The Pintertest Files: DIY Glitter Slime

    Hello everyone and welcome to the Pintertest Files!  Where I take a popular Pinterest post, test it out, and report back if it worked as promised, how easy it was, and if it is worth trying out yourself.

     January is always a tough month to get through, at least here in Iowa.  The big holidays have passed, there isn't any more vacation time to look forward to, and it is frigid outside  (today's high was 0).  All this adds up to some seriously stir crazy kids that make you realize bears have the right idea when they just hibernate on until spring.

     It's with this desperation for child entertainment that I chose DIY Glitter Slime as our next Pintertest.  The easy 3 item recipe that is posted on every mom blog the Internet wide, promising a colorful sensory playtime favorite that is not only easy to clean up, but impossible to mess up.

     A very special thank you needs to be sent out to my talented helper Gabriel who enthusiastically helped me test out this project and even offered some insight (see below).  Also to my husband who helped take photos when things got a little sticky.

What You Will Need:

Items needed to create slime all available at Wal-Mart 

• Liquid Starch (I could only find at Wal-Mart)
• Clear washable glue (with or without sparkles, it doesn't matter)
• Water
• Glitter 
• Measuring Cup
• Mixing Bowls
• Spoons or stick to stir with

     All materials are fairly easy to find, save for the liquid starch. I could only find that at Wal-Mart.  Not really an issue except that I had looked in two other stores first before heading there. 

Step 1:  Mix Water and Glue

For glue solution mix 1 container of Elmer's clear washable glue with 1/2 cup warm water

     Measure out 1/2 cup of water, place it in the mixing bowl.  To the water add a full container of the clear washable glue.  Mix until the solution is consistent and clear. 

Fully mixed solution will be clear and slightly thinner than the normal glue texture

Step 2: Slowly Add Liquid Starch to Glue Solution

You will need 1/2 cup of liquid starch, add it to the glue solution bit by bit for easier mixing

     Measure out 1/2 cup of liquid starch. Bit by bit, add the liquid starch to the glue solution and start mixing like you have never mixed before. 

As soon as the liquid starch is added, gel slime starts forming. 

Step 3:  Mix Until Your Arm Falls Off

Solution is fairly easy to mix at first

      Sore yet?  Keep mixing.  The mixture is going to be the delightful texture of baby snot. Pretty soon it will be impossible to stir with the spoon which is when you are ready for the next step...

As more slime develops it becomes increasingly more difficult to stir with a spoon

Step 4:  Ditch the Spoon and Start Mixing With Your Hands

At first the slime is VERY wet and difficult to hold

     I should mention that at the exact point you grab the full blob of mucous-y goodness and start kneading it, it is going to stick absolutely everywhere all over your hands.  You will doubt the ratio of ingredients, you will doubt that this will work.  Hell you will doubt your reasoning skills to involve your 5 year old in this hot mess of a project.  Keep kneading and mixing.  It gets better. 

With continued kneading it gels up but remains very sticky

Keep kneading, eventually it will solidify more and stick to hands less and less

Step 5: Mix in Glitter

I added glitter by piling it in the middle then folding over to create a pocket, no loose glitter touched hands or work surface

     If you followed step 4 unabashedly like I suggested, you now have a clear-ish slime that doesn't stick to your hands or hard surfaces.  Now is the time to add in glitter.  I found the cleanest way to do this was to flatten out the slime, add a heap of glitter in the center and fold the slime over on itself to entrap the glitter in a pocket.  Then simply knead and work the slime until the glitter is evenly distributed throughout.  

Create unique color combinations by mixing glitter 

    I should mention that I divided the slime mixture out into 4 individual colors.  Gabe decided to mix one giant batch.  The only difference is the amount of glitter required to get the full color effect.  If the intensity of the glitter isn't to your liking you can certainly add more.  You can mix colors to obtain a galaxy or rainbow like effect.  It's really up to you.  

Finished product - All 4 of these colors were made with one divided batch of slime

Step 6:  Storage and Play Precautions:

The peanut gallery didn't partake in the creation of the slime but did play with it afterwards (make sure littles don't eat slime)

     We found through playing with the slime, if it comes into contact with any paper products (in this case a paper towel) it will be impossible to remove.  Therefore slime shouldn't be used around books or important documents.  

     Cleanup of any slime residue was very easy with warm water and a little soap.  The twins got in on playing with the finished product and got some on their clothes (little scraps they pulled off that landed in their laps).  It cleaned up with some warm water. 

     For storage we placed the slime in some zip lock baggies to keep the air out.  As of yet there hasn't been any issues with drying out, although I'm sure with time and continued play the slime will eventually dry out. 

Final Grade and Thoughts:

     This was a complete and total success!   Not only did the slime turn out exactly as expected, but we had a blast as a family making it.  There was a period where the mixture was really sticky and I was concerned that perhaps the ratio of ingredients were off, but true to the tutorials word, the more you mixed and played with the slime, the better the texture got. 

    I asked Gabriel what he thought of the project once we were done, and if he had any suggestions for those of you who are wanting to try this yourself.  Here are some of his thoughts:

 "Making slime was AWESOME!"

"It's kind of messy, you should use a plastic place mat"

"It's gross but feels kind of good" (when we were mixing is while it was very sticky)

    Thank you so very much for stopping by!  If you have a Pinterest  idea that you would like me to test, leave the idea (and preferably a link)  in the comments section below!  Don't forget you can also follow me on Instagram (VPNilausen), Twitter (HawkimamaV), or join me on the A Beauty In The Chaos's Facebook page (here) for additional conversations and fun.  I will see you next week! 

  

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The Pintertest Files: DIY Erin Condren Cover

     Hello everyone and welcome to the inaugural episode of the Pintertest Files!  Where once a month I select a crafty DIY Pinterest post, try it out myself, and report back if it worked, if it was easy, or if once again Pinterest lied to us.  

     Since we are quickly coming up on the new year, for this month's Pintertest I have selected a DIY cover for the ever popular Erin Condren LifePlanner.   If you are unfamiliar with these day planners you can check the brand out here.  Essentially they are a nice and almost completely customizable day planner.  They have removable, plastic covers that you can swap out for different designs, but each cover comes with a pretty heft price tag (starting at  $10.95).  So of course when I saw that there may be a way to make these covers yourself, I had to try it out.

The following DIY is based on real life events, names and places have been changed to protect identities.  Viewer discretion is advised.

What You Will Need:

Materials needed as listed by original Pinterest tutorial

• Erin Condren LifePlanner
• Pretty Paper/Photos
• Scotch Self-Seal Laminating Sheets, size 8.5"x11"
• Scissors
• Paper Hole Punch 
• Ruler
• Marker or Pen
• Optional - double sided tape

Step 1: Measure and Cut Paper to Match Original Cover Size

Measure the inside "design" aspect of the cover, not the plastic.

     This is fairly straightforward and easy, simply measure the design element within the original cover (the paper part not the plastic) and cut your new paper to match that size. 

Step 2:  Use Tape to Adhere Outside Cover Paper to Inside Lining Paper

Front cover design and inside lining. 

     This step was labeled optional, and to be used only if you were planning on using a different design of paper for the inside lining of your cover.  This step can be skipped if your cover will consist of only 1 sheet of paper. It was suggest that if you are making a collage of photos for your cover, you adhere them to a backing piece of paper. 

Step 3: Laminate The Outside Part of the Cover

First layer of self laminating material, adhesive side up.

     Pull the backing off one sheet of self laminating material.  Place it flat on the work surface, adhesive side up. Next, take your design paper and lay it front side down in the middle of the adhesive sheet.  Leave plenty of adhesive material exposed as a border around the paper. 

Application of the first layer of laminating material.

     Again this step was fairly straight forward.  The laminating sheets are really static-y and as such want to fold over on themselves when pulling the back off.  If proper care is used it shouldn't be an issue, more of a minor annoyance. 

Step 4: Laminate the Inside Part of the Cover

Application of the second layer of laminating material, cover paper 'sandwiched' between sheets. 

    Pull the backing of a second sheet of self laminating material.  Slowly and carefully place it, adhesive side down, over the paper and first sheet of laminating material.  This will create a "sandwich" of laminating material with your designer paper in the middle.  Press firmly to remove all air bubbles, and seal around the edges of the paper where the two laminating sheets meet.

     This was a bit trickier as you only have ONE shot at this, so you better do it right.  Once the laminating sheets are down, there's no pulling them back up or apart.  Immediately upon pressing out all the bubbles, it became apparent that a larger clear plastic border will be necessary for this cover (vs the original), as the thickness of the paper prevents the two laminating sheets from meeting up immediately at the edge of the paper.  

Step 5: Trim Excess Plastic Away 

Front and back covers, fully laminated and excess plastic trimmed. 

     Trim the excess laminating material away.  Leave 1/2" margin on the side for hole punches, the remaining 3 sides leave a 1/4" margin. 

    Even though this step went off with out a hitch, it was at this time I start doubting the structural integrity of this project.  The original cover that comes with the planner is so much thicker and sturdier.  It's obvious that some kind of thermal plastic is used, not the flimsy plastic sheets utilized in this tutorial.  My original cover is showing some wear and tear on the corners and on the punched part where it connects to the spiral planner. If the thick plastic of the original cover can't hold up to daily use, no way is this flimsy laminate material going to. 

Step 6: Mark the Locations Where the Punches Need to Go

Marking hole punch locations using original cover as a template. 

     The beginning of the end. It was at this step that I recognized the first big mistake in the DIY instructions.  The holes on the original cover are not basic hole punch holes, but rather are made with a professional binding machine.  This is to be expected, clearly a company would use such a machine vs having a bunch of people hand punch holes in the covers.  However, the holes in the machine punched covers are smaller than a standard hole punch and the holes are oval, not circular. 

     Immediately it was obvious that the standard 1/4" hole punch was going to produce holes WAY TOO large for this project.  I quickly wrote this off as my own mistake, that I somehow overlooked instructions where it stated that a 1/8" craft punch should be used.  But no, the instructions didn't say anything specific about size, just "hole punch."  

     Also this tutorial claimed all materials could be found in discount stores such as Target or Walmart.  Just to explain the hole punch debacle, I actually bought a brand new hole punch from Target (a nice craft one) as my previous hole punch was lost somewhere in our move.  There was no size option just a cheap silver version vs a more expensive model. I splurged for the craft version. 

Step 7: Punch Out Marked Holes With Paper Puncher aka Where it All Went Down In Flames

First few punches produced less than stellar results. 

     Despite the issues with the hole punch size, I decided to move forward with the project.  I don't like to toot my own horn, but usually I can figure out ways to make things work.  I thought at worst perhaps I punch out over other hole to make up for the increased size.

Crafting punch, purchased at Target.  

     In hindsight I should have just threw it all away and set it on fire because the next 15 minutes of my life were nothing but a blur of jammed punches, cursing and vowing never to do another project again.  Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic, there WAS cursing though.  

Example of how the plastic material would jam the hole puncher. 

     I don't know what type of black magic voodoo cursed crafting wizard the original author of the tutorial was, but there is no way in hell that plastic laminate material was going to cut cleanly with a paper hole punch.  There is just no way.  The plastic was too flexible.  Most of the time it stretched and ripped before the punch could cut it cleanly.  Several times it jammed up the punch, requiring me to use considerable force to pry it open.  

Final result of jammed hole puncher.  Note how the plastic stretched, then tore. 

Project Grade and Final Thoughts:

     There are different types of laminating material offered by Scotch.  Including a self laminating pouch and a thermal type that requires a laminating machine.  Maybe one of those would work better?  Maybe if I had a different paper hole punch?  Or maybe the original author sacrificed a goat to the Martha Stewart gods and is now blessed the ability to work crafting miracles (I'm voting on the later).

   

   If you have a Pinterest project that you would like me to test, feel free to comment below or email me at ABeautyintheChaos@gmail.com.  Thank you so much for stopping by!  See you next week! 

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DIY Glowing Halloween Ghost: Part 2 Final Results!

 

     Hi everybody!  I am so incredibly sorry that this is getting posted so late in the day.  Last night we had some crazy thunderstorms roll through, lost power for a bit, and it rained like mad. So I didn't get outside like I anticipated.  However, I was able to finish the ghost project and I am so excited with the results!

     Before we begin with the final part of the tutorial, I'd like to give a big shout out and thanks to my husband Akim.  Not only did he help me with much of this project, but when I got seriously frustrated with the torso (fun combinations of words were used) he assured me that it looked ok and encouraged me to continue on.  So thank you babe!

What You Will Need:

Everything shown can be found at your local discount or craft store

• Packing tape
• Monofilament (fishing line)
• Plastic drop cloth (found in the painting section, the cheaper and thinner the better)
• Cheese cloth
• Light source (I picked this up at Walmart, you can use glow sticks or any directional light)
• Scissors
• "Ghost" Body (you can find directions for how to make this here)

     FYI the drop cloth and cheese cloth are strictly for decorative purposes  and not necessary for the function of this project.  If you so choose you can omit them, I am only including them as that is what I used to create this look.

Step 1: Hang the Ghost

    

Make a small hole at each location marked by an arrow - 4 holes total

     Using a pair of scissors, carefully cut a pair of holes on either side of each shoulder blade (I marked locations in the picture with green arrows. The holes do not need to be large, just big enough to thread the mono filament through.

Once tied off you will have a loop of filament though each shoulder to hang the ghost with

     Cut a long piece of monofilament (you can always shorten it later if needed) and thread each end through one of the holes in the shoulder.  Tie the ends together, and pull the slack back out so that the tied ends rest in the area of the shoulder between the holes.  Sorry I do not have a good picture of this, but to describe it differently you will end up with a large loop of filament, with a portion of it threaded through the shoulder of the ghost.  Do this for each shoulder.
    

Step 2: Decorate Your Ghost (optional)

Plastic drop cloth "skirt" secured with tape

     To extend the skirt of the dress, I cut a large piece of plastic drop cloth (didn't measure just eyeballed it) and draped it around the waist of the ghost.  I played with it a bit until I found a shape I liked and then taped it in place.  I didn't worry about it being even or anything like that, I only made sure there was some extra to pool on the ground.  It can get windy here in October and I anticipate anchoring the ghost at the base with some rocks and I wanted some extra "fabric" to hide them.

"Cloak" created by draping cheese cloth and securing with tape around the neck

      Next I started draping the cheese cloth to create a cloak-type look along the back and shoulders.  I didn't cut the cheese cloth to any particular shape, I just pulled it out of the package and tried out a few different ways of draping. When I decided on which way I liked best, I used packing tape to secure it in place.  

"Hood" also created with draped cheese cloth, secured with tape

      For the final part, I draped another piece of cheesecloth over the head to create a veil/hood-like look and then just let the rest of the cloth fall down the back adding another layer to the cloak.  Again I used packing tape to secure it in place.

Step 3: Light Up Your Ghost

LED spotlight used to light up ghost from below 

     If you have a directional/flood type light like I do, just plant the base at the bottom of the ghost and shine it up the torso.  I found this LED prism spotlight light at Walmart for relatively cheap and I personally think this type of light looks the best.  It has this cool swirling type effect which I think really adds to the overall look of the ghost, and you can keep the light source hidden down on the ground.   If you don't want to go that route, I have seen people use glow sticks to light up the ghosts (just activate them and tape them on the inside of the torso), I have also seen people use Christmas lights on a strand.  It's really up to you on what you want to use.


     That is it!  Thank you so much for stopping by and seeing how it all turned out!  When it dries up a bit outside I will get pictures of the whole scene and post them, it just wasn't going to work out today. If you like this project feel free to share on your own sites, feeds or whatever you use.  If you are feeling generous make a note for others to visit here.  And of course I would LOVE to see what you come up with on your own!  As always if you have any questions or comments, post them below or send them to my email at Abeautyinthechaos@gmail.com.

See you next week!
    

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DIY Glowing Halloween Ghost: Part 1

     Hello everyone!  As you may have guessed from my sneak peek image (and from the title of this post) this week I am showing you how I created a ghost for my Halloween graveyard. If you didn't see the sneak peek and wonder what I am talking about you can follow me on twitter at HawkimamaV. 

     I did not originally intend for this to be a two part post, but this project proved to be more time consuming than I originally anticipated ONLY because mass quantities of packing tape and small children do not mix. Something about the ripping sound of tape and the magical stickiness makes kids think "oh hey I'm gonna put this in my hair, on the wall, on the cat..." anywhere you DON'T want packing tape. I'm telling you now if you have small kids resolve yourself to only working on this project after the Littles go to bed. Consider yourself warned. 

     For this first part I'm going to show you how I made the main part of the ghost, the head and torso. Tomorrow's post will be about adding the details, how I am hanging/securing it outside, and lighting it up.  I will also include some photos of the graveyard scene and our outside decor, so make sure you check back to see the final result. 

What You Will Need:

This is what you will need for today's part of the tutorial:

• Clear Packing Tape - at least two large rolls
• Styrofoam Wig Head - you can find these at Hobby Lobby for $4.
• Saran Wrap
• Scissors
• Pillow, dress form, or someone volunteering to be your "torso" 

Step 1: Wrap the Wig Head in Saran Wrap

Wig Head (bought at Hobby Lobby)

     Try to get it as tight as possible, covering all the surface of the Styrofoam. It does not need to be smooth, and the number of layers does not matter, although to keep the details of the nose, you may want to limit layers to 1 or 2.

Step 2: Apply 1st Layer of Tape Sticky Side UP

I added some tape around the chin/neck first, then started in on the top of the head

     I found the easiest way to work around the curves and details of the face, was to work with smaller/shorter pieces of tape vs longer pieces.  Lay the pieces down slightly overlapping each other creating one cohesive layer of stickiness covering the full head.  On tight curves and angles (nose, chin, neck, etc) feel free to fold the tape over on itself to mimic the shape in the tape. Again do not fear wrinkles and folds in the tape.  You do not want this to be perfectly smooth, the wrinkles will catch and reflect the light adding to the overall glow of the ghost.  It's more important to get a solid layer of tape that covers the entire shape. 

Step 3: Apply 2nd Layer of Tape Sticky Side DOWN

What it will look like after two layers of tape, note the wrinkles and folds

     In other words you are making a packing tape sandwich, with the adhesive sides being the tasty peanut butter middle.  Again for the head, it's best to work in smaller pieces, working slowly over the surface to ensure that there are no sticky parts left exposed. 

     For a time reference, I made the head while watching The Walking Dead, and Talking Dead.  So I spent roughly two hours just on this one part (the torso took far less time).  It was time consuming but I am far more pleased with this part of the project.  Spending the extra time was worth it. 

Step 4: Carefully cut the "Cast" Off the Head

Beginning of the incision, just wiggle the scissors under the tape

     Using a pair of scissors, I created a "T" cut.  The main vertical part extends up the back and the short horizontal slice is along the top of the head.  The tape layers are fairly sturdy, but if you use too much pressure it will rip along the parts you cut.  I found it best to gently fold the tape flaps back and ease the head out using a consistent and constant pressure. 

The vertical and horizontal cuts making the 'T' incision 

Step 5: Pull Off Remaining Saran Wrap and Tape Up

The 'cast' is fairly sturdy, use additional tape to close up the incision

     After the head cast is off the Styrofoam form, pull off any Saran wrap that is easily removed.  If some parts remain stuck to the tape, just leave them and cut off the excess.  "Stitch" the cut on the back of the head with packing tape, use at least two layers to keep it secure. You can reach the inside of the head via the bottom of the neck to cover up any exposed adhesive. 

Step 6: Create Your Torso Shape 

This is a king sized pillow, a standard pillow will work fine as I didn't use the full length

     I didn't feel like using a human model, nor do I have a dress form, so I created a vague torso shape using a pillow.  I simply tied a piece of saran wrap around the middle to create a waist.  In hindsight I do wish I had borrowed a dress form or found a human model as I think it would offer a better definition of shape, but this turned out fine too.

Step 7: Create the Torso Cast with Tape

Wrapping the tape around tightened up the form a bit, causing it to lose some shape. 

    Create the torso cast by following the same steps used for the head. Since there are fewer curves and details to work around, I sped things up by using larger pieces of tape.  The removal process was also the same as the head, I made a cut up the back and pulled the pillow out.  

     To attach the head, I cut a circular opening in the "shoulder" part of the torso. I then inserted the neck into that hole and secured it with pieces of tape.  I did this before stitching up the large cut on the backside of the torso so that I could place some tape on the inside. When in doubt add more tape! Just keep going until you have gone over the entire junction of the two pieces.  Doing so creates a surprisingly stable head. 

Triangle incisions made at the bottom to help flare out the base 

 

    This ghost will have a fuller skirt.  To start the beginning of that form, I made some triangle shaped cuts along the bottom of the torso, flared out the bottom, and added some additional tape to get a wider shape.  This isn't necessary, it's just something I am doing. If you want your ghost to be a man you can stop here or you can create some legs and attach those in the same manner I attached the head. 

Completed torso, it's fairly sturdy and very light

     That is it for this part.  Tomorrow I will continue with the skirt, some additional details and the hanging and lighting of the ghost.  If you have any questions on a particular part of this tutorial, please feel free to ask below in the comments.  I will do my best to answer/explain more of what I did.  Being a visual person myself, I tried to include photos where applicable, but unfortunately this project doesn't lend itself to easily being photographed.  

I will see you tomorrow!  

 

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DIY: Gothic Halloween Wreath Tutorial

     Hi everyone!  And welcome to my favorite time of the year!  Yes, it is October and I can officially put up all my Halloween decorations without making the neighbors wonder if they need to put me on the neighborhood watch list (ha as if I am not there already).

     Today I wanted to share my tutorial for this Gothic Halloween wreath.  I was inspired to create this look by (surprise surprise) my time spent in Pere Lachaise.  Many of the monuments there had wreaths, both temporary (comprised of flowers) and permanent (carved into the stone, or cast in bronze).  I really wanted to keep the monotone look of the wreathes carved into the stone, but seeing as I am not a mason and my front door would not support a granite wreath... grapevine and flowers it was.

     So I settled for this kind of rotten, decrepit looking thing.  If you like what I have done, please feel free to share, or to take this idea and expand on it in your own unique way. The only thing I ask is that you share your creation back with me as I love seeing how people expand on ideas.

What You Will Need:

• Grapevine wreath - any size, this is a 22" available at Hobby Lobby (remember your coupons and shop when floral is on sale)
• Flower/Leaf stems - any kind, I chose 2 leaf stems and 2 Hydrangea looking ones.  Also available at Hobby Lobby or any craft store
• "Scary Fabric" - this is literally what it was called, I got it in the Halloween section of Walmart.
•  "Trick or Treat" sign - I think I picked this up at Homegoods for like $4, but you can find this or similar signs everywhere.
• Plastic skeletons - picked these up at Target last year on clearance after Halloween.  I know they have something similar again this year. 
• Flat black spray paint - you could use a gloss or a satin to achieve a different look, for this I chose the flat. 
• Black zip ties (not shown)

Step 1: Spray Paint the Wreath and Flowers Black

    My motto when dealing with spray paint: don't be stingy and take your time. 10 super light coats will look better than 1 thick coat that drips or streaks. I probably could have gotten away with using just one can of spray paint, as I barely tapped into the second can.  However, I wanted to make sure I got everything coated evenly on the grapevine wreath so I went over it a few extra times. 

     For the flowers I used quick succession pulses of the spray paint, instead of one continuous spray. It kept the petals from sticking together too much.  Also while I was painting, I liked how a really light layer of paint would still allow the original colors through, it kind of gave the flowers a more rotted look, so I kept the paint light.  

Step 2: Drape the "Scary Fabric" Over the Wreath

     I only ended up using a fraction of the fabric that actually came in the package, so have a knife or a pair of scissors handy to cut off the extra.  There was no rhyme or reason to how I cut the fabric, or even how I draped it.  I just tried out a few different placements and stopped when I thought it looked cool.  Remember to keep the remaining fabric!  I'll probably re-purpose mine for our mantel decor.

Step 3: Attach the Sign

     My sign had these handy little wall hangers.  If your sign doesn't have them,  they are super cheap and easy to apply.  Or you can use hot glue to attach the sign.  I'd personally go the wall hanger route, as it was super easy to thread the zip ties through the hangers, and then just tie them onto the wreath.  

Step 4: Add the Flowers

     Just as I did with the fall wreath tutorial (you can find that post here), just shove the stem part of the leaves and flowers right into the grapevine. There should be enough braided material in the wreath to grab hold of the stems and keep them in place.  If you find yours is falling out, you can use a dot of hot glue to secure it.  

Step 5: Secure the Skeletons with Zip Ties

     I wanted to keep the skeletons pretty loose and pose-able, so I used a single zip tie around the spine.  If you wanted to keep the skeletons posed in a particular manner, you could easily use more zip ties to keep their arms and legs in one spot. It's entirely up to you. 

Step 6: Hang Your Wreath 

     I am assuming you already know how to do this, but it seemed like a good way to end the tutorial.  In case you are interested, I have a dual sided wreath hook that hangs over the top of our door.  I love these types of hooks as I can easily remove the hook when necessary.  Also it makes a convenient location to "store" whatever permanent sign or wreath you usually have displayed on the interior side of the door.  I currently have the fall wreath I created hanging inside, as I will put that one back out once Halloween has passed.

     Thank you all for visiting!  I'd truly love to see what you all come up with for your own homes!  Please feel free to share your comments and include links to pictures or blogs showcasing your designs!  See you next week!  

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