DIY Cool Cucumber Halloween Costume

Halloween is just around the corner! Do you have your costume ready yet? I love coming up with ideas for silly costumes – other than creativity, my main priorities are practicality and comfort. With that in mind, I decided to dress up as a cool cucumber this year! Kind of silly, but so fun and easy to wear! I’ll be dressed up while I help run our local girl scouts’ Halloween party, so I needed to make sure to wear a costume I could still run around in to set up and run the games.

This costume is great for all ages – babies, kids, teens, and adults! Just pick out some green clothing from the thrift or discount store, and glue on some felt squiggles! If you don’t want your favorite green sweater to look like a cucumber forever, try using double-sided tape instead for a more temporary option.

What You Need

• Green felt
• White glue
• Scissors
• Green clothes (shirt, pants/skirt, baseball cap)

How-To

Step 1
Cut thin wavy strips out of green felt. Make some long, some short, and use different shades of green felt if you have them.

Step 2
Lay the waves out on your green outfit – I arranged mine into vertical rows to imitate a cucumber’s texture.

Step 3
Use white glue to secure the waves in place. Let dry completely. When dry, dress up! Use props like sunglasses, sliced cucumbers, or a skateboard to show how cool you are. ;)

Happy Halloween!!

DIY Halloween Treat Bags

Halloween is just around the corner! We usually start the night off by walking around our neighborhood for trick-or-treating, and then we head back home to host our annual Halloween party!

The kids (and adults!) love all the costumes, games, decorations, party food, and of course the loot bags. This year I decided to make my own mini treat bags – aren’t they adorable? Plus, they are super quick to make in case you, like me, are still finishing up your Halloween costume!

You don’t need much to make these DIY treat bags – just look around the house and gather up some empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls. With some paint and black paper, your favors will be done in no time! Oh and don’t forget to fill them with treats!

What You Need

• Colored construction paper
• Empty toilet paper / paper towel rolls
• Scissors
• Black paint
• Paintbrush
• Hole punch
• Twine
• Tape
• Halloween treats!

How-To

Step 1
Paint your paper roll with black paint and let dry. Press one side of your roll together and tape it closed. For a nice finish I put a quick coat of black paint over the tape. Let dry again. Fill your roll with candies, homemade treats or mini chocolate bars.

Now this is the tricky part: twist the open end of the paper roll in the opposite direction. See the pictures below for reference.  To finish, close your roll and tape the sides together. Paint your tape in black again and let dry.

Step 2
For the tag: draw a circle on your construction paper. Cut and decorate by drawing a funny Halloween face. On the other side, you can add names or messages if you like!

Step 3
Use the hole punch to make a hole in both the face label and end of the sealed favor. Thread the  twine through your tag and favor, make a nice knot and voila! Repeat this craft for as many favors are needed.

Happy Halloween!

Shopping List: Play Ball

Shinola Detroit

Keep your eye on the ball with this collection of individually hand-cut and sewn leather footballs, basketballs, and baseballs from Shinola Detroit.

Mitchell Bat Co.

Mitchell Bat Co. has developed a cult following around their custom wooden baseball bats, hand-painted to order in crisp, bold colors.

Lineaus Athletic Co.

From a workshop just outside Marfa, Texas, Lineaus Athletic Company handcrafts old-school leather medicine balls (considered the world’s best), training bags, and footballs.

Warstic Wood Bat Co.

Texas-based Warstic makes their bats from American White Ash, Rock Hard Sugar Maple, and Dense Yellow Birch, all designed for ultimate performance.

Killspencer

Best known for bags and accessories, Killspencer’s Athletic Collection features vintage-inspired, handcrafted gear for boxing, football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and more.

A Fresh Coat of Paint to Kick-Start Your Fall

We recently collaborated with the styling + entertaining guru Annette Joseph to pull together our best tips for putting together a modern, stylish party in an affordable way. The centerpiece of the party was our tray of Waverly ® Inspirations Super Premium Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paints. These gorgeous, glossy paints are multi-surface and work flawlessly both indoors and outdoors. With 50+ shades to chose from, it was no easy feat to decide on a color scheme.

But now that the weather is cooling down and fall is in full view, we couldn’t resist throwing a nature-infused party. We covered everything from our front door to our place settings ranging in dreamy shades of lemon lime and evergreen.

We count ourselves lucky to be living in Georgia – our home is surrounded by lush green forests and plant-life, which couldn’t have been more perfect for our nature-inspired party. Keeping mother nature’s amazing colors in mind, we decided to paint our front door evergreen to match the ferns that grow abundantly along the walkway. It was so simple to apply the paint and the resulting saturated blew us away. Waverly Inspirations’s new line of super premium semi-gloss acrylic paints is not only heavily pigmented, but extra durable too, perfect for high traffic areas like our front door.

We’ve called this barn home for 19 years with our 5 kids, while the barn itself has been around for over 50. We love the lived-in, cozy atmosphere that the exterior provides for our family. With the added bonus of a fade-resistant formula, we didn’t hesitate for a second before giving our door a colorful makeover!

Isn’t is amazing how a simple coat of paint can make a world of a difference? Painting your front door is such an affordable way to change up the look of your house and add some high-impact curb appeal. Plus, our guests would get to see a sneak peak of the colorful party awaiting them inside! We were so pleased with the results, and knew it was the perfect addition to our nature-themed gathering. We couldn’t wait to welcome all our party guests through our fabulous evergreen door.

Here are three trips to getting you painting your front door for a fun weekend DIY project!

1. Start out with Waverly ® Inspirations Super Premium Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paints. We used the rich and vibrant evergreen paint for our front door!
2. No prime needed! We used 2 coats of the Waverly ® Inspirations Paints to get a streak-free and beautiful finish that will stand up to any wear-and-tear.
3. Accessorize! We created this fabulous fall-inspired wreath to accent our freshly painted door. Check out the step-by-step process with Waverly.

When we began to dream up the details for the perfect party, we knew we had to work with lifestyle and entertainment expert Annette Joseph. With over 20 years experience styling, cooking, and entertaining for some of the best magazines and websites around, we had no doubt that Annette’s expertise would bring our party to a whole new level. With Annette by our side, we had a blast brainstorming creative ways to bring our nature theme to life.

It was so much fun to have our party theme and decor be inspired by an amazing color scheme. We can’t wait to show you the rest of our nature-inspired party -with Waverly Inspirations super premium semi gloss acrylic paints in our toolkit, it truly was a breeze! And don’t worry, there’s no need to be green with envy, we’ll be sharing all our tips, tricks, and DIY techniques so that you can achieve a colorful party all your own!

Cardboard Class with Estefi Machado

If you’ve been reading Handmade Charlotte for a few years, then you’re already familiar with crafter extraordinaire Estefi Machado. She’s the mastermind behind some brilliant DIY projects, including this DIY Lego pencil holder and many others! Estefi is a designer / blogger / illustrator / crafter / photographer / mother living in Brazil. We love the kid-friendly DIY projects she shares on her blog – they’re all so much fun!

In the past few months, Estefi has been sharing some out-of-this-world DIY projects using cardboard as the main material. They’re so unique and creative that we just had to share a few of our favorites with you!

Cardboard Arcade: DIY Pac Man Game

Possibly our all-time favorite of the bunch this is DIY Pac Man arcade game. If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that there’s an iPad built in to the structure! Is there a better way to introduce your kids to the classic video games of the 1980s? As Estefi writes on her blog, although this project is a bit time consuming, the materials and process are simple. She shares photos of her process and shows how to construct the game, including the handy spot to put your iPad.

Shoebox Camper

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we love craft projects that recycle everyday objects! Estefi turned an empty shoebox into this adorable DIY camper van, decorating it with patterned paper, round lids, and paper straws. Did you notice the miniature plant in a thimble? It doesn’t get much cuter than that, folks! See more photos of her process right here.

Similar to the camper van, Estefi shared a DIY fairy cottage also using a cardboard box as the main structure, and adding cardboard and accessories for furnishings.

Cardboard Boom Box

The music lover in your life is sure to be a fan of this project: a handmade cardboard boom box! Using an iPhone and a compatible music player as the base, Estefi shows how to cut and assemble your own retro boom box. And an added bonus: this boom box is super light, so if you plan on holding this guy over your head to apologize to anyone, it should be a breeze.

Cardboard TV

Looking to cut down on screen time? Make your own cardboard TV instead! Any large, strong box is a great base, and then cut and draw details to make it look even more like a TV set. Estefi even attached circular knobs with brads so that they can spin!

Cardboard Super 8 Camera

And another oldie but a goodie: a cardboard Super 8 camera! Estefi had a real Super 8 camera to reference when she built her cardboard version, but a quick image search will provide all the details you need. Wouldn’t this a great way to introduce film and camera history to kids?

We could go on and on for days about Estefi’s amazing creations, but we’ll leave you to discover the rest for yourself! Be sure to follow her cardboard adventure on her blog and Instagram!

James and the Giant Peach Costume

If you’re looking for a simple and low-key Halloween costume for your baby or toddler this year, this James and the Giant Peach costume is just the thing! Since the main feature of the costume is the giant peach balloon, your little James will be as comfy and mobile as can be in regular clothing.

We put our little James in a cute vest over a neutral onesie and pants as a nod to the Disney adaptation of the book. Isn’t he the cutest? If you’ll be out and about this Halloween, fill your giant peach with helium and carry it around with you. Or if you’ll be sticking around the house, just blow the balloon up with regular air and let the peach bounce around your house with James. :)

What You Need

• Green and brown cardstock
• Scissors
• Tape (clear and pink washi tape)
• Paint
• Paintbrush, sponge, or plastic bag
• Giant orange balloon (ours was 16”)
• Baby/toddler James outfit (we were inspired by the image here and this one as well)

How-To

Step 1
Cut a peach stem out of brown cardstock and a leaf out of green cardstock, leaving a 1” tab on the end (to tape onto the balloon later).

Step 2
Inflate your giant orange balloon. Fold the tabs on the stem and leaf (we also creased the leaf in half) and then tape onto the top of the balloon.

Step 3
Use red, yellow, pink, and white paint to apply a splotchy spatter onto the balloon to make it look more like a peach. It helps to try this on an extra balloon or scrap paper first to test your technique. I ended up using a crumpled up plastic bag to get the look I liked.

Step 4
Apply a piece of pink washi tape starting at the stem and going about halfway down the front of the balloon to imitate a peach’s dimple. I used scissors to cut the ends into points for a more natural look.

Now dress up James, give him his giant peach and you’re all set!

Happy Halloween!!

Join Our Super Silly Sticker Club!

My entire childhood was covered in stickers. I collected soda cans to collect the 10 cent return money to add to my sticker obsession. My love crush for sticky cuteness is now for real. I could pinch myself and jump to the moon. I’m so excited! We designed the cutest stickers ever and you can find them at Michaels Stores and Michaels online right this very sticky second.

And now for the big reveal! Our very first Handmade Charlotte sticker collection and keeper…

Candy Sticker Keeper

Available for $9.99 at Michaels.com.

Lunch Club Stickers

Available for $3.99 at Michaels.com.

Ice Cream & Cake Stickers

Available for $3.99 at Michaels.com.

Let's Go Donuts Stickers

Available for $3.99 at Michaels.com.

Circus Stickers

Available for $3.99 at Michaels.com.

A New Reason to Play with Your Food

It’s hard to keep a smile off your face while browsing KOM’s online shop. The Argentina-based company creates playful home goods that are made locally, using environmentally and socially responsible materials and processes. Ceramics, textiles, furniture, office supplies, clothing – they make it all, and boy is it adorable!

Monkey Set, $38.95 (ceramic plate, place mat, wooden spoon)

We especially fell in love with their line of animal-inspired plate sets. Each one is a piece of art! There are six friendly faces to choose from – our personal favorites are the thoughtful frog, the cheerful monkey, and of course the bright yellow jaguar. Each set comes with an illustrated rainforest placemat and a mini wooden spoon – all together, they are so bright and fun that your kids will surely be coming up with wild adventures and playing with their food.

Jaguar Set, $38.95 (ceramic plate, place mat, wooden spoon)

And an added bonus: all of KOM’s ceramics and pottery are both dishwasher and microwave safe! No need to change your food prep routine to fit these guys in. :)

Owl Set, $38.95 (ceramic plate, place mat, wooden spoon)

KOM also makes some simpler animal-inspired ceramic pieces. Their cups and bowls are less colorful than their plate sets, using mostly black and gold accents for a more minimalist feel. Wouldn’t these be perfect for a jungle-themed party? Drink tea from your favorite animal cup or why not serve corresponding snacks in the bowls: peanuts in the elephant, banana bites in the monkey, and honey flavored cookies in the bear bowl!

Elephant Cup, $13

Elephant Teapot, $64

We love all the attention to detail, especially on their night lights. The gold touches add some fun for the daytime hours, but once illuminated at night, all the focus is on this jaguar’s happy face and the fern design that you can see just peeking around his back.

Jaguar Night Light, $171

And how could we not include this beautiful wooden crib? The aqua fabric along the side is one of KOM’s handprinted textiles – we love it! They also sell some of their textiles by the yard, so you can sew up some matching accessories for a super sweet nursery.

Cuna Crib, $1021

And last but certainly not least, meet Mr. Jar! He’s just a few inches tall and is such a happy little fellow – I bet he’d be just tickled to share his snacks with your kids!

Mr. Jar, $27

We love all of KOM’s designs and products, and always welcome a whimsical spin on everyday items. Visit KOM’s online shop for more!