Scary Halloween Crafts

Author: Angela Maroevich
Looking for some great Halloween crafts for your Halloween party, haunted house, or just for trick-or-treaters?
A fun craft is something that can keep you occupied for hours on end especially if you enjoy it. Here are some ideas that will hopefully set you on your way in preparation for your next Halloween...
Halloween Crafts Part 1:
If you live in a house that has a wood-burning fireplace, then chances are that you have access to tree stumps or large blocks of wood. These are great for making stands for your Jack O'Lanterns. You could use a chisel to slightly hollow out the middle of the stump so that the lantern can sit stably or simply use some Blu-Tack or Velcro.
Get some small or mini pumpkins and hollow them out to use as candle holders. If open flames are out of the question, you can put glow sticks instead of candles for a different effect. You can carve, draw or paint faces on the pumpkins too. Instead of pumpkins, you could use apples as well. Ensure that you choose apples that sit well and flat or cut off the bottom to make a flat surface. Remove the stem and cut around it deep enough for the candle. It is best to use taper candles for a better fit.
Get a large pumpkin and hollow it out to use as a salad bowl or to serve fresh vegetables. Cut off the top, hollow and clean it out and let it dry in the sun. You could carve a jagged edge design on the top. Do the same with some smaller or mini pumpkins to use for dips or salad dressings.
Make a scarecrow in your front yard. You need two pieces of wood, one put into the ground and the other nailed across for the arms. Use old jeans and a shirt and stuff them with newspaper. Add some straw for effect. You can use a plastic pumpkin for the head and draw a face on it. This makes a great Halloween craft for the whole family.
Tie glow sticks to helium balloons and let them float around the house. Ensure that some string extends below so that people can easily reach them if they get stuck somewhere or simply to play with them.
Use publicly available Halloween fonts on your computer to make banners or invitations for your party. It's a fast, easy Halloween craft you can use instantly to enhance your party theme. Print them onto inkjet iron-on transfer paper and put them onto your favourite t-shirt or Halloween outfit.
Halloween Crafts Part 2. OK, Now We Are Getting Scary...
A visit to your local hardware store for some basic items and you could make your own tombstones transforming your garden into an instant graveyard. Paint them grey to resemble stone. Do not worry about the details as it will be dark, but do put on some exciting or scary wordings. By the way, your local hardware store is loaded with Halloween craft ideas.
Going trick or treating? Why not make a special jug to collect candies? Cut off the top two inches of a gallon milk jug. Soak to remove any labels. Paint orange. Once dry, paint or stick on eyes nose and mouth resembling a Jack O'Lantern. Use fluorescent paint for a nice effect. The jug can be kept for future reuse.
Using six pipe cleaners, you can make your own skeleton. Bend one pipe cleaner into two for the backbone. Twist another around the bottom of the backbone to make into the legs. Do the same for the arms. Join two pipe cleaners and twist them around the backbone leaving some space forming a ribcage. Twist the last pipe cleaner for a head and glue on some eyes. Hang with a rubber band for a bouncing effect. Your kids will love making halloween crafts with pipe cleaners. But be careful when cutting and keep them out of their mouth.
Using glue and food coloring, you can make a see through painting. Paint a Halloween image onto a piece of plastic wrap. Before the mixture dries, put another piece of plastic wrap on. Cut it out and hang it in front of a light source for a see through effect. You could also frame the plastic pictures using wood or cardboard if you want them to be longer lasting.
Halloween Crafts Part 3. The Real Scary Stuff...
Make some hand printed spiders. Apply black paint to your palm and 4 fingers leaving out the thumb. Place palm onto a piece of paper. Turn the paper 180 degrees and print again making sure the palm overlaps. Add some wiggly eyes using either paint or sticks. This is suitable for even 2 or 3 year olds.
Make your own blood. It is less expensive than buying ready made blood from the Halloween shops. It's not difficult; all you need is Karo syrup and food coloring. While you're at it, why not make some slime using glue, water and borax powder. This is an advanced Hallween craft, so take your time and be careful.
Using apples, you can make dried, shrunken heads. Peel the apples and coat with a mixture of lemon juice and salt to prevent browning. Carve out a face of eyes, nose and mouth. Do not worry about the finer details as they will probably be lost when the apple dries. You can use whole cloves for the eyes and rice grains for the teeth. Let the apples sit out in a warm place for about 2 weeks. If you don't have 2 weeks, you can speed up the drying by putting them into an oven on the lowest temperature for about 45 minutes and then to dry out naturally for the next 2 days or so. Once dried, they shrink and deform into weird and scary looking faces.
Says Angie Maroevich, "You don't have to spend a fortune on commercial Halloween supplies to have a great party. There are many inexpensive alternatives laying around the house or at your local store you can use to create a Halloween theme that will impress all your friends."
About The Author
Angie Maroevich is an arts and crafts enthusiast, business owner, and athlete. Her arts and crafts articles and be found at http://www.craft-ideas-guide.com.
© 2004-2005 All rights reserved.
angie@craft-ideas-guide.com

Halloween Craft Projects for Children

Author: ShowMomTheMoney Fall is just around the corner, and with the cooler weather comes more inside time for the little ones. Naturally, they’re going to need something fun and creative to keep them busy. Help your kids prepare for Halloween by constructing these adorable craft projects! They’re easy and fun to make and the kiddos will love displaying them for the holiday.
Egg Carton Spiders
What you will need:
Cardboard egg carton Pipe cleaners Poster paint Elastic thread Something to poke small holes
Instructions:
Cut the egg cups out of a cardboard egg carton. Cut pipe cleaners into 3 inch sections. To make each spider, poke four pipe cleaners through each cup sideways. Bend the ends to look like eight spider legs. Paint the spiders black or in any wildly creative way you want! After the paint has dried, attach a length of elastic thread to the middle of each spider. Have fun holding your thread and bouncing your scary spider up and down as you take it for a walk!
Plastic Bag Ghost
What you’ll need:
White plastic trash bags Black marker Balloons Some string Scissors Masking tape
Instructions:
Blow up/inflate the balloons and cover each one with a trash bag. With the string, gather and tie each bag under the balloon to make a head. Using your markers, draw a spooky face on the trash bag. Be as creative as you can-make a scary face or a funny face. Whatever you want! Attach a piece of string to the top of your ghosts and display them all around your house and yard.
For more holiday crafts and activities for your children, visit http://www.showkidsthefun.com/holidaythemes.html . And, don't miss Free Online Preschool Themes (link to http://www.showmomthemoney.com/homeschooling.asp ) for more fun ideas to spend time with your children.
Copyright 2005 - Nicole Dean

Gypsy Fortune Teller Halloween Costumes – Easy to Make

Author: Rose Smith
As a little girl I often loved to dress up as a gypsy, whether it was for Halloween or just for play. Maybe it’s because I long to be free to do as I want and go where I wish, without the societal constraints we have to live by (that’s why pirates are so fascinating to people too). Whatever it is, creating a fortune teller costume was the highlight of Halloween.
Back then there weren’t many places to buy fancy costumes (nor did we have the money), so putting my own costume together was a bit of a challenge. Today we can purchase practically any costume we can think of and there are some pretty nice fortune teller Halloween costumes to choose from.
** A Brief History of Gypsy Costumes **
The gypsy people were called Roma or Romani. They are made up of loose nomadic tribes that wandered much of the European countries during the Middle Ages and often lived in caravans. There are still nomadic gypsies in the world today.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the basic dress of the woman was a simple robe gathered at the neck worn over an under gown made of chemise. They also wore a length of cloth which was draped down the back, around the opposite waist, up the front and tied at the shoulder (think Roman toga). A turban was worn on the head.
As time went on, fashions changed. For the most part, gypsies actually dressed very similar to the peasants of the area in which they traveled and cultural dress of the time. Most of the style of gypsy clothing that we picture today probably came from the Renaissance period when laced vests, flounced skirts, men’s breeches and pirate shirts were more popular.
** Making a Gypsy Halloween Costume **
For those that want to put together their own gypsy costume or are planning on being a “fortune teller” for Halloween this year, you may have to do a bit of shopping around at used clothing stores for some items. If you are handy with a sewing machine, there are many fortune teller costume patterns available as well. Here are some suggestions for both men and women (and boys/girls) that can easily be created once you get all the items:
Women/Girl’s Fortune Teller/Gypsy Outfit 1
* Long tired skirt in a bright color.
* Gypsy style shirt – gathered scooped neck, puffy sleeves gathered at the wrist or long wide flowing sleeves
* Brightly colored front-laced vest
* Black leotard stockings
* Black shoes
* Brightly colored sash for the waist
* Matching bandana for hair
* Gold hoop earrings and some long, colorful beaded necklaces, bangles for arms
Women/Girl’s Fortune Teller/Gypsy Outfit
* Long wide-flowing black skirt
* White peasant’s shirt
* Black front-laced vest
* Black stockings
* Black shoes
* Brightly colored apron or a shorter overskirt
* Long black wig with tight ringlets or curls
* Colored 2” to 3” wide headband
* Gold hoop earrings and some long, colorful beaded necklaces, bangles for arms
Men/Boys Gypsy/Pirate Costume
* Black or brown breeches
* Black boots
* White pirate shirt
* Long-length black or brown vest preferably trimmed with a gold-colored braiding
* Red or another colorful long scarf for the sash at the waist
* Colorful bandana
* One gold hoop earring
Let your imagination run wild with the colors and styles you could mix and match. The trick is to dress in layers and use clothing that is loose and flowing. Add jewelry like bangles, long flowing necklaces, large earrings and ankle bracelets to enhance your outfit. Use colorful sashes accent the waist (and also to hold daggers). Women could drape several sheer scarves from their waist to hang down in points around a solid colored skirt. Include headbands, bandanas and even eye patches for that gypsy pirate look. Purples, blues, greens, bright yellows, reds and blacks are the most popular colors and will make your outfit stand out.
Learn a bit about fortune telling and divination and you’ll be all set to play the part of the gypsy fortune teller. (Visit http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-party-fortune-teller-games.shtml for some divining games and activities that are easy to learn).
Author Resource Information:
(c) 2005. Rose Smith owns Halloween Howl - a website designed for Halloween fun for all ages! Are you planning to have a Gypsy Fortune Teller Party this year? Visit our website at: http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-party-fortune-teller.shtml for some great ideas on decorations, recipes, games and more....

Find Easy Halloween Costumes Online! Great Ideas Are Only One Click Away

Author: Maria Parise
We all wish there was more time in a day. So when you start thinking of what to wear for your upcoming Halloween party, have no fear: you won’t need lots of time to get your costume ready.
Here, you can quickly and easily find Halloween costumes online so you won’t be scrambling at the last minute. You can obtain a large variety of easy costumes and accessory options to mix and match, and create your spooky outfit on this haunted night!
There are so many creative and clever ideas! For example, let's say you want to be Dracula the Prince of Darkness. To make your Vampire costume complete, you'll need the following accessories:
*OUTFIT: black pants, a white frilly shirt, and a velvet vest to create the seductive, alluring look.
*CAPE: choose from hooded capes, velvet, or satin cape to add to the mystery of the vampire theme.
*MAKEUP: find a great makeup kit with white, black, and red cream based paint that will apply easily and completely accentuate your deathly looking face.
*FAKE TEETH: choose either long or short scary neck piercing fangs, which are easy to apply, but are an essential accessory to complete your overall look.
*BLOOD: No costume would be complete without red oozing liquid dripping from your lips, and you have many options available, such as the deep red dripping liquid, capsules that you would bite on for that special chilling effect, or gooey coagulated blood that offers a more realistic bloody look!
If you are a big fan of the movie Star Wars, you will find all the Star Wars characters from the evil Darth Vader, the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, to your big furry star Chewbacca! Just think, all that's required to be Chewy is the big fur body suit, full face mask, sash and pouch! It's that simple, and it's all available at the Halloween online stores listed above!
A very popular era these days is the medieval times. You can become part of history by dressing as a Renaissance Princess in a long, flowing dress and veil, or as Prince Charming with his velvet tunic and cape!
The possibilities are endless when you have a great source of Halloween items at your fingertips. To complete your costume ideas, take a look at the wide selection of easy halloween costumes and accessories offered online at great costume stores like www. buycostumes.com and www.costumeman.com, and you'll find your dream costume sooner than you think! Once you find all your costume needs, you will be able to focus on having a spooktacular night!
About the author: Maria is the the author of “1st In Halloween Costumes” available at http://www.1st-in-halloween-costumes.com A great source for Halloween Costumes online! You can easily find and compare halloween sites offering quality adult halloween costumes, sexy halloween costumes, kids costumes, pet costumes, halloween masks....

Cheap Halloween Costumes

Author: Kathryn Finney This past week, I wrote in the weekly newsletter about how hard it is to find cool halloween costumes without going into debt. I asked my fellow fashionistas for advice and here are some of the best ideas- all for under $20 bucks.For the Single Girl:Queen of the World. This is a Halloween favorite. Head to your nearest Salvation Army or Goodwill for old prom/evening dresses, or the back of your closet for those “forgotten” bridesmaid dresses. The puffier and gaudier, the better. Go to Claire’s Boutique and purchase a tiara (usually around $5 to $10), several “diamond” rings, and elbow-length, white gloves. Throw on the rhinestone jewelry, correct that posture, and purchase ‘Hello’ (a.k.a the British ‘People’) at your local Barnes and Noble. Now, here is the piece de triumph: Have your male spouse/friend/partner be your man–servant, “James”, for the whole night. Total outfit cost: $20.00-$80.00, depending on the size of your kingdom.Marathon Runner. Toast the Olympics and dress like you’re a marathon runner. Purchase a tank, shorts, and tennis shoes (the Canadian Athletic apparel store ROOTS has some great Olympic items at their online store). Since it is the end of October, go ahead and wear tights underneath those short shorts. Print out a race number on your computer, pin it to your tank, and you are ready to go. Total Outfit cost: 0.00-$40.00, depending on the medal you are seeking.Christina Aguilera. All you need is a big blonde wig (think drag queen), black eyeliner, a plaid mini-skirt, a cropped top, and some thigh-high boots and you are set. It is helpful to bring a little CD player and have “Genie in a Bottle” playing in the background. Total Outfit cost $10.00-$50.00, depending on the size of your record contract.For couples:Ward & June Cleaver. The fifties look was very hot this summer, so head out to your local department store or thrift shop and find fifties-inspired, a-line dresses for a fraction of their normal price. Check out post summer sales at your local department store like Macys. Add a simple strand of pearls, pearl earrings, a waist apron, sensible pumps and you are ready to go. Have your significant other dress as Ward. Total Outfit cost $40.00- $80.00, depending on whether the ‘Beav’ needs braces.Game Show Host and Pretty Helper Girl. This is a perfect costume for couples. Head out to your nearest thrift store and find the cheesiest late 70s/early 80s polyester, double knit suit ensemble for men and 80s deranged bridesmaid dress for women. Purchase a children’s play microphone (Target has some for super cheap prices). Buy the cheapest hair spray you can find (All Net is good) and tease your hair like you are from the Jersey shore. Get a piece of cardboard, cut out a star about 8 inches in diameter and glue on gold glitter. Write the word “Grand Prize” in silver. To keep you smiling for the entire night, try this beauty pageant trick- put Vaseline underneath your upper lip. $60.00-$100 for both costumes, depending on whether or not your show picks-up for another season.With A Group of Friends:Sloth. This is the easiest and cheapest costume. Don’t wash your hair or take a shower for two days, roll out of bed in your PJs and you are set! This costume is particularly effective if you get six friends to go as the other six deadly sins: greed, envy, wrath, gluttony, pride and lust. Total Outfit cost- $0, depending on how sinful you are willing to get.1970’s Television Family. There are so many great ones to choose from: the Partridge Family, Brady Bunch, Evan’s family from Good Times, Donny and Marie Osmond, and the Jeffersons. The family you chose depends on the make-up of your group of friends, but putting together the outfits is almost as much fun as the actual Halloween event itself. Make a date and head straight to your local thrift store or your parent’s closet. Total Outfit Cost- $20.00 and up, depending on how “dy-no-mite” you want to be.
About the Author
Kathryn “The Budget Fashionista” Finney is the founder and Chief Shopping Officer of TheBudgetFashionista.com (http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com), a popular website that provides realistic fashion advice, shopping tips and sale event information to budget conscious consumers. Known as “the stylist to the cheap,” Kathryn has been around the world searching for the perfect bargain on designer goods and is willing to get the bargain by any (legal) means necessary....

Adult Halloween Costumes for Mature Trick or Treating!

Author: Robb Ksiazek
Getting the kids dressed up for Halloween can be a highlight of the autumn season. Dressing up in costume has been a tradition for many cultures of the world for a variety of reasons. But it’s not just for the children anymore.
There are many reasons for adults to enjoy the fun of dressing up in their own costumes. Take Mardi Gras, for example. Participants spend all year creating an alternative identity. They will frolic in the streets in celebration of the coming of spring, or to enjoy the free flowing kegs and endless parades.
Another traditional costume party event is the masquerade ball. Lost in time, this gala created a flirtatious evening for the high society with a kiss-and-don’t-tell theme.
Today’s costume parties are probably a little closer to either the Mardi Gras or Halloween celebrations. It is fun to dress in costume, while assuming a surrogate self. Participants can do things they wouldn’t ordinarily try to get away with.
You may wonder how you are going to acquire the right costume attire for your occasion. You may choose the retail route, or decide to create your own if you have the ability.
One of the best ways to find the right costume is through internet retailers. Of the many retailers on the web, there are traditional costume suppliers, and some not so traditional.
For an extra flirtatious costume idea, try one of the many lingerie dealers. They have some sexy options for your adult party or just for time at home with a loved one. Ever want to feel like superwoman? Why not buy her outfit? You will definitely be a hit with your partner!
Some other sexy ideas are catwoman, a French maid, or a school girl outfit. There are limitless ideas for you to choose, if you can choose just one. These costume ideas will bring some added excitement to an ordinarily blah event.
Taking the time to shop for an elegant costume will have its rewards in the end. Good luck finding the right one for your desires.
Robb Ksiazek is a successful author and publisher for http://www.lingerie-4u.biz. He has researched and written hundreds of articles and can simplify your online search by recommending merchants for the best value and selections in quality lingerie, stockings, panties, and bra intimates....

2 Quick and Easy Halloween Crafts

Author: James Watts
Making Halloween crafts can really get you into a festive mood for this spooky holiday. Here are 2 fun and easy craft ideas:
Tin Can Lanterns
Did you know that you can easily create Halloween lanterns out of those old tin cans? Use cans that have a smooth surface to accurately display your designs. All you need to complete this Halloween crafts project are cans, a hammer, and a nail.
Use a nail to press very shallow points into the cans, designing Halloween images like, a jack-o-lanterns, skulls, cats, half-moons, and stars. If you don't want to do this free-hand, tape a drawing onto the can.
So, how to make the holes without denting the metal? The trick to this is to fill the can with water, and freeze it. Next, hammer simple designs into the can with a nail. One or two good taps should do it, depending on the size of the hole that you want.
When your cans are complete, place tea lights or votive candles inside to illuminate.
Spooky Bags
If you are hosting a Halloween party, or handing out candies to trick-or-treaters, decorate small bags to hold assorted treats, and surprises.
Here's what you'll need:
- scissors
- a glue stick
- brown paper bags with handles (5x8-inch, or smaller)
- several sheets of construction paper, in colors like, purple, green, yellow, orange, black, and white.
Draw simple shapes like, jack-o-lanterns, moons, stars, and witch's hats, on card board, and cut them out. Now, you have templates to work with. Trace these shapes onto your construction paper, cut them out, and attach them to the bags with a glue stick.
James writes for Ghoulish Halloween, a site that tries to entertain and inform. For more great Halloween articles, visit our Halloween articles archive.

2 Inexpensive Halloween Costume Ideas

Author: James Watts
Did you know that you can make your own Halloween costumes without spending lots of money? You many already have many of the supplies needed to put these together. Here are 2 neat Halloween costumes that you can make yourself:
Skeleton
All you need to make a skeleton costume is a black sweat suit or a black turtle neck and pants, a piece of chalk, white fabric paint (preferably glow-in-the dark, or uv reactive), and an image of a skeleton. Find a graphic; something used to create simple children's halloween crafts, or black and white clip art will work well.
Lay out the sweat suit, with the skeleton image along side it, for reference. Use the chalk to draw a simple skeleton on the front, back, legs and arms of the suit. If you want to change something, you can wash the chalk out later. Fill in your chalk lines with the fabric paint, allow it to dry, thoroughly. Wash the suit to remove the chalk, and you're ready to go!
Mummy
The mummy costume is the easiest to make! Buy some cheap, gauzy, fabric in white or cream. Cut the fabric into long, thick strips. If you plan to be the mummy, have someone to help you wrap the fabric. Start with the arms, legs, and then wrap the body. Use safety pins to secure it. You can even wrap the head, but remember that things may get hot, as it will be difficult for heat to escape from the head.
Make the Costume look old, as if it's just been exhumed from an ancient tomb, by lightly rubbing dirt into it.
James writes for Ghoulish Halloween, a site that tries to entertain and inform. For more great Halloween articles, visit our Halloween articles archive.

Spruce Up Your Pages with Scrapbooking Embellishments

Author: Fion Lim Having this nagging doubt that you may upstage your precious photos or clutter your pages with scrapbooking embellishments? One moment you're just so tempted to paste the embellishment onto your page, and the next moment you're questioning yourself, "Should I? Should I not?” You even wonder if you're just trying to force that simply irresistible page accent onto your page to satisfy your craving for… more embellishments. Well, you're in good company. I still remember the first time I encountered packets and packets of wondrous embellishments. My eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and my heart fluttered in excitement and the truth was, I simply can't decide. What a rush!So for anyone who loves scrapbooking embellishments, we have to learn some balancing acts and avoid falling into the trap of overwhelming the pages with loads of such page accents. Here's some tips for you to consider when you're holding that simply irresistible piece of embellishment in your hand, and pausing for that momentous decision. TIPS:
If it distracts people from your photos, you might be better off saving that piece of embellishment for another page. Let's remind ourselves that photos form the essence of scrapbooking, not embellishments.
If the reason to use the page accent is because it's the coolest or hottest trend right now, upon reflection this may not be so in the long run. Remember how you flinched in horror as you looked back at your biggest fashion mistakes? It can happen to your scrapbooking layouts too.
If there's only a single photo especially with close-ups, by all means launch into your most daring mode and spark up your page with embellishments. But keep the scrapbooking embellishments to the minimal, when there's multiple photos on a single page.
If the piece of accent has a functional purpose such as concealing unsightly parts of your photo, adding balance to the overall layout or holding another item in place, then use that lovely embellishment.
If the embellishment boosts your story-telling ability for the page, then jump on the chance.
If the purpose of the embellishment is to copy what you've seen people did in some magazine, it's might not speak of you own style. Instead, follow your instincts and use whatever you feel confident of expressing your style on the page!There's probably no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to scrapbooking with embellishments ideas. Just keep in view that an embellishment or two when used in the right combination, will contribute to the vision you've been trying to express in a powerful way. Happy scrapping with embellishments!
About the Author
Fion is the creator of Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com - Learning about scrapbooking? Here's your guide to beginner scrapbooking. Find tips, ideas, inspirations, articles, and resources to quotes, poems and fonts right here.

Simple Scrapbooking Tips & Ideas

Author: Tara Grant Scrapbooking is a great hobby and a wonderful way to preserve your photos with style! The art of scrapbooking is not hard at all! All you really need is a creative mind and the urge to create masterpieces! Once you have the general idea of scrapbooking down, use these ideas to create more meaningful pages! Your Photos- The photos you use in your scrapbooking layouts will reflect the moment you want to save forever. Instead of having everyone pose for photos, try to take pictures without poses. The pictures you catch in action, also make great photos for layouts. If you use pictures that have been professionally taken or pictures that were posed for, try to also add some pictures that capture actions and faces, instead of all posed pictures. Color Schemes- When you are selecting the color papers to use with your layouts, try to coordinate with your photos. This way you do not draw to much attention from the photos. When your pictures, paper, and embellishments coordinate with each other, your pages will stand out more than if everything clashes. If you have an idea for a layout and your pictures just don’t match, try to edit the pictures with any photo editor and make the pictures black and white, or sepia. These tones seem to work well with any color schemes, Journaling- Once your page is complete, make sure you add your journaling! It is important to add your thoughts on the moments that were captured in the pictures. Journaling is a great way to express your feelings and a good way to save the memories for years to come. Journaling can be in the form of what was happening when the photos were being taken, where the photos were taken, your thoughts when you saw the pictures, or any thing that comes to mind when you think of the photos.
About the Author
Tara Grant, owner of http://www.make-n-memories.com, http://www.partysuppliesrus.com, & http://www.heronlinenetwork.com. Tara is a warm-hearted entrepreneur, mother of 2 small children and an avid networker in the wahm and parenting communities!

Scrapbooking the Dizzying Movies of Toddlers

Author: Fion Lim
Toddlers are highly energetic life forces. Between infancy and kindergarten school days, your toddler is often fully involved in massive actions and activities. Sometimes, your kid hardly let you slow down enough to take a deep breath before he or she is off to another "movie" stunt.
One moment, your toddler is the angelic little kid with great innocence, and within seconds he or she has morphed into a bundle of horror! Such spirited and tireless days are mixed up with endless explorations, comical episodes and crazy chaos. It's all these exasperating, frustrating, endearing in-between moments, that make their ways into your scrapbook pages as little movies starring your precious toddler.
Would you swap such unforgettable moments with any other? Probably not. Hence, scrapbook these experiences before they're gone in a flash. One minute your toddler is two, next is four, and before you know it, you'll be asking yourself, "Where has my little girl/boy gone to?"
Besides letting photos take center stage in your scrapbook, don't miss out the all-important aspect of journaling. With just the right caption, the star-quality of a page will shine forth even with very little embellishments.
Quick, grab your ever-ready camera and capture as many amazing scenes as you could of your little hero or heroine in the lastest escapade! Camera 1,2,3! The camera has started rolling...
A) "A Day in the Life of Toddler"
Dedicate a page to a typical day of your kid's life. Toddlers are busy human beings. Document their daily activities by chronicling their routine for a day. If you faithfully scrapbook such a theme over the years, you can even spot the changes that have transformed over the years.
B) "Can't Live Without Bedtime Stories"
Toddlers can be such devoted lovers of stories. You've probably lost count of the number of times you recited the same stories over and over again. But to your toddler, it's as if he or she is listening to the story for the very first time. When a bedtime story seized your child's heart, there's no letting the matter rest until he or she gets her way. Take pictures of your boy or girl flipping through the storybooks, staring intently at the pages, or together with daddy reading a story to your kid. A page recording your toddler's enthralling and favorite bedtime stories deserves a place in your scrapbook.
C) "Scary Eating Episodes"
Eating is usually a messy, messy affair when it involves toddlers, especially when left on their own. There's basically no sense of etiquette to speak of. It's a case of dunking their dirty faces into the bowls or plates, with sauces smearing all over their faces, and food scraps scattered all over the tables and floors. Yet, the way your kid eats make a dish appeared to totally delicious. Consider doing a page on your boy’s step-by-step process of devouring a plate of spaghetti, or your girl curiously sampling different food or snacks as a food critic.
D) "Mini Home Destroyer"
To satisfy their innate curiosity of their worlds, toddler left behind home wrecks in their trails. Toppling over a box of cereals and scattering hundreds of pieces on the kitchen floor, scribbling markers crazily on chairs and walls, strewing books and toys all over the place without a care in the world, Toddlers are capable of so much more. And when they partnered up with their sibling in crimes, it triples the destruction. Of course, you rather cry than laugh at that point in time. But these will turn into funny stories on hindsight. So yes, put down the mischievous exploits of your toddler too.
E) "Special and Unique Me"
Toddlers are shaped by their environments in addition to their heredity character traits. By noting down your kid's preferences and reactions to people, things and events, you'll get hints of his or her uniqueness. Scrapbooking these evolving personality traits would document the rapid development of your child as a unique individual. Photos showing your child caught in various expressions or unguarded moments will reveal the different sides of your kid. A child's personality is like a canvas, painted in many different colors and shades.
F) "Play is Serious Business"
With bountiful supply of pure energy, your toddler probably reminds you of an object in constant motion. Capture a series of such motions in a single play day, or gather a series of photos of your toddler playing different games and activities. The work of a child is not to earn, but to play. Playing with others at the playground, figuring out how to work the computer, stacking up building blocks, creating first piece of artwork, play is serious business to toddlers. These scrapbook pages will reveal the creative workings of your child's mind.
G) "There's Family and Friends Too"
Family and friends are influential presences in a toddler's life. Documenting the special relationships or moments your toddler has with others, will remind him or her of how much he or she is loved by others. As grandma's little kitchen helper in baking cookies, as an earnest student of grandpa's on star constellations, a loving big brother hugging baby sister, all these speaks of love in abundance. Even the innocent hand-holding and sweet hugs exchanged between inseparable friends are touching moments for the pages.
H) "Wild Wild World Out There"
Funny how toddlers will make us voluntarily go places that we haven't been to in ages. It's like reliving our own childhood, through the eyes of our toddlers. Playing sand at the beach, memorable trip to the zoo, magical moments at the theme park, amazement at the circus stunts, and even travels to other states. A toddler would love to know where in the world had they been when they're grown up. So add these to your scrapbook pages as well.
As always, there's heaps of toddler's "movies" you can scrapbook about. Potty training, bathing time, zonking out moments, make-up session and pretend-playing, all these are themes you can gleefully dig into. Time to get imaginative!
Happy scrapping about toddler's movies!
About The AuthorFion Lim is the creator of Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com - Learning about scrapbooking? Here's your guide to beginner scrapbooking. Find tips, ideas, inspirations, articles, and resources to free quotes, poems and fonts right here.
Feel free to use the this article provided it is published in its entirety, with the resource box and a “live” clickable link to: http://www.everything-about-scrapbooking.com...

Scrapbooking Teen Memories

Author: Rachel Paxton
By the time your teen is in high school, you probably aren't taking as many pictures of them as you used to. I have to keep reminding myself that I only have a couple of years left and no time to waste trying to capture fleeing teenage memories.
You might be thinking that I'm really organized to be already working on scrapbooking my daughter's high school memories. To be honest, I have a shoe box full of pictures of my daughter waiting for me to get to someday.
But if I wait until "someday" to continue taking pictures because I already have so many pictures I haven't done anything with, then my daughter's teenage years will come and go while I try to catch up.
I don't want to chronicle every detail of my daughter's life (nor would she want me to!), but I was trying to think of some memories that she might want to laugh about and maybe even treasure someday. So how do you do that without ending up with pages and pages of memories?
I decided to do two large (12x12) pages (facing each other in the album) for each year of high school. I will challenge myself to use this space creatively to tell the story of each year. When I started thinking of all the the possibilities, it really inspired me to start getting organized and collecting some great memories. And don't limit yourself to just photographs, your scrapbook pages can really be accentuated by other types of memories. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Photograph Ideas:
High School Dances
First Date/Boyfriend
School Building
Church Events/Retreats
Braces (the day they're removed)
Hair Styles
Clothing Fads
Learning to Drive
First Job
First Car
Best Friends
School Plays/Concerts
Family Vacations
Favorite Family Pets
Babysitting
Sports/Band/Cheerleading
Musical Instrument Practice
Other:
CD Covers (scanned)
Favorite Song Lyrics
Drivers' Permit
First Pay Stub
Programs from Play/Concerts
College Brochures
School Newspapers
ASB Card
Awards/Certificates
Ticket Stubs (concert, movie, sporting events)
Report Cards
You can be creative when you're arranging your layouts. Don't be afraid to cut pictures down or cut out portions of play programs or school newspapers. Just cut out enough to accentuate the other items on the page. You will create the overall effect from the entire page, not necessarily from an individual item.
Have fun and don't worry if you don't get it done all at one time. I figure if I can do one every summer for the previous school year, by the time she finishes high school (she's a freshman this year), all of her high school memories will be recorded in the family archives.
About The Author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and http://www.crafty-moms.com...

Scrapbooking on a Budget

Author: Susie Cortright
Memories are priceless, but the cost of preserving them can be high. Here are nine tips for making the most of your scrapbooking budget.
1.Be on the lookout for scrapbooking supplies everywhere you go. I once made the cutest shabby chic card with the corrugated cardboard liner in a light bulb box. Another example: you can buy 100 brass brads for less than a dollar at the local discount store and then customize them to match your layout with acrylic paint and/or sandpaper. Or look in the clearance bin for ribbon, fiber, and fabric remnants - or bouquets of silk flowers, which you can take apart and attach to your cards and layouts with brads, eyelets, bottlecaps, or button. You'll find all kinds of treasures at office supply, hardware, and dollar stores, as well as flea markets and garage sales.
2. Keep your supplies organized. When your papers and embellishments are logically arranged and easy to find, you'll always know what you have, which means you'll buy fewer duplicates. And you don't need expensive racks for storing your paper. The large 14" Ziploc bags are perfect for storing 12x12 paper. You can even hang the labeled Ziploc bags from skirt hangers to maximize your space. A few inexpensive baskets or plastic containers can hold your adhesives, pens and trimmers. And a common tacklebox is great for small embellishments. Or use resealable Ziploc bags to organize brads, eyelets and other small embellishments by type or color and store in a shoebox.
3. Here's a little known secret. You can join a scrapbooking direct sales company, simply to get the discount on your own supplies. Of course, you'll need to make sure the monthly minimums are low enough that you'll be able to meet them with your purchases alone. Here is one such company with monthly minimums of just $25 wholesale per month. Details are here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/wholesale-scrapbooking-supplies.htm
4. Use your scanner to create a unique patterned paper, perfect for your layout. Scan items of clothing, for example, that match the clothing in your photographs. Print the paper and use as part of your background or as a tag or other embellishment.
5. Do a google search for "free fonts" and "free scrapbooking." You'll find thousands of free templates, fonts, and other free resources for scrapbookers.
6. Check your local paper for 50% off coupons at large discount crafting stores. Save these coupons for your larger purchases. Subscribe to Joann.com's email newsletter at the store's website: http//www.joann.com. This store frequently offers special discount codes to newsletter subscribers. But keep in mind, when you are shopping the sale aisle, a good deal is not a good deal if you never use the product. Buy only those things that you love - and know you'll use.
7. When shopping for tools, keep quality and versatility in mind. Investing in quality tools will ultimately save you money, because you won't need to replace them very often. You'll also want to look for trimmers and cutters that allow you to replace only the blade - and not the entire cutting system. The Coluzzle, by Provocraft, is one of the most versatile cutting systems available. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you can cut a huge variety of shapes and alphabets, as well as envelopes and tags - all with very inexpensive templates.
8. Save and organize your scraps. It's amazing when a small scrap is perfectly suited for a card of scrapbook. And you can always use the backside of white-core cardstock or patterned paper when you need white. Or give your scraps to your children. My kids are constantly making friendship cards out of my scraps. They each have a basket on the family scraptable, and at the end of a project, I divvy up all my scraps in the three little baskets. They love the new art supplies, and I love to share my love of scrapbooking - and my time spent scrapbooking - with them.
9. Network with other scrapbookers for more low-cost ideas. Arrange a supplies swap with your scrapbooking friends. And read through the scrapbooking magazines for more money-saving ideas. In the last few issues of Scrapbooks, Etc. and Memory Makers, for example, I've read (and then used) the following ideas:
(1) Take photos of interesting signs and cut out the letters for fun, eclectic alphabets.
And (2) make your own stamps from your favorite font or images with a computer printout and some foam board.
You can subscribe to these magazines at significant discounts online. I've compiled the best deals on the industry-leaders here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbooking-magazines or see if you can check out current issues from your local library. Scrapbooking magazines often feature sweepstakes, drawings, and layout contests, in which you can win free supplies, as well.
You can also save on scrapbooking idea books and techniques books by shopping online. Overstock.com often has these books at an even greater discount than amazon.com, and their shipping is usually much less, too. http://www.overstock.com
Copyright 2005 by Susie Cortright
About the Author: Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com - http://www.momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking - devoted to helping visitors record and preserve their cherished memories. Susie also trains and supports new scrapbooking instructors with a new and rapidly- growing direct sales scrapbooking company. Find out how to join her team here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm

Scrapbooking Titles, Phrases, & Ideas

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Scrapbooking Children's Favorite Stories

Author: Fion Lim Countless memories are built during the formative childhood days. If there's an excellent means to record them down in some ways, it'll be scrapbooking. True, we can't possibly capture every single event, but we can definitely scrap those more memorable ones onto pages. If you've decided to scrapbook together with your kid, besides guiding them with little prompts on the journaling, you'll probably need some neat ideas to pull in those best memories.Here's various hot-selling "stories" that you and your child can scrapbook about:A) Story of the Birth of BabyKids love to read stories about themselves as babies. Having pages surrounding your child's birth will make him or her feel how much he or she is wanted by the family.- Photo of mommy pregnant with the baby.- Who waited for the birth?- Who came for the hospital visit?- Weight, length, doctor, hospital details.- Feelings of parents about the birth of your child.- Funny stories that happened.- Documenting baby milestones.- What's your kid's favorite bedtime stories?- Photo of your kid's favorite toys.As there's a chance that there's no photos taken during the birth, a good alternative would be to do a page on significant or historical events that happened on the day or year of your kid's birth. How to source for such information? Visit www.dmarie.com/timecap to pick up such data.Another idea is for your kid to do a page on his or her name and birthday. Record down your kid's feelings about his or her name. Why did you and your husband come up with such a name? What's the meaning of the name? Find out what famous people share your kid's name. Find out what famous birthdays share your kid's birthday. What's the best birthday party your child had? B) Story of FamilyFamily members are among the most influential people that influence a child during the growing years. Having your child scrapbook about the family will reinforce the importance of family connectedness in his or her life. - What does your child like about each family member?- Does your girl or boy like being part of the family? Why?- Does your kid like being the first-born, middle-born, in-between or baby of the family?- What does your child like about his or her grandparents? - What are the family chores that your kid handle? - Does your kid have a favorite pet? What does your child like about the pet? Get your kid to draw a picture of the pet.- Funny incidents that took place in the family.- Typical day at home. What's the daily activities that take place?- List of fun things your kid did with the family like sporting events, camping, and picnics.- Favorite family vacations. Where did you go and what did your kid do? - What's your kid's most memorable memories about the family?- Record the cultural heritage of the family.- Suggest that your kid draw a family portrait. C) Story of School DaysSchool is where the child will improve his or her fine-motor, language, art, math, problem-solving, expanding ideas and social skills. Many unforgettable memories will be formed here and your child would want to scrap these days.- Favorite subject at school. Why?- Favorite teacher. What does your kid like about this teacher?- Describe a typical day at school.- Describe the items in your kid's backpack. Photo of those items.- What does your kid like about his or her school? - Where does he or she usually hang out?- List of fun things your kid do with his or her classmates.- What extracurricular activities or clubs do you kid join? Since this is a personal choice, why did he or she choose it?- Who does your kid usually sit with at lunch?- Who are your kid's favorite classmates? What do your child like about them? - What are the memorable field trips?D) Story of FriendsFriends are crucial in the development of a kid's growth. By scrapbooking the theme of friendship, he or she will learn the importance of friends, and to dwell on the positive aspects of friendship.- Who are your kid's best friends? - What do your kid like about them?- What do your kids usually do when they are together?- Where are the places your kid love to hang out with them? Why?- What are the qualities your kid admire in his or her friends?E) Story of DreamsChildren has the amazing ability to daydream, imagine and dream big! You might want to encourage your kid to explore all the different possibilities. You'll probably have to give more guidance about journaling future jobs, things they want to achieve, homes and the lifestyle they want to lead. - What does like your kid want to become when he or she grows up? Why?- What are the duties included in the job?- Who are the famous/ordinary people with the career your kid admires? Photo of these people?- What are the qualities of the people with the career your kid dream of?- What kind of home your kid want to live in the future? Draw a picture of the dream house.- Does your kid want to be married in future? How many kids your child want to have? What are the qualities your kid look for in his or her partner?- List of top ten things your kid wanted most to do in his or her life.- What does kids imagine he or she will be doing during free time?- If your kid can have superpower, what does your kid want it to be? Why?- If money is no object, what would you child want to do with the money. Why?These are some of the common themes you and your kid can cover. There's many more. But these ideas will be a leaping pad to more ideas.Happy scrapping childhood stories!
About the Author
Fion is the creator of Everything-About-Scrapbooking.com - Learning about scrapbooking? Here's your guide to beginner scrapbooking. Find tips, ideas, inspirations, articles, and resources to free quotes, poems and fonts right here. http://www.everything-about-scrapbooking.com

Scrapbooking Titles, Phrases, & Ideas

Personalize your scrapbook with memorable titles....scrapbooking resource eBook highlights over 5,000 fun Titles, Phrases, Captions, Quotes, Sayings & Ideas!

Click here to get your ebook!

Scrap booking Online: Word Perfect or Corel Graphics Suite?

Author: Granny's Mettle Scrapbooks are very popular these days. I think that almost everyone wanted to capture family histories and stories in any which way they can. And with the onset of digital technology, scrap booking has even extended to newsletters and journals with photos and illustrations online and in the email. They've become so popular that it's not surprising to receive an entire scrapbook from your relatives and friends and loved ones even across the globe. With the advanced technology, people have been using graphic design and desktop publishing software to help them create wonderful and creative scrapbooks. Two of this well-known software is CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 and WordPerfect Office Suite 12.Each of the software has their own endearing qualities. Both applications are used to create newsletters as far as I know. But what software to choose? It all depends on what you want to create. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12For graphically-rich family history newsletter or time capsule, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 would be the ideal software as it is the easiest graphics suite available in the market today. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is a vector editing program. This software is definitely for illustration, page layout, and vector drawing. It has the Corel Photo-Paint for bitmap editing of photos and images for that professional digital imaging look. It has hundreds of clip art photos and images to choose from, which you can overlay your own family photos on top. It also has Corel R.A.V.E. 3 for motion-graphics creation. With the software's features and vast collection of photos, clipart and fonts, you can create and design a professional-looking newsletter or a family history time capsule, and even a memorable album where you and your family will find the highlights of your life in wonderful and elegant designs made by you.Corel's WordPerfect Office 12And if you're the simple type, and you don't want too much clutter, you can use Corel's WordPerfect Office 12 to create a no-visual and text-based newsletter. The software has an array of newsletter templates you can use to help you start right away with your newsletter. This so far, is the best alternative to Microsoft Office.Better yet, why not use both software to help you create your scrap book? One freelance newsletter designer who specializes in genealogy utilizes both software because the combination makes him complete his design tasks twice as fast. "I can create graphics in CorelDRAW 12 and quickly pop them into all my text-based WordPerfect 12 office documents because switching between files is very easy," he relates. This is made possible by the tools in both the software that reduce the number of steps required to finish his jobs. He adds that what makes it more worthwhile is that aside from saving time, finger movements on the mouth is also reduced, thereby reducing cramps and strains from the fingers to the wrist.For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.losangelesprintingservice.com
About the Author
Granny's Mettle is a 30-something, professional web content writer. She has created various web content on a diverse range of topics, which includes digital printing topics, medical news, as well as legal issues. Her articles are composed of reviews, suggestions, tips and more for the printing and designing industry.