Tag Archives: Halloween

Happy Halloween! DIY Paper Skeleton

31 Thursday Oct 2013

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Happy Halloween!

We had a fun walk to school this morning spotting all of the costumes around the neighborhood.  It is warm here today, and we are hoping that the rain stops in time for our favorite Halloween tradition this evening.  Ada finished up one last decoration, which she has named Sam.  She looked at a picture of a human skeleton and copied each part on to a piece of paper.  I love the toes!  We used paper fasteners to attach the bones together and hung him on the door.  This project is great for learning about anatomy, and not just for Halloween.  To make your own Paper Skeleton you will need:

*Heavy Weight Paper

*Pencil

*Scissors

*Paper Fasteners

*Hole Punch

*Picture of a Skeleton (We Googled a few images)

1. Have child look at the skeleton picture and draw their interpretation of each bone onto a separate piece of paper.  (The results are so much quirky and better if you let them do it themselves).

2. Cut out the bones, and keep them in order as you go.

3. Punch holes at area where each group of bones connect.  Push paper fasteners through holes and press open on the back.

4. Hang up your spooky skeleton!

Inspiration

02 Friday Nov 2012

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Instagrams from the week:

*Mermaid on Cousins’ Porch
*Huge Tree Down in Brooklyn
*Josie in Aunt Sandy’s Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing Costume
*Too Many Days Spent Inside

Thankful Halloween

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

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Happy Halloween!

It has been a dramatic and scary week for many of us here on the East Coast. We are thankful our family and friends are safe and that our home weathered the storm, and our hearts go out to those who were not so lucky. We spent a night upstairs Sunday sleeping away from tree the branches creaking and bending outside the windows. Chris and I were up late listening to the wind and hoping for the best during our first real storm in this old house. Ada and Josie jumped ecstatically on the feather bed we’d put down for them as we adults tried to look brave. This week also had our family waiting out a frightening but ultimately successful medical scare. We are so thankful that all is going well with our sweet cousin and niece. Both the storm and the surgery are now becoming the past and healing is starting. The last week makes me want to hug my girls and remember how lucky we are, and what a luxury it is to be able to take that for granted. Chris just left with the girls in their costumes for a Halloween party. They are off on adventure of first trick-or-treating and have quite forgotten about the scares of the past few days. I am happy to be here alone for the moment, in an empty and now quiet house, feeling thankful.

DIY Tulle Jellyfish Costume

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

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Our Halloween costumes seem to have taken on an ocean theme around here.  Josie Jellyfish was considerably faster to make than Ada’s Mermaid costume from yesterday’s post.  The tulle gives a sort of underwater-floaty feeling and Josie was having fun spinning around and watching it move.  This costume is easy to make into adult or larger kid sizes.  You could whip out a whole family’s worth of jellyfish in an hour or two!  To make your own super easy Jellyfish Costume you will need:

*A Variety of Tulle

*Tank Top to Match Tulle

*Matching Leggings

*Scissors

*Needle and Thread to Match Tulle

*Crocheted Hat (Optional)

1. Cut tulle into strips.  (Ours are about 1 1/2″ x 12″).

2. Stitch the tulle strips one after another around the neckline of tank top.  Use small stitches on the front and larger stitches inside shirt.

3. The tank can be layered over warmer clothes if you are going outside.  (I always hated how Northern weather ruined my Halloween creations when I was little).

That’s it!  Happy Halloween!

DIY Knitted Mermaid Costume

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

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“Mama, can you knit me a mermaid costume for Halloween?”
“Sure!”  (How hard could it be to find a knitting pattern for a child’s mermaid costume?)  Hmm… Well, it proved to be rather difficult – impossible actually, at least where I looked.  So I had to make up a mermaid costume pattern in a hurry.  Here is what we came up with:

To make your own Knitted Mermaid Costume you will need:

*2-3 Balls Sport-Weight Yarn (We used two skeins of chartreuse wool/acrylic by Orsetto 1oz3/4 for 165 yards)

*Size 3.5 Circular 17″ Needles

*Large Needle for Stitching Up

*Pipe Cleaners (To give shape to the tail)

*Small Amount of Stuffing

This pattern is worked in the round and then bound off and worked back and forth for the tail. I found it easier to hold the work and use the circular needles for the whole pattern instead of switching to straight needles.   This is a relatively simple pattern that knits up quickly and can be adjusted for length.

Body:
R1. Cast on 116 st.
R2-7. Mark first stitch and K in Rib in the round for 5 rows.
R8-. K in the round for desired length. (Ours is about 17″).

Decrease Before Tail:
R1-4. B/O last st at end of each row, turn work. You will no longer be working in round, so treat the round needles as straight needles alternating K and P rows (stockinette).
R5. *K 10,SK 2 tog*,repeat to last two stitches and B/O last st.
R6. P to end, B/O last st.
R7. *K 10,SK 2 tog*,repeat to last two stitches and B/O last st.
R8. P to end, B/O last st.
R9-. Repeat Rows 5-8 until 48 st. remain.

Top of Tail:
R1. P row, B/O last st.
R2. K row, B/O last st.
R3-. Repeat Rows1-2 until 36 st. Remain.

Tail: (**You will make two of these Tail sections**)
R1-4. K 4 rows in stockinette w/o B/O =36 sts.
R5. *K2, M1*, repeat to end. = 53 sts.
R6. P row.
R7. *K2, M1*, repeat to last st. K last st. =78 sts.
R8. P row.
R9-19. Work in stockinette for 10 rows. =78 sts.
R20. K 38 sts (the center of your work), B/O 3 sts. =38 sts. per needle.
R21. P 38 sts, join second ball of yarn after B/O and P 38 sts separately. *The tail is now split and will be worked as two pieces at the same time*.
R22. Turn work, K across 38 sts. Switch balls of yarn and K across 38 sts on second half of tail.
R23-25. Work two tail sections in stockinette for 3 rows.
R26. K 19, M1, K 19 for both sections. =39 sts each.
R27. P row for both sections.
R28. *K1, M1* to end for both. =41 sts each.
R29-36. Work in stockinette for both tail sections.
R37. K1, K2 tog, K to last 3 sts, K2 tog, K1 for both sections. =39 sts each.
R38. P row for both sections.
R39. K1, k2 tog, K to last 3 sts, K2 tog, K1for both sections. =37 sts each.
R40. P 17 sts, P2 tog, P to end. =36 sts each.
R 41. First fin: *K 1, K2 tog*, repeat to end. Second fin: *K2 tog, K1*, repeat to end. =24 sts each.
R42. P row for both sections.
R43. First fin: *K1, K2tog*, repeat to end. Second fin: *K2 tog, K1*, repeat to end. =16 sts each.
R44-47. Work in stockinette for both tail sections.
R48. *K1, K2 tog*, repeat to end for both tail sections. =11 sts each.
R49. P row for both sections.
R50. First fin: *K1, K2tog* repeat to last 2 sts, K 2 sts. Second fin: K 2, K2 tog, *K1, K2 tog*, repeat to end. =8 sts each.
R51. P row for both sections.
R52. First fin: *K1, K2 tog*to last 2 sts, K 2 sts. Second fin: K 2 sts, *K2 tog, K1*, repeat end. =6 sts each.
R52: First fin: *P1,P2 tog*, repeat to end. Second fin: *P2 tog, P1*, repeat to end. =4 sts each.
R53. K2 tog to end for both sections. =2 sts each.
R54. B/O.

*Work up second Tail section as above. Begin by C/O 36 stitches.

Strap:
R1. C/O 4 st.
R2-. Work in Rib to desired length and B/O.

Finishing:
1. Bend pipe cleaners into tail shape, twisting together if more length is needed. Whip stitch pipe cleaners onto one half of the tail as shown. (This should be done onto the wrong/purl side of tail).

2. Place a small amount of stuffing on top of the tail piece stitched to pipe cleaners.

3. Layer second piece of the tail on top (wrong sides together), sandwiching the stuffing.

4. Stitch tail pieces together on all sides, carefully containing the pipe cleaners and stuffing.

5. Stitch on strap to form halter.

6. Work in loose ends.

7. Go for a swim!  Happy Halloween!!

Inspiration

28 Friday Sep 2012

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Instagrams from the week:

* Treasure Drawers at Tinsel Trading Company.

* Halloween Production at Nap Time.

* Silver Ribbon, Tinsel Trading Company.

* First Pony Rides at Sun High Orchards.

* Wool-covered Fountain at Bryant Park.

* Vintage Flowers at Tinsel Trading Company.

Have a wonderful weekend!