Last minute trick 'r treat bag from a grocery bag.

Happy Halloween! The best day of the year is finally here. Uh-oh. . . wait just a second. . . you just realized that you are going trick-or-treating tonight (yourself or taking little ones) and you forgot the most important thing - a candy bag! You can do this in a few hours, so get started now. Guess what? Kids can help, too. Have fun with this one.

Spooky eyes candy bowl.

I'm assuming that you are, like me, distributing candy tomorrow night. Unless you live, like I did not so very long ago, in a house out in the country where no one trick-or-treats. I have to say that I'm glad to be back in civilization and can't wait to see what the little ones come up with in terms of costumes tomorrow night. Yay for trick-or-treating!!

My pal Cathie Filian of the renowned crafting duo Cathie and Steve was actually one of my inspirations for starting this blog, so it was important to me that I feature her during Halloween week. She loves Halloween as much as I do. As I mentioned, I love trick-or-treating, and Cathie made this fabulous candy bowl that I wanted to share with you. She uses fabric, but don't worry about using Fabric Mod Podge for this one. This isn't a permanent home decor piece, so it doesn't have to be perfect. . . it just has to be cute, right? And cute it is. Thanks Cathie!

A menagerie of Halloween picture frames.

Aw yeah, did you notice I used a big word in the title of this post? Please tell me you are proud of me. I know many of you are dressing up lil' bumpkins for Halloween. Just so you know, this is my favorite kids' costume of all time. Also love this one and this one. With such delightful costumes available, you really must capture a picture and then put it in a fun frame. A fun frame you made with Mod Podge.

Visit Corey from Life with Little Ones right here to see her torn paper funky frames (first one pictured). Then go see Christy from Beach Brights right here to see her tutorial . . . Christy even makes the great suggestion of using these as hostess gifts.

Recycled spooky sparkly gift cups.

I go to Chick-Fil-A. A lot. Wouldn't you Southerners out there agree that it doesn't seem like fast food? Their restaurants are too clean. Plus I can get a delicious salad, or if I'm feeling naughty, waffle fries. I just love it. When I saw that Natasha from Shaken Not Stirred revamped a Chick-Fil-A cup into a gift and that it was for Halloween, I had to post it. She did it with glitter and Mod Podge.

Natasha was inspired by Over the Tipsy Top Design's glitter cups, and I'm happy to report that she also posted a tutorial which you can find right here. If you are having a Halloween party or going to one, this is a great last minute favor or hostess gift. Would it be weird if I made one. . . and gave it to myself full of candy?

Halloween candleholders - light them up.

I like nothing better than a little ambiance on a spooky Halloween night. Halloween is the perfect time to pretend you have no electricity and try to do everything by candlelight. And if you are like me, you eventually turn the lights on when the fun wears off. Kinda like picking up the fork after a few minutes of chopsticks.

Wendy from Craft Jr brings you these cute little votives created with a few different methods. Note that all of them use Mod Podge. See how to make them here - she even gives you some basic decoupage instructions (which is awesome). Are you getting Halloween excited? I am. Gotta get some candy before Saturday!!

Glowing jack o' lanterns.

It's difficult to express in words how much I love these lanterns. I would do an interpretive dance for you if I could. Or maybe I'll just send you to Emily at Not So Idle Hands, since it was she who made these. There are so many great things about them - inexpensive, kids can help, you can use them to light up your sidewalk for ToT'rs. . . . Brilliant. Visit her here to see this group, or here to see the original pumpkin group she did. You'll see Royal Coat pictured in her tutorial, but not to worry - RC is the cousin to Mod Podge (still made by Plaid), and Mod Podge works just fine.

Thank you Emily, for starting off the week of Halloween with such a cute project.

It's Halloween week! Oh, and another giveaway.

Yay! I've been waiting all year, and it's finally here - the week before Halloween. That means I'm going to post Mod Podge Halloween projects all week. I like Halloween because:
-Orange and black are nice together
-You can dress up like anybody or anything you want
-Candeh is yummeh
-No gift giving pressure
-Mod Podge projects are the most funnest this time of year, duh!

I'm starting the week with a project of my own - Halloween minis. I love mini things, and it only seems fitting that I combine minis with my favorite holiday. I know you want to get to the giveaway, so I'm abbreviating instructions here. I used Martha Stewart papers and embellishments from last year (she has some really cool ones this year at Michaels). Acrylic paint was used.

Small birdhouse - Paint birdhouse black, roof, perch and base paint white. Make orange polka dots on top of the black with the end of a paintbrush. Cut paper to fit the roof and Mod Podge down. Seal the entire birdhouse with two coats of Mod Podge. Add ribbon and embellishments (buttons and stickers) with craft glue.

Cat plaque - Paint plaque and wood cat piece black. Cut papers to fit the front of plaque and then the cat piece. Mod Podge the paper to the cat piece, coat it again and set aside. Coat the outside edge of the plaque with FolkArt Extreme Glitter in black (this stuff rocks!). Let dry and then Mod Podge the paper down to the top of the plaque. Mod Podge on top and allow to dry. Then glue down the cat piece, a ribbon on the top and some eyes (used orange rhinestones) with craft glue. Add black rhinestones around the edges on the points.

Okay, that's done. Now, THE GIVEAWAY. It's Mod Podge, of course!

Meet Shimmer, Sparkle and Glitter! With the holidays coming, I thought I should spread the specialty love. So what's the deal?

FIVE winners.
You pick TWO bottles - choose from Silver Glitter, Gold Glitter, Silver Shimmer, Gold Shimmer or Sparkle.

All you have to do is leave a comment sometime this week telling me your favorite thing about Halloween. That's it! One entry per person. Contest ends Halloween night at midnight. Enjoy your Halloween week!

Kenna helped with this dresser.

I really love the first photo in this "before and after" dresser project. I always wanted to have a creative room with lots of photos and posters and knick-knacks when I was young, but my parents preferred white wicker furniture with nothing showing. I have to say, the one thing they would let me do was paint my walls - so I did it often. Creativity comes out however it has to my friends!

See the cute girl in the second photo? That is Kenna! She helped her mother Marcy decoupage this (previously pink) dresser for her room re-do, which I think is awesome. Get 'em Podging early, I say. Marcy tells me that the dresser was purchased over 40 years ago by her parents at Goodwill for $10, so in today's dollars that's about $1.69. Yes, I used an inflation calculator. Be kind to nerds.

Anyway, Marcy and Kenna don't have a blog, but they do have awesome Mod Podge skills as you can see. I love the paper they used as well as the flower handle details. One last thing - if you are one of those thinking about beginning a Mod Podge furniture project, get to it! You have the whole weekend. . .

How to transfer inkjet images to wood.

I am so happy that I met Katie from Matsutake. It was just recently we began swapping e-mails. I already like her for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to her sense of humor. It seems a lot like mine. She's also superbly talented, as demonstrated by her handmade creations. Finally, she's from Minnesota, and experience has shown me that everyone from Minnesota is nice. Life holds no mysteries, dear readers.

Okay, maybe a few.

How to transfer images to wood with Mod Podge was actually a mystery in that I didn't even know it could be done. I'm amazed that Katie figured it out and posted a tutorial on her blog - visit it right here. The applications for said transfers are endless, and I am envisioning pug transfers on a few things right now. Yay, thanks for the great new idea Katie!

Decorative chair backs from Miz Martha.

Just when I think "I'm having a creative day. I'm good enough, smart enough, and people like me" . . . Martha Stewart comes out with another fantastical decoupage project and makes me realize I have to step up my game. That's okay - she is the queen of crafts, right?

These chairs are from IKEA, and Martha took about five minutes to whip out the covers and decoupage them on. I'm serious, I saw her! Anyway, visit here for the supply list and instructions. Also, if you'd like to see more Martha and decoupage projects, check out these baby blocks, these pineapple votives and then some vintage looking animal collages.

Mini-notebooks from countertop samples.

A Spoonful of Sugar is a blog featuring a mother/daughter team of crafters located in Australia, and I'm so jealous. Surprisingly it's not because of their exotic location (although that is way cool), but because I would like to be part of similar team with my momma. My mom lives across the country (in Seattle), but it would be awesome to decoupage with her on a regular basis. Love you mom!

Said mother/daughter team came up with these mini-notebooks, which completely impress me because they are made from countertop samples (among a few other things). Visit their blog here to see how they used Mod Podge to turn throwaways into completely useful items. I'm guessing that you have something around the house that can also be recycled into something fabulous. Hmmm?

Refashion your bathroom scale with some fabric.

My job is to bring you the best of Mod Podge on the web - doing that job means I find really interesting projects like the scale above from Junie Moon. You might remember Junie from this post. I was delighted to find out that what had been Podged to the scale was fabric, and you know that is my favorite. Didn't Junie do a great job? I'm really amazed at the ingenuity. Visit here to get the entire tutorial.

Lonely autumn tree mixed media piece.

I'm so happy to say that Mod Podge played an integral role in the development of this gorgeous piece by Julie King. If Mod Podge were nominated for an Oscar for this project, it would be Best Supporting Actor - and it would win. I have to say thank you to Julie not only for letting me post this project, but also for finally providing the many of us who were curious a tutorial on how to bring a mixed media piece together. I find it to be fascinating. Visit Julie here to see the tutorial and to also see more of her amazing work.

Inspired image from Things We Make.

Framed in 70´s fabrics
Originally uploaded by PinkFriday

I was recently asked by Amy at Things We Make to pick an image that inspired me. I chose the one above, and you can visit Amy's blog here to see what I said about the photo. Note that reading what I wrote when I was being serious is like hearing my voice played back on a tape recorder.

A Mod Podge card made with bling.

"Amy," you say, "we like glitter." Guess what faithful Podgers - I bring you some! Actually it's not me that's bringing it, but Tresa from Fabulously Artsy. She's a very talented artist also known by the moniker "The Stamp Goddess." She's great with stamps, which I think is awesome because I am not. She's also good with Mod Podge, and she used some on this card, specifically to add the bling! Visit her blog here to see the card as well as more of her crafty creations. Don't forget to use Paper Mod Podge for your cards and other scrapbook-y paper projects. It's archival!

Lamp and bow frame from a great room makeover.

Abbie from Forrest and Abbie has a great sense of style. Her posts are delightful and she's just naturally got a good eye. She also likes color a lot, which is great because I too like color a lot. And as I sit here I wonder what Abbie would think of my vibrant blue t-shirt with a polka-dot green sweater. The shoes, Roos with zippers, match the shirt and sweater. I think Abbie would approve!

You'll have a hard time finding such great use of Mod Podge throughout an entire living space. Check out the room and all of the goodies in it here, and then go to the special tutorial that Abbie did for us right here.

A Mod Podge covered album.

I liked Leigh-Ann from Freckled Nest immediately when I found out she lived in Winnipeg, Canada. It's a place that I feel I have to go one day because it's a recurring theme in my life. I meet people from there a lot . . . it comes up in conversation and in articles I read . . . kind of strange for a city in Canada!

I've never been disappointed by a Winnipegger, and Leigh-Ann is no exception with her wedding albums that she put together for friends. The nice thing is that you can make these for just about any occasion, and personalize them any way you want to. I also like that you just need one paint color per album, and the painting is easy. As you know, the Mod Podging is even easier. See how Leigh-Ann did it here.

Post your notes on my collage corkboard.

I like everything to be convenient - yep, I'm one of THOSE people. Crafts are an area where it takes some effort to pull everything together, so sometimes I think it's nice to have to the work done for me. I was so tickled when I recently stumbled upon the site Gauche Alchemy and found that have fabulous mixed media kits. Their kits pull all sorts of goodies together in a package, so I ordered one straightaway. I went through my pile of crafting junk (ie., stash) and found this old thing that needed a new life:

Spatter-painted celestial frame + Gauche Alchemy kit + cork = yay!!

I also wanted to try a fun little collage, and this project enabled me to get my feet wet. I didn't even have to think about what to collage - it was all there for me. Visit Gauche Alchemy's blog here to see my step-by-step tutorial; I turned an old frame useful with Mod Podge and almost no effort. I'm so proud!

Mod Podged shoes.

I've never featured two bloggers in a post at the same time, but I'm feeling wild and crazy today. Crazy is a good adjective actually, because Mod Podged shoes prove to me that NOTHING is too crazy to Mod Podge. Except maybe a baby diaper. Or a plant. Or your pug (no, I haven't tried it).

As far as the projects, the first pair you see above is by Erika at Oops! I Craft My Pants - visit her entry here. The second pair is by Ashley at Make It and Love It - her tutorial is here. Now you know not to throw away those old shoes. Mod Podge them!

My very second giveaway.

Yay! It wasn't that long ago that I had a Mod Podge Starter Pack Giveaway - it went so well I knew I had to do something else very soon. I bring to you a great crafty book, Crafty U! I have SIX copies to give away. Whether you like Rosie or not (people love or hate her it seems), this fantastic book is packed with great crafties, especially if you have kids. It covers everyday to holidays to just for fun. And the best part: there are LOTS of Mod Podge projects inside!

Here's what you need to do.
1. Become a follower (scroll down and look on the left) OR follow me on Twitter. Doing one or the other gives you one entry, doing both gives you two entries.
2. Leave a comment telling me that you completed step one.

Do this any time from NOW through this Saturday, October 17th at midnight. Your comment doesn't have to be on this post, it can be anywhere in this blog. International players are eligible.

I think that's it - let me know if you have questions. One last thing. Come back in two weeks for another great giveaway. It's going to be the start of my Halloween-stravaganza, and you know I have to spread the Mod Podge love in honor of my favorite holiday.

A black bookshelf re-do - the backside in.

Laura from Rethunk Junk is the kind of Mod Podger I really like - enthusiastic! Mod Podge projects get her giddy, and I can totally relate to that. She did something recently that I always forget about. Laura accented the back inside of her furniture piece using fabric. I love it because it's subtle . . . but it still makes a statement. Are you noting the stripes and polka dots, by the way?

Visit Laura here to see more images of this bookshelf as well as all of the other furniture she has revamped with Podge. As her blog name suggests, how can you rethunk your junk with Mod Podge?

Vintage inspired elephant toy.

It wasn't even a week ago that I posted a project from Roeshel, the DIY Show Off. The problem is that she is so good - I had to feature her again. Check out this vintage elephant pull toy. I really like vintage toys, and I never even thought about making one myself. I've always thought toymakers had to work in little shops, in magical places, with little glasses that sit on the ends of their little noses. Yes, I have a big imagination.

Roeshel has outdone herself with this toy, and she provides a complete tutorial for how to DIY here. I thoroughly support her generous heaping of Mod Podge. Go visit her to see how it's done.

Stenciling and Mod Podge on artists' canvas.

The Creative Jewish Mom does a lot of fun stuff with paper, paint and stencils. She also combines Mod Podge with these things, and that makes her a quadruple threat! I really enjoy her beautiful work, and I know you will too. Her finished results are awesome, just like the example above.

Head to her blog and read the first post about how to make the actual artwork here, and then move onto the second post where you stencil the artwork here.

Guest blogging on Make and Takes.

Hi everyone! I'm pleased to be on Make and Takes featuring this no-sew Mod Podge Halloween banner. My only regret is that you can't see the polka dots on the fabric (small yellow swiss dots) and the cute little brads (little punkins with smileys). The problem is that my banner is so big - because when it comes to Halloween, that is completely how I roll. Check out the tutorial here.

Thank you so much to Marie of Make and Takes for having me.

oh dear. a dala horse tray.

Almost exactly eight years ago, my mom and I drove cross-country. We moved me from Seattle to Hotlanta, and one state we traveled through was the great (and long) Kansas. We were tootling along on I-70 when we saw a sign for "Little Sweden" - the almighty town of Lindsborg. Since we are good Scandinavians (Norwegians, to be specific), we drove the 19 miles out of the way to visit. Where am I going with this? Lindsborg was having a Wild Dala Horse Festival at the time. A dala horse is the cute little Swedish horse pictured above, a horse that brings me such great joy I can hardly stand it. One of my other great joys is Mod Podge, as you know.

So I had to feature this tray.

Lily from block-a-day was kind enough to let me feature it, a tray that she spruced up quite nicely. Visit her blog and the entry about this tray here. And if you ever find yourself on I-70, I highly recommend the pitstop in Lindsborg. Get the Swedish pancakes at the little breakfast place downtown. They are amazing.

Mr. Owl mixed media on canvas.

I realized after last week's POTW that my blog was completely lacking in owl projects. Because I am a concerned blog owner trying to meet the needs of the Mod Podging public, I quickly remedied this situation with this owl canvas from Becca at Blue Cricket Design (blog swapped with her on Friday, remember?) Mr. Owl didn't take too many materials, and I particularly like the vintage children's dictionary pages she used for the background. Visit here for more pictures and information, and look for Becca and more owls on this site again very soon.

Lord of the (key) rings.

I'm so happy to have met Roeshel, otherwise known as the DIY Show Off. It's not just because she writes cute titles to her postings (I stole hers for this post). It's because she, like me, uses Mod Podge to solve problems. Problems like where to keep keys.

Roeshel bought this snack tray and personalized it to be key storage, which is definitely something that I need. Let me tell you, my dear readers. Keeping track of my keys, cell phone and wallet are pretty much a full-time job for me. No one can develop another device that we have to carry everywhere and keep track of, or my head is going to explode.

Anyhoo, visit Roeshel here to see how she transformed a simple white snack tray into something useful. You're going to like her blog a lot because she features (besides herself) a lot of great crafters and artists. Enjoy. I have to go make sure my keys are in my purse.

Guest blogger, Becca from Blue Cricket Design.

Hey Mod Podgers! I'm Becca from Blue Cricket Design and I'm super happy to be here today! Mod Podge definitely Rocks but not nearly as much as Amy and her awesome blog! Both are two of my favorites!!! I'm thrilled to be able to come and play and show off my MP skills!

Are you guys ready for a little Halloween fun?

Introducing....

Halloween Hangy thingy-ma-bobs!!!

(a.k.a. Halloween Ornaments!)

Are they too much fun or what!!!!

I was introduced to paper-mache Christmas ornaments from my cousin! I thought to myself "Self! Wouldn't these be perfect for any holiday!?!" For sure!!

Some whimsical painting and Halloween colors make these little guys Spookerific!

Here's the "How To" low down...

What you'll need:

• Those glass ornaments I'm sure you can find in your Christmas stash! If you need to go get some check your thrift stores first! I picked up a 24 pack for 50 cents!!! SCORE!
• A newspaper
• The magic Craft nectar MOD PODGE
• Paint
• Patience...the painting can take a while!
• Wire for hanging
• Beads for added touch!

1. Get your balls ready! (trying not to laugh over here!)

2. Take newspaper and rip it into thin strips. If you rip from the top of the page to the bottom, it rips super smooth and even. HINT: The thinner the strips, the smoother the paper will lay. Strips should be about 1/4"- 1/2" thick.

3. Mix 1 part water with 1 part Mod Podge! Enough to submerge your paper in.

4. Dip each strip into the MP mixture being sure to get it completely wet. Using your fingers, wipe off excess mixture.

5. Start wrapping the wet paper strips onto the ornaments.

6. Continue wrapping paper strips and be sure to get the lip of the bulb that holds the top hanging thing.

7. Cover all of your ornaments completely.

8. Hang them to dry overnight!

Once they are completely dried you can start to get crazy and paint your heart out!

Get creative with your designs and patterns!

Add glitter and gems to add sparkle or cut out Halloween images from Scrapbook paper and MP them on! The possibilities are endless!


Add wire and beads if you plan on hanging them! I have mine hanging on door knobs and cupboard knobs throughout my house. You could also display them in a bowl or basket or jar just as they are!

Thanks for letting me share! Amy, you're the best!

Come check out my other fun projects at
Blue Cricket Design

Fall is in the air over at my blog! Come see what other amazing crafters have been up to and add your own Fall favorites to our "Falling" for Fall linking party!

click the button for a direct link!



Mod Podge on, my friends!!!!

Butterfly project that makes me want more punches.

I've recently started to understand why people love punches. They make SHAPES and LOTS of them. Just like this butterfly embellishment by Junie Moon above. She did it for a Holocaust Museum exhibit, which is pretty cool. After I saw this project, I purchase this punch and this one too. And OMG - look at this one!

June was kind enough to provide a tutorial for her fanciful butterfly, and you can find it here. She even has templates! If you have punches (like I now do) and a paper stash (I know you do!) then you too can create something similar. The bonus? You put it together with Mod Podge, and all is well.