Crafts Inspire Me

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Bewitching Mushrooms

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Crafts Inspire Me

Mushrooms have been trending this year in everything from apparel to home décor. Nature is filled with magical wonders and what better time to tap into that magic than Halloween? This fun project is fun and easy for everyone.

Original Mushroom Decoration

I purchased this cute figurine at Wegmans. The shape of the mushroom cap lends itself perfectly to becoming a witch’s hat.

Supplies

For this project you will need acrylic paints, brushes, a black sharpie marker, and a toothpick for tiny touch-ups. You will also need a stuffed animal eye. (You’ll see why below.)

Paint Jack-O-Lantern Faces

Painted faces give these pumpkins personality. I didn’t like the low placement of the faces, so I repainted them to start over.

Repaint Pumpkins

The new orange paint creates a new blank canvas.

Paint Yellow Jack-O-Lantern Face Details

Yellow paint creates the inner glow typically found in Jack-O-Lanterns.

Outline Face Details in Black

Using a black Sharpie marker, outline the face details for a carved appearance.

Add a Purple Eye

The addition of a purple eye is both cute and creepy.

Create Eye Socket with Packing Peanut

Instead of a human eyeball, I decided to give this magical creature a tube-shaped eye socket using flattened packing peanuts.

Side View of Eye Socket

The packing peanut texture coordinates well with the mushroom stem.

Side View of Eye Socket

Finished Bewitching Mushroom

The eye socket was painted beige to blend with the stem.

Side View of Finished Mushroom

Side View of Finished Mushroom

I hope you enjoyed seeing this bewitching mushroom. It makes a great addition to your Halloween décor and creates an element of the unexpected. As you know, I love Halloween and would love to hear about any of your Halloween-themed projects.

Thanks for Reading! Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

Crafts for Every Holiday

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Crafts Inspire Me

I couldn’t resist this photo of a kitten swatting a clock just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. Time flies so quickly. I don’t think this little guy could catch it, but that won’t stop him from trying. There are so many creative opportunities throughout the year. Let’s look at some of the possibilities for each of the major holidays:

New Year’s Eve/Day – Specialty Drinks

New Year’s Eve/Day – Homemade Zodiac Chocolates

Chinese New Year – Lanterns & Decor

Valentine’s Day – Homemade Candy & Cookies

Valentine’s Day – Flower Arranging

St. Patrick’s Day – Flower Arranging, Jewelry, & Sewing

St. Patrick’s Day – Cookies

Easter – Dyed Eggs & Wood Crafts

Easter – Cookies & Ceramics

Cinco de Mayo – Hat Design, Beading & Embroidery

Cinco de Mayo – Costume Design, Sewing, Embroidery & Beading

Mother’s Day – Flower Arranging & Jewelry

Mother’s Day – Painting

Mother’s Day – Portraiture

Father’s Day – Wood Sculpture

Father’s Day – Craft Beer

Father’s Day – Illustration & Digital Art

Independence Day – Cake Design

Independence Day – Homemade Popsicles

Halloween – Cosplay Costume Design, Makeup, & Props

Halloween – Cookies, Candy, & Baked Treats

Halloween – Nail Art

Thanksgiving – Centerpieces, Candle Making, & Specialty Lighting

Thanksgiving – Ceramics

Hanukkah – Candle Making

Hanukkah – Jelly Donuts

Christmas – Cupcakes

Christmas – Hand-Painted Nutcrackers

Christmas – Hand-Painted Ornaments

Kwanzaa – Candle Making, Candleholders, & Centerpieces

Whether you make these holiday-themed crafts for yourself or give them as gifts, they are all wonderful ways to express your creativity. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You may discover talents you never knew you had.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!

Happy Halloween 2024

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Crafts Inspire Me

It’s hard to believe Halloween has arrived. I love driving around the neighborhood to see all the frightfully creative yard décor.

Treat your family to delicious homemade chocolates. These are easy, fun and so much better than store bought candy.

Want to feel like a child again? Wear a mask.

Costume making 101: Cut eye holes in an old sheet and throw it over your head. How easy was that? Accessories are fun but optional.

Most families trick or treat as a group. It’s a fun and safe way to wander around the neighborhood and you’ll probably meet several friends along the way.

Let the festive lights and laughter fill you with the spirit of the season. Breathe in the clean, crisp fall air and make a wish upon a star. “Listen to the Music of the Night.” – Phantom of the Opera

I hope you have a great time and wish you a Happy Halloween and Happy Crafting!

Feathered Bird Mask

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Crafts Inspire Me

A mask is the perfect accessory to complement any Halloween costume. Feathers have gorgeous colors and patterns and are easy to work with, making them a great choice for mask making projects.

Humorous Bird Mask

Masks not only coordinate with costumes, but can also express personality, subtle sophistication, and even humorous characteristics.

Unintentionally Humorous Bird

The colors and patterns in this mask are bold and confident, but there’s a problem…birds don’t have feathers on their beaks. To correct it, remove the beak feathers and simply paint it flat black, which will return the focus to the beautifully accented eyes.

How to Make a Feathered Bird Mask:

Assorted Supplies

Crafts stores sell several mask styles, such as half masks, full face masks, and some with sculpted scroll or fleur-de-lis details. Decorations include feathers, rhinestones, sequins, faux diamonds, and fancy beaded or woven trims.

Paint Mask Black

This half mask is made of plastic. Because spray paint can produce strong odors, I chose to hand paint it with acrylic paint to make this more comfortable to wear. Depending upon the mask material, it may require two coats of black paint.

Add Faux Faceted Diamonds

Glue individual diamonds, flat side down, around the eye openings, ensuring the gems will not impede vision.

Begin Layering Black Feathers

I started under the center point of the eye openings and worked my way around to the top, following the contours of the mask.

Create a Feathered Crown

Layer additional black feathers creating a beautiful crown, which extends above the top edge of the mask.

Layer Turquoise Feathers

Turquoise & brown tipped feathers are added, starting at the edge of the nose and continuing around the eye as shown. Repeat for the other side.

Completed Mask

Add turquoise accent feathers on the top to contrast with the black. You may need to touch up the black paint due to scratches or nicks from handling. This completes the mask and it is ready to wear.

Completed Mask – Left Side View

Because each feather is unique, there will be variations, but this will not detract from the design. I chose to create a balanced design, but masks can also be asymmetrical.

Completed Mask – Right Side View

Completed Mask – Top View

Raven/Parrot Costume

I made this mask for my mom to wear to a Halloween costume party. I had already purchased this cape, which resembles bird wings, from Grandinroad. She wanted an easy-to-wear costume. All she had to do was wear a black top and slacks, pull on the cape and complete the look with the feathered mask.

I hope you enjoyed this project. It’s easy and fun. Have you ever made a mask? Please let me know in the comments.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

Halloween: Grins, Chills or Screams? Part 4

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Crafts Inspire Me

When I was writing the first three posts in this series, I found myself constantly flipping back and forth between each of the Halloween themes within the Kid Friendly, Creepy and Nightmares levels. I thought you might like to see a side-by-side comparison. The results below are astonishing.

Halloween Themes:
Kid Friendly Creepy Nightmares

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyards

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead

Vampires

As you can see, Kid Friendly characters are cute, almost cuddly. Creepy ones make you feel uneasy, wondering what it might do. However, if you encounter a Nightmare character along a lonely road at night, don’t waste time wondering… Run away!

This is the last post in the Halloween Grins, Chills & Screams series. In case you missed the first three parts, please be sure to read part 1 Kid Friendly, part 2 Creepy, and part 3 Nightmares for more inspiring ideas. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know your favorites in the comments.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

Halloween: Grins, Chills or Screams? Part 3

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Crafts Inspire Me

When decorating for Halloween, there are two decisions to be made:

1. Choose a Theme. 2. Choose a Fear Factor.

What is the fear factor? Think of it as how much you want to frighten people, based upon a 3-level scale. Level 3 is Nightmares. Halloween themes at this level provide good old-fashioned scares like when someone sneaks up behind you and yells Boo. You jump and maybe scream in shock…and then you tell them they’re grounded for life. (lol) Let’s see how the desired emotional reactions affect our choices in Halloween décor.

Nightmare Themes:

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyard & Zombie

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead

Vampires

Haunted Corn Maze

Haunted Village

Haunted Bog

Onion Monster

Insects

Headless Horseman

Vampires & Werewolves (Extra Credit for Living Chess Pieces. lol)

Gremlins

Nightmare Themed Foods:

Beverages

Cakes

Desserts

Pastries

Let’s Toast to Halloween

Halloween Nightmares themes explore the unknown and isn’t that mankind’s biggest fear? Being more complex, these characters appear out of the darkness via motion (costumed actors or animatronics), light, sound and fog, triggering screams or bad dreams for days to come.

Stay tuned for the fourth and final post in this series for a frightfully fun side-by-side comparison of Halloween themes. In case you missed the first two parts, please be sure to read part 1 Kid Friendly and part 2 Creepy for more inspiring ideas. Please let me know your favorites in the comments.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

Halloween: Grins, Chills or Screams? Part 2

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Crafts Inspire Me

When decorating for Halloween, there are two decisions to be made:

1. Choose a Theme. 2. Choose a Fear Factor.

What is the fear factor? Think of it as how much you want to frighten people, based upon a 3-level scale. Level 2 is Creepy. Halloween themes at this level are eerie and unsettling, resulting in spine-tingling chills & goosebumps. Let’s see how the desired emotional reactions affect our choices in Halloween décor.

Creepy Themes:

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyard

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead (Extra credit for being fashionably frightening. lol)

Vampires (Looks like Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire)

Twisted Fairy Tales

Dolls (Reminds me of the little girls in Stephen King’s The Shining)

Creepy Themed Foods:

Beverages

Cakes

Candy

Serving Dishes

Guests, craving the thrills of amusement parks, will appreciate the chilling surprises discovered around every corner with these Halloween Creepy themes. Please let me know your favorites in the comments.

Stay tuned for the third and fourth posts in this series for ideas on Halloween Nightmares themes and a comparison of all three. In case you missed it, please be sure to read part 1 for Kid Friendly inspiration.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

Halloween: Grins, Chills or Screams? Part 1

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Crafts Inspire Me

When decorating for Halloween, there are two decisions to be made:

1. Choose a Theme. 2. Choose a Fear Factor.

What is the fear factor? Think of it as how much you want to frighten people, based upon a 3-level scale. Level 1 is Kid Friendly. Halloween themes at this level are cute or funny, resulting in widespread grins. In this four-part series, let’s see how the desired emotional reactions affect our choices in Halloween décor.

Kid Friendly Themes:

Jack-O-Lanterns

Black Cats

Mummies

Spiders

Ghosts

Clowns

Scarecrows

Monsters

Witches

Haunted House

Pumpkin Patch

Skeletons

Graveyard

Werewolves

Bats

Day of the Dead

Vampires

Kid Friendly Themed Foods:

Candy/White Chocolate Marshmallows

Cupcakes

Cakes

Cookies

Donuts

Guests of all ages will appreciate the playful, festive atmosphere created by these Kid Friendly decorations. Stay tuned for the next three posts in this series, exploring Creepy themes, Nightmare themes, and a comparison of all three. Please let me know your favorite Halloween themes and if you prefer amusing or frightening decor.

Thanks for Reading. Happy Halloween & Happy Crafting!

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