basic template, and then trace off the other template details following the solid lines (the dotted lines represent surface details). Cut out the templates in plain paper and place on the rolled-out dough. Cut around each shape, using a small knife, removing the eye and mouth sections. Remove the excess dough.

~  Cover the convex side of the saucer with plastic food wrap and lay it on the pastry board. Carefully lift the main mask template and place it over the mold. The saucer should fit under the face part of the mask and the head-dress should lie flat on the board. Moisten the entire surface of the dough with water and carefully lay the other cutout shapes in position.

~  Use modeling tools or a wooden skewer to make the surface decorations, referring to the dotted lines on the template and to the photograph as a guide. Use a moistened modeling tool to smooth out the joins. The raised details on the forehead and earrings are made from small balls of dough squashed to make a flatter shape and then pierced with the blunt end of a skewer. For the nose, model a small ball of dough into a pyramid shape and press it carefully into position, smoothing out the joins with a moistened modeling tool. Form the nostrils, using a pointed modeling tool.

~  Transfer the mask to the microwave turntable plate and bake on low for 20 minutes + 20 minutes, medium low for 20 minutes, and medium for 10 minutes + 10 minutes. Remove it from the microwave oven and leave to cool. Do not attempt to remove the mold while the dough is still warm as this may cause warping and damage. Gently prize the dough mask away from the mold and, using sandpaper, smooth off any rough edges.

~ Apply two coats of beige acrylic paint to both sides of the mask to act as a sealant and bottom coat. Apply the other decorative colors, using the photograph as a guide. Use a dry brush or a sponge to achieve the subtle effects.

~  When the decorative paintwork is dry. apply three coats of varnish, Leaving each coat to dry before applying the next.

I’m Melting

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A witch placed into acetone melts into sticky goo. The goo can be molded into different shapes before it hardens.

What you’ll need
foam cup
pen
goggles
rubber gloves
acetone (nail polish remover)
glass or metal bowl

1, Draw a picture of a wicked witch on an upside-down foam cup. Put on the goggles and rubber gloves.
Pour acetone into the bowl so it is about Vi inch deep.
3,  Put the witch into the acetone, feet first. Watch as the witch melts, just like the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz! As you watch, say in your best witch voice, “I’m melting, I’m melting.”
4,  When the witch has totally melted, reach into the acetone and pull out the goo. Mold it into any shape—when it dries you will have a statue.

Safety
Adult supervision is needed for this project. Protect your eyes from the acetone by wearing goggles and your hands by wearing rubber gloves. Don’t pour the acetone into a plastic bowl because it could damage the bowl. Do this activity in an area with good air circulation.

What Happened?
Similar to salt dissolving in water, polystyrene foam dissolves in acetone. The foam in the cup holds millions of tiny pockets of air. This makes the cup a great insulator, helping to keep your hot chocolate warm on cold days. When the foam dissolves in the acetone, the air is released, and a sticky goo results. When the foam goo hardens, it doesn’t have air pockets anymore.

Fun Fact
Styrofoam is made from a chemical called polystyrene. The Dow Chemical Company invented it in the 1940s. Polystyrene beads are heated and air is blown in to create air bubbles in the foam. It is used for cups, home insulation, packing material, and flotation devices.