Paper Bag Haunted House

Here is a super quick craft that young kiddos will love. A paper bag that's been turned into a 3d haunted house!!

You'll need:

brown paper bags

brown paper

black no-slip material (found mine at the Dollar Store)

black paper (trimmed to rectangles, large triangles)

yellow paper (trimmed into rectangles, ovals, circles, etc)

black crayons

Halloween stickers

stuffing (newspaper, tissue paper, etc)

scissors

stapler

gluesticks

~Take your paper bag and lay it flat in front of you. Start glueing yellow triangles for windows, black shapes for a door. use your imagination!!

~Take the black crayon and make lines across the windows.

~Flip it over and do the same thing to the other side.

~Put some stuffing inside the paper bag and fill it near the top.

~Take same brown paper and make the shape of a roof for it. Trim out some of the no-slip material to be the same size.

~Pinch the paper bag together (like you would to fold it for a lunch bag)...instead, lay the brown paper roof over, then the black material, and staple it on.

~Add black paper shapes to be taller chimneys and roofs if you would like.

~Put some halloween stickers on that house!!

Have fun and Happy Halloween!!!!

A Marvelously Mess and Features!!!!

Howdy Crafty People!!

I wanted to show you a couple of details from my husbands costume (handmade by me!!). We went to a party last night as a Steampunk couple. Ever heard of steampunk?? You've got to google it. I think of Steampunk as Victorian era clothes with a Jules Verne-ish modern technical edge. 

Here is part of my hubby's costume:

We leaned towards western steampunk. Bowler hat (found at target) with safety goggles-turned sci-fiction (lots of chrome colored spray paint, random metal scraps, hot glue, and even a little nail polish). The belt and holder is just a regular tan woven cotton belt with attached leather holster (hot glued into the right shape by me). The holster has a drawer pull on it-minus a knob.  The weapon my husband carried was actually my Munchkins remote for a car, spray painted. It still works!!

Found this great western-style vest at goodwill. Hot glued more metal doohickey's: chains, leather, latches, and yet another drawer pull (I had a bunch of them on hand and they fit the style for me). There is usually a good amount of *purpose* behind each part of a steampunk costume....I am ashamed to admit I didn't always imagine what purpose each piece might have. I was making it all fairly fast.

On his arm, the hubbster wore another "tool". This one got the most comments from everyone....what was it's purpose???? I left them guessing (because I was lazy and didn't want to make up a purpose).  I used a metal fire extinguisher holder for a wall and spray painted it a bronze color. I found a sparkling water bottle and cleaned it up, dripped some gold paint on the inside and let it cover the walls and attached a lot more metal, brass, wire, washers, wooden objects painted to look like metal....you name it, it's on there. I sewed it into place on an old white shirt (which was worn under the western vest) through the screw holes.

And, my costume?? I didn't get many great pictures, so I might have to put it on and pose tomorrow. But, I will show you the whole ensemble before Halloween!!!!!!

Here are my fave's from last week:

Pumpkin Drool Bars from Twirl and Taste.

And, the post I'm going to feature on my sidebar for a week is....

Mini Gingersnap Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Mom on Timeout.

Thanks to all of you for linking up!! If I featured you in this post this button is for you:

<br /><center> <a href="http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="A Marvelous Mess" src="http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/MarvelouslyMs/buttonbackground1-2.jpg" /></a></center> Now, on to the party!!!

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It's So Very Cheri

Marriage Equality In Maine

I am so proud that Maine will be voting on Marriage Equality this November. Maine is one of four states that will be doing so....the others are Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington. Please go out and vote for Marriage Equality and share this video!!!!