I Love to Create - Haunted Milk Carton House

This summer I scored a large bag of Little People for my daughter at the thrift store. Included were animals, knights and Little People dressed in their Halloween costumes. Tallulah has plenty of fun playing with her Little People as is, but I thought why not kick it up a notch and start getting her in the Halloween spirit. We missed the recycling last week so I had cardboard milk cartons starting to pile up and it dawned on me what cute Haunted Houses they would make!


SUPPLIES
Cardboard Milk Carton
Scissors
Paint Brush
Crafty Chica Little Chica Paint Pack
Paint Brush
Sandpaper
Craft Knife
Aleene's Acid Free Tacky Glue
Hambly Overlay
Vintage Photographs
Scrap Booking Paper
Halloween Themed Chip Board
Trim


The first thing I needed to do was use sandpaper to get the waxy topcoat off of my milk carton so I could paint it black.


Every haunted house needs a door and a window so your Little People can go inside and play. I used a craft knife to cut out the shapes from my milk carton.


I decided to use Aleene's Tacky Glue to attach a piece of clear Hambly overlay inside my window. From here hot pink and black became my theme.


I decked out my window in sparkly pink trim for a little extra some-somethin'.


To keep up with the hot pink theme I used some Hambly rub-on's that look like doilies/spider webs on the sides of my haunted house. I used Aleene's Acid Free Tacky Glue to adhere some vintage photographs of children that were kinda creepy.


I used a scalloped edge template and scissors to cut out paper shingles for the roof of my haunted house. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue to attach alternating strips of paper.


I added a few last minute frills like chipboard around the door and a rosette with another creepy kid over the door.

Seems like a lot of work, but actually a milk carton was transformed into a creepy casa in a couple of hours and most of that was paint and glue drying time.




All that is left to do is bust out the Little People and the haunted house is ready for action!

Have some extra milk cartons lying around? Check out these other crafty up-cycled options!

Halloween Cartons by Stampin Addicts


Halloween House by Little Lovely


Haunted Milk Carton by The Little Room

The Round Top Roundup Fall 2010 - The Scores

Well I finally got all the goodies from my Round Top shopping basket photographed. It's a smallish haul for 3 full days of shopping, but if you have seen the Etsy video of my house or Apartment Therapy home tour you know that I am packed to the gills around these parts. I have started saying for everything that comes into the house something else has to go.



One of my favorite scores of the flea market also happens to be a perfect illustration of an inexact market. I saw these adorable cardboard cut outs for toddlers at 3 different booths. The first booth had them for $35 each. A little steep for my blood. The second booth had them for $15 a piece. The third booth was in the middle at $20 a pop. I ended up getting these two for $20 at the $15 a piece booth when I asked the vendor if she would give me a better deal if I bought two. They will be perfect for my upcoming Halloween party and any other play dates!


I briefly debated not getting this Fisher Price Barn and Silo even though it was only $12. It was hot, the end of the day and I was far from the car and didn't want to carry it - thank goodness I came to senses. The only pitfall is that the doors no longer moo when they are opened and closed.



Like most flea markets you can still get things like turkey legs, jalapeno jellies, ducks in bonnets and new things. I have Halloween tunnel vision at the moment so I was happy to find some reproduction vintage Halloween decorations. The actual vintage stuff is so expensive I can hardly afford it so these pumpkin pals and black cat were a welcome find.


It might be a few years before Tallulah can actually wear this little vintage dress, but I can wait. Mini bolero jackets are always a must have.



Kitschy dolls dressed in polka dots and wearing tortoise rim glasses call to me. Nestled into dusty piles I found these little gems. Not sure what I'll do with them, but since when has that ever stopped me?


I thought this tin Peter Cottontail doll would fit right in with my Easter Bunny collection. He was earless, but my mom got crafty with felt and now Peter can hear once again - it's a miracle.



I did manage to find a few vintage, or maybe I should say retro Halloween decorations. I also scored some big puffy black and orange paper balls that hang from the ceiling I didn't photograph. Expect pictures later in October when I find a home for them.


More Fisher Price! Wobbles the dog is wood and only cost me, brace yourself....$5! I drove to the flea market with my father-in-law and we found Wobbles who is wood and heavy right off the bat. My sister and mother were meeting us later and I happened to see them driving down the road and ran across traffic to hand off Wobbles so I would not have to tote him around all day. I also found a Fisher Price Chime Ball and when I got home I realized that it was my 3rd one. whopsie.

So did you make it out to Round Top this year? Planning on going this week? I'd love to see your pictures or hear about what you scored!

The Round Top Roundup Fall 2010

3 days full of shopping adventure in the middle of a cow pasture have come to a close, Round Top I miss you already. One of the highlights was on day 1. I took Tallulah with me and people would stop and say "oh is it baby's first Round Top" and I would reply "no it is her 3rd, 4th if you count in utero". I came home with oodles of good stuff that I will show with you in my next blog post. Today I wanted to share a few of the pictures I took to rub in what you missed. Don't forget you can still go next weekend. If not this year there is always next spring.


One of my fave booths is always Clutter, they give good staging.


What do I always say: once you have 3 of something it's a collection. Check out this ready made collection of hobby horses!


Rick rack can you really ever have too much? Just tonight my mom needed lime green ric rack and since I am a firm believer you can't have too much trim I was able to oblige.


No Round Top Roundup is complete without the obligatory dirty doll head montage.


I thought I had hit the toy box jack pot when my eyes met with this colorful elephant, but alas he was $75.


I love these old medical posters. I wished I had Tallulah with me on the day I saw this gem so I could fully explain the whole "mommy has a baby in her tummy" concept.


Why oh why are vintage Halloween decorations so expensive. These blow mold lamps were $100-$150.


What don't I want in this picture?


Round top is a crafter's paradise whether you sew, embroider, mosaic - you name it.


As mother says "never buy a chair at a flea market". If you have been walking all day in the heat on gravel any chair is going to seem comfortable even hard molded plastic ones like these. However, when chairs are this awesome does comfort really matter?


This little menagerie of cherubs again proves my theory that everything is better with a coat of day glow pink spray paint.


I could redecorate my whole house in one fell swoop at Clutter.


I have Halloween on the brain as I plan my annual pint sized Halloween party. This pile o' plastic pumpkins kind of makes me rethink all the jack-o-lanterns I have been snubbing at the thrift store. Enough of anything starts to look cute.


It took a lot of will power for me not to go overkill buying vintage Fisher Price toys. I came home with a few, I'll show ya in the next blog.

Some of the vendors get crafty with their antiques. What was once a boring old Rococo Revival chair now has polka dotted flower power. Put that in your Victorian parlor and smoke it.

Ok kids hold tight while I photograph my loot and I'll be back with a part two to the fall 2010 Round Top Roundup.

I Love to Create - Sweater Clips

After last week's I Love to Create post about monogrammed sweaters I thought it was only appropriate to follow up this week with another cardigan accessory, sweater clips! Antiquated to some, but to others the ultimate way to sass-a-fy your sweater set.


PINK FOREST FRIENDS SWEATER CLIPS
Supplies
Fabric
Felt
Sweater Clips
Fabric Fusion Glue
Scissors


Just because I used a forest friends fabric does not mean you have to. Take a stroll through the fabric aisle and see if something else with graphic images catches your eye. I chose a pink fox and porcupine to use for my sweater clips. I roughly cut them out and using Fabric Fusion Glue adhered them to a piece of stiff black felt. Allow the fabric and felt to dry completely.


When the glue is dry cut out your images. Gluing the fabric to the felt should help prevent fraying. Glue your fabric graphics to your sweater clips. These little babies are not only cute, but they keep your cardigan together.

Let's make another pair out of felt!


NESTING DOLLS SWEATER CLIPS
Supplies
Felt
Scissors
Fabric Fusion Glue
Sweater Clips


Again nothing says you have to make Russian Nesting Doll Sweater Clips, use your imagination and create something else. The felt possibilities are endless. I have made felt sweater clips that were telephones, lipstick and cute little faces and hearts. Cut out your shapes, glue them together, attach them to your sweater clips and presto magic!

In case you are feeling inspired I thought I would show you a few other sweater clip examples. Wondering where the heck to get sweater clips? Well you can easily make your own with alligator clips and chain or you can find some ready made ones in my Etsy store!