Fall & Halloween Treats!

T'was the night before Halloween.....and all through the house...there was a whole lot of stirring....but not by a mouse!

We like to "Boo" our friends and neighbors anonymously with treats every year.  Here is an inexpensive treat bottle that can be decorated and filled with candies for that special friend to enjoy and display.

You will need:

Joy Embroidered Letters:  1" orange letters spelling BOO      Find online here:  http://joysa.com/

etchall(R):  dip'n etch etching liquid

Smoothfoam:  1-1/4" ball

plastic liter bottle:  Cut off the top

acrylic paints:  DecoArt Americana in Persimmon, Flesh Tone, Milk Chocolate, Lamp Black, White

paintbrush:  3/4" flat, #3 round

cardstock:  scrap of green

jute string

adhesives

green embroidery floss

Tools:

scissors

paper punches: 1-3/4" circle; 1/2" circle

hot wire foam cutter or knife

permanent marker:  black ultra fine point

Water bucket and paper towels

Instructions:

1.  Head:  The smooth side will be the face.  With that in mind; cut a small rounded portion from the bottom of the Smoothfoam ball.  Adhere the flat side to the top of the bottle cork.  Set aside.

2.  Fill the bottle with something to weight it.  I used smooth decorative round stones.  Set the bottle in the open part of the 2 liter bottle.  Fill up to the bottle neck with water.  Remove the bottle. Using a black marker; mark the water line on the outside of the bottle. Pour out the water. You will fill up to this line with dip 'n etch liquid.

3.  Insert the clean bottle into the dip 'n etch.  Set the timer for 15 minutes.  When time is up; remove the bottle from the plastic liter bottle and rinse.  Pour the etching liquid back into the original bottle.  It will be good for many uses.  If it turns a dark color, that is OK.  It is still good for another use.

4.  Paint:   Paint the head and cork Fleshtone.  Allow to dry.  Refer to the photo given and paint 2 small White circles for the eyes.  Let dry.  Apply a tiny Black dip dot to the center of each eye.  Use the black pen to outline the whites of the eyes, draw the nose and the mouth.  Draw the teeth; then paint White.  Paint the bottle Persimmon.  Allow to dry and then shade using the Milk Chocolate.

5.  Hair:  Wrap jute twine around one hand about ten times.  Slide off of hand and cut the loop at each end.  Tie an extra piece of twine around the middle and knot to secure.  Glue to the top of the head.

5.  Hat:  Punch a 1-3/4" circle and a 1/2" circle from the green cardstock.  Cut a 1-1/2" x 3" rectangle of the same cardstock.  Roll it into a 1/2" x 3" cylinder.  Adhere the small round punch to the top of the cylinder. Glue the opposite end to the top of the circle.  Glue the hat to the top of the hair.

6.  Finish:  Tie embroidery floss around  the top of the hat crown as shown.  Tie another piece around the bottle neck and finish with a shoestring bow.  Adhere the letters to the front of the bottle.  

7.  Have a spooky good Halloween!

Note:  I receive a small stipend  in return 

using my creativity to show embroidered

letters by Joysa.