HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION

After two weeks of being completely and totally inspired by all that I've seen on the blogs that I follow, I headed out this morning with a distinct mission... find items (on the cheap via Family Dollar and Dollar General) to decorate for Halloween. I've never really decorated for Halloween before now, except to sit out a few cheezy things that I've collected over the years. But now that I have children, I figure I have a couple more people in the house who will appreciate what I've done... well as much as a 1 year old and 3 year old can.

The other MAJOR dilemma is that I literally have NO surfaces... no tabletops for decorating upon. Well except one, so I went all out on this small 36" space.

The "sub"mission within my main mission this morning, was to find spiders. How hard would it be to find spiders? Well, I didn't find spiders, but I did find THIS... and so the inspiration begins. Isn't he cute?

At Dollar General, I found these cute little skeletons. It's actually a garland of twine with 4 skeletons... for $1. Can you believe that? A dollar!!

At Family Dollar I found a "Shroud" (mesh netting). It's 30" x 96"... again for $1. I cut off a part of it to use as a backing for my "Boo"sign.

I already had the frame so all I did was take out the glass and matt, but left in the cardboard backing, which I hung the shroud over. I used my Cricut to cut out the letters and the little spiders (since I didn't find any to buy).

Yesterday, while out in the yard collecting acorns with the boys, I found this really cool branch. I think that's really where my inspiration began.

I really hit the Jackpot at Dollar General. Along with the skeleton garlands, I also got 3 rats ($1 each) and 3 little tombstones (also $1 each).

One of the garlands, I took apart so I could sit the skeletons around the vignette.

I already had the 2 raffia pumpkins, pumpkin bucket and candy corn dish. I covered my "famous" cake stand with brown craft paper, and then used the remainder of the shroud to drape over it and the table.

The container for my Candy Corn Tree was a square glass vase that I already owned. I just wrapped it with a torn and wrinkled piece of brown craft paper and cut out "EeK" on my Cricut.

I'm not sure that rat is going to share his candy corn.

I saw the Candy Corn Tree here last week, and I knew the minute I saw it I would be attempting to re-create it. So easy, and nearly free... bag of candy corn - $1 / branch from yard - free. The bats in the light are something I got from Martha Stewart Living probably about 9 years ago. I believe at the time, there was a pattern in the magazine you could trace or cut out for tracing. So, 9 years ago, I cut all those little bats out by hand - out of black construction paper. These are still those same bats. You should see how faded they are... not really black anymore. Anyway - I digress. They are taped to the inside of the lamp shade.

I have to say, I LOVE my little "Ode" to Halloween. I know there's a lot going on in this small space, but you gotta work with what you got. Also, what do you think of my crow on top of the frame? I know, it doesn't even come close to looking like a crow, but it was the only "bird" shape I had for my Cricut. I thought cutting it out on black paper would help with the illusion... not so much.

So for $9.00 (plus the five $1 bags of candy corn)... I mean - for $14.00... VOILA, Halloween Inspiration.

Hope you're inspired. Happy Haunting!!

I'm linking up here - go check it out and see all the other fabulous ideas.

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