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Sunday, October 2, 2011

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- QUICK HALLOWEEN DECORATING

Even for those of us not crazy about Halloween, if you’ve got kids, you’ve got to bow to the holiday. Did you know that Halloween is now the second most celebrated holiday when it comes to spending money on decorating your home? So what do you do if your kids want to spruce up the place with goblins and ghosts but you don’t want to spend the money?

Here’s a simple trick. Take some of that Halloween artwork your kids have brought home, and use it as a decorating element. Aside from hanging up the pictures, use the artwork to create temporary Halloween themed items around your home.

I took a Halloween picture from a coloring page and reduced it on the copy machine to fit an inexpensive vase from the crafts store. You can also use items you cut out of magazines, wrapping paper, stickers, or greeting cards.

I used double-sided sheet adhesive to apply the picture to two different pieces of colored paper. I then applied the sheet adhesive to the back of the second piece of colored paper and used pinking sheers to cut out a decorative edge around the artwork. I mounted the finished piece to the vase.

Finally, I wrapped two pieces of rickrack around the top and bottom of the vase, securing the pieces in place with pieces of tape at the back of the vase.

Voila! Almost instant Halloween decoration. You can do this for a vase or a container to fill with candy or a candle. And the best part is that come November 1st, you simply remove the adhesive backed paper and rickrack and start thinking about Christmas decorations.



Do you decorate for Halloween? Post a comment to be entered in the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

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