Dare to Share Features of the Day (#180)

I know I said I would be posting features over the weekend.  I ended up having unexpected plans on both days.  I was also able to work on two new posts for this week, because of those plans.  We made it to the Renaissance Festival, and I  baked cupcakes with a special friend of mine.  (more to that story later :)) 

I was so hard to pick features. There are just so many great projects each week!   I picked five that I think you will really enjoy.  

Isn't this little witch adorable wearing her  DIY Witch Hat Headband?!  You can see how to make with this tutorial by Crafts Unleashed

I love Smores so when I see a cookie called Ooey Gooey Smores Cookies, I am in! You can find the recipe over at Eat, Pray, Read, Love.

Here is another cookie that the kids will love to help make and eat.  Witch Hat cookies by The Simple Parent.

If you have a child who loves Minecraft, you will have to check out these Bento Box Lunch and Snack Ideas by Attagirl Says.

I hope to go apple picking very soon. I could not help but notice these super cute Bushel of Apples Sugar Cookie Cups by Growing up Gabel. 

Thanks everyone for linking up to Dare to Share!! 

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Our Witch Themed Halloween

Did you survive Halloween? I joked with my daughter that we were characters from Frozen, because we were literally freezing.  All day it was raining, and the temperature kept dropping. When we first went out, it was in the 40s, but by the time the sun went down it was only in the 30s. We actually saw snowflakes! Brrr!   Before we left for trick or treating I took some pictures of my Halloween decorations.  I love this arch. I bought it on clearance at Target  eight or nine years ago, and have used it every years since. 

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While this archway is no longer available, you can make something similar using a black metal arch, and adding some spooky cloth and orange or purple lights.  

This year I decorated the porch in a witch and black cat  theme.  I painted the witch many years ago, when I was part of a Tole Painting Group.  I bought the lit black cat on clearance at Target a few years back, and I made the Pumpkin Witch Hat this year.  I had the smiling black pumpkin cauldron in the window on the front porch with a witch broom in it, but it kept blowing over.  I sat it in the window so we did not have to keep picking it up all night. 

If you like the black cat, I found a similar one here

On the front door, I had a black cat and witch broom wreath that I had made. 

Even our pumpkins matched the theme.  Several years ago I found pumpkin lights on clearance. The lights have more than one setting and have lasted a very long time.  One is a red strobe light which keeps the back ground red, like in the photo.  The other setting changes the back ground light every 10-15 seconds between green, blue and purple. 

They now make remote controlled changing color pumpkin lights, which you can see here. 

As the kids come up the walkway, they are greeted by some sweet baby monsters.  I also made these many years ago, and put them out every year.  This year poor Wolfie had to hang out on the front porch.  They had blown over during the strong wind, and when he was put back up, his stake came off. We will fix him up, and he will be good as new next year. 

I also like decorating the entryway, so there are more fun decorations when we open the door.  I plugged in my fake pumpkins, brought out a few more black cats, and placed plastic pumpkins with battery powered votive candles on the stars.  

Even our candy bowl followed the theme. I have done it this way for years. I bought the cat on clearance years ago.  There is a hole in it's head where you can put the candy  but it is only about 2 feet off the ground, and you would have to constantly bend down. By placing a cauldron filled with candy on it's head, it is a much easier to reach height. 

If you would like a candy bowl cauldron you can find the one  we used here.

This year was bittersweet. Only one of my kids went out trick or treating.  The older two don't really want to anymore.  I used to love taking  all the fun pictures of their smiling faces in costume.   My daughter is holding an umbrella because it was drizzling at the time I took this picture.  As we were walking down the driveway, a gust of wind blew the umbrella inside out, so we left it at home.   While she thought she would be warm enough with her green coat, she soon found out that was not the case. After  little while we came back home so she could get a warmer coat, and change her shoes and socks.  (her feet went numb with the temps in the mid 30s)  I went out wearing my winter coat, winter boots, gloves and ear muffs.  I forgot to put on long underwear, so my legs did get a bit cold.  I thought it was really funny that almost every house tried to give me candy too, since they thought I was a kid.  I am on the short side, and about the same height as Kara so I understood why it happened.  Many offered the candy even after they knew I was mom, and saw I was not carrying a candy bag. I would turn them down saying I knew I would have a lot of leftover candy at home, because the weather kept a lot of the  trick or treaters away.  I was right on that one.  Last year we had run out of candy, this year there were five bags left!   Looks like I will have to come up with some leftover candy recipes in the next week or two. 

I hope you enjoyed my little tour of my trick or treat decor. 

A few other Halloween with themed items you might enjoy 

4 ft Halloween Witch Inflatable

Gnomes with Black Cat and Pumpkin Inflatable

5 ft Black Cat with Projection Light

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Halloween Witch Crafts

This week I knew I wanted to make a few more crafts with the Halloween items in my craft stash.    Well one craft lead to another craft, which lead to an idea for my entire porch for Halloween.  

I pulled out black cat, purple ribbon, a shiny purple witch broom (that really reflects sunlight!) and a wreath form. All of these items I had bought at the dollar store awhile back.  I knew they would make a good wreath for the front door, and since they were dollar store items, it would be okay to be out in the elements without worry they would get ruined.  I put the wreath together, and then hung it on the front door.  

I then pulled out a paper mache witch hat that I recently bought at the craft store and painted it black.  I used some of the leftover ribbon from my wreath and strips of tulle to decorate it.  

I thought the witch hat would be a fun way to decorate a pumpkin if we do not end up carving all of them.  

Then it hit me..  With the black cat wreath, and the witch pumpkin hat, I unintentionally had a theme going.  I have many other witch items in my boxes of  Halloween decor such as a large plastic cauldron, a few standing black cats, and a witch broom. I think even have some Wizard of Oz witch legs somewhere. I also have a 2-3 foot standing painted witch that painted many years ago in a tole painting class.  This year for Halloween, I am going to do my entire porch in the witch theme.  I don't like super scary, as I don't like to scare the little ones,so the witches won't be too wicked.  I am pretty excited now as my easy Halloween Witch Crafts have started something much bigger..  Stay tuned..  

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