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Halloween DIY Projects Roundup

Halloween DIY Projects Roundup

Call me crazy, but there’s something super fun about decorating your home with ugly and terrifying Halloween decorations! But, unfortunately a lot of decorations I see are just sooooooo cheesy. I mean, come on, we can do better than that!! So, today you’re in for a real treat because I’ve scoured the web for some awesome Halloween DIY projects that you can make this weekend!

Tastefully Horrifying Halloween DIY projects

DIY Sunflower Skulls

3 artificial sunflowers laying on ground with plastic skull heads on two of the facts

These sunflower skulls are a surprisingly simple DIY project that you can create in less than an hour to add some Halloween spookiness to your front porch decor. You can even use this technique to make mini sunflower skull bouquets to decorate your home!

DIY Warty Pumpkins

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial

Warty pumpkins and gourds are so cool. Right? Something about the texture and the imperfections that make them desirable to buy. But… they can be expensive. A lot more expensive than a regular old pumpkin. And I have yet to see any “warty pumpkins” that are fake that you can bring out each year during the Halloween season.

So, I did some experimenting with a few different techniques and came up this with a really easy and fun way to make your own warty pumpkins. The kids can help too… they will love it.

DIY Potion Bottles

DIY Halloween Witch's Potion Bottles

These are a perfect fit for the Witch’s apothecary! Magia Mia takes old plastic medicine bottles and hot glue to make these amazing DIY potion bottles.

DIY Hanging Spider Sacks

DIY Halloween Hanging Spider Sacks

Use legs from a pair of white tights, some plastic spiders, and a baseball to make these beauties from Hello Paper Moon!

Boarded Up Windows

Halloween Decorating Idea: Board Up Your Windows

This idea is taken from a neighborhood Halloween post, but look how great these boarded up windows look? You could use some old pallets and nail them together and temporary attach to your actual window frames. Spooky.

Bloody Crime Scene Runner

DIY Halloween project Bloody Crime Scene Runner

Grab an old sheet or purchase a cheap floor runner. Using some red paint, you can create a murderous display of bloody feet entering your home. You can actually purchase this one right on Amazon.

Have dogs? How about some bloody pawprints too?

DIY Dancing Lawn Ghosts

DIY Halloween floating ghost ring

Make a ring-around-the-rosie scene of lawn ghosts! All you need to do is poke a Styrofoam ball through the top of a fence stake or dowel, stick it in the ground and cover with white fabric or cheesecloth. I love this because it has great visual impact, but it’s easy to store away after the season!

Life-Sized Cloaked Ghouls

DIY Halloween Projects: Life-Sized Cloaked Ghouls

Have some old Halloween costumes lying around? Why not use them as decorations?  Drape your old costume over a simple wooden stand (if it were me, I’d make a wood base, then use a 4×4 about 6′ tall, and screw a board into the 4×4 perpendicular around shoulder-height.  If you don’t have old costumes, you can still make these particular ghouls with some black fabric and a dropcloth from the big box store.

Follow my Halloween DIY Pinterest Board

Looking for more great ideas? Follow my DIY Halloween project Pinterest board for tasteful, classy, and super over-the-top spooky projects you can make for Halloween!

Wrapping Up

I love Halloween and I wish that I wasn’t old so that it wouldn’t be creepy for me to go trick-or-treating. But, these awesome Halloween DIY Projects are a great way for anyone to get into the fun, Halloween spirit. Don’t forget to buy some candy because after you’re done making all these projects you’ll need it. For all your trick-or-treaters… not for you!!!!

What are some other DIY Halloween projects you’ve made? I’d love to see your pictures and ideas!

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Collage of Halloween DIY Projects with text Horrifying Halloween DIY Projects

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Garden Art Projects For Grownups Needing Creative Inspiration

Garden Art Projects For Grownups Needing Creative Inspiration

Love to garden but looking for something to do other than planting? Or, maybe you are looking for some ways to add unique touches to your garden to show off your personality?

Well you’re in luck because today I have tons of easy garden art projects that you can complete at home with junk you probably already have laying around! Most of these projects are geared towards adults but I threw in a couple that you could do with the kids (if you want)!

The best part is that these projects aren’t junky “throw away” garden art projects like you typically see. These are ideas that can customize to add a lot of unique touches and whimsy to your garden… without it looking lame or like a kid decorated your garden for you. So… let’s see what you can come up with!

Spruce up your pots & planters

Decorate your flower pots

Decorate flower pots

Spruce up your flower pots with some paint and pattern like these beautiful black and gold metallic painted ones made from concrete. Don’t want to tackle the project today? You can buy this set on Amazon!

Mismatched flower planters in sunny yellow

Even if you have mismatched pots or planters, you can easily unite them into a set by using a common color or theme, like these Pow Pots in sunny yellow.

Upcycle your junk into a planter

I love to say that absolutely ANYTHING can become a planter if it has a little nook or cranny to stick a flower into! And there are tons of ways that you can get creative with things you have laying around the house. Here are some of my favorites:

Drawer Planter

An old drawer becomes a planter

I found an old dresser in the dumpster and turned one of the drawers into whimsical planter in one afternoon!

Folding chair planter

In this video, I turn an old folding chair into a really cute planter. The best part is I was able to maintain the “folding” ability of the chair so that I could store it easily over the winter!

Shoe holder planter

vertical planter from indoor shoe holder

In this project, those over-the-door shoe holders that everyone has laying around are upcycled into a cool vertical planter! (Image Source)

Stinky boot planter

Concrete boot planter

When you cast an old pair of boots in concrete, you can a unique planter. This can be done at home in an afternoon. Or, if you are in love with this one you can buy it right now on Amazon.

What Blooms with What?

Never know what to plant together? Find out with this FREE Plant Pairing Guide and become a pro at combining plants for the best garden design possible!

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Garden art projects you can make from pallets

painted mural on an old fence

I painted this Starry Night mural on an old fence I removed in my backyard… but you could easily do the same project using an old pallet or some scrap wood, too!

Painted pallet planters

With a lick of brightly colored paint, you can turn an old pallet into a gorgeous planter! (Image Source)

Pallet potting bench

You’d only need one pallet to build a simple potting bench or plant stand in your garden. Not that construction savvy? You can buy this one for a pretty reasonable price on Amazon.

Create planters from old tires

Snake Tire Planter

All you need for this project are some old tires and a few tubes of paint and you’ll have a super creative planter that will scare the crap out of your neighbors! (Image Source)

Tractor tire pond

For all you country folk out there who have access to old tractor tires… you can even make a POND! (Image Source)

No tractor tires? You can also check out my post about the easiest (and coolest) DIY water feature I’ve ever seen!! There’s step by step instructions there too!

Pink tire swing planter

Add some pretty pink paint and a few feet of rope and you’ll have a gorgeous tire rope swing planter like this one. (Image source)

Garden art projects for the birds

Make a splash with a DIY bird bath!

solar birdbath fountain in my front yard

I made this solar bird bath fountain in a few hours for less than $50. And, if you don’t have a pump you can still follow along to make a cute bird bath in an afternoon!

DIY Mosaic bird bath garden art project

If you’re feeling extra creative, try your hand at this beautiful mosaic bird bath. Mosaic instructions are available here.

Craft a bird feeder

Lego bird feeder

If you have some legos laying around, why not turn them into a cute bird feeder. (Image Source) And yeah… this is a bit kiddish… but I still think it’s so unique. Maybe you can use the legos in a different way… you know… with a little more intention of your color choices and design. It could come out really neat!

recycled can bird feeding station

If you’re in the market for something a bit more sophisticated, how about these beautiful bird feeding station made from recycled cans? (Image Source)

Teacup bird feeder

Isn’t this bird feeder made from an old teacup and saucer just perfectly whimsical? It’s so simple to do, too. (Image Source)

Build a bird house

Cheep Housing DIY Bird House

I made this “cheep housing” birdhouse for my mom as a Mother’s Day gift one year. I painted it in the same color as her house and added some fairy garden stuff to make it even more adorable.

To build the birdhouse, I used the easy one board birdhouse plans from Lowes and got creative from there! I made another one with a penny roof, too!

Moss bird house

Why not try your hand at making a bird house covered in moss? If you aren’t feeling the DIY, this one is available to buy on Amazon, too!

Plant label garden craft projects

DIY Popsicle Stick Plant Markers

Make some really cute plant or herb markers like these (Image Source). It’s a really simple and easy project you can do for almost no cost. You can definitely use Popsicle sticks for this. But, if you’re looking for something a little sturdier, I’d recommend these bamboo plant label sticks (Amazon) because they stand up to the elements a little bit better.

Oh, and trust me on this one, you’ll want to get a good waterproof permanent marker. I love the Sharpie Rub-A-Dub Laundry Markers (Amazon) because they don’t fade over the winter (and I’ve tried lots of markers for this)!

DIY river rock garden markers

Aren’t these DIY river rock garden markers adorable? Just choose some river rocks or stones that resemble the shapes of your veggies or plants and paint away! (Image Source)

Stamped Spoon Plant Markers

How about flattening some spoons and stamping plant names or sayings on them? All you’d need is some old silverware and a metal letter stamping kit like this one from Amazon.

My friend Sue from Fly Me Home Decor made the plant markers pictured above and you get get your hands on them through her Etsy store. They also take custom orders!

Sew your own gardening apron

Did you know that you can sew your own garden apron? Watch this video to learn how!

Cute garden apron

And, if your sewing project is a total failure like mine was, check out this super cute (and reasonably priced) garden apron on Amazon… I just love the green color!

Spruce up outdoor furniture with some paint

Painted garden table chairs

Wow… what an impact this brightly painted table and chair set makes on the porch. Picking mismatched bright poppy colors is a great way to breathe new life into drab outdoor furniture. (Image Source)

Chalk painted metal glider

If bright pops of color are too much for you, you may like this muted, distressed chalk painted bench. The best part? This is actually a METAL glider. Chalk paint is a great solution to painting metal furniture without having to prime it. You can also use a can of spray paint with the primer already in it. (Image Source)

Make a cute garden sign

DIY pallet garden signs

I think this might be my next garden art project. I just love these directional signs and this is so easy to do! All you need is some scrap wood and a little bit of paint. It’s a great project to involve the kids in, too. (Image Source)

Green wood garden sign

This hand painted garden sign is adorable. And, I swear that hand-painting isn’t that intimidating. You can get full step-by-step instructions right here at Elegant Nest.

Tin Garden Tours 5 Cents Sign

I HAD to include this adorable “garden tour 5 cents” sign because I own it. I set out originally to DIY it but I ended up getting a really great deal on it on Amazon. It wouldn’t take much to do this at home using wood or some sheet metal, though!

Paint some garden stones

Strawberry painted garden stones

How sweet are these little painted strawberry stones? Even the kids could help with this one. I first saw these for sale online so check out TheHauteStone’s shop on Etsy!

Mandala stone painting

Want to get some calm and zen back into your life? Try painting some mandala stone patterns like these. Aren’t they just mesmerizing to look at? I’m sure they’d make a great addition to your garden! Get stone mandala stone painting tips right here. I’ve also seen some Pinterest projects where rock mandalas were painted with glow in the dark paint (like this set on Amazon). How cool would it be to line and light a backyard garden path with these?

Purple mushroom house painted stone

Who doesn’t love a painted mushroom stone? Ok… maybe some people won’t love this but I know others will! What a fun afternoon garden art project to tuck behind a hosta in your woodland garden! (Image Source)

Wrapping Up

So, even if you are low on cash or don’t have much planting to do, there’s still plenty of creative art projects you can tackle in the garden. I really love to paint and I think painting is one of the easiest ways to really transform the look of your garden so I would start there if you’re new to all of this!

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DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial

Warty pumpkins and gourds are so cool. Right? Something about the texture and the imperfections that make them desirable to buy. But… they can be expensive. A lot more expensive than a regular old pumpkin. And I have yet to see any “warty pumpkins” that are fake that you can bring out each year during the Halloween season. Maybe they are out there, but I haven’t seen them yet. So, I did some experimenting with a few different techniques and came up a with a really easy and fun way to make your own warty pumpkins. The kids can help too… they will love it.

Ready? Let’s do this!

DIY Warty Pumpkin Supplies

This is what you’ll need to make your super warty pumpkin!

  • A pumpkin – it can be real or fake (about $7). You may want to get a bunch of smaller pumpkins like these (about $17) instead… that would be fun too!
  • Paint. I used Folk Art chalk paint in sheepskin and rich black, but you can use whatever you have lying around. If you want your pumpkin to be orange and it already is orange, you’ll still need to find some orange paint — I’d recommend the “cinnamon” colored chalk paint for a nice pumpkin color (about $5).
  • Fast Mache (the super secret ingredient) – Fast Mache is made from 100% recycled paper, dries pretty fast, and unlike regular clays you don’t have to bake it or anything to set the “clay” (about $10-$15).
  • Annie Sloan wax — I used clear and black wax (optional) — the brand is also optional.
  • Amy Howard dust of ages (optional) — you can now get this at Ace Hardware.
  • Mixing bowl, paper towels, a plastic spoon, pencil

Average cost: around $20-$40 depending on supplies you already have at home. I’d recommend using what you have rather than buying expensive paints and finishes. I had everything at home to make these except the mache and the pumpkin.

Process for making your warty pumpkin

Find some inspiration photos

By the way, it helps if you have an “inspiration photo” of a warty pumpkin you like, so you can try to make it look similar. Here are some cool warty pumpkins and gourds I used as inspiration photos to make my own. Aren’t they so cool?

Paint Your Pumpkin(s)

Paint your pumpkins
Paint your pumpkins a base color.

Once you’ve found some inspiration, paint your pumpkin the color you want it to be when it’s finished. It will be easier if you paint it now so that you don’t have to get into all the nooks and crannies later when you have the mache on it. Let the paint dry completely.

If you want the pumpkin to be orange, you can probably skip this step.

Mix up your paper mache

Next, you’re going to mix up your mache and get to work. Use the “medium consistency” recipe on the box (3 parts mache to 1 part water).

Stick your mache warts to the pumpkin

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
Stick your paper mache warts onto your pumpkin.

Once your mache is mixed you just need to stick pieces of it onto your pumpkin. Getting the paper mache mix just right is important to having success.

The first time around I added too much water and the mache was really stringy. If this happens to you, just roll the mache in your hands to make balls and logs and stick them on your pumpkin.

If you have children to help you this is the time. They will love to play in this stuff and help you to roll the mache. And, it’s all paper and water so when you are done the wash-up is pretty easy. It does dry out your hands a bit though.

Make warts on top of your warts

Once I got enough warts on my pumpkin, I started to take little pieces of the mache and plopped smaller balls/warts onto the other warts I already put on. It adds depth and makes it look more real if you do this.

Techniques to make the warts look real

Ok once your pumpkin is thoroughly wartified you may need to smooth out the warts a bit to make them look natural. Here’s a few ways you can do this:

Stick paper mache to pumpkin
Stick your paper mache “warts” to the pumpkin. The back of a plastic spoon helps to set them into place.

Plastic spoon: Use the back of a plastic spoon dipped in water to form nicer warts (lol). I used the edge of the spoon to break some of the warts into separate pieces, too.

DIY Warty pumpkin tutorial
Use a damp paper towel to make your warts stick to the pumpkin without sticking to you.

Damp paper towel: Take a damp paper towel and press on all the warts to make sure they will stick. This also helps to make them smoother and less stringy/wild.

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
The back of a pencil wrapped in a damp paper towel is great for making divets and depressions.

Back of pencil: Another technique you can try is using the back of a pencil wrapped in a damp paper towel to make some divets and depressions in the warts.

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
I tried using hot glue but this was quite stringy and I didn’t like the effect.

Hot glue: I tried to make a warty pumpkin from just the hot glue gun and I didn’t like the way it was coming out. They really didn’t have any depth and some of the hot glue melted down the pumpkin. I would recommend skipping the hot glue and just using the paper mache. If you do end up trying the hot glue make sure you pull all the strings off before they dry. And, use it sparingly to add some extra warts. Basically don’t do what I did… it doesn’t work.

Satisfied? Ok great. Let the mache dry completely. This depends on your water/mache mix. It may be a few hours or even a day or two.

Repaint your pumpkin with the base color

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
Once you’ve added enough warts and they’ve dried, repaint your pumpkin using the base color from the first step.

After the mache is dry, paint your warty pumpkin with the base color making sure you cover up all the mache and anything you missed the first time around.

Finish off your warty pumpkin with creative details

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
I used black wax over chalk paint and Amy Howard’s “Dust of Ages” product to bring out the details of my pumpkin warts.

Since I used chalk paint, I applied Annie Sloan clear and black wax… and a really cool product called “Dust of Ages” by Amy Howard. I put the wax and dust of ages into all the nooks and crannies and along the edges of the warts to add more depth and dimension. This step is optional.

If you don’t use chalk paint or want to use what you have on hand, you can also mix up a slightly darker color of paint and add it to the nooks and crannies of your pumpkin and warts.

You can also get creative and paint your warts all different colors!

DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
My finished warty pumpkins.

And there you have it. Super easy and fun! Since I used fake pumpkins I’ll be able to bring these bad boys out every year instead of having to buy them.

Wrapping Up

This DIY Warty pumpkin tutorial is super easy and fun… and you can get the kids involved. Just paint your pumpkin and then mix up your paper mache.

Roll the mache into wart shapes and glop them onto the pumpkin. After that you add additional warts on top of the warts for more depth. I used the back of a spoon to smooth out the mache a bit and divide some larger warts into smaller ones.

Then, I used a damp paper towel and lightly pushed on the mache to smooth it out even more and make sure it was sticking everywhere. This was the key to getting that stringy stuff out. Pushing the back of a pencil wrapped in a damp paper towel will add some divets and depressions to your warts.

Once it’s all dry you can recoat your pumpkin with paint and decorate until your heart is content.

I’d love to see what you came up with, let me know what you’ve done to make your pumpkins extra warty. -Amy

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DIY Warty Pumpkin Tutorial
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