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Saturday, September 7, 2013

Grandma's Ghost Gallery

Generous me. Overly generous me. Always helping the grandkids make cute seasonal decorations only to send them home as gifts for their parents. Enough already! This time I made something for myself....and kept it!

I LOVE it!

My trendy pennant garland is really just a string of flags that feature the artwork of all six grandchildren. Yes, even five month old Kaylee! It's expandable, so every year I'll add six (or more!) pieces until it not only wraps all the way around my house, but becomes a growing gallery of each child's advancing skill.

This year the three oldest kids painted with orange tempera seasoned with pumpkin pie spice. (Just sprinkle some into the cup of paint and stir with the brush. Smells yummy!) It might have been easiest to paint jack-o-lantern features, but I usually ask the kids to cut and paste those for the extra small motor development experience.













The gallery became ghostly after Bree went on a spirit-making binge once she was done painting. She fringed a sheet of white paper and added features (including shoes!) after grandma cut curved shapes above her scissored border.

The three youngest kids provided little ghostly footprints.








Once pieces were gathered, pennants were made of Halloween scrapbook paper. Artwork dictated the size and shape of each mix-and-match unit, sometimes even breaking the frame. Corner holes were punched, flags were arranged and tied together with raffia, and the end result became this grandma's most cherished decoration........

....which I strung between kitchen island lights - well above the reach of any of the cats - and lived happily ever after!















If you'd like one too - but your grandkids live far away - mail them a little box of art supplies, suggested activities, and a self addressed envelope. Then wait for your friendly mailman to deliver your own collection of treats!

Last year I posted a marathon of Halloween projects that everyone seemed to like. Here are the links to them all........

Spooky Theater and Ghost Sock Puppets

This lightweight, portable play stage is a concoction of cardboard boxes and wrapping paper tubes. There's a step-by-step tutorial included, along with directions for making dollar store sock ghost puppets.












Mason Jar Monsters

All in one - fork, napkin, food, and goofy eyeballs to watch your kids devour it all!









Ghost T-Shirt

Fabric scraps and iron-on application - that's it!
















Monsters!

Seat paper mache monster guests around your Halloween table. These are big enough to be "human." A crazy good time had by all!
Tutorial included.













Spider-ettes

The time to print little hands is before they become too big to bounce out of a cheerfully matted frame. Perfect gift!











Windsocks

Streamers, cardboard, paper scraps, glue and craft punches make a lively colony of seasonal, breeze-activated merry-makers!















Paper Mache Ghost

Last week's post - an easy, fun way to introduce paper sculpting to children.

















Harvest Party

Bring the season to a happy conclusion with a family party full of food, fun, and pumpkin-picking.

19 comments:

  1. Ho Hum you are always so boring.

    LOL NOT! :) This is adorable !! I always post your stuff to FB for my son's generation of creative mommies! :0) I showed his GF all your stuff last week when she was over here because we were thinking about doing the ghosts...

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  2. Oh I love the garland - such fun - and all the projects are super neat. It is good to get started early - Halloween will be here in no time.

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  3. I just love your garland and I love that you kept it for yourself! You deserve to have cheery decorations, too! They are so cute and I love all the sentiment of them. You have so many fun ideas!

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  4. Your garland is so adorable! They did a really good job with their pictures. I'd never heard of the pumpkin spice paint before, that's such a cute idea. I love all of your ideas, I can't believe you did all of those things with the kids! You're undoubtedly the funnest Grandma I know. :)

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  5. Love the garland, and also the spooky theater! What a fantastic idea!

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  6. This garland is a lovely idea, it really is. A brilliant way to remember milestones each year too. I really want to try the paper mache monsters, they look so good! The spooky theatre looks like fun too. I can't believe Halloween is just around the corner! x

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  7. Hey, J, I just can't figure out which project to do first! (I did pin a picture of the puppet theatre, which I think gives a link back here.) :O)

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  8. It's about time you kept something for yourself! And what a great choice, featuring the grands' artwork. Nothing better for grandmas!

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  9. I love your idea for an ever growing garland. Its a wonderful way to hang on to some of those early drawings. I also love the first photo in your post - nice and spooky with the shadows. It seems it's time to kick into Halloween mode!

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  10. Minnesota Farm LivingSeptember 9, 2013 at 10:42 PM

    Very creative - wish I was that creative!

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  11. I love this idea and now don't feel guilty for leaving up my pennant of posters from this summer. Grandson and granddaughter made me dozens and I hung them up like you did. When son visited, his son walked around and showed him each of the ones he'd done.

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  12. You are so very talented and creative! And it IS fun to mail packages with supplies for crafting. Great ideas my friend! I need a banner!

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  13. I love the footprints in the banner! So cute!! You sound like such a fun grandma. I stopped by from the blog hop, and love your blog.

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  14. I love your banner. What a fun idea! I bet your grandchildren had a blast (and probably you did, too!)! Thanks for sharing another great idea.

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  15. Joyce its a beautiful garland and I think I need to do one with my kiddos. You have quite a Halloween line up of ideas now, and Yes! I agree, you have to be the funnest grandma around!

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  16. LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of extending it each year as the children grow. Utterly gorgeous.
    (Stopping by via Friendly Friday)

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  17. Those mason jar monsters are too cute!

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  18. What to say except you have done it again and the rest of us grandmas are darn proud of you. What a hoot to combine Halloween with an art display the the grandchildren's talents. It is wonderful and the feet are terrific. I just love it!

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  19. Love the garland and putting pumpkin spice in the paint mix is a great (and delicious-smelling) addition. As always, you are amazing!

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