Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Place Setting

We are now in full Autumn mode here in Ohio, with the leaves changing colors, cooler temperatures, and our minds ( and stomachs) are already focusing on the wonderful dinner that is just around the corner. You guessed it, Thanksgiving! So today’s post will show you a quick and easy place setting that requires less time out of the kitchen, and a setting that you can feel proud to share with all of your guests…

Things you need:
Fall floral pick
Organza ribbon
Manila tags
Paper
Adhesive
Hole Punch

Things to do:
1. Take a tag and stamp a background pattern as I have done with a leaf image in you lightest shade of distress inks. Then blend with other shades of ink as desired. Stamp on sentiment and tie top of tag with ribbon and place in card holder.

2. Cut two strips of paper, one at 2 ½” x 3 ½” and one at 1 ½” x 3 ½”, then adhere them together. Punch a hole in each end and run ribbon through the two strips of paper, place autumn pick on napkin and tie your newly made napkin ring around them and your done!

The best thing about this quick and easy table setting is that when you are done all of it can be re-used. The place card holder can turn into an Autumn Photo holder, the napkin ring can be tied around a candle to make a quick fall decor piece, and the beautiful Autumn pick an be placed in other floral decor to spice things up! Don’t you just love when you can reuse things for more than one purpose? Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!

Lisa from Lisa’s Creative Niche

Simple Glue Ghosts

What could be better than a few creepy, spooky ghosts floating around your house come Halloween? DIY ghosts made from the most basic of craft supplies. Glue!

Things you need:
Glue – white glue works best
Freezer paper
Permanent marker

Things to do:
1. On the non-shiny side of the paper, draw your ghosts.

2. Flip the paper over so that the shiny side is up.
3. Draw along the lines of the ghost with the glue and then fill in the ghost, spreading it thinly to fill.

4. Allow the glue to dry, it will start to peel up when it’s totally dry and ready.

5. Draw on eyes and a mouth and attach to windows with glue dots or hang from fishing line.

Creepy Googly Eye Frame

Here’s a cute and creepy way to display your fall pictures and art. Googly eyes! Your kids will love to make AND to look at this project! And bonus points if you use glow in the dark googly eyes for an extra creepy look!

Things you’ll need:
Mixed google eyes
Craft glue
Wood frame
White acrylic paint (optional)

Things to do:
1. If desired, paint the frame with a thin coat of white to match the back of the eyes. Allow the paint to dry.


2. Starting in one corner of the frame, spread about an inch square with a thin coat of glue. Arrange the googly eyes at random but fairly close to one another, until you have covered the glue.

3. Move on to a new section of the frame, working in one inch sections until the entire frame is covered. Allow the glue to dry before adding a photo or art to the frame.

Chalkboard Pumpkin

This is a fun way to decorate a pumpkin without the mess of carving! A great project for kids to do, and play with, you can let them go to town with their pumpkin decorating over and over again. You can do this project with either a real or fake pumpkin but a fake pumpkin will certainly last longer and can be used over many years.

Things you’ll need:
Pumpkin
Chalkboard paint
Foam brush
Paint tape

Things to do:
1. Tape off the stem of the pumpkin, smoothing down the edges so that the paint doesn’t seep under.

2. Coat the pumpkin with two or three thin layers of paint, allowing each to dry before the next.

3. Let the paint cure overnight before removing the tape and decorating with chalk.

Faux Halloween Cupcake Decorations

Now that the air feels cooler and it is getting darker earlier the fall season is upon us, and has put me in the mood for a little Halloween and fall decorating! For today’s post I’m going to show you how to make a fun trick not treat decor for your kitchen or to place on your dinning room table.

Things you’ll need:
Bakers Twine: (mandarin orange and charcoal black were used here )
Halloween Cupcake Liners
2″ Styrofoam balls
Spiders
Cheese cloth (optional)

Things do do:
1. Cut a sliver of each Styrofoam ball to make one side flat.
2. Using your hot glue gun put a dot of glue on the top of one of your balls and begin wrapping your first twine in a circle, keeping it tight and close together so that the white on the Styrofoam ball does not show through. Continue to add little dots of glue as you go around and around to keep it in place.
3.When you are ready use your scissors to cut your first twine and switch the twines you are using to give you a pattern. Make sure to add glue where the first twine leaves off and the second one begins. Then wrap the second twine around the ball as you did your first twine. ( You could also just use one twine color for each of your “cupcakes” it is totally up to you!)

4. Once you have wrapped your twine around each of your Styrofoam balls, take your cupcake holders ( I opted to keep three cupcake holders together for each “cupcake” for a more sturdier base ) and adding a touch of hot glue to the inside bottom place the flat side of your ball on top.
5. You can now attach your spiders where you like it with more glue, and your cupcakes are complete!
6. For a spookier look you can dress up your serving platter with cheese cloth and more spiders.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have fun making your tricks not treats!
Lisa from Lisa’s Creative Niche

Wax Dipped Leaves

Every fall I fall in love, all over again, with the leaves changing colors around me. I can’t get enough of them and I always wish I could keep those bright colors around a little longer. This project captures the fall leaves at their prettiest and preserves them for a few extra months so that even in the depths of winter you can have the bright beauty of fall.

Things you’ll need:
Fall leaves
Paper
Heavy books
Candle wax
Double boiler

Things to do:
1. Press the leaves between sheets of paper and under several books for a few days, allowing them to dry flat.

2. Fill the bottom of your double boiler with water and the top with chunks of wax and heat gently until the wax is clear and melted.
3. Dip the leaves into the wax, allowing the excess wax to drip off and then waving them gently until they are dry before laying them down again.

4. Hang in front of windows with fishing line or attach directly to the glass with decorative washi tape.

Fall Leaves Candle

Preserve some of that fall beauty and bring it into your décor with these fall leaves candles. This simple technique turns store bought candles into unique and beautiful additions to your fall style.

Things you’ll need:
Pillar or votive candles
Fall leaves
Candle wax
Double Boiler
Newsprint or scrap paper

Things to do:
1. Press the leaves between the pages of a book. They don’t need to dry there, although it will help their color to keep longer under the wax, mostly you just need them flattened.

2. Melt the wax in the double boiler.
3. Holding the candle by the wick, dip the candle briefly into the wax right up to the top edge of the candle.
4. Pull the candle out quickly and set it on the newsprint. Carefully press the leaves into the warm wax, smoothing out the edges so that they lie flat.

5. Dip the candle again, coating both the candle and the leaf. Allow the wax to harden.
6. Repeat again if the leaf appears to have uneven coverage. Let the wax harden before using.

An Easy Felt and Styrofoam Welcome Wreath

Hello and welcome to another fun craft with Lisa from Lisa’s Creative Niche! Nothing is more inviting to me than a wreath on ones front door, but sometimes I feel like I am putting one up only to have to replace it quickly for another season. Well today’s project is a Fall wreath that can stay up September through November ( and you could even pass it off for Christmas by adding a few Christmas decorations to it! )…

Things you’ll need:
Full round styrofoam wreath
Cotton butcher craft twine
Felt
Glue gun and glue sticks
Corsage Pins
Ribbon

Things to do:
1. Start by wrapping your butcher craft twine around the entire wreath as shown below. To keep it in place use your glue gun only on the backside of your wreath. ( Note: this can take a little time to do, but it so worth it. And don’t worry if you have overlap at the end you will be able to cover this up with your ribbon at the end )

2. Make your felt flowers by hand trimming vertical strips of your felt. Keep them thin, and know that the longer your strip is the bigger your flower will be. Roll these in to give you a cinnamon roll looking flower. To make really big flowers I rolled first one strip then glued another strip where the first one ended and continued to roll.

3. Hand cut leaves with felt, place them as you wish on your wreath and stick them on using the corsage pin in the center of each flower. Add your ribbon and display it for everyone to see!

Cookie Cutter Pumpkins

Every year since our kids were small, we’ve hosted a neighborhood pumpkin carving party so I can tell, you I know all sorts of pumpkin carving tricks. But this is, by far, my all time favorite for the littlest one’s in the crowd. No knives required. Just let them pick what shape and where and hammer away. If you use a rubber mallet instead of a hammer, your cookie cutters will keep their shape and the kids can safely help with the pounding.

Things you’ll need:
Pumpkins, top opened and seeds removed
Metal cookie cutters
Rubber mallet

Things to do:
1. Let your little artist pick what cookie cutters they want to use and show you where to place the shapes. Be sure that they aren’t too close together to prevent the rind of the pumpkin from becoming weak and breaking.

2. With a cookie cutter sharp side against the pumpkin skin, tap the edges with the mallet, working around the edge as you go to help the cutter go in evenly.

3. Continue to tap the cutter until it cuts through the rind. Remove the cutter and the cut out shape and move on to the next shape.

Jack-o-tub for Halloween Goodies

It’s getting to that time of year when Halloween and harvest parties abound. This project turns a simple little washtub into a perfectly spooky treat “bowl” in just a few minutes and then turns it back to a regular tub in a snap after the party is done. Although orange is definitely as Halloweeny as you can get, any color will add fun and flavor to your get-together!

Things you’ll need:
Metal washtub
Black contact paper
Scissors

Things to do:
1. Cut out shapes for eyes, nose and mouth from your contact paper, scaling them so that they are proportional to the size of your tub.

2. Peel off the backing and smooth down the shapes in place, working out all the bubbles and smoothing the edge down well so that it stays in place.
3. After the party, simply peel off your shapes and your tub is back to normal!