DIY: Pumpkin Planter!

Hey, y'all! Last week I shared that I created this Skull Planter. While at the same time I was makin' that mess, I also created this cutie! I finally got around to painting it and thought I'd share the process with you.

If you are looking for the supplies I used, mainly, Celluclay, you can find it here. 

Okay, now for the process!

Now I don't plan on keeping him out all year like my skull planter so...I did just drop a plant inside that was already in a smaller planter. That way, when the season is sadly over, I can just take it out. However...I love his happy face so much that I may keep him out past Halloween!

In case you would like to see more things I've crafted from Celluclay (and maybe a little inspo for spooky crafts), check out this blog post! 

Everything about this season makes me so happy. Including this guy!

Thanks for letting me share!

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DIY: Skull Planter!

I spotted the coolest planter ever the other night at Cracker Barrel: it was a large plastic skull planter and I just had to have it!

Until I saw the $40 price tag.

Then I remembered how a while back I made TONS of Halloween decor with one of my long forgotten favorite art supplies: CELLUCLAY. You can check out all of those creations (well, most of them anyway), here. 

Here's the how-to video!

The process is super easy! All you need is Celluclay and a plastic planter...and acrylic paint. That's it! Oh...and maybe a cute little plant. This is one I scored at Walmart years ago on sale. It was so sad and almost dead that I named it Peanut. Peanut is now living it's best life in my brand new skull planter!

Part of the magic is in the painting when it comes to this kind of thing. I used a base coat of gray and then added a darker gray to the eye sockets and the nostrils to really deepen the look. Then I used diluted off white paint to go over that in the light areas. Finally I used a dry brush and white paint to add the highlights. 

I won't be leaving this outside. Celluclay, since it's waterbased, would probably not fair well outdoors. 

So in my over-crowded plant window, she will go!

Thanks for letting me share! I actually think I need to make more of these. Why, I have no idea! But it was just so fun and Halloween season is my absolute favorite!

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Easy Pumpkin Sculptures!

Hey, y'all! 

I'm all about the Halloween projects lately and I came up with one that I know your students will love! I mean...I loved making it so even if you just need a fun little weekend craft to unwind, you may want to try this one on for size. 

You can find the supplies for this right here. But really...it's just foil sheets, plaster wrap and acrylic paint. Sticks, felt and pipe cleaners are things the average art teacher has in surplus so...you can add that to your shopping list if necessary. But if you are anything like me, those types of supplies seem to multiply in your supply closet!

I created a kid-friendly video for you to share with your students if you'd like. You can find it here:

Personally, I know my students would struggle with the face. So! I talk about embracing your mistakes a lot in the video. I also chat about practicing first. I would recommend doing the faces with a paint pen if you have younger students. I know paint pens like Posca markers are expensive...so maybe it's a station students can rotate to when finished.

But who's to say they have to add a face? They could designs like dots with a sponge brush. Or they could collage a face onto the pumpkin. That might be easier for them. OR you could bust out those googly eyes that also multiply in your closet. I mean, really, the possibilites are endless. Just start with a cute pumpkin base!

If you need a little time between pumpkins drying, you might want to check out this post. Students could work on this pumpkin drawing activity in addition!

Full video right here!

Most of all, have fun! And if you create these cuties, please be sure and tag me on social media. I love to see what you and your students create!

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DIY: Embroidered Eyeball Earrings!

We were traveling to Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando this weekend (our very favorite thing ever) and I decided to take an airplane craft with me. I love to take little embroidery projects with me because they are lightweight and easy to transport. Earrings are my favorite things to embroider: they are quick and easy to make and super lightweight to wear. I've made several now and I've shared the process on each in this blog post!

I broke down the steps so you can make your own!

Now if these eyeball earrings of mine are giving you a little deja vu...that might be because I recently shared an eyeball necklace DIY!

If you wanna go bigger with your eyeball theme, then I have a video on how to create these eyeball ornaments right here!

I even made an eyeball dress! It's one of my favorites. You can check it out here. 

I am in love with these! I now feel like I need a whole set of Halloween embroidered earrings. I'm thinking skulls, pumpkins, ghosts...you name it!  

I also think that if you need a simple intro to embroidery project, this might be it! You can also check out all of my fibers projects here! 

Please do lemme know if you make some eyeball earrings so we can be twinsies! Have fun!

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14 of My Favorite Fall Art Lessons

It's officially my favorite time of the year: FALL! I love it mostly because I'm super into Halloween and all things spooky. I also love that the days are finally cooler...but I do hate that I have less daylight time. Regardless! Fall's my fave and this here post is full of my fave fall art lessons...

AND, like usual, these lessons are free and if you tap the link, you'll be lead to the lesson post which has all the details and (usually) a video for you to share with your students. 

So...here you have it: My Favorite Fall Art Lessons!

Let's kick things off with this Van Gogh-inspired haunted house! My students, especially my older ones, LOVE making spooky drawings. All the details can be found right here.

Who doesn't love MONSTERS for this spooky season?! I've got several in this blog post, starting with this one. I created this as a sub plan and my sub and kids loved it! Full video lesson here. 

This lesson was one I came up with years ago that I love doing with my third graders and up! Weaving is always a hit. Here's the video lesson here. AND a book I wrote with all sorts of fibers lessons like this one. 

Can you believe this is first grade?! I KNOW! Lesson with video and contemporary artist connection here!

I always do paper weaving with first grade and sometimes second graders at the start of the school year. This one is always a favorite. All the details here!

These leaves are PRINTED...with markers! An easy and fun printmaking activity that you can find out all the details about here. Complete with lesson video. 

Sunflowers are perfect this time of year. You can find tons of these flowers at Dollar Tree and they are perfect for making these Andy Warhol-inspired prints. 

One of my favorite things for this time of year: BLACK LIGHT. It's spooky and fun and the kids LOVE it! This lesson on monsters where we used neon paint and oil pastels was a hit with my fourth graders. Lesson and video here. 

Need a collage and shape lesson? WITH contemporary artists connections? Here you go!

Back in olden times, we didn't have these fancy things called Gelli-Plates. No, y'all, we had to make our own! And I share how in this post but...I wouldn't recommend it. It's not vegan-friendly. It's labor-intensive. And they don't last very long. So...splurge on those gelli-plates cuz you can still do this process!

Fall is the perfect time to paint landscapes! Here's an oldie (this lesson is almost 10 years old!) but one that I still love. 

Y'all, talk about a throwback: this lesson is from 2012! But it's one I have done for years because the results are always amazing. Check it out!

Do you have a class that's jsut ahead of the rest for some reason?! Need a fun lesson that they'll love? Here you go, video included!

I'll have more Halloween-ie lessons coming at you next week but until then...here's a fun collage project I know your kids will enjoy!

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DIY: Let's Sew a Dress from a Shower Curtain IN ONE DAY!

Recently, I was out poking around at Ross (for those unfamiliar, this is a discount everything store) and I stumbled upon the cutest shower curtain. It had a big and bold print on the fabric (which I love and is super hard to find) and it was Halloweenie! I'm a big fan of Halloween and I've already stitched up two dresses for the season (one I've not even shared here yet!). So I scooped up this shower curtain for a mere $8.99 and gave myself a challenge:

SEW A DRESS IN ONE DAY!

Let's see how it went:

Y'all! I love it! 

I was super surprised that the metallic print on the fabric was so resilient. It didn't chip off when I stitched it which was my big fear. The fabric is super light and flowy, making it perfect for a circle skirt. AND I was surprised to find that when I ironed the fabric, it didn't harm the print! 

I am wearing a crinoline under the dress to help with the poof. I'm a sucker for a poofy skirt. 

I'm returning to Halloween Horror Nights this week...which is in Orlando. Knowing it will be hot, I'm excited that the dress is so lightweight. I can't wait to wear it!

I paired it with this black belt but I'm thinking I may prefer the black bow. What do you think?

I paired it with this necklace I found at TJMaxx (clearly, I'm a shopper) and some fun earrings and hairclips that I've had for years.

So I'm happy to say...I can sew a dress in a day! From a shower curtain of all things!

AND I just remembered...this isn't my first time using a shower curtain for clothing! Check out this number!

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