So, if you don’t follow me on twitter, here’s what I posted!

Twitter for #dotcooks

DotatDabbled: I’ll be ‘live-tweeting’ party food prep this morning, for real this time! Follow along at #dotcooks

Now, off to continue the Halloween party preparations! I’ll be making lots of stuff… and Tweeting along the way if you’d like to follow along: http://twitter.com/DotatDabbled

When I went to the Dollar Store to pick up items for my Dollar Store Crafts guest post earlier this month, I picked up enough for several projects–the creepy ravens & the bottle labels were 2 of them. Here is the final one!

For this project you need a glass container that will look good upside down (I picked a straight sided vase). You also need handmade paper in a dark and a light shade (Mine was purple and off-white, with leaves embedded in it for texture. Finally, you need faux votive candles, with a realistic flicker. I picked up all of this at the dollar store for $3 total!

Make an Elegant Halloween Luminary

First cut out spooky shape.. like an old tree, or a creepy hand like I did.. out of your darker paper.
Either free hand it or print off something off the internet and trace it.

Then glue the shape to the inside of your jar. Remember, your jar/vase will be upside down at the end, so place accordingly. And your shape can even extend on to the bottom of your jar, as that will be the top.
(I just used white glue, you could also use decoupage medium)

Let dry somewhat, and then cover the entire inside of the jar with your lighter colored paper. Use small or large pieces, ripped or cut, and glue to the inside of the jar. If you use too much glue it will take a while to dry (mine did!).

After it’s totally dry, turn it over on top of a fake candle. The faux candle flickers just like a real candle (which you can’t use with the upside down vase, because a real candle needs air!) and gives a soft glow.

Do a whole bunch of these for outdoor luminaries, or for elegant halloween party decorations!

Pictures (click to see larger):

Don’t miss all things Halloween at Dabbled!

Social Media for your Crafty Business is a new e-book by Diane Gilleland of the fabulous website/podcast, Craftypod. (We’ve interviewed Diane, who is a master of all things crafty, here!) Diane was kind enough to send me a copy, and I’m delighted to share my thoughts on it with you all.

Although this book focuses on “Crafty” businesses — think etsy sellers, or anyone who creates handmade items for sale — it is really applicable for anyone trying to understand what social media means to their business. And if you’re trying to use twitter, facebook, or other social media to advance your brand or promote your business, you would be interested in what this book has to offer. Especially if you’re just starting out in this space, so you do it right.

I use Twitter and Facebook, both of which are covered in this book. I know one of my huge frustrations on Twitter is how to separate the people who would be really cool to connect with, from those who come across as soulless marketers.  And I bet some of those people whom I just ignore would probably be quite interesting if they just had a resource such as this to understand HOW to really use these tools to connect, rather than just to spread their marketing message. [By the way, if you friend me on Twitter, send me a @ message saying you’re a Dabbled reader, and I’ll friend you back*… otherwise I might miss you, I’m not as thorough as Diane]

Diane tackles a lot of issues, that anyone needs to understand if they want to be effective in their use of social media. From understanding what your goals are and should be, to how to make sure you’re not one of those people who is just seen as annoying. She also covers making real connections, and what that means to marketing. I think the most valuable parts are understanding how you need to think about social networks as marketing, but Diane goes even further with some great practical tips for managing the relationship building process.

At 70+ pages, it’s thick with information, both conceptual (what SHOULD you use Twitter for?) and practical (How do I manage all these Friends!?). The primary social networks tackled are Twitter and Facebook, although I’d think most of the concepts should apply to other similar audiences. Of course, every book can’t have everything…This book is EXCELLENT on Twitter, but while it conceptually covers Facebook (and other networks), I would have loved more practical advice on building a fan following on Facebook, since it’s a different dynamic.

So, my recommendation?

All in all, I would definitely put this in the required reading category for anyone new to social networking, or trying to decide how social networks fit in their marketing plan. Understanding the etiquette of the space is crucial if you are trying to move into it, even if only partly for business purposes. And even if you’ve been using Twitter/Facebook and think/hope that you’re already ‘doing it right’, you’ll find some great tips you hadn’t thought of, or at least needed a reminder of.

Thanks to Diane for giving me the opportunity to preview her new e-book!

If you want more information on it,  or to order one for yourself… go here!

Wanna Connect :) ?

Dot’s Twitter!
Dabbled’s Facebook!

*assuming you’re not one of those annoying people!  You aren’t, are you?

Click on a picture below for a larger version.

Get the free tutorial (.pdf) to make the Skull Zipper bag here!
And here is the tutorial for the paper window covering.

Of course, you can cut out these shapes, or similar ones yourself to do these fun projects. But if you’re lazy like me, you might want to pick up one of her kits or sets of cutouts – very reasonably priced, I think.

Set of Felt Skulls, with black Backgrounds
50 Paper Skulls

Thanks to Colleen for Sharing! Hope these provide you some Halloweentime inspiration, that’s not all pumpkins and black cats!

Hey FCC! I didn’t receive any compensation for this post, I just like her stuff. Well, she did offer me a diet coke one time–and she lets me play with her toys. Does that count? Will the FCC arrest me for mocking their new regs?

Today I’m over at Dollar Store Crafts, blogging about my nifty cheepy spooky labels for your Halloween bottles and jars! Go check it out…

The key to this project is embossed foil stickers, which are used in scrapbooking. I found a sheet of 6 at the local dollar store. These are shiny silver foil, and sticky on the back.

The only other supplies needed are spray paint, paper, and glue!

Project Estimate:

Embossed foil stickers, $1
Spray paint, on hand
Paper, on hand
Glue, on hand
Recycled jars and bottles, on hand
Total: $1

I decided to use them to decorate bottles and jars for my Halloween party. The examples here are liquor bottles for a creepy bar, but you can of course use these for all sorts of labeling! Other ideas:

Create an Evil Mad Scientist lab or a Witch’s Kitchen, with jars of things that look creepy:

A cauliflower in a fishbowl can double as a human brain, white grapes in a jar of red food coloring give an eyeball impression.. be creative with vegetables.
Toy snakes and frogs and such in jars of water tinted with food coloring.
Halloween head in a jar.
Or even use your labels on things other than jars… affix to folded cardstock to make place cards for dinner or to label food on a halloween buffet.

I’ve written up all the instructions here as an instructable. Go here!

• Funky Feather Wreath
• Halloween Guest Post: Recycled Halloween Wreath
• Googly Eye Wreath
• Another Feathered Wreath
• Rustic Wreath
• Martha’s Musty Relic Wreath
• Martha’s Silk Flower Halloween Wreath
• What I THINK is the original Monster Wreath

Dabbled’s Quickly Drawn Monster Wreath Tutorial

(More…)

• The Swell life has a fun take on a Deviled Egg costume.
• A great tutorial on making costume armor out of felt! Perfect for your little knight… (via Craftgossip)
• Easy/Cute Baby Costumes (via Craftgossip)
• Homemade Exoskeleton
• A little Elvis! at Geekcrafts.com.
• Geekcrafts also brings us the ever popular Yip Yip Aliens from Sesame Street! (I actually like this version, which we saw at last years dragoncon, better — And there is an instructable to make your own, here.
• An adorable gnome, found at Craftzine
• And how to make your own sushi headdresses, also from Craftzine.
• Make quick homemade character costumes for kids (in this example Boba Fett, but good principles for any similar costume)
• Pippi Longstocking Braids
• Egyptian costume how to at Craftster
• Jeff sends us this fun list of 50 Cheap and Easy Halloween Costumes for Adults & Children – I love the idea of the Progressive Insurance girl!

If you missed it yesterday: Halloween Costumes, Star Wars Style!

From my own photo collection, here are some other great (mostly homemade) costumes from parties of years past, for your inspiration!  Click to see larger…

Halloween seems to bring out the Star Wars Geek in all of us, and with the new Clone Wars series, all the kids have rediscovered it as well. So classic or the new animated series, or even (shudder) Eps 1-3, we should totally have a Star Wars Halloween!

To start off, Heather brings us this adorable stormtrooper she made last halloween.  For info on making this yourself, see the bottom of this post…

Another really cool one that I found turned out to be by Sarah at Craft Critique. How cool is this R2 D2 (Using an Ikea hamper and a bike helmet!) See a video of the costume in action here! (Pictured below)

Here are more ideas and tutorials I’ve culled from around the web. So if you’re looking for a Star Wars Halloween, check these out!  Some are really easy, some VERY complex, but hopefully these will get the ideas going.  And if you have more links to add, leave them in the comments!

Accessories:

• Blaster
• Lightsaber
• Helmet
• Captain Rex Helmet (via)
• Han Solo Belt/Holster
• Jedi Robe

More Costumes:

• Fabulous Yoda costume at Geek Crafts
• You could always go for a cardboard box version! Stormtrooper
• Obi Wan Kenobi
• General Greivous
• Han Solo
• Boba Fett
• Boba Fett (or other similar armored costume like a Trooper)
• Princess Leia: Knit Wig, Baby Leia Costume, Zombie Leia, Slave Leia
• How to Make Star Wars Costumes for Dogs
• Jedi Costumes
• Jawa
• More Ideas: Rebelscum’s contest winners 2007 and 2008 winners (enter this year’s contest!)

And More Star Wars! (not necessarily halloween)

• Death Star Pumpkin
• Star Wars Pumpkin Gallery (r2d2)
• more Star Wars Pumpkins
• Clone Wars Print Out Masks
• AT-AT Loft Bed
• AT-ST Costume video

• Origami X-Wing
• Knitted R2 Bag

* Heather’s Stormtrooper costume:   She gives the basics on how she started on it here, so read that first. Then she used the paper towel rolls and oatmeal container for the base parts with paper mache over them and sculpted the helmet. She used other bits of paper and cardboard for the embellishments – on gloves, belt, knoby things on thigh plate. Straws cut in half became the “ribs” on the centers of the leg and arm plates. Then Heather painted everything white. She glued white felt on the back sides of the pieces, then used velcro to attach them! Very clever!

**Click through to read more..  1. R2D2 Costume, 2. Death Star Pumpkin, 3. LEGO Princess Leia, 4. Darth Talon

If you missed it, check out yesterday’s cool tutorial on making some great outdoor halloween decorations!
All Halloween Posts

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