Adorable Owl Pumpkins

October 25, 2012 - 1 Comment

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My super crafty friend Gina made these pumpkins with her family for Halloween.

They are actually super easy, if you use the right stuff :)

Supplies

 Directions

Spray paint sunflowers black.  After allowing to dry, attach washer “eyes” with hot glue.  Attach ears, eyes, and beak to pumpkins with hot glue.  Hold each in place until the glue dries and it’s solidly in place.

Do you love the owl trend as much as I do?

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DIY $1 Halloween Frame & Free Halloween Printable

October 11, 2012 - 2 Comments

How to turn a One Dollar Frame into a fun, frugal, and easy Halloween decoration:

I needed one more thing for my entryway table so I I picked up some of my favorite $1 frames and got busy creating this:

Dollar Store Frames Craft

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It was quick and easy to make {and very inexpensive}. I made 2, one for me and one for a friend. Here is what you need to make your own:

what you need

Supplies:

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Halloween Decor: Glowing Ghost Balloons

October 9, 2012 - Leave a Comment

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I love Halloween and I love to decorate for Halloween.  Only problem is…having time to decorate for Halloween.  I saw this adorable idea on Martha Stewart’s site and just HAD to try it out!

These Ghosts are ridiculously easy, cute, fast, affordable…all the things we Frug Gals love!

Glowing Ghost Balloon Supplies

  • Laytex White Balloons (I used 12″ balloons although I think all different sizes would be fun)
  • A Sharpie Marker
  • Glow Sticks (I used green)  Best place to get them is on Amazon.

100 8″ Premium Glow Stick Bracelets (Bi-Colored, Mixed Colors) $6.50 (save $33.49)
(this many at the Dollar Store would cost $20!)

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DIY Halloween Wreath {Picture Tutorial}

October 4, 2012 - 1 Comment

Last year my girl friends and I had a craft night {and tried} to make Halloween wreaths. We tried an idea we saw on pinterest and it totally flopped! I was so annoyed I threw the wreath away and didn’t think about a Halloween wreath until this year. I picked up the straw wreath from Wal-Mart for a couple of dollars and figured out what I wanted to do. I picked up some stuff at the dollar store and Michael’s and was ready to go. I love making my own wreaths because I can put just what I want on it and it is so much cheaper to buying a premade one. I got everything for my wreath for around $12. Here’s what I used:

halloween wreath

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Black Spray paint

Straw wreath

Wooden numbers

Ribbon

Wired ribbon

Spider & Owl

Hot Glue Gun and wire

{I didn’t use the spider web on my final product}

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Spray paint the wreath and the numbers. It took a few coats for the wreath. I let it dry overnight.

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I decided I wanted to wrap my sheer orange ribbon around the wreath. Put some hot glue on one edge and let it cool. I use a glue stick to rub the glue in place.

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Wrap the ribbon around the wreath leaving space between it. I wanted the black to show through. Hot glue it in place after you have gone all the way around. the wreath.

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Next I made the bow using wired orange ribbon. Wired ribbon is so much easier to work with when you are making bows. It was hard to take a picture of myself making the bow.

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Basically you make some big loops leaving a tail at both ends, when you start the bow and end the bow. I also added a little pouf in the middle before making the final tail.

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I couldn’t find my wire so I used a bag tie to hold my bow together.

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Pouf it and and separate the loops. This is when the wired edge comes in handy, it helps the bow hold it’s shape.

cut here

For the tails, fold it in half and cut it diagonally.

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Now you are ready to assemble your wreath. This is something you just have to play with before you glue everything on. I put things on and change it up until it looks how I want it too.

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I used my hot glue gun to attach everything to my wreath.

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Spider (from the dollar store) I stuck toothpicks in his belly so he would stay just where I wanted him to. I also used a little hot glue on him. I hot glued my owl on the wreath. I picked the owl up at Michael’s.

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I decided I needed some sparkle on my wreath so I put some black glitter on my 31. I just brushed mod podge on them and sprinkled them with black glitter.

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then I hot glued them on my wreath.

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I used some of the extra ribbon to tie around the wreath to hang it on my front door. I just stuck some thumbtacks into the top of my door to hold it in place. Once I hung it up I puffed up my bow a little more and put the tails where I wanted them.  Here’ s the finished product. I love how it turned out. When making wreaths, you just have to kind of let them evolve and you don’t always use everything you bought for them.

diy wreath

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Check out all of our other DIY and frugal crafts ideas!

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DIY Halloween Banner

September 27, 2012 - Leave a Comment

Can you believe October is almost here?! This month has flown by.  I love Fall, the cooler weather and all the holidays coming up. I usually just do a little decorating for Halloween. Last year I kept meaning to make a Halloween banner and never did so I got it done early this year. It was easy to make and I love how it looks on my mantle. I haven’t found the rest of my Halloween décor (I moved and have no idea where the box of decorations is so my mantle is a little bare). Here is what you need to make one too:

need for banner

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Some decorative Halloween Paper (I found mine at hobby lobby)

Black and Orange cardstock

Glue Gun {get one here}

Mod Podge {get it here}

Black Glitter {get it here}

Pom Pom Yarn

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I used my lovely Silhouette to cut out the Banner pieces and Letters to spell Spooky. If you don’t have one you you can find a shape you want for your banner and just cut it by hand, the same for the letters. I used this fun font for my letters called Biker Bones. You can download it for FREE here.

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Aren’t the letters fun for Halloween? I love how they look like bones. I wanted my letters sparkly so I put black glitter on them. Use a sponge brush to put Mod Podge all over the letter.

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If you use glitter a lot, these trays are awesome! I can’t do glitter without mine, they keep it contained. You can find one here. I just dump a lot of glitter over the letter then shake it off and set it on some paper to dry.

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Then you funnel the glitter back in to the jar!

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This is a great trick that I LOVE, after the glitter has dried on, it still has a tendency to flake off {which I don’t like} if you take some Clear Acrylic Sealer and give it a light spray over the letters then it will stop the glitter from shedding. It dries fast too!

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While the letters are drying, get to work on the banner. I decided I wanted my edges to look a little distressed so I took a sponge and some black ink and rubbed it along the edges of my patterned paper.

sponge edges

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Hot Glue the patterned paper to the cardstock.

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Next I place my letters on so I can make sure I spell it right in the correct order

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Then hot glue the letters on

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Then measure your pom pom yarn to see how long it needs to be for your mantle and place the letters evenly apart.

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hot glue the pom poms onto the the banner, be careful not to burn yourself!

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and hang it on your mantle.

spooky copy

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I used some of these 3m hooks on my mantle. I love them because they don’t damage my mantle and are out of sight.

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Halloween Crafts {Canning Ring Pumpkin}

September 25, 2012 - Leave a Comment

Need a fun and easy way to decorate your front porch this fall? Here’s a creative way to use your canning rings to create perfect little Cinderella pumpkins:

This craft is easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Canning rings (I used approximately 28 wide-mouth rings for one pumpkin)
  • String (about 18″ long)
  • A cut branch
  • decorative or real pumpkin leaves

All you have to do is string the rings (all facing one direction), and tie it together with string to create a wreath shape. Make sure you have enough rings to make a nice and full pumpkin. And don’t worry if the rings are beat up or rusty. It all adds character.

Then insert a 1″ branch. I literally went out to a tree in my backyard and cut a 1″ thick branch off and then trimmed it up on my chopsaw.

I added a leaf from my actual pumpkin plant for extra cuteness.

Then because I liked them so much, I made two more!

If you are looking for an alternative to decorating spookily, the cute pumpkin thing is really in right now. Check out our Pinterest page to see more harvest and Halloween ideas!

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Halloween Party Ideas…. Grown Up Style!

September 24, 2012 - 5 Comments

Who still doesn’t love to dress up?

As a busy mom, I spend a lot of time in October at Halloween carnivals, selecting/making kids costumes, helping with treats for school parties, and of course, finding mass quantities of free or cheap candy for the trick or treaters. However, some of my favorite Halloween memories in recent years came from when I got to dress up and attend a Halloween party.

Last year I co-hosted a grown-up Halloween party. It took a lot of work and planning, but the end result was a fun, fabulous event. Our theme was “Somewhere In Time” We assigned our guest to be famous couples throughout history. (Bonnie & Clyde, Futuristic, George & Martha Washington, JFK and Jackie O, Pocohontas & Captain John Smith, Adam & Eve, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Cleopatra and Anthony, Anne Boleyn & King Henry VIII to name a few). My husband and I were a Knight of the Round Table and a Medieval Princess.

Me and my husband

We had the guest enter the party through a time tunnel (cardboard prop and fog machine). We played a couple of time themed games, guessing the baby pictures of each guest and what year famous events about the characters at our party happened. We had yummy food, photos, and visiting. We had prizes for game winners and best costumes (voted on by guests), which was a fun addition. The best part was seeing the elaborate, creative costumes. Photos do exist, but I have only included a few to protect the guilty :)

Here are some other fun party ideas to help you throw a fabulous grown-up party!

Invite Ideas:

  • Make your own invitations, make them fancy with a wax seal or over sized envelope.
  • Hand deliver for a personal touch.
  • Recycle items, such as cast-off books or boxes with invites inside.
  • Balloons with messages inside or something centered around your theme.
  • Make sure you do the party on another night besides Halloween, so guests can enjoy time with kids.
  • Give them time to find/plan their costumes and include an RSVP.

Costume/Theme Ideas:

  • TV characters: Ross &Rachel, Fred & Wilma Flintstone, Greg & Marsha Brady, Gilligan & Mary Ann, Lucille Ball & Ricky Ricardo, Laura & Almanzo Wilder, etc…
  • Literature: Romeo & Juliet, Harry Potter and Hermonie, Edward & Bella, Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy, Scarlett O’Hara & Rhett Butler, Robin Hood & Maid Marion, etc…
  • Superheroes: Batman & Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Superman & Lois Lane, Green Lantern, etc…
  • Fairy Tales/Nursery Rhymes: Snow White, Cinderella, Jack & Jill, Little Mermaid, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffett
  • Decades: throw a 1970s bash, or a kick back to the 1920s flappers, 1980s hair bands, etc…
  • Be sure to raid your closet and visit the thrift store to look for your costume.

Food:

  • Bulk items at warehouse stores
  • Stockpile items: Tortillas, tuna, biscuits, cheese, can make for fun sandwiches.
  • Stockpile Snacks: Chips, Crackers, Nuts, Soda, Cake Mixes, Brownies even Fruit Snacks, and Capri Suns, since it is Halloween.
  • Buy fruit and veggies and cut up to make your own fruit and veggie trays.
  • An even more frugal idea, is to have a potluck.
  • Or consider having fall themed foods, apples, pumpkin, or chili recipes to have guest bring, sample and share.

Games:

  • Matching character facts with the character
  • Trivia on your theme
  • Name that TV show clip, or name that tune
  • Pictionary on your theme
  • Traditional kids Halloween games, bobbing for apples, pin the tail on the donkey, piñata, donuts on the string.

Prizes/Favors:

  • Dollar Store Items.
  • Stockpile items: treats, candy, candle décor & holiday scented air fresheners, and even toilet paper (hey it is Halloween).
  • Gift Cards.
  • Another fun idea is to take photos and give them as a fun follow-up favor later.

Other fun party ideas include:

  • Murder Mystery Parties (find some here or write your own),
  • Chili contests
  • Trick or Eat, a Halloween themed progressive dinner. Start with appetizers at one house, salad at another, main course at another, and then finish with dessert or trick-or-treating at the last house.

What Fab and/or Frugal party ideas do you have?

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DIY Large Typography Sign {Picture Tutorial}

September 13, 2012 - Leave a Comment

I have seen lots of large typography signs all over pinterest. I saw this one and knew it would be perfect for a wall in my house, but couldn’t pay the $45 price tag (my kids are always needing new shoes and things like that). I figured out how to make it for under $10. It takes a bit of patience to get it just right, but was pretty easy to put together. The only thing I had to buy was the large piece of wood. It is a 24X24 piece of plywood that I got at Lowes for around $5. Here is what you need:

diy lg typo sign

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24X24 piece of Wood

2 colors of spray paint {I used Valspar Bright Red and Krylon Ivory both in Satin finish, I did not want it to be glossy}

Vinyl Stencil {I cut mine out with my Silhouette, you can download my studio file here} If you don’t have a vinyl cutting machine find a friend who has one or you could go to a local sign and banner place and they could cut some vinyl for you. Or you can print it out and use some carbon paper to trace the words onto the board and paint it by hand.

Mod Podge & Sponge Brush {forgot to get them in the picture}

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First spray paint your board. My board was pretty smooth and didn’t need to be sanded at all, but it is a good idea to dust it off before you paint.

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Red is a color you have to do lots of coats of. I’m not sure how many I did, probably around 4 or 5. I let it dry overnight (remember I’m in Arkansas and it is HUMID here so things take longer to dry!)

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Lay out your vinyl stencils on your board to make sure they all fit. I wasn’t going to use transfer paper, but it was a little easier to use it. The vinyl didn’t stick great to the wood so I had to work hard to get the transfer paper off without pulling the vinyl off. Pulling  it off at an angle seemed to be easier

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It helped to put the backing on top of the vinyl to help press out the air bubbles. The vinyl can stretch or tear easily so be careful. Just using your fingers works good too.

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Also don’t pull all the backing paper off at once! Pull about 2 inches off and get it placed then slowly pull it off as you press the vinyl down. This is the part not to go to fast and just take your time. I rushed on the first one and had lots of air bubbles to work out.

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I put the “this” on vinyl first and you can see it has the most bubbles, I got better as I did the rest of the board

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After you get them all on now you take your mod podge matte

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and brush it over the edges of the letters. You do this to help prevent bleeding through. Don’t put it on too thick. I brushed it over the whole letter so it would all be the same finish when I painted it.

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I taped up the parts of the board that the vinyl didn’t cover so they wouldn’t be spray painted. You can also paint it with acrylic paint if you don’t want to use spray paint.

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Now I spray painted with the ivory.

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I think I used about 4 coats, until the red didn’t show through. I let it dry for a few hours.

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The next part is my favorite, peeling off the vinyl and seeing the magic!

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You can see a little ivory bled through, but I think it happened more when I held the can too close.

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{When I first hung it I used the 3M picture hanging strips. They didn’t stick good to the unfinished wood on the back and it fell off the wall. So I texted my friend who has a similar sign and she said she hot glued a soda can tab to the back of the sign. I tried it and it works perfectly! I love it because it is FREE!! The sign is so thin and I din’t want to nail into it for fear it would go through the other side.

Here it is on my wall:

this is the life

I added some pictures to the wall:

large typography

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I love how it fills up this little wall in my house. I have a few more things I want to add to the wall, but haven’t found them yet (we just moved and have lots of things in boxes still!). So for around $10 I made this awesome sign that makes me happy when I see it.

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DIY Lego Table {Picture Tutorial}

August 30, 2012 - 10 Comments

I have 4 kids and they all love Legos. My husband loves to buy them Legos.  Needless to say, we have lots of Legos.   I’ve been struggling with a good place for them to play with them and keep them contained. One of my friends has a Lego table she made with an IKEA table, but we don’t have an IKEA that I can run to so I had to come up with something else. I saw a side table at Target and knew it would be perfect. Here is what you need:

lego table-1 copy

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Side table-I found mine at Target it was $15, I have seen them on sale and clearance, you just have to keep your eyes out for it.

1 Lego building plate -you can find one here, I picked mine up at toysrus- make sure you buy the extra large one, it comes in gray

A glue gun {you can use a more permanent glue like e6000 if you want}lego table-2

Our table was 18×18 inches and our base plate was 15×15 inches so my husband measured in 1 1/2 inches from each edge and marked it with chalk so the base plate would be centered on the table. I’ve seen other tables that they put together lots of smaller base plates to cover the table completely. When I found that Lego made a 15×15 inch base plate I decided to go that route because it was the easiest.

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You have to work fast on this next part, cover the back of the base plate with hot glue. I used my big glue gun because it is hotter and the glue stays hot longer giving me more time to get it placed in the right spot.

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Place it on the top of the table, lining it up between the marks you made.

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Press it down with your hands to make sure it has stuck evenly all over.

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We flipped the table over and pressed down for a minute for good measure.

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Last,we screwed the legs onto the table and it was ready to go.

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Our kids were so excited about I and have played with them for hours everyday. We had to make another one for the girls (using a red table).

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It took us less than 10 minutes to make each table and was around $30 per table. All of kids (from 2 1/2 to 7 1/2) love them and have so much fun with them, they were worth every penny!

lego table-10 copy

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What Lego set do your kids LOVE?

 

–>> LEGO Ultimate Building Set – 405 Pieces for $24.58! <<–

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DIY Magnet Board For Your Kids!

August 27, 2012 - 6 Comments

 

Here’s a fun little pinterest inspired “Did it myself!” magnet board I made for my kiddos last Christmas! I was looking for an educational/busy activity for a gift rather than spending loads of $$ on toys with a life span of 3 weeks. This was perfect! Easy, affordable, AND educational. I enjoyed putting it together and actually wrapped it on the wall and everything! To make it, I bought an oil drip pan from the Walmart automotive section for about $10 and wiped it down really good with some 409 and let it dry. I’ve heard you can also purchase them at auto part stores for around the same price. I already had a set of alphabet flash cards so I didn’t need to purchase those but the ones below are similar. I ordered the wooden letters (which work MUCH better than the plastic ones because the entire back of them is magnet, so they stick better) on Amazon and then purchased some rubber cement from my favorite store in the whole wide world, Walmart. I then lined up the flash cards where I wanted them, glued them on and let them dry! Easy peasy. Lastly, the hubs used his power tools and anchored it to the wall with some heavy duty screws so it doesn’t move.  My kids love it and play with it all the time. It’s been on the wall since Christmas and still going strong! Speaking of Christmas, only 118 days to go! :)

 

Oil drip pan from Walmart… $10.00

Alphabet Pocket Flash Cards… $2.99

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet… $9.11

 

 Hours of noise fun and mess entertainment for your little ones… PRICELESS! :)

 

Seriously though, this oil drip pan idea is AWESOME! If you wanted to make it super simple, you could totally skip the flash cards and just make it a fun magnet board! Here are a few more super cute magnets you could try out!

*Amazon prices are subject to change at any time.

 

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