A Spec-CRAFT-ular DIY Halloween How-To

I might have mentioned before that I am a late-night quirky crafter. Think Amy Sedaris without the fame and fortune.

The fall season, specifically Halloween, has become quite the merry ol’ time for us pro-craft-inators. There are many, many guides to support our habit when creativity stumps you and they are most amply available at good ol’ HPB for cheaps!

But, one of my favorite past times is to dig in the old craft-drawer and develop a something-from-nothing quirky project all by myself. I present to you, my Paper-Maché Wine Toppers…just in time for the spooky season:

Supplies needed:

Old newspapers

School glue (All-purpose, white glue-all)

Paint brushes

Assorted paint colors

A couple of latex party balloons left over from someone’s birthday or that last summer water balloon fight

Random plastic containers (I like cottage cheese containers best!)

1. Water down the glue a little in the cottage cheese container (make sure you washed it out!)
2. Douse your strips of newspaper
3. Here’s the fun part: blow up the balloons to about 6 in or so in diameter, try to avoid the impulse to throw a party.
4. Coat your balloons in the soggy/gluey newspaper, leave the bottom portion un-papered so you can get the balloon out and use them as a proper-topper (I’m a poet and didn’t know it)
5. You can go to sleep now; the paper needs to dry
6. When you wake up you will have two crusty-paper coated balloons waiting for you!
7. Paint the balloons as much or as little as you want and let the paint dry
8. Here is the next fun part! Pop the balloons and enjoy your new craft!
9. TA DA!

Notice how these Zombie and Alien paper-maché wine toppers hide the fact I am serving my guests extremely cheap wine! They won’t know until they have a headache in the morning!

Dream up a quirky craft of your own this fall-season! Tell me about it below and I will try it out, the fewer instructions you give, the more fun I’ll have!

Enjoy fall, y’all! -- Becky

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Becky is Marketing Communications Manager at Half Price Books Corporate.
You can follow her on Twitter at @Bexican75.