Star-Bulletin photo / 2002

Free help for Christmas craft projects

Halloween events calendar

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By Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com

Halloween can be spooky, creepy and fun a magical time of year for children and adults. It's the time when an abundance of ghosts and goblins, witches, pumpkins, bats and scary black cats can be found lurking all around the home. Craft projects provide ways of turning ordinary abodes into chambers of horror.

The simplest materials can be used to create Halloween party decorations, jewelry and more. Tablecloths can be made easily with sheets, brown or white luau-style paper and some paint and stamps. Potatoes also can be carved with spooky designs and used as stamps. The possibilities are endless. Here are some crafty projects to help conjure up some Halloween spirit:

Halloween how-tos

Halloween craft demonstrations are being offered around the island. Call for the details or to get more spooky ideas:

Ben Franklin stores

>> Enchanted Lake, 1020 Keolu Drive, 261-4621
>> Mapunapuna, 2810 Paa St., 833-3800
>> Market City Shopping Center, 2919 Kapiolani Boulevard, 735-4211
>> Pearl City, 850 Kamehameha Highway, 455-1909

Craft Supply stores

>> Downtown, 1960 S. King St., 942-5044
>> Pearl Highlands, 1000 Kamehameha Highway, Suite 247; 456-3533

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Pumpkin Pot Chime

Star-Bulletin photo / 2002

Supplies

1.5-inch clay pot
Orange acrylic paint
Foam paintbrush
24 inches of 1/8-inch green satin ribbon
3 10mm jingle bells
Low temperature glue gun and glue sticks
1 2-by-1.5-inch piece of green felt
Black fine-point permanent marker

Instructions

Paint the pot orange and let dry. Cut three 6-inch-long pieces of ribbon. Tie one bell to the end of each ribbon. Trim excess close to the knot. Gather the ribbons and place the bells at different heights. Loop loose ends into a knot, leaving about 1-inch loops. Trim the excess ribbon close to the knot.

Turn the pot upside down. Pull all three loops through the pot's hole, leaving bells dangling inside. Add glue to the hole to secure ribbon. Separate the three loops. Keep the middle loop as your hanger. Use a little glue to tack the side loops down. Take the remaining ribbon down, curling as you go along the sides.

Cut two leaves from the felt. Glue to the top of the pot, covering the knots. Use the marker to draw a jack-o-lantern face on the pot.

Different sized pots and bells may be used. Use other colors to create ghosts and monsters. For Christmas, red paint and cotton could be used to create clay-pot Santas, or use white with paper wings to make angels.

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Batty Pin

Supplies

1 1.75-by-1.75-inch yellow fun foam
1 3-1/2-by-1-1/2-inch black fun foam
2mm to 5mm moving eyes
Pin back
Low temperature glue gun and glue sticks
Optional: Glitter pens, Tacky Glue or ultra-fine glitter

Instructions

Cut a round moon from the yellow foam and the bat's body from the black foam. Glue the eyes onto the bat's head. Place the bat's body half on the moon so that the wing is extended outward. Glue the pin back behind the moon.

Detail can be added by outlining the bat's body with glitter pens, or glitter. Other critters, ghosts and monster can also be created using fun foam. Another option is to glue a magnet instead of a pin to the back.

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More creepy creations

Bats and more

Put toilet paper rolls to good use. They can be covered in black construction paper or tissue paper to create bats, or use a variety of colors to create other types of creepy creatures.

Bobbing ghosts

Cover helium-filled balloons with lightweight sheets or large pillowcases. Put a friendly or spooky face on the sheet and let the ghouls bounce around the room.

Haunted furniture

Color old sheets and lay them over furniture to create an eerie feeling for parties. Use clothing dye to get a tattered effect. Rip the edges of the sheets and toss them over couches, tables and chairs.

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