Painted Halloween Mason Jar Luminaries

How to Make Halloween Hand Painted Luminaries:

 I came up with this fun craft project of making homemade Painted Halloween Mason Jar Luminaries about five years ago when my children threw a Halloween party for their friends.We wanted something unique outside to light up our house during the party and on Halloween night. I was interested in Luminaries and the day of the dead, but didn't find any I like at the store. Most of them where designed for a one time use, but I wanted something that we could use every year and still be safe around small children that came to our door for Halloween.

That's when I came up with the idea to paint mason jars, then decorate them with Halloween stickers or stencils. These painted Luminaries are great for celebrating Halloween or The Day of the Dead. The Mason Jars that I use are pretty heavy and don't seem to break that easy, making them last from year to year. I hope you have fun making theses with your family as I did making them with mine. In fact we try to add new ones every year to really light up our yard.

 What You'll Need to Make These Glass Luminaries:

Items List For This Craft:

   1. Mason Jars( any size will work, but I prefer the larger ones.)
   Note: You can use recycled Pasta Sauce Jars, but make sure that all the paper and glue is removed or the paint will not stick to the glass

   2. 1 bottle each of 2 oz Craft smart or Acrylic craft paint in Orange, Purple, Black and Green or any Halloween colors you like.

   3. Paint brushes 1' wide or larger bristles( Set of 3 work out great)

   4. Several packages of Halloween stickers( Scrapbook sticker work great for this project since you want them placed all over the jar)

   5. Small tea candles or battery powered tea lights.

   Other items that you will need for this project:

•   plastic lids or paper plates for paint

•    glue

•   empty egg cartons for small stickers

 Steps on How to Paint the Mason Jars:

 Pour the paint out on to a flat surface, I use lids that we save from plastic food containers, but you can also use paper plates.These work great and you can just toss them away when your done.

  Start painting the outside of the whole jar with the first coat of paint, then let it dry for about 10 minutes.

  Next apply the second coat of paint and let that dry over night. You want to make sure that the jars are completely dry before working with them.

  Mason Jars will require 2 coats of Paint to cover them, but don't over do the paint. You want a transparency look to your jars so the candle light will shine through them. The darker colors may not need a second coat of paint, but I found that the light colors will definitely need one. On the darker colors you can decide if you want a second. I always apply second coats on both light and dark colors to make sure that they are fully covered.

  Note:  A Great way to make sure that the paint sticks to the glass surface is to add glue to the Acrylic craft paint or purchase paint that is made just for painting glass. I find that adding glue is cheaper than some of the craft paint made for glass and the Acrylic paint comes in more colors.

Adding Stickers to the Painted Jars:
 
Check to make sure that the paint on the Mason Jars are dry and that the paint sticks to the glass jar.

 Make sure that the stickers you purchase are flexible, not stiff or they will not stick to the jars. The stickers need to bend around the surface of the jars. Some of the scrapbook sticker are to large and stiff to use on the mason jars.

 Peel off each sticker and place it on the jar.

 Remember that once the sticker is placed on the jar you can't remove them or they will pull off the paint from the jars.

 Note:  If you are doing this project with small children, I would recommend that an Adult paint all the jars first. Then allow the children to put on the stickers. A safe to make sure that the jars don't slip and breaks is to place a towel on the spot where you are working to make a soft clean surface for painting and applying the stickers. 

Here are some other ideas that you can use to make Luminaries. These Faces can either be painted on, vinyl cut outs or stickers.

Here are some pictures of the finished project. 

The last step is to add either tea light candles or battery powered ones. I use the tea lights that come in their own metal container and light them with a long matches that you use for fireplaces. This way the wax doesn't drip inside the jar. Another way to place a candle would be to buy large candle holders and place them into the jar. I have tried both ways and they work great.

Just make sure to place the jars in a spot where not to many children are walking to keep them from knocking over the Luminaries or catch their costume on fire.


Safety tip:  I find that if the Jars get tipped over they seem to go out, but I would still be careful where I place them in my yard. I place mine on the grass and planter that circles the trees in our front yard away from any walkways.

 Note: All these item can be purchase at Amazon or Micheal's

How to Make Easy Halloween Cat Cake Pops

Making Black Cat Cake Pops

 I first fell in love with these little treats on a stick when I spotted them at my local coffee shop and had to purchase one. They where the right size for a sweet treat, but the price of these little cake pops made me want to learn how to make them for myself and to use at family parties during the holidays,birthday parties or other special occasions when my family need to bring a treat.

  These cute little black cat cake pops are a fun Halloween treat that you can make for your child's Halloween party at school or an office party.

 The fun part is in decorating the cake balls to look like black cats, but for a twist on this cake pop you could use orange,light chocolate or white candy melt color and make different colored cats for a fun treat any time of the year. You could make them for your child's birthday party. On this page you'll find my personal instructions,tips and the items that I use to making these cat cake pops. Some of these tips that I discovered are not in any of the cake pop books, but ones that I found help me when I tried to make these tasty little treats in my own kitchen.

What You"ll Need to Make The Cake Balls For the Cat Cake Pops:

These Cat Cake Pops for Halloween are so cute with their candy eyes and ears. This recipe make 48 little cake pop Cats. You just start with the basic recipe for making any cake pop.

Lists of Items:

1. 1 store bought cake mix ( I used a chocolate cake mix from Betty Crocker for my cats, but you can use any type of cake you like for your pops)  
2. 9 x 13 inch pan. 
3.  1 12 oz Can of cake frosting, any flavor. This is where you can experiment with different cake and frosting combinations. ( I used Whipped chocolate frosting also from Betty Crocker for my little black cat heads.)
4. Wax paper 
5.  2 Cookie Baking sheets
6. Plastic wrap 
7.  Large mixing bowl and metal spoon 
8.  A book on How to make Cake pops ( I used Cake Pops Tips, Tricks and Recipes etc by Bakerella)

Instructions:

•  Start with baking the cake per the instructions on the package for a 9 x 13 inch pan, Let the cake cool completely(my tip: bake the cake a day before your are going to make these pops to make sure that it is really cooled. I found that the cake was easier to crumble, when I let it cool over night.

•    Cut the cake into four equal pieces,then crumble one section of cake at a time into a large mixing bowl making sure you don't have any large pieces.

•    Add the whole can of frosting. ( I found that if you mix in about 1/2 cups at a time it make this step easier.) Mix it into the crumbled cake using the back of a large metal spoon or spatula, until the frosting is mixed into the cake. (Tip: You don't want to much frosting or it will be to moist and the cake balls will not hold together.)

Making and Shaping the Cake Balls for Cat Cake Pops:

  Roll the cake into 48 1 1/2 inch balls first, then place them on to a baking sheets covered with wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. (Tip: I found that this seems to be the right amount of time for the cake balls to firm up, so that you can dip them. You can use a special cake ball tool found at any baking store or purchase one on Amazon.

Have the cake balls chilled and sitting on the baking sheets in the refrigerator while you are getting ready to melt the candy coating and setting up all the items you'll need to decorate your Cats.

What You'll Need to Dip the Cat Cake Pops:

List of items for Dipping:

•  3 bags of Candy melts about 30 ounces ( I used black candy melts for my cats)

•  A double boiler( Many of the site tell you to microwave your candy melt, but I found that when I use a double boiler my candy stayed warm and it was easier to dip the cake pops without them breaking. I also used less candy melts.)

•  48 paper Lollipop sticks

•  Styrofoam block or something to hold cake pops after dipping

Instructions: 

1. Melt candy coating in a double boiler (about 10- 20 ounces at a time) according to the instructions on the package. Make sure that the coating is about 3 inches deep, this make it easier to dip the shapes in the coating.( Tip: I found that I less of the candy melts when I used my double boiler and didn't have to keep reheating the candy. If you don't have a double boiler, then use the microwave to melt the candy in a glass bowl. After the candy is melted place the bowl into a hot water bath. You can make this by using a deep cake pan and pouring boiling water into it, then set your bowl into the hot water.)
 
 2.  Next remove a few cake shapes when you are ready to dip them. You only want to take a few at a time out to dip them. (Tip: I found that removing about 6 at a time works perfect. That way the rest of them stay chilled.)

  3. Dip the stick about a 1/2 inch into the melted coating and insert it into the pointed tip of the triangle shape about half way through.Next use the toothpick to apply some of the melted candy onto the other two tips and attach two chocolate chips for ears. Allow them to harden for a few seconds.

  4. Next dip the whole cake pop into the melted coating. You submerge the whole cake pop with one dunk. Remove cake pop and gentle tap off any extra candy coating. (Tips: This step can be a bit tricky at times and take some getting use to, but I found that if you don't coat the whole cake pop, then turn it right side up and tap the cake pop, allowing some of the coating to run down and cover the rest of the pop and twirl it to wrap around the stick.)

5.   Place the stick into the Styrofoam block and allow the pops to dry.

Items Used to Decorate Cat Cake Pops:

When the cake pops are dry or you can touch then without smearing the candy coating. You can start adding the eyes,ears and nose. Here is a list of items that I used to make my cats, along with some other options that you can use.

List of Items for Decorating Your Cats:
 1. 96 Yellow Smarties for the eyes. ( options for eyes are white or yellow oval sprinkles)

 2. One tube of black Candy writer for the center of the eyes.

 3. 48 round pink sprinkles for the nose( or all orange or red rainbow chip sprinkles )

4. 96 chocolate chips for the ears

 Instructions for Making the Cats:

   Use the toothpick and dip it into the melted candy coating, then apply two small dot of the melted candy in the spot where you want the eyes. Attach the candy eyes and hold for a few seconds. Next apply dots for the chocolate chips ears and nose using the same technique as the eyes. To finish the eyes, I use Duff Goldman's black candy writer that you melt in hot water, then applied a small amount in a dot on each yellow candy eye.

I hope you have as much fun making and eating these cute cat cakepops as my family did. My daughter took these to a friends party and them loved them. All the items used to make these cake pops can be purchased at either Amazon or Michaels.

                                                       

5 Ways to Make Creative Halloween Decorations

How to Make Creative Halloween Decoration for Your Home:

If you take a walk around your neighborhood before Halloween, there is a good chance that you will see the same type of decorations at every home. Jack-o-lanterns, orange lights, trash bag pumpkins, and witches that have “crashed” into garage doors or nearby trees.But, if you are looking for something different to do this year, read on for some creative ideas that you can do with things you have around the house or purchase at any thrift store.

1. Masks

A great way to scare people is just hang a creepy mask on your front door. Another is to decorate a homemade scarecrow or garden gnomes with them. You can even hang them at the height of a human in the windows so it looks like someone creepy is peaking out from behind the curtains. You can amp up the scary tone by placing a flash light on the ground or under your scarecrow's clothing, turning it on, and adjusting the light to illuminate the mask. Just make sure that the masks you use outdoors are waterproof and fastened down so that they don't get damaged or fly away.

2. Glass Vases and Mason Jars

Glass vases and Mason Jars are a fun way to decorate inside of your home.You can purchase these at a thrift or dollar store, if you don't want to use the one you have at home.You can fill them with all kinds of different objects in Halloween colors – colored leaves, black and orange marbles, Halloween candies, or even plastic bugs. Another idea is to fill Mason jars with items that look like specimens from a mad scientist lab. The neat thing about vases is that you can always reuse them for other holiday by making a few changes in the contents. You can find a variety of “fillers” at your local craft or dollar store.

3. Fake Spider Webs

Fake spider webs can make your front yard look creepy, but you can also use them inside your home, where you get the added benefit of having them last longer. Try hang them in doorways or in corners throughout your home. You can even consider add some spiders, flies or other bugs to perfect the look. You might want to think about spraying the webs with an insect repellent to keep the real ones from moving in. You also want to make sure that you do not hang the webs anywhere that would pose a fire hazard.

4. Murals

Do you have some budding artists in your family? Have you thought about designing your own Halloween murals. You can have older children design their own fun or scary Halloween scenes and younger children can color in the words “Happy Halloween” on a piece of paper or the letters that you have cut out of poster board, then hang your designs in a window, a blank wall, or even outside if the weather permits.This can also be a cute memento to pass on when your children get older to remind them of their childhood Halloweens.

5. Simple Halloween Accents

Now if you don't want to go all out with your Halloween decorations, their are ways to add a few tasteful accents to set the Halloween mood without turning your home into a Haunted house. Here are a few simple ideas that you can do. You can hang orange and black curtains in your front window or find some Halloween or Fall themed throw pillows and place them on your sofa and chairs. Look for a Halloween welcome mat or move your smaller potted plants into plastic Halloween trick-or-treating containers. You can even look for some Halloween figurines or static window clings.

If you are tired of the same old traditional Halloween decorations, a little imagination can help you make your own creative Halloween decorations. Simply look for items that you like that have a Halloween theme and create your own designs.

Decorating Pumpkins for Halloween

Fun Ways to Decorate Pumpkins for Halloween

There are some really fun events that can be done on or before Halloween. One of them is Decorating Pumpkins for Halloween and many families have made it a tradition to carve their pumpkins on the night before Halloween. 

The trip to the local pumpkin patch with all the family members creates memories for children, parents and Grandparents. Some family have made this a tradition that they pass down to their children. But did you know that there are other ways to decorate these orange colored gourds.

Listed below are some ideas on how to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween and two of them can be done by children under that age of 10. Many of the ideas don't require any carving and can use artificial pumpkins that will last year after year, but the last one is carving a real pumpkin which is still on the top of everyone's list.

 To get started purchase an artificial pumpkin from Amazon or a hobby store. They come in several different shapes, colors, and styles that you can decorate. So pick the one you think will look great at your front door, then make one of these decorated pumpkins for your Holiday.

1. Decorating a Pumpkin with Stickers: The Sticker Pumpkin is great for Children 2years and Up

 The sticker pumpkin is a great way for Toddlers to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween without worrying about the mess or danger of carving a pumpkin at this age. This is the easiest way to allow the youngest members in the family to create their own personal pumpkins for Halloween. 

 List of Supplies: 

  1. A Pumpkin ( both real or plastic pumpkins will work)  
  2. Any type of Halloween or character stickers ( You can even find sticker that look like a Jack-O-Lantern face)  
  3. Glue( in case some of the sticker peel off) or if you want to make your own cut-out to glue on the pumpkin.

 Instructions:
 First wipe down the pumpkin with a damp towel to make sure surface is clean and that the sticker will adhere to the pumpkin.
  Next peel off the sticker from their backing and apply any where you like on the pumpkin. This is the part where you can set up sticker at the table for the children and let them to all the decorating of their pumpkins. Just remember to get the camera ready for some cute pictures.

Note:   I prefer artificial ones that you can purchase online or at a hobby store, because the are light weight and last year after year. So you don't have to worry about the younger children accidental dropping a real pumpkin. 

2. Decorating a Pumpkin with Paint: The Painted Pumpkin for Children 4 and Up

Here is another way to Decorate a pumpkin for children 4 and up. In less than one hour, you and your child can create the most adorable and one of a kind pumpkins that are ready to display in your home. In fact Pumpkin Painting is the perfect activity for children that aren't ready to handle carving duties.







List of Supplies:

  1. Pick real pumpkins that don't have any blemishes or purchase artificial ones.  
  2. Craft paints in several different colors  
  3. Multipurpose Sealer  
  4. Several Paint brushes and plastic cups for water 
  5. Paper Towels or Baby wipes  
  6. Newspaper or vinyl table cloth to protect your painting surface.   
  7. Additional embellishments like Yarn, Buttons, Foam Pieces and Feathers.

Instructions on How to Paint a Pumpkin:

 Before painting wipe off the dirt on the pumpkin with a baby wipe or damp paper towel. This will give you a clean surface and allow the paint to adhere to the pumpkin.

  Next paint the whole pumpkin with a Multipurpose Sealer( only needed on real pumpkins). Let dry completely, this usually take at least two hours. 

  There are several way to paint your pumpkin. One is the standard Jack-o-Lantern face that most people use for Halloween. Another is painting dots, squares or anything the appeals to your child. Let them use their imagination when it comes to painting their pumpkins.

   You can start by drawing a face,a fun pattern, or freehand design onto your sealed pumpkin with a permanent marker or trace out a design on paper, then copy the design using transfer paper and a pencil onto your pumpkin and paint.
  But don't stop there, you can also add all kinds of embellishments with glue to make your pumpkin one of a kind.  Just allow your children to have fun and use their imaginations in creating their pumpkins.

Here are some fun Ideas for painting your pumpkin: 

  Paint your pumpkins a solid colors for various Halloween characters:
   Use Purple for Dracula.Green for witches, Frankenstein and aliens.White for ghosts and mummies, Black   for cats,spiders and bats and Brown for owls.
    Add Craft Foam for an easy, 3-dimensional effects. Use it for wings, ears, hands, crowns, etc
    Personalize the painted pumpkins with your child's name or giant initial for a fun touch.

 Notes:
 A few websites offer free stencils you can print. Click here for some Free Jack o' Lantern Stencils.  Another fun Idea is to have a pumpkin painting party with family, friends or children in your neighborhood. 


Decorating a Pumpkin with Stencils: The Stenciled Pumpkin for Children 12 and Up

 This decorated pumpkin takes a lot more time and patient, but the results are worth it. You can use this type of decorated pumpkin for more than just Halloween. Do more than one and you have a great center piece for Thanksgiving. Stenciling pumpkins is really a craft designed more for the older child or adult, but the completed project makes for a beautifully designed pumpkin that is truly one of a kind and one the you will be proud to display in your home.

List of Supplies:

  1. Pumpkins ( on this project I recommend the artificial pumpkins)  
  2. Stencils 
  3. Round foam brushes made for stenciling  
  4. Paint  
  5. Straight pins(used for sewing)  
  6. water container 
  7. Paper plates
 
  Instructions:
 
  Step 1: Wipe off any dust one the pumpkin with a damp rag to have a clean, smooth surface before painting.
 
  Step 2: Place the stencil on the pumpkin and place a straight pin around the stencil to into place. I used the straight pins instead of tape because the pumpkin in not a flat surface and the pin help mold the stencil around the pumpkin for a better fit. ( You will need to repeat this step every time you stencil another spot on the pumpkin.)
 
  Step 3: Pour out the paint onto a paper plate, then take the foam brush and dip it into the paint. Gentle tap the paint around the stencil until it is cover with paint. Wait at least 5 minutes before removing the stencil to keep the paint for smearing.

  Step 4: Stencil only one side of the pumpkin, then let it dry for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, then come back and do the other side.

  Step 5: When the pumpkin is completely dry you can add other embellishments to either the stencil or the pumpkin for a more artistic touch.
  Notes:
  This project will take at least 1-2 hours to finish, but the pumpkins you create will be worth the time and patients. This way of decorating pumpkins was one of my favorite and I planned to do more for Thanksgiving this year.

 Note: You can also purchase DecoArt® Glo-in-the-Dark™ Dimensional Writer from Michael's for your painted pumpkins that will give them an eerie glow on your front porch.

Decorating a Pumpkin with Carvings: 
Carving a Pumpkin for older Children and Adults

  Have you ever wondered why we started carving pumpkins into Jack o' Lanterns? The custom of carving pumpkins started in Ireland many centuries ago.The Irish used turnips in the old country to make Jack o' Lanterns because they were plentiful. They didn't start using pumpkins until they migrated to America and brought their custom with them. While carving the typical Jack-O-Lantern face on a pumpkin is relatively simple and fairly easy for most children. You just draw a face onto the pumpkin,take a knife and carve it out.

  But what if you want something a little more detailed and different then good old Jack. Many older children and Adults want to try their hand at carving a scene or something other than the standard face on their pumpkins, but it takes a few more tools and instructions to carve that Pumpkin Master Piece.

 List of Supplies: To Carve That Special Pumpkin
 
  1. A pumpkin that is big enough to fit the pattern you want to carve. Finding one with a nice smooth side will make your work easier.  
  2. A Pumpkin Carving Kit ( You can start with a basic kit or purchase one of the pro-carving tools if you really get into this hobby.)  
  3. Pumpkin stencils/patterns

  Note:
  If you want to try to carve something different this year,then check out these Free Stencils from Pumpkin Masters.

    Pumpkin Carving Tips:
   1. Carve a circular opening in bottom of pumpkin.
   2. Clean out the pumpkin by scraping out all the seeds and strings, then scrape the pulp down to 1 inch on the front and 1/2 inch on the back where you plan to carve the design on you pumpkin.
   3. If you are planning to carve both the back and front, then you need to start with the back first and attach the pattern to the pumpkin with tape. Remember that you want the pattern paper to be smooth. A good tips to do this is to crease the paper until it fit smoothly around the pumpkin.
  4. Transfer the pattern onto the pumpkin with the ponce wheel that come in the carving kit. If you didn't purchase the kit, then use a transfer pattern wheel for sewing. Roll the wheel along the line, until the design is completely transferred. Remove paper.
  5. Carve design by hold the knife or saw like a pencil and saw steadily with an up and down motion at a 90 degree angle. Used gentle presser to prevent breaking the knife or saw.
  6. Clean up the design by removing the extra flesh around the carved area.
  7. Repeat Steps 3-6 for the front. If you plan on doing a front and back design, then make sure that you position the front pattern so it lines up in relation to the back design.
  8. Light it up! You can place the bottom hole over a battery powered light or candle holder, then watch your carved pumpkin come alive.

  Decorating Pumpkins For Halloween:
 
 These are just some fun ways that I have found to Decorate Pumpkins for Halloween. The best part is after you finish, then you can group them all together for a unique Halloween front porch display. Hope you have as much fun making your pumpkins as I did.