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How to make a Glow in the Dark Snake Wreath and Mummy Jar

HALLOWEEN· PERSONAL

Yay for Halloween! 

Seriously.  I love this holiday.  I think it’s because I get to dress up and nobody thinks I’m a loon (unless of course, loon is my costume in which case I loon like it’s my job)…and then there is the candy.  Have I mentioned that it’s free? Yeah.  Free candy.  sweetest words on the planet.  wait.  strike that.  Free full-sized chocolate candy.  (I think I just got shivers thinking about it).  Yes I am eight years old on the inside trapped in the body of a ready-to-pop-pregnant-thirty-one-year-old-mom.

Anyhoo…I am busting out a double post today to show ya’ll my black & white Halloween display.  I put it in the kitchen (yes, you are getting a sneak peek on what color we painted it) and love the fact that it’s simple enough anyone could do it.  Oh and it glows in the dark.  Yup.  I set out this year to make a display that we could enjoy with the lights on or off.   

My partnership with Lowe’s Creative Ideas Magazine has started up again (once a month, they supply me with Lowe’s stuff so that I can bring you fun ways to tackle your home) so I got crazy with the idea of a mummified wreath.  And you can thank them for this one…

I started off with a simple grapevine wreath and some white spray paint. 

Then I constructed my mummy hand.  Basically you just take a latex glove and stuff it full of whatever.  I used fiberfill but you could literally use any that that you want – tissues, toilet paper, etc.   After your hand is filled up, you take a piece of cardboard and roll it up….I cut the front of an old cereal box to reuse but I imagine a paper towel tube would be perfect.  Then you jam the end of the tube into the glove and tape them together tightly.  Now you have an arm.  Then just use strips of torn fabric (like tearing up a box of those cheap white cloths they sell in the paint section of Lowes) and wrap wrap wrap until its covered tightly. 

Once I had the overall hand wrapped, I used more white strips to tie it to the wreath.  The ends of the fingers just got tucked into different spaces of the viney bits to make it look like it was holding it up.

Then I just tucked in glow-in-the-dark snakes everywhere to make it a little extra creeptastic.  Here it is at night.  It reminds me of one of those gag arms that hangs outta people’s trunks….

I attempted to take a photo of it glowing but it’s really hard to get my camera to focus correctly when it’s pitch black out.  This was the best I could do…

The other kid-friendly mummy was our lighted oversized luminary.  See it?  That giant vase?

It actually was the perfect family project because it was fast enough for Jeremy that he didn’t get frustrated that we were interupting prime football watching time, fast enough for Will that he didn’t get bored and start throwing things, and fast enough for me that I didn’t have endless supplies I had to get ready.  I needed a giant vase, three round pieces of black felt, some double sided sticky tape, a candle and some torn 1″ strips of white fabric.   Bam.  Ready. 

Will got to stick on the eyes and the mouth (we assisted) and then we did what I dubbed “the family pass”.  Basically I just taped the end of our long strip of fabric to the bottom back of the vase and then passed the wad of fabric to Will….who passed it to Jer…who passed it back to moi.  repeat.  around and around.  no brains needed.  a mummy could do this. harharhar.

After it was done, we taped it off and lit the candle inside….

and yes, Jeremy didn’t want to be in the picture….it wasn’t just me creatively cropping him out.  Most of the time he’s pretty low-key…like he doesn’t care if I have a camera in his face or not…but then there are moments when he just doesn’t want to be anywhere close to the spotlight…he just wants to be part of the ‘background crew’…and I try my hardest to respect that.  Usually that’s when I take photos of the other side of him 🙂 

(Will was roaring like a tiger at it.  I don’t know why.  Must be a testosterone thing.)

I think it is pretty darn cute.  I plan on putting it out on the porch for tonight 🙂

The other fun kiddie activity we did was putting the spiders all over the windows.  I got a Martha Stewart pack of these at TJMaxx for $2 and they came with the double sided stickies and yarn and these stiff spiders.  I let Will tell me where to put all the insects….it was fun and hilarious to hear him take this job so serious.  With his direction, I stuck the spiders in place and then he would praise the look….”Yes I like it!” & “Ohhh good job mommy!  Looks really cute!” & “Beep beep honk honk awesome!”

Since I created this to be fun during the night or the day, I wanted to show ya the same scene again at night… 

The mummy vase really makes me smile.

 Some side by sides…

The rest of the stuff came from a variety of places….

  • Candleabra – Hobby Lobby
  • Black glitter pumpkin – Target
  • small silver pumpkin – Dollar store painted with Martha Stewart glitter paint
  • White glossy pumpkins – Garden Ridge
  • Glow in the dark critters – Dollar General
  • Black crow – Dollar General
  • Black cake stand – Hobby Lobby
  • Polka dot table cloth – fabric found in a grab bag at Goodwill
  • Mercury glass bowl – Target
  • Ghost tea light holder – Walmart 

I think that’s everything…

Hope everyone has a wonderful night…and remember to pace yourself when it comes to the sugar…no need in loosing your Snickers unintentionally.  Believe me, it’s not the same flavor on the second time around 🙂

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Comments

  2. Katie, I love your Halloween Spirit! (no pun intended ..lol) I especially loved your mummy-arm holding up your wreath…and I love the classic black and white tones of your display. I think I might have to copy you for next year’s Halloween 😉

    Nice Work!!!

  5. It looks AWESOME. We don’t really tend to decorate for Halloween in the UK unless you’re hosting a party. Fun seeing how its done on the other side of the pond! You got mad skills KB! x

  6. Thanks for posting!! We had NO decorations, but we used a big old vase to copy your ghost.

    God’s blessings as you enjoy your last days as a family of 3 and transition into a family of 4!

  9. Great craft ideas! I especially like the mummy hand wreath… and the spiders on the windows. Happy Halloween! Hope that baby makes an appearance soon:)

  11. OH MY GOODNESS… can we fast forward to October of next year?! I have to make the mummy arm- what an awesome idea. It looks fantastic!

  13. Love the decorations! And is that the new paint color on the walls!? I LOVE it! Hope you can spill the beans on the paint color before you go into labor 😉

  16. That’s crazy beautiful and outrageous – I love it!! Halloween is not something that’s traditionally celebrated Down Under, although the odd things to turn up on the shelves. I love how it’s united your little family unit and you’re having a blast together. Happy, Happy!! Hx

  17. That all looks great! I love you mummified wreath. Will tiger-roaring at the luminary made me laugh – my three year old niece is obsessed with dinosaurs right now, and at her recent birthday party she attempted to ROAR out the candles on her stegosaurus cake! Ah, to be little again.

  19. I think its hilarious that I have the same ghost tea lights add glossy pumpkins. Yay for having great taste!

  20. I love how you can see the tile back splash you chose in the reflection of the glass door! Looks like the kitchen will be awesome 🙂

  21. The display looks great! But the wall colour looks AMAZING – can you please share what colour it is?! It’s BEAUTIFUL!!!

  22. I love the mummy arm and the glow in the dark snakes! Going to pin this for next year. Also, love the wall color! Can’t wait to see it all finished. And I can’t wait to see your costume!

  24. Whoa, whoa, whoa… Did anyone else notice the gorgeous gray walls in those pictures? Hubba hubba!

  26. These are always my favorite posts of yours – I love your creative tablescapes! It turned out awesome and scary, but still really kid friendly. So cute!

  27. The grabbing hand is GRRREAT!!! 🙂

    I hope you’ll have time to show us one more photo of your kitchen (a wide angle one) before you meet your new bundle of joy (and sleepless nights :)). I wish you all the best before, during and after giving birth!

  28. P.S. Also, if the baby’s still waiting, we are curious to see another photo – how you got dressed for Halloween 🙂

  29. You are so darn clever and creative…I LOVE your style and how you pull it all together with things that don’t cost a ton. Hope you guys had a fun Halloween!

  31. I have to start scouting around for those big vases! I love the whole display. I also wanted to say that I loved your succa “garden”. I’ve been wanting to do something like that, now I have a tutorial!

  33. I love how lengthy your posts are. I know it takes longer to write a little more but you’re work is well appreciated. Thanks for all the time you invest into bower power and for sharing your journey with us. 😀

  35. I love the mummy arm – but quick question – if you open the door, does it fall or how do you have it attached?

    Thanks!

    And Happy Halloween!

  37. Is it just me or does the wreath (which is super cute by the way) remind you of sperm? Not trying to be “gross” at all, but every time I see it–I can’t help it!

  39. So just had to comment when I you said “nobody thinks I’m a loon”. I always say “oh your such a loon”….or “you are driving me looney tooney” which my husband thinks is a Canadian thing. Warms my heart hearing a southern gal use the expression. 😀

  40. What an awesome idea to make it work day and night. I am sooo in love with the mummy wreath with the glow in the dark worms!! I mean, like completely love it!!!!!! The mummy vase is pretty darn cool too. I don’t know if I like the vase more or Will roaring at it…

  41. I NEED my own mummy vase and mummy hand wreath! I need them NOW! (Channeling Veruca from Willy Wonka). Love your Halloween scape!

  42. So I was hoping to see your costumes, unless I missed them? And I’m wondering if that baby started kicking his way out 🙂

  44. KB please please when you do go into labor post instagram photos on facebook. Its strange but i feel like im on baby watch 2012 haha. I have been praying for you and the nugget and I would love to know when you actually go into labor to say an extra prayer for you. Good luck! and cant wait to see the finished kitchen!!

  46. Love, love, love your decorations! I’m going to borrow some of your ideas for next year. And ditto on the love for free candy. It’s so great to have very little trick-or-treaters so you can “help” eat their candy!

  47. I actually squashed the end of the arm so it goes over the door to the other side and then I just secured it with some tape. We rarely go out that door (maybe once or twice a day it is opened) and so far it’s held up 🙂
    xo kb

  49. You’re always so creative, I love the decorations!! How do you find the time and energy to do all of the awesome things you do, I will never know 🙂

  51. Katie, you are a creative genius! Would you consider adding the “Pin it” button to the bottom of your posts so that we can pin to our boards? You have so many great ideas, and I’d love to be able to have your project ideas at my fingertips. Thank you for all of the inspiration!

  53. Oh my gosh, Katie! He’s so beautiful! I have twin girls and I swear I’m done… but he seriously makes me want a little boy.

    Thinking about you guys and hoping the birth of your new little one goes well.

  54. Love the wreath and really wanted to pin it to my wreath board, but no luck! I’d like you to consider adding a ‘pin it’ button to some part of your posts to make it easier for those of us who are pinterest addicts! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful wreath and love all the decorations!

  56. How is the mummy hand attached to your door? Did I miss how you did that? I’ve read it but can’t seem to see where it says how you actually hang the arm from your door. Super great idea!

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