Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish? Nonsense!

You may have noticed a trend in my Halloween crafts: each one incorporates some piece of discarded material, whether it be cardboard, newspaper, or chopsticks. I get much satisfaction out of taking a piece of "trash" and thinking, "Hmmm...what can I make out of this?" That thinking has carried over to my other arts and crafts, not just the Halloween stuff. Mostly my interest in giving new life to old boxes, bits of fabric, or other items normally thrown out after use stemmed from a desire to spend as little as possible on materials to "feed" my crafting habit. Now I just do it for the sheer challenge! Oh, yeah, and the environmental feel-goodness, of course!! I have a multitude of empty cheese boxes, paper towel tubes, old shirts, plastic soup bowls, and other random things just WAITING to be reborn into something new and fun. Take a look at my latest crafting videos. The two items I created were made from an old bottle cork and a pretty greeting card.




I plan to continue this type of work as well as give people tips on how to ease their impact on the world around them. I don't have lofty goals of getting people to all buy solar panels for their homes, buy a brand new hybrid car or use only three sheets of TP at a time. No, I figure just about anyone has the means to take my advice in whole or in part. So, stay tuned for all kinds of exciting ways to save the planet! OK, OK, I said no lofty goals, right? Aim small, and little by little, you'll be on to something big.

Cat and Eyeball Papier-Maches

Here are two more of my papier-mache guys! The eyeball's iris is translucent paper colored with a colored pencil and marker. There is a hole in the back where a flashlight can fit to light it up.

Scary Papier-Mache Creature

I had fun making some wacky papier-mache decorations. This one is only a few inches in diameter. I used inflated balloons to form my shapes, but after I covered them with layers of newspaper and glue and let them dry, the balloons started to deflate, making a bumpy texture. It actually worked out well for these pieces! I really liked the "raisin-like" surface.

Checkerboard

I made this magnetic checkerboard from an old cookie sheet. This further proves my theory that just about any object that might normally be thrown out can get a new life if you just use some imagination! The board shows a spooky Halloween scene, but you could create almost any theme: one of the four seasons, other holidays, animals, exotic locales. The pieces were made from glass beads with skulls and bats painted on the back. A small magnet was attached to each.

Mummy

I made this little guy a few weeks ago. He's about 13" high. I sewed a body first using some white fabric, then stuffed him with batting and wrapped him with some tattered fabric. I rubbed tea and cocoa powder on him to give him a more aged look. I took a top from a cardboard box and painted it in a faux wood finish on the outside and red inside to make his coffin.

Witch

This doll was made using basically scraps I had lying around in my studio! She's about 12" tall and made of cardboard, canvas, clay, and cotton twine. I painted her with acrylics and made her broom from some bits of straw and a chopstick.

Frankenstein Candy Dish

This was made using cardboard,
a plastic soup bowl, newspaper,
paste, tape, and paint. It's almost
one foot tall and fits lots of candy!

Do you craft for Halloween?

Halloween seems to be becoming a big holiday! Over the past couple of years I've noticed more and more Halloween decorations out there, and that's inspired me to make some of my own. I have a tradition now of creating at least one new thing each year to add to my Halloween collection. First it was papier-mache ghouls and other creatures, then a Frankenstein candy dish, a witch doll, and ghost garlands. This year I made a mummy doll, complete with faux wood coffin. And with any luck, I will take a minute to post some photos of my handmade decorations.

So, my question is, do YOU craft for Halloween? I'd love to hear about any unique items you've made or are planning to make for Halloween.

Heather



Visit kafergraphics.com for fine art, crafts, and more!