Candy Corn Lunch Fun

 October 27, 2010

Candy Corn Crazy

by Wendy Switzer

Supplies:

·         Colored paper lunch sacks

·         Misc cardstock scraps

·         Black ink

·         Wiggly eyes

·         Ingredients to make bread dough or frozen bread dough

·         Food coloring: orange & yellow

·         Adhesive

·         Cardstock: misc colors for each sack

·         Clear lunch cup container

·         Plastic spoon

·         Candy corn

·         Pineapple tidbits

·         Mandarin oranges

·         Mini marshmallows

·         White chocolate

Instructions:

Candy Corn Finger Sandwiches

1)     Mix dough and let rise (or thaw and let rise).  Divide into three parts, 1 larger part and the other two parts smaller, but the same size. 

2)     Kneed orange food coloring into the largest piece of dough.

3)     Kneed yellow food coloring into one of the smallest pieces of dough.

4)     Roll the last (white) dough into a tube or “snake” piece the length of the bread pan.

5)     Roll out the orange dough so that the width is the same as the white dough’s length. 

6)     Wrap the orange dough around the white dough and pinch together.

7)     Roll out the yellow dough and roll around the orange dough.  Pinch sides and ends together so that you cannot see any orange dough. 

8)     Grease a bread pan and place your dough in the pan.  Set aside to rise.

9)     Once the dough has risen to just the top of the bread pan, bake it according to directions

10)  Once bread has baked and had time to cool, cut into slices.  Fix sandwiches as usual.  Cut into triangle pieces and you now have “candy corn” bread finger sandwiches.

     Candy Corn Fruit Salad

1)     Layer fruit in lunch container…pineapple first, then mandarin oranges, topped with marshmallows.

2)     Use a little melted white chocolate to dip the end of the spoon in.  While still soft, press a candy corn into the chocolate and let harden.  A little sugar treat for after lunch is eaten. 

Fun Lunch Sacks

1)     Candy Corn: White sack, add a yellow cardstock strip at the bottom, a wider orange strip above the yellow, add a face on the front.

2)     Pumpkin sack: Orange lunch sack, color the top green, tie with green tulle and add or draw a face on the front.

3)     Frankenstein: Green lunch sack, black hair at the top, draw a few lines and stitches on his face, add some eyes, nose and mouth.

4)     Cat: Black lunch sack, add yellow eyes, cut triangles for the ears and attach at the top of the sack

5)     Mummy: White sack, cut strips of white cardstock and edge with black ink, glue to sack in a layered manner, add wiggly eyes

Candy Corn Party

Candy Corn Party

 October 27, 2010

Candy Corn Crazy

by Wendy Switzer

Supplies:

·         Crispy rice cereal

·         Marshmallows

·         Margarine

·         White chocolate or cheesecake pudding

·         Milk

·         Clear plastic cups

·         White baking bark

·         Food coloring: yellow & orange

·         Gelatin: orange & yellow

·         Whipped topping

·         Glass vases: 3 different sizes

·         Tulle: yellow & orange

·         Candy corn

·         Fruit candy slices – lemon & orange

·         Toothpicks

·         Deep XL muffin tins

·         Reg. muffin tin

·         Mini brownie baking mold

·         Cardstock – yellow, white, orange & black

·         Black marker

·         Packaged gum

·         Painty pens: yellow & orange

·         Cello bags

·         Bamboo skewers

·         Wrapped Hard Candies – yellow, white & orange

·         Paper cups

Instructions:

Candy Corn Marshmallow Treats

1)     Mix 3 different batches of marshmallow treats, according to the directions on the box.

2)     Add orange food coloring to the first batch and fill the Deep XL muffin tins ¾ full.

3)     Color the next batch yellow and fill the muffin tins to the top (yellow on top of the orange).

4)     Do not add any coloring to the last batch.  Fill regular muffin tins with this mixture. 

5)     Let all of the treats settle and cool for about an hour. 

6)     Remove yellow/orange treats from tins and place the regular treats on the top.  Press onto the top and shape with hands to form a rounded top.

7)     Let stand for a few hours to allow stickiness to dry.  Put  into cello bags and tie with tulle.

CANDY CORN GELATIN or PUDDING TREATS

1)     Mix gelatin according to directions, however, reduce the amount of cold water by ½ c.

2)     Mix the orange first and fill the paper cups ¾ full. Put in refrigerator to set up.

3)     Once the orange gelatin has set up, remove from the refrigerator.  Mix yellow gelatin and pour on top of the orange gelatin.  Place in refrigerator once again.

4)     When you are ready to serve, cut the side of the cup and peel away.  Gelatin will be firmer than normal. Place on a dish and top with whipping cream.

5)     PUDDING DIRECTIONS: Mix white chocolate pudding according to directions, separate into 3 bowls, color one yellow, one orange and leave the last one white. Layer into cups and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Place marshmallows or whipping cream on top if desired.  I topped mine with a orange and lemon candy slices. 

OTHER IDEAS…

1)     Tea lights striped around the outer edge with yellow and orange.

2)     Yellow, orange & white paper used to create a wrapper for candy or gum package.

3)     3 tall vases, different sizes, filled with white, yellow and orange hard candies. Fill a small baggie with candy corns and hang from tulle tied around the middle of the vases.

4)     White chocolate melted and colored yellow and orange and layered in a mold.  When firm, pop out of mold, place a bamboo skewer in the top and decorate with a cardstock candy cord accent.

Haunting Outdoor Decor

 October 13, 2010

Haunting Outdoor Decor

by Wendy Switzer

Supplies:

·         Black foam board

·         Spray Paint: black and gray

·         Red roses

·         Glue gun and glue sticks

·         Decorative spider webbing

·         Craft knife and cutting mat

·         Ruler & pencil

·         Sand

·         Spray adhesive

·         Card stock: black & gray

·         Miniature skeleton heads (8)

·         Drill & 3/8” drill bit

·         3/8”x11” dowels (4)

·         3/8”x12” dowels (3)

·         ¼”x1”x24” wood strips (2)

·         Floral foam or Styrofoam 4”X24”

·         Black “satin like” fabric

·         Tea lights

·         Black tulle netting

·         Rubber mallet

·         Red silk roses (16-20)

·         Misc. Halloween sign with hanger

      Red silk rose petals

Instructions:

TOMBSTONE

1)     Using your craft knife and mat cut two pieces of foam board 12”X16”

2)     Round off two top corners of each board.  Make sure they are cut the same.

3)     Cut strips of foam board 4” wide.  You will need enough to completely border the tombstone sides and top.  The bottom will be open.

4)     Before assembling, take each piece of your tombstone and run it along the edge of a countertop or table.  This will put creases or wrinkles in it which will give it a better look.

5)     Glue the strips along the edge of your first tombstone piece.  Then glue the back of the tombstone to the other edge of the strips.  Now your tombstone is ready to be painted.

6)     Cover your surface with newspaper and spray the front and the sides with the adhesive.  Do small areas at a time.  Once you have an area sprayed with adhesive, sprinkle with sand and let dry.  The sand gives a grainy/stone look and feel.

7)     Spray entire tombstone surface with gray paint to camouflage the sand and blend it in with the foam board.  Let dry.  Accent with a little black spray paint around the outer edges.  Also,  a few splatters of black will add some additional accent on the front and sides.

8)     Cut the letters R,I & P out of the black and gray cardstock.  Layer them on the front of the tombstone...gray on top of the black.  Offset the letters so that you can see both colors. 

COFFIN

1)     Cut three pieces of foam board.  Cut one piece 11”X19”.  Cut the other one 10”X18”.

2)     This next step will be performed on your 11”X19” piece.  To create your “coffin” lid shape, measure down from the top 3” on either side and mark. Measure in from each top side 2”.  Draw a line connecting the two marks and cut away these pieces. Now you have the top look of your coffin.  Measure 8” down from the top, on each side and make a mark.  Measure in 2 ¾” on either side at the bottom.  Connect the 8” mark and the 2 ¾” mark and cut away these areas. 

3)     Take your two smaller (coffin bottom and coffin lid accent) pieces and do the exact same thing that you did above…same measurements, same cut aways, etc.

4)     Once you have your coffin shape pieces cut out, take one of your smaller pieces and carefully measure each angle along the entire outer edge. For each angle, you will need to cut a piece of foam board for each side piece that is the length of the angle and 4” tall.  For example, if the bottom straight edge of your coffin is 4 ¾”, you will cut a piece of foam board 4 ¾” X 4”.  Once you have all of your foam pieces cut, begin to glue them all along the outer edge of your coffin bottom shape. Be sure and glue the side pieces all together as you go to completely enclose your coffin.  Set aside.

5)     Take your other smaller piece of foam board and glue onto the larger piece.  This is your coffin top.

6)     You can glue the top to the coffin base or you can leave it loose.

7)     Spray paint the coffin black.  Although it is already black, you need to paint the white edges that are showing. 

8)     Give all of your red roses and red petals a light spraying of black paint. Petals can be scattered around for accent.

9)     Tie 7 roses together with a bit of black tulle and glue to the top of the coffin

10)  Glue a mini skeleton head to the black tulle bow.

SKELETON FENCE

1)       Take both of your wood strips and measure in 1 ¾” and make a mark.  Then make a mark every 3.5” after that.  You will have 7 marks.  Do this on both of the wood strips.

2)     Drill holes in every mark, in both wood strips.

3)     In one of the wood strips, place a dowel in each hole.  Alternate dowels, starting with the longest, then a shorter, then a longer, etc.   Use the mallet to tap them down into their holes.  Each dowel should be through the wood strip approx 1”.

4)     Next fit the other wood strip to the top of end of the dowels.  Make sure that the wood strip is level and even all the way down the line.  Dowels need to stick up 1”-2” above the wood strip.

5)     Paint black and let dry

6)     While paint is drying, drill a hole into the bottom of each skeleton head.  Lightly spray with a bit of black spray paint. Let dry.

7)     Place a skeleton head on each fence post.  The shorter dowels will have the skeleton head resting on the top fence piece. The longer dowels will support the skeleton head about 1” above the top of the fence.  Make sure to glue the heads in place.

8)     Drape fabric over the floral foam and press bottom of fence into the floral foam to steady your fence and assist with it’s standing.   This method is used if you are going to display it on a table top.  If you are using it for your yard, you can press it right into the ground.

9)     Hook Halloween plaque/sign over the middle dowel to hang from the fence. 

10)  Add three roses under the chin of the middle skeleton head (same one where the sign hangs)

11)  Spray paint  the bases of your tea lights.

12)  Attach 3 roses to each side of the fence.  Add a tea light in the middle of the roses.

OPTIONAL: You can add little skeleton busts to the ends of the fence as well.  Of course we sprayed them with a little black paint a

Halloween Party

Halloween Party Decor - "Cricut Wednesday"

 October 6, 2010 ~ "CRICUT WEDNESDAY"

Halloween Party Decor

by Wendy Switzer

Supplies:

·         Cricut machine

·         Cricut supplies – mat, spatula, etc

·         Cricut Cartridge – “Happy Hauntings”

·         Cardstock – black, yellow, purple, orange, gray

·         Vellum – not too thick

·         Patterned Halloween Paper

·         Eyelash Yarn – black

·         Wire & wire cutters

·         ¾” dowel

·         Glue pen

·         Adhesive runner

·         Foam dots

·         Black ink

·         Black marker

Instructions:

HAUNTED MANSION

1.     Cut all the pieces of the Haunted Mansion, using black and yellow cardstock, from the “Happy Hauntings” cartridge. 

2.     Assemble according to directions.  Make sure to use a strong adhesive.

3.     Cut the “table top” shape at a “fit to page” size to act as a doily for the Haunted Mansion to sit on.

4.     Cut out vellum ghosts to add to the mansion.

5.     Draw shingles in the roof elements. Draw cracks in all the sides of the mansion and chimneys.

       

TABLE

1.     Cut out the table top using a decorative Halloween paper.

2.     Cut 4 of the table leg pieces.  Instructions tell you to only cut two, but cutting 4, and assembling them as we will explain, will make the table much sturdier.  If you have a Gypsy or Design Studio, use the “hide contour” option to “erase” the slits in the table legs.

3.     Next fold each table leg piece in half.  Glue folded edges together in the center. Cut 4 pieces of black cardstock measuring 2.5”X 3/8”.  Fold each piece in half and glue to the inside folds of each leg piece (You can skip this step if you used “hide the contour”). 

4.     Place the table top under the slits in the leg tops.  Two of the scalloped edges are slit in half and the leg pieces slide all the way inside the doily scallop.   The other two leg slits will slide in between two of the scalloped edges.  Each leg will be opposite the other leg, so that the table will stand stable.

FAVOR BOXES

1.     Cut out the pumpkin, coffins & headstone favor boxes at 7”. Set aside

2.     Cut out 2 7” skeletons.  You will use only the body and torso section (you can use “hide contours” if you are using Gypsy or Design Studio).

3.     Cut a black coffin shaped doily for the top.  Make sure to cut it out of a contrasting color and NOT out of white cardstock.

4.     Ink the edges of the headstone & add the letters RIP.  Wrap wire around the dowel to create your looped handle.  Cut the handle at 6-8” and poke holes through the sides of the headstone container.  Secure the wire handle to the insides of the box.  Tie with a bit of eyelash yard or ribbon.

5.     Fold pumpin and ink edges.  Add the face.  You can add a bit of green yarn as vine, if desired.

6.     Fold all the pieces of the coffin.  Add your coffin shaped doily to the lid.  Next, glue one of the skeleton torsos to the top.  To the 2^nd torso, add foam adhesive dots to the back and place directly over the first skeleton torso.  The foam dots will add a bit of depth to the finished lid.

Add a bit of yarn or ribbon to tie it off.

SPOOKY TREE

1.     Cut 6-8 10” trees.  Fold each tree in half.  Follow the same directions as you did for the table legs, hiding contours if you are able. 

2.     Secure tree together as you did with the table.

3.     Cut some 2” vellum ghosts to add to the tree branches.

4.     Cut a table top as a doily, if desired.

HALLOWEEN BANNER

1.     Decide on your banner saying and then cut out the number of desired shapes for your banner letter bases, in Halloween patterned paper.

2.     Cut out enough 6” skeleton frames, out of black cardstock, to match the number of letter bases.

3.     Glue one skeleton frame onto each base.

4.     Cut out your letters at 2”…cut one set out of a solid coordinating color and the other in black.

5.     Glue your black letters into the inside of the frames.

6.     Ink colored letters and foam dot the backs before adding them on top of the black letters.  You can off-set the top letters just a bit to give it a different look

7.     Secure a length of yarn or ribbon to the backs of the banner pieces.