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Craft: How to Make a Halloween Tree

September 25th, 2011

By Lynn

Last winter, with my husband’s help–OK, OK, all I did was supervise, i.e. tell him what to do–we made a dowel Christmas tree. At the time I thought we could use it for any holiday, but of course, I forgot about most of them until last weekend when we were celebrating my two granddaughters’ birthdays.

I brought out the tree and a mass of pre-used items including:

  • bottle caps
  • silver foil
  • pipe cleaners
  • paper
  • “jewels”
  • wooden beads
  • wire
  • paperclips
  • bolts

..and lots of other odds and ends.

I set everything on the table and the kids (and a few grownups), had a ball making ornaments for the tree.

Here’s the overall result:

And here are just a few of the ornaments:

 

Everyone had a ball! Even our grandson who isn’t usually into art projects, spent at least an hour hunched over his work and came up with, among other items, the skeleton above.

If you have a Halloween party coming up and you’re thinking about activities, consider something like this. You don’t have to make the tree. Just get a branch, put it in a bucket filled with rocks and start decorating!

Corey did a segment on the news here in Seattle, that included the Halloween tree. And I’m already thinking about repeating this activity for Thanksgiving!

If you have made something similar, we’d love to see pictures!

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.

Posted in Activities, Crafts, Decor, Frugal ideas, Fun ideas, Traditions | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Craft: How to Make a Halloween Tree”

  1. Danica Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 1:50 am

    Wow! they are really cute. Did you get any inspiration from internet or magazine..? I think the idea is great, by the way, we can get inspiration from some of Halloween promotion websites, that will be more better.

  2. Meghan Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 8:38 am

    How stinkin cute. Love the black cat ornament!

Leave a Reply

Halloween costumes to DIY for!

September 24th, 2011

by Corey

Remember when you were a kid and Mom made your costumes each year?

… That is until she determined that you were old enough to craft your own.

OK, so my first attempt at costume design left a little to be desired, but at least my get-up made a big impression.

Over the years, we’ve shared posts of our favorite handmade costumes, but now we invite you to share yours! Post your pics on our Facebook page and inspire others! Imagine the memories you’ll be helping to create.

Celebrate Green’s DIY Costume Round Up

DIY costume: Little Viking

DIY for Mom, Dad & Baby: Griffin Family

Goodwill Get-Up: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Celebrate Green’s fave picks for DIY costumes for grown-ups

… And one of my all-time favorites… This Adorable (upcycled) Owl Costume

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

 

Posted in Costumes, Crafts, Frugal ideas | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Halloween costumes to DIY for!”

  1. meghan Says:
    September 24th, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    The shaggy dog is pretty cool but that Viking is the best!

  2. Saul Latterell Says:
    October 20th, 2011 at 7:46 pm

    Download error here is your download link we couldnt some how reach you with email

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Craft: Easy Halloween Countdown Calendar Banner

September 23rd, 2011

By Lynn

I love countdown calendars like the one that has become a Christmas tradition in our family, because they allow the excitement before any holiday or celebration to build and also can help families create a bit of together time in the midst of busy lives.

For Halloween this year, I decided to combine a count down calendar with a banner/bunting, for a unique, interactive decoration.

I made 31 paper pockets, each with a number between one and 31 (for the days leading up to Halloween). Each can contain a “love note,” an idea for a family activity or a small healthy treat or treasure. All are attached to a length of ribbon with clothespins. String the ribbon like a banner in a child’s or family room.

Each evening, gather the family, pull the slip of paper from the dated pocket and unclip the pocket from the ribbon. Store everything to be brought out next year on October 1.

In making the banner, I wanted to use only what I had on hand. So while I’ll give directions for the calendar banner below, know that you don’t have to do it the way I did. I’ll even point out alternatives to some of what I used. Hopefully there will be no need to hit any stores to complete your own masterpiece!

Supplies:

16 pieces of black heavy weight 8.5×11 paper cut into 31 pieces 4″x8.5″  I was fortunate in that a friend of mine had stopped scrapbooking and gave me lots of paper including an unopened package of black cardstock which is what I used. Of course you can choose other colors or designs from what you have on hand.

Pumpkin and cat stamps (Again, choose or make stamps with a Halloween theme.)

1 piece each, orange and yellow heavy weight paper

Black stamp pad (or paint)

Stapler (Or use tape or a glue gun.)

Small embroidery type scissors

Pop dots (Or something that will make the pumpkins and cats stand 1/2 inch off the paper. I had some of these dots, but when I ran out, I used small pieces of cardboard as spacers.)

31 spring type clothes pins (I have these and use them regularly. I don’t care whether they’re decorated or not so I just used what I had on hand. If you don’t have any, you could punch a hole in the pockets and add a ribbon or string to hang or maybe you have some clip type curtain rings or bent paper clips.)

Burnt orange paint

1/2″ wide paint brush

Variety of orange and black ribbon

Number stickers from 1 to 31. (I had an odd assortment of number stickers so I used those. You could also write the number with a white pen, cut them from magazines and newspapers or stamp with white paint.)

Other stickers and ephemera like sparkly gemstones, buttons, feathers etc.

Glue

How to:

1. Fold one piece of cut paper into a cylinder with a diameter of about 1.5″-2″ .

2. Staple once inside where paper overlaps, then on the outside, press down on the bottom of the cylinder and staple twice. (If you prefer something neater you could use double stick tape or glue inside. Personally I like the look of the staples.) Make 30 more cylinders. (By the way, you also could use toilet paper roles and paint them as was done on this wonderful countdown calendar from Maya Made which was an inspiration as I made this one. Unfortunately for me, the TP we buy sticks to the tube making it difficult to impossible to remove it and interfering with the painting idea.)

4. To make the pumpkins and cats, decide how many you want of each, then stamp on yellow and orange paper and cut out with embroidery scissors making sure to leave a little bit of the paper at the edge as you cut. If you cut without that edge, when you glue them to the black paper, you won’t see the whole shape.

5. Attach pumpkins and cats to pockets using pop dots.

6. Stick numbers on the pockets and add other stickers and ephemera as desired.

7. Paint one side of clothespins with burnt orange paint. Let dry.

8. On some clothespins, tie bows. On others, glue ribbon the length of the pin over the paint. You also can add rhinestones, buttons or anything else that fits with your theme.

9. Lay out the 31 pockets side by side and stretch a piece of ribbon or string the length of all the pockets adding about 12″ at each end.

10. Tie each end of the ribbon to 2 post or nails, then attach the pockets in order.

Enjoy!

If you make a similar calendar banner please share it with us.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.

 

 

Posted in Activities, Crafts, Decor, Frugal ideas, Fun ideas | 9 Comments »

9 Responses to “Craft: Easy Halloween Countdown Calendar Banner”

  1. HARRISON Says:
    September 24th, 2011 at 3:57 am

    Cool, cool, cool, cool! Really enjoyed your post!

  2. CECIL Says:
    September 24th, 2011 at 4:09 am

    I really didnt like your point of view here… Do you mind elaborating a littl.

  3. DUSTIN Says:
    September 24th, 2011 at 4:35 am

    Rock n’ roll, cool article mate, thanks a lot!

  4. DEREK Says:
    September 24th, 2011 at 4:45 am

    What a wonderful post! Thank you, have a great day!

  5. lucy Says:
    September 25th, 2011 at 7:24 pm

    Founded in 1997,WENZHOU TAICHANG ADHESIVE PRODUCTS CO., LTD. is a professional manufacturer in China, which is mainly involved in self adhesive products and hot stamping foils. Our main products are Self Adhesive Label, Self Adhesive Tape, Hot Stamping Foil, Dust Catcher Roller, Self Adhesive Paper, Self Adhesive Label Papers.

  6. 800-511-2896 Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 3:35 pm

    The particular costs of which could become tallied way up along with these kind of forms of solutions can possibly be expensive.

  7. Mandy Says:
    September 28th, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    I was so excited to see your site! We are a ‘green’ family and are so happy to find like mindedness. However, I had to comment on this post because this banner doesn’t seem green at all! the use of paper is excessive (and even if recycled most likely will end up in a landfill- not to mention the dyes). And paper is hard to store to use in future years. This looks like a one time use. Here is a couple of options we do in our home. Make a banner out of material, possibly from an old shirt from a thrift shop or good quality organic material. Or using a muffin tin you can cover with tissue paper (still not totally green, but the use of paper is limited), or could cover with material and each day kids can punch (tissue paper) or lift flap (material) one section of the muffin tin to find a suprise. I do love this website and appreciate the efforts!! Keep up the good work!

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    October 7th, 2011 at 8:50 am

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Join our National #CostumeSwap Day Twitter Party! 9/27/11

September 20th, 2011

 

Kick off the Halloween season with a

National #CostumeSwap Day Twitter party!

Save money, reduce waste & have F-U-N.

Hashtag: #CostumeSwap

Follow: @CostumeSwapDay

September 27, 2011  6-7pm PST

Get tips & tricks:

  • How to host a costume swap
  • Getting the most out of attending a swap
  • Ideas for a waste-less, spend-less holiday that keeps all the fun

WIN: Great, green prizes from Kiwi magazine, Nature’s Path, Revolution Foods, Celebrate Green! and Angell Bar. (To be eligible to win, you must enter your Twitter handle in the comment section, below.)

 

Special Guests:

Hosted by: The Smart Mama

 

How to join the party:

1. RSVP by adding your Twitter handle (@YourName) to the comment section below (only those who RSVP are eligible to win prizes)

2. Join or log on to Twitter

3. Follow @CostumeSwapDay

4. Use hashtag (#) #CostumeSwap to “chat” in the party and to follow other participant’s posts

Hint: You may find it easiest to use a (free) program such as Hootsuite or TweetDeck to participate. New to twitter parties? Do a quick Internet search for “how to participate in a Twitter party” and you’ll find dozens of tutorials.

RSVP by adding your Twitter handle in a comment and enter to win great, green prizes*!

*One entry per Twitter Handle. Most prizes will ship only to Continental U.S.; some may ship to Canada. If you are unable to accept the prize, another winner will be chosen.

National Costume Swap Day™ is a partnership of Green Halloween®, Swap.com & Kiwi magazine. National Costume Swap Day is celebrate the second Saturday in October each year – in 2011, on October 8th. To find a swap near you, visit www.CostumeSwapDay.com.

And check out our events page for more virtual and real-live events from now through Halloween, including a #GreenHalloween Twitter party on 10/13/11!



Posted in Contests, Costume Swap Day, Costumes, Events, Frugal ideas, Fun ideas, Updates and announcements | 73 Comments »

73 Responses to “Join our National #CostumeSwap Day Twitter Party! 9/27/11”

  1. Los Angeles Costume Swap Says:
    September 21st, 2011 at 9:15 am

    Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/LACostumeSwap

    Looking forward to it.

  2. Emily Holyoak Says:
    September 24th, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    Sooooo excited for the #costumeswap! @hhiemily twitter

  3. jeannine m Says:
    September 25th, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    will be there @mellanhead

  4. Laura Perkins Says:
    September 25th, 2011 at 11:57 pm

    RSVP for me! @Greek_Momma

  5. sara haaf Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 7:47 am

    Sounds fun! @vloky My son always wears his costumes year round and wears them out, leaving them unswappable, but getting ones someone traded in would be great. Love the concept!

  6. Cindy C Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 10:06 am

    Sounds fun! @cin_20

  7. Greg Solfanelli Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 10:39 am

    I’ll be there! @UnrefutedSpirit

  8. Tovah Paglarp Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Looking forward to the #CostumeSwap party! Should be fun. @tovahp

  9. Elizabeth C. Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 11:46 am

    @GoudaCheese007 RSVP!

  10. Heather Zeh Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 11:55 am

    @hzeh818 I’ll be there!

  11. Jessica P Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 11:56 am

    Looking forward to the party!

    @ToodiesMomma

  12. Sarah Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    Sounds fun! My twitter name is @madeinusablog
    Thanks!

  13. Ryan @ Swap.com Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    Can’t wait to chat with you all tomorrow night!

    @Swap

  14. Monica Sanchez Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 1:33 pm

    @ecomoni can’t wait!

  15. Julie Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    @CrunchyMom – looking forward to the chat!

  16. maria Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    How fun :)

  17. Esther Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    #Esthergoesgreen. It’s my first twitter party!!!

  18. Esther Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    #Esthergoesgreen My first twitter party yay!!!!

  19. Carla Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    RSVP for me @carlalicavoli

  20. Lacy Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 4:45 pm

    @navy_frugalista is in on this one!!

  21. Leixa T. Molina Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    Will be there! @TainaMomFor2

  22. Mo Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 6:23 pm

    @mosunnydaze will be there :)

  23. Meghan Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    I’ll be a bit late due to work but I’ll be there @immortalb4

  24. Alisa Says:
    September 26th, 2011 at 11:05 pm

    great idea! I will try to make it after work @SweetPStilettos

  25. Susan Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:30 am

    @organicdealsmom

  26. Jessica Dobbs Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:58 am

    @jessamommadobbs

  27. Miranda Johnson Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 7:21 am

    RSVP

    @bctripletmom

  28. Christine Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 7:55 am

    @justicecw
    Sounds fun!

  29. Nikki Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 8:09 am

    sounds fun! @nikki2kids

  30. Kellly Ann T. Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 8:32 am

    Sounds like fun and I can use some new ideas. @cstironkat

  31. SunRae Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 9:13 am

    rsvping @sunrae17

  32. Joyce Lo Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 9:28 am

    Great idea! I have a few items I’m looking to swap with friends. @lojoyce1

  33. Michelle L Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 11:31 am

    @Mkokopelli will be there :)

  34. Suzanne Rielle Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 11:55 am

    Sounds like a lot of fun! @LoobaLee will be there!

  35. January Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    Sounds super! @EarthRemedy

  36. Kevin Bell Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    RSVP @kevinbe1

  37. Crunchy Con Mommy Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 1:00 pm

    What a great idea! I’ll try to make it as @CrunchyConMom

  38. Brenna @ Almost All The Truth Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    I’ll be late, but can’t wait! @AlmostTruth

  39. Dana Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    RSVPing … @MacKidSnoqualm

  40. Martina Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    Hoping to join. @martiferg

  41. tiffany nelson Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 2:40 pm

    Atiffanywinland on twitter! i wanna come!

  42. tiffany nelson Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 2:41 pm

    @tiffanywinland on twitter

  43. Karla Sceviour Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    rsvping!
    @ksceviour

  44. Lori Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    rsvping! @mamabygrace on twitter

  45. shauna casolari Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 3:30 pm

    I’ll be there. RSVP @scasolari

  46. Jamie C. Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    buhahahahaha I will be there! RSVP @JamieCasolari

  47. Joeyfromsc Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    This sounds fun!

    @JoeyfromSC

  48. Shamini Dhana Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    What a WONDERFUL GREEN IDEA!
    Loving the moment, living the cause, enjoy the fun we share :)
    Cheers,
    @DhanaEcoKids

  49. Joeyfromsc Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    I will have to come as @JoeyinSC (which is my twitter jail account) because twitter says I have a follow limit and cannot follow @CostumeSwapDay on my main account @JoeyfromSC :(

    Sorry for the confusion..Please delete the above comment/rsvp

    @JoeyinSC

  50. Luisa Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    This is our first year celebrating Halloween and this is
    a wondeful way to do it!!!
    @luladudette

  51. @ChaCha572 Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 4:59 pm

    RSVP as @ChaCha572 :)

  52. LCavalletta Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    Looking forward to the twitter party! RSVP @lcavalletta

  53. tania Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:18 pm

    Looking forward to tonight! @TaniaRealtor

  54. Carla Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    RSVP @xstitchschool

  55. Holli Dunn Photography Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    @HolliDunnPhotog how fun! I’m getting prepared for my swap coming up in Bellevue WA!

  56. Sarah Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:28 pm

    Neat idea! @madeinusablog

  57. Sara C Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    @SaraC41

  58. Summer Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:47 pm

    @summerflood

  59. Mindee Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:51 pm

    @mindeehaas great idea!

  60. Ann E Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    @Anacin368

  61. Sarah Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Twitter: thelevinstein

  62. Flor Lozano-Byrne Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    @sillycreatures

  63. Jenna Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:08 pm

    So excited to be a part of the #costumeswap #twitterparty

  64. Tara C Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    Im RSVPing @Momma2qtpies

  65. LCavalletta Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:11 pm

    Did I RSVP @lcavalletta

  66. Lauren Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    Yay swap!

    @Laurenmissesyou

  67. Lunachique Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    @Lunachique rsvping here!

  68. Penny Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    @pennamitePLR (it’s still daylight in California).

  69. kidscostumeswap Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:30 pm

    Hi from Calgary!

  70. kidscostumeswap Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:30 pm

    @kidscostumeswap

  71. Alex Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    @puddlegearalex will be there (here) tonight! Both Celebrate Green and Green Planet Parties have laid the path for our community facebook kids swap to host Halloween Costume swaps! Whoot whoot!

  72. Corey Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    Thank you SO much for making our first-ever National Costume Swap Day Twitter party a smashing success! We hope you all had as much fun as we did ;)

    Congratulations to the winners of the prizes and thank you to all of who you are hosting or attending swaps this year. A huge thanks to the bloggers who have helped to spread the word about costume swapping, too.

    Please mark your calendars for a TWO HOUR #GreenHalloween Twitter party extravaganza on 10/13 from 6-8pm PST! FABULOUS partners, even more great, green ideas and of course, healthy/eco-fab prizes.

    XO,
    Corey, Lynn & the Green Halloween Team

  73. Liz Caraway Says:
    September 27th, 2011 at 11:34 pm

    my tweet is; @YourFriendLizC

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Pick A Peck of Purple Peppers!

September 19th, 2011

Whenever we go grocery shopping my daughter is always drawn to anything that is her favorite color…PURPLE!!!  So it didn’t surprise me when she squealed with delight at these gorgeous purple peppers and asked if she could get it.  It is such a vibrant color and was the perfect topping to add to our homemade pizzas!  We also spent the rest of our shopping trip doing our best to recite the Peter Piper Picked A Peck of Purple Peppers tongue twister :)

purple pepper

Colorful peppers are generally more expensive than green ones because they have been left longer on the vine to ripen and gain their color.  This also results in less yield per plant so it’s more costly for farmers.  But we always think it’s worth the wait and the extra money to enjoy colorful peppers like this beautiful purple one!

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

 

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

 

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