THE LOVELY CRAZY

A simple little artsy craft project to get down with… apple printing. ALmost the same as potato print, except smells better and your apple comes with an interior fun shape to print with. And you have to use apple this time of year cause its apple season and there are apples everywhere!

I usually do things like this with a little or two, but at the time, I had no littles in my possession, so I went it did it all by my lonesome. (which was actually a lot of fun) I made myself big cup of hot coffee, put on some tunes, and zoned out and did a bunch of prints. It was a great little afternoon project that anyone, little or not so much, can do. And the best part about printing is… you can't screw it up

And I know that this is going to be a cold dreary weekend… so this might just be the perfect indoor project to do!

Things you are going to need..

apple(s).. And the apple that I use are fallen apples.. so I don't feel bad about using them.
paper
a knife (or something sharp enough to cut the apple)
paint ( I used cheap-o acrylic paint, but any paint would work)
paint-brush
Cup of water (to rinse brush)
rag (to wipe hands)

Start by slicing your apple. If you cut in in half, you get the cool star shape in the middle, or just chop it into cool shaped pieces.

Apply paint to the apple. I found that if I dipped the apple, then remove to much excess paint with a paint brush to work the best for me.. My suggestion is to play around with what works best for you.

Apple goes paint side down on paper… and that's how it goes. Now repeat, either with the same shape, or use a new one. OR change up the color.. it's all how you want to do it.

. I got a little excited with my fist print turned out a little chaotic(note print above) but then I rained myself in.

And did a few more simpler designs.

But do it anyway you want cause it's going to look cool no matter what.

Have fun!

-C

I never can really tell how I honestly feel about halloween. I love fall, I love pumpkins and cider, but thats fall ,not halloween. I love to see all the happy little littles running around being super cute. all jacked up on way to much sugar. And I know when I was a kid I was all about it. I mean, what kid doesn't get jazzed to run around, dressed up (I was alway a black cat), with a pillowcase full of candy all night long? That is just magic. But as an adult, I haven't really done too much. Sure I help wit the costumes of the littles and sometime I hand out candy, but where we live now, it's not possible to give out candy. And the littles, they go do stuff with there friends, not there old lady aunt. And I guess me and the mr could dress up and go to a party or something, but honestly, we are not really party people…. So yeah, don't know. I think when I finally have my own kids It will be more fun. But whatever, at least I can do a little decorating.

For as long as I have been as adult with my own living place, I have really gotten into holiday decoataing. But here is the thing. I like my decor to be minimalistic, not to over the top, or super cheesy. (although I really do like when other people go super overboard and cheesy) But no, you won't find a 20 foot blow up of a witch or severed hands in my front lawn.(maybe a few dead mice, but thats the cat, not me) And I like to make my decorations. I even like to get some littles in one it, cause hand made kiddo decorations are the best.

These bats are the perfect bit of halloween decoration. I made a ton of them a few years back and lost them, so I just whipped up a new strand. Fast and easy to make, are not overly crazy or gory, and can be hung anywhere. An yeah, making them with a few littles is fun, but you don't need them. I made them all on my lonesome…. Oh me..

Anyway, to the bat mobile (garland)!

The bat stuff

2-3 pieces of Black card stock (construction paper is fine, but will the color will fade over time)
scissors
pencil
needle and thread*
clear tape or tacks (not shown.. to hang bats)

Note. You can use embroidery floss instead of thread, but the thread is much more visible and you are going to need a tapestry needle.

Take a piece of paper and fold in half, either length or width wise.( If you do lenght wise, you can cut out a few more bats per piece of a paper, width wise, the bats wings are longer.. up to you, do it both ways if you want)

Outline a bat.

Bats are all jagged lines.. nothing too complicated so I figured a stencil is not needed. If you really need a stencil, I can email you one...

Cut out bat and open up.

See, easy. And now you have a bat. If you do not like the exact way it looks, fold in again and cut a little more, but don't get to picky, you have many more to cut.

Now make yourself a bat army. As many or as few as you like. I think 12 is a good number. If you want, take the first bat that you cut out and use that as a stencil. Me, actually just free form cut the guys, so none of them look the same.

Bats are ready, now thread you needle. Don't cut the end loose or tie the two ends together.

Fold bats back flat and thread them through the upper portion of the wings. Do that to all your bats.. and make sure that you are threading them on all the dame direction (if you care)

Once all the bats are threaded on. remove needle and tape the end of the thread. Space the bats out evenly or however you like, and hoe ever far apart you like, and cut thread of spool. Tape that end off too.

And hang them…. Most of my bats stay where I placed them, but a couple wanted to slide around on the thread, so I just stuck a tiny piece of tape on the inside of the wing over the thread to stop that.

They can fly threw the air….

Or drape on the wall.

Any way, these bats are freaking bad ass and the coolest!

Happy Holiday Decorating!

-C