Gnarly Halloween Tree! BOO!!

I've created a new Halloween tree for this year!  I was actually working in the garden last weekend (and for those of you who know me, you know how RARE that is!!) and I decided to pull up an old Rosemary bush that had seen better days LONG AGO!!  After snipping away at it with the clippers, I finally got it out of the ground and realized it would make a FABULOUS Halloween tree!!  I forgot to take pictures "before" decorating it, but you can still see how cool it is!

Front view - It's covered in ornaments Isabel and I have made over the past few years, as well as family favorites we've either purchased or received as gifts.  The two green paper witches (only one of which is showing on the right of the photo) were given to my daughters when they were little!

Back view - A good view of the pumpkins we made one year out of felt.  I let Isabel cut them out herself; I think she was about six at the time! We LOVE doing our crafts together! 

Mr. Mummy!! Boris Karlof - eat your heart out! You ain't got nothing on MY MUMMY!! I made two of them last year.  I just cut out a Gingerbread Man shape from card stock, then took bandage gauze and started wrapping it around his head, then arms, torso and finally the legs, putting bits of white school glue here and there to hold it all together.  The eyes and mouth are made from an ink pen.  Too easy!!  You could even use a cookie cutter of a Gingerbread Man, and the gauze works best if you cut it in strips, rather than trying to use just one long piece.

Mr. Corn Man!  Isn't he sweet?  Isabel made him in Kindergarten (I think).  He's lost a few kernels, but then - haven't we all?!?!

A good back view of Mr.Gnarly Himself!!

Mr. Granddaddy Long Legs!!  These are hilarious and LOTS of fun to make, as well as very easy.  Take two black chenille balls (one slightly smaller than the other if possible) and stitch them together, side by side, with black thread.  Using multi-colored yarn (I used one roll that had multiple colors in it and just cut out the colors I wanted to use), thread the yarn onto a needle with a large eye. Tie a knot in one end of the yarn, then pull the needle and yarn through the body till the knot catches.  Cut off the yarn to the desired length and knot that end too.  Finish it off by gluing googly eyes on.  And with such lively colored legs, Isabel and I decided to make the googly eyes different colors too! (Naturally!)

As for the tree and holder - Spray paint a terracotta pot with high gloss black paint and let that dry.  Mix up some mortar or concrete mix; you want the consistency of thick cookie dough.  When it's the right consistency, spoon about an inch or so of mortar in the bottom of the pot, enough to help support the "tree" and hold it up to the height you want.  Then, while holding the "tree" up and supporting it, spoon in more mortar until it reaches the top of the pot.  Poke your spoon down inside the mortar a few times to make sure all air bubbles are released.  Then let everything dry completely before moving it.  One thing to remember - this is VERY HEAVY.  But that also means it's very sturdy and durable!!

My last Halloween tree, which we've used for several years now, is made out of long sticks Isabel and I painted black and "planted" in a large plastic container spray painted black.  It's very large and the limbs go "every which away"; with all the children here for the Halloween Party this Saturday night, I decided not to run the risk of someone poking an eye out!  Maybe he should be transported to my office next year! Or my new studio!! DUH!!!

That's about it.  Only one more thing to post about Halloween, other than the party itself (if I remember to take photos while corralling ten screaming 8-year-olds), and that's the vintage Halloween postcard banner I made!  But that's for tomorrow night! I've had it for the day!

Spooky Dreams Everyone! Jan