A-Z Challenge: P is for...Paper Craft and Postcards

P is for...Papercraft and Postcards

Papercraft is a quick, fun and cheap way to make decorations for spooky parties or just to brighten up creepy corners anytime. There's a huge choice of designs - from pumpkins to Nosferatu - and if there's nothing you like you could always try designing one of your own!

Krampus and Nosferatu papercrafts

Skull, La Catrina & Pumpkin

Pumpkin & Skull paper craft patterns from Paper Box World
La Catrina, Nosferatu & Krampus paper craft patterns from Macula

Nosferatu

La Catrina & Skull

Krampus

Krampus stealing a child

Since I also received some monster / alien postcards from a friend, as a bonus, P is also for postcards!

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge.

Toys, Dolls & How-To Guides: Creepy Little Yarn Dolls

My yarn dolls

Kei of Unfortunately Oh! recently sent me a link to a tutorial, from Dollar Store Crafts, on how to make yarn "voodoo dolls". Since I collect voodoo dolls & toys related to them, I thought it would be great fun to try making some of my own voodoo doll toys and to share a how-to guide here on HSL! Mine came out looking rather different to the DSC one, but that's the great thing about these - they're so customisable! I also chose to make a decoration from mine, using an old light fitting that I had, but you could adapt them to go on necklaces, keychains, or anything else that takes your fancy too.

You will need:

• Yarn or string (colour of your choice)
• Needle and thread (same colour as yarn)
• Thin, bendable wire (colour does not matter as it will be covered)
• Sponge, cotton wool balls or foam (for the head)
• Scissors
• Glue (either hot glue or PVA glue, not super glue, as some super glue contains chemicals that melt yarn fibres. Although it fuses it together really well, it smokes and, if you use too much, it can cause a hole)
• Buttons & decorations
• Something to attach your doll(s) to *Optional*

Tutorial after the cut below↓:

How-To Guides: Pumpkin Parcels

Today brings another find from an article in a magazine that was kindly given to me. It was in the October 2010 issue of Your Home, which had a section about Halloween crafts. None of them are on the website, so I thought I'd make them and share the guides here.

First up - Pumpkin Parcels! I used orange tissue paper instead of crepe paper and green tissue paper & cellotape instead of green florists tape, but they are essentially the same.

They're really easy to do and, depending on how many you make, only take between 5 minutes and half an hour to produce. You could put little presents or sweets or anything else you want inside and draw jack o' lantern faces on them to make them more individual, so they're also pretty versatile.

My pumkin parcels

You will need:

• Cellotape / double-sided tape
• Scissors
• Green tissue paper (or green florists tape)
• Orange tissue or crepe paper
• A pen
• Something to fill the parcel with
• A dinner plate (to draw around, not pictured)

More pictures and a step by step how-to guide after the cut below↓

Toys: Monst☆rs

Photo by Kei

Monstars are the brainchild of the ever creative Kei (yes, that that prefix appears on her birth certificate) from the crafting blog Unfortunately Oh! They are all designed and made by Kei and have their own personalities and little hearts to show you that they're not that scary. Of course, no one knows where those hearts actually came from...so it's probably best to take care of yours if you have one, just in case!

My Monstar, The Polka Dot Terror

I was lucky enough to be given my very own Monstar as a present and he now resides with his fellow horrors (above). He used to have a bow, but it was stolen by Nosferatu the cat. However, he was featured on Unfortunately Oh! along with his siblings recently, so you can see the red dottiness below.

TPDT says hello!

The Monstars come in all colours and shapes and have been shipped off to parts of the UK, Japan, Finland and Canada so far! If you ask Kei very very nicely, you too might be able to have a Monstar friend yourself!

Photo by Kei

For more wonderful craftiness, you should definitely visit Kei's blog:

Unfortunately Oh!

More Monstar photos below!↓

Music & How-To Guides : Custom Doll Head Theremins

Some time ago I came across these fantastic doll head theremins by XLPC and got 2, which I subsequently named Samedi and Dead Boy. I also painted them and added some little details, using epoxy putty, so that they looked more to my taste. When it arrives, each theremin comes looking something like the photos below (though the face shapes and expressions vary) and has red LED lights in its eyes, which you can turn on and off via the red button.

Photo from XLPC Theremin, LEDs off

My two theremins, unpainted, in the dark with LEDs on

The theremin's extra large photo cell reacts to any type of light - light bulb, natural light, flashlight, laserpointer, TV etc. - and then you can control the volume and pitch by moving your hands over the cell. You will need to use it with an amplifier though and distortion units are recommended to get the most interesting sound out of the instruments. There are also no jack leads included, so you'll need to get one yourself. However, the uniqueness of XLPC's products far outweighs those minor details and I highly recommend them!

After customising them, using epoxy putty and model paint, this is what mine looked like:


Samedi and Dead Boy

   Theremin Specs
The XLPC Theremin:

• 8 ohm speaker (very small, low volume, hence the need for an amp)
• Red On/Off Switch (for the LEDs)
• Silver pitch/volume knob 
• Extra large photo cell 
• 1/4" Output jack (amp. cable not included)
• 1 C Battery
• Doll head and heavy duty plastic case

Customisation

 1. After lightly going over each theremin with fine sandpaper and making sure the surface was free of dust, I then added lips and fang details to Dead Boy, using epoxy modelling putty (from Games Workshop)

 2. I left the putty to dry completely and become hard (I used Green Stuff rather than polymer clay as it air sets and I didn't want to put the theremin in the oven!) and painted Dead Boy. I used model paint from Games Workshop, since there's a store in my town and their paint goes on very smoothly and evenly, but any good-quality acrylic paint will do and it can be found at most craft/art supply stores.

3. I painted Samedi. When painting, be really careful not to get paint on the photo cell on top of the head as it needs light and won't function correctly if covered

4. Using matte, clear varnish (also from Games Workshop), I then covered the whole of both heads (excluding the photo cells) with two coats, leaving them to dry between the first and second

Obviously you can customise the theremins however you like. I chose to make Dead Boy a vampire baby and Samedi has symbols, which are loosely based on his namesake Baron Samedi's veves, on his face.

How-To Guides: Fake Blood

To go along with his series 'A History of Horror', Mark Gatiss also appeared in this video, in which he demonstrates how to make a more realistic looking version of the fake blood they used in the classic Hammer horror movies. We'll definitely be trying this out soon, so we'll let you know how it turns out!

Halloween: Jack-o'-Lanterns

In the previous entry, I talked about the book  'Great Pumpkins: Crafty Carving for Halloween', by Peter Cole (with Jessica Hurley). Well, this time, I'm going to show you some pumpkins that Madame Luciel and I carved, including one from that book! 'Witches' Brew' was one of the stencils included and is a spooky and fun design. We didn't use the stencil because Luciel carved it freehand and, even though in the instructions it says you need a lot of tools, we managed only using the pumpkin, knife, bowl, spoon, tea light and newspaper.

'Witches' Brew' stencil

'Witches' Brew' from 'Great Pumpkins'

Some of our Jack-o'-lanterns are below:

Our version of 'Witches' Brew'

Our version of 'Witches' Brew', lit up

Some more of our jack-o'-lanterns (original designs)

For instructions on how to make 'Witches' Brew', click the jump below:

Books: Great Pumpkins - Crafty Carving for Halloween

A few years ago, a friend of mine gave me 'Great Pumpkins: Crafty Carving for Halloween', by Peter Cole (with Jessica Hurley). It's a very useful and fun 80-page instructional book that takes you through getting creative with your ghoulish gourds!

25 amazing Jack-o'-lantern ideas are featured and each one has a stunning photograph by Kate Kunath, description, "you will need" list and guide on how to make it. Also, stencils for some of the designs featured are included and all of the pages are made from thick, glossy paper, which enables you to have the book next to you whilst you carve. Handy!

For photos of some of the fantastic creations, click the jump below↓

Toys: Sock Horrors

Madame Horror's 'Sock Horrors' are devilish monsters from a land called The Doldrums. They are intent on liberating their fellow socks from their human oppressors and are responsible for all the missing socks in the world!

... ... ...
Okay, maybe not, but they are pretty cute :) Click below to go to the Sock Horror website and shop.




 
Monster pictures after the jump.

Home & Garden: Budget Halloween Decor

This charming crocheted table adornment (left)  and devilish Dead Fairy decoration (right) would be ideal for everyday use, or even Halloween parties. The doilie first appeared on Lipstick and Laundry and the decoration is by user Varifiresis on on the Craftster.org forum. Dollar Store Crafts also gave tips on how to make them, both, although the Dead Fairy guide on Craftster is very thorough. Whilst you're on the Dollar Store Crafts site, you might also want to check out the guide on how to make a styrofoam spider and post on spooky Halloween decor.

Thanks to Kei for sending the Dollar Store Crafts link to me!

Other how-to craft sites:

Better Homes & Gardens Halloween decor page

Halloween kids Crafts at Kaboose

AllCrafts Halloween page

Halloween Web's party decorating ideas page

Halloween crafts page at AllFreeCrafts

Horror Crafts

Geek Crafts horror & gore section

More Halloween craft pictures after the jump...