DIY Day of the Dead Wreath

Day of the Dead is celebrated from October 31 to November 2, but I think sugar skulls should be displayed all year round.

To make this wreath:
You'll need a foam wreath form, various colors of felt, fabric paint, scissors, this pattern, a hot glue gun, and hot glue sticks. The felt skulls I used came from Target, but I scanned one to create the pattern.

1.  Cut black felt into strips.
2.  Wrap strips around wreath form hot gluing as you go.
3.  The entire wreath should be covered with felt.
4.  Take a strip and glue along the edge. Fold it in half the long way.  Form a loop and glue the ends together.
5.  Glue the loop to the back of the wreath.
6.  Cut out the skull piece using white felt. Use fabric paint to create the eyes, nose, and mouth. Let dry. You can also cut those areas out of the skull and glue the piece to black piece of felt.
7.  Glue the skull to the wreath.
8.  Cut out eight bone pieces. Glue two of them together to form a flower.
9.  Cut out four or more leaf pieces. Glue one to the back of the bone flower. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the other bone flowers.
10.  Cut out the spiral flower pieces.
11.  Begin at one end and roll the spiral hot gluing as you go. Repeat this step four more times.
12.  You should now have a rose.
13.  Glue the roses to the bone flowers.
14.  Glue the flowers to the wreath.
15.  Use fabric paint to decorate the skull.

-Mandy

DIY Voodoo Doll Costume

The oldest decided to be a voodoo doll for Halloween this year.

To create your own costume:
You'll need black and red felt, scissors, black pipe cleaners, large pom poms, a hot glue gun, glue sticks, a needle, black thread, a tan dress, and an exacto knife (optional).

1.  Fold a piece of red felt in half and cut a teardrop shape.
2.  Unfold piece to a heart shape. Trim if necessary.
3.  Cut out a second heart shape.
4.  Use an exacto knife or scissors to make a small slit in one of the heart pieces.
5.  Make another slit or two.
6.  Cut pipe cleaners in half.
7.  Glue pom poms to one end of the pipe cleaners to create "pins".
8.  Slide the pins into the slits.
9.  Lay the other heart shape under the slit one. Glue the pins to the bottom heart.
10.  Glue the heart pieces together.
11.  Your heart piece is complete.
12.  Cut "stitches" out of black felt.

Use black thread to stitch the heart and stitches to the tan dress. Use makeup to add stitches to your face.

-Mandy

DIY Voodoo Doll

The oldest is dressing as a voodoo doll for Halloween, and I made a doll to go along with her costume.

Download the pattern here.  Print the file at actual size.

1. You'll need tan felt, red felt, a button, needle, black thread, craft wire, pliers, wire cutters, beads, scissors, black fabric paint, polyfil (not pictured), and the pattern.

2.  Print out the pattern. Cut out the pattern pieces and use them to cut out the fabric pieces.

3.  Sew the button onto one of the head pieces.

4.  Cut off a piece of craft wire and make a tiny bend about .75" from one end.

5.  Slide a bead onto the wire and curl the end.

6.  Bend the wire to make a v shape. Poke it through the heart piece in two places.

7.  Make a tiny bend at the other end of the wire.  Repeat Step 5.

8.  Sew the heart onto one of the body pieces.

9.  Stitch the two body pieces together and stuff with polyfil. The more haphazard the stitching, the better. Stitch two leg pieces together and stuff.  Sew the leg to the body. Do the same with the remaining leg, arms, and head. Finish by adding stitches with fabric paint.


I'll be posting a separate tutorial for the voodoo doll costume.

-Mandy 

Ocean Hair Pins

A new mermaid shirt required new hair pins.  

You'll need:

- this pattern (part of the 2017 Summer Break Craft Roundup)

- two bobby pins
- felt
- fabric scissors

- hot glue gun and glue sticks

- fabric paint

These hair pins don't take long at all.  The fabric paint will dry quickly as long as the dots aren't too thick.

-Mandy