AUTUMN

Painted Pumpkins: Anything But Orange

*Whooosh!*

Did you hear that?

That was the sound of summer getting up and leaving. Says she’s only going to get a sandwich and “I’ll be back in a minute.” but you know darn well she ain’t coming back for eight months. Maybe more. We can dwell on this or we can prepare for the festivities of ~~pumpkin latte~~ autumn season. Huzah!

And let’s be honest; is it ever to early for pumpkins?

Duh. No. It’s always time for pumpkins, especially if they look like 1980s rainbow arcade games dressed as gourds.

I know what you are thinking: Why green pumpkins?

Not going to lie: I have no idea. It wasn’t my agenda to make green pumpkins and actually, in person they seem more multi-color than green, but you know, sometimes certain colors want to shine brighter. I’m not going to stand in the way. For me, I have always been nuts about adding a dash of mint and lime and turquoise to counterbalance the typical fall scheme of red and orange. And you don’t see that a whole lot. So I brought my green game up a notch and you know what? I’m digging it.

And nothing wrong a dash of magenta too. Right magenta?

Right.

Want to see their origins in action?

Here we go…

Get yourself a bag of mixed gourds from Michaels. The little ones. You can buy big ones but you get a lot more bang for your buck with the variety pack of little ones. They are 40% off this week, so yeah. You might need to hit that. And while you are over there, grab some acrylic craft paint and some brushes. I also decided to go nuts and use a white paint pen and glitter the stems, but that’s optional y’all. The paint is the key.

1. Dab. Dab on the paint with a brush. Like loose, non symmetrical polka dots.

2. Splursh. Splursh some diluted paint all over. No, splursh is not a real word but it’s more accurate than splatter. Splurshing is when you load the brush then run your finger across the bristles and pray to God it ends up where you want it, maybe, but probably not.

3. Glue. Smother the stem or maybe the whole top of the pumpkin with an extra thick white glue like Tacky Glue.

4. Glitter. Pour glitter all over. Tap off excess.

Not Pictured, step 1.5, wherein I accidently dropped all the newly painted pumpkins in the grass, all the colors mixed up in each other, thought I liked it, then let it dry and decided to go over the ugly spots with a white paint pen. I repeatedly conclude that white paint pens fix everything.

So that’s about it. How about you – are you jumping on the pumpkin train early this year? Will you buck the orange pumpkin tradition for lime and turquoise? Do tell!

Looking for new autumn craft ideas? Check out what the other Michael’s Makers are doing this fall.

An InLinkz Link-up

Metallic Leaf Love

by aunt peaches 1 Comment

Turkey day is nearly here, huzzah! As someone who has never been big on football, one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is to keep busy with easy craft project after the meal is over (or if you are lucky enough, before the meal is up because some fabulous family member is doing all the cooking). When I was a kid this meant stringing popcorn, but now we have moved on to much snazzier territory: metallic leaves!

These look lovely scattered around the harvest table, or spread in a bowl. If you are lucky enough to have access to magnolia leaves (still green and sturdy this time of year) you can hang them all over the Christmas tree too. All you need is a the right marker and a little imagination. Get the details from Pentel!

I Wallpapered the Desk

by aunt peaches 28 Comments

Well folks, the day is here! I have been in my new studio for a month and absolutley itching to show you guys what it looks like inside, but I couldn’t. I mean, I wanted to, but I didn’t. This is like that time my parents hired a cowboy to come to my birthday party and told me not to tell anyone so he could ride in as a surprise SO OF COURSE I TOLD EVERYONE and then when he rode in the oomph factor was gone. No oomph whatsoever. Also, “the cowboy” wasn’t a cowboy it was my dad’s friend Bob wearing a white stetson hat, and the “the ride” was a Toyota Celica with a horse poster taped to the side. But I digress. My point is here I didn’t want to build this up and not deliver…but whoa!

You guys. This desk delivers.

THIS DESK.

Yeah. Let’s talk about this desk!

The budget for this room was non-existent. This whole rental thing is new to me and I told myself to prioritize function, only buy what I absolutely need, then ‘shop the house’ for anything else. Well, I needed a desk (actually, a couple of desks…)and as luck would have it, the former tenant left behind an enormous L shaped desk. Super functional, super ugly. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with faux wood laminate, but there is nothing right with it either. And it’s just not a good neutral surface for making stuff, you know?

So I called a charitable organization to come and pick it up, but there was a four week wait. I went ahead and decided if I was going to live with it for four weeks, I could jazz it up and live with it for good. So I got my drill out and unbolted the underbelly, split the L shape in two, then thanks to Kathryn’s suggestion on Instagram, I reached out to Chasing Paper to see about covering it up in style. Removable wallpaper FTW!

If you have been following my blog for a while you know I am a long-time fan of Chasing Paper’s removable wallpaper. I used it to cover my fridge the first time and the second time, and this summer I used it to create an accent wall in my bedroom in under and hour. Love this stuff! So when I saw that one my favorite artists, Lisa Congdon, partnered with Chasing Paper to create a line of traffic-stoppingly-cool new patterns, I was smitten. This needed to happen!

Oh man are these cool. I’m tempted to call them 70s Folksy San Francisco-Scandanavian looking but if you know Lisa’s work they are really Lisa looking, which is why I love them. If you are not familiar with her work, check out her shop, or even better – take art lessons from her over on Creative Bug.

Speaking of lessons, let me show you how easy this was…

BAM. Peel and stick, baby. Peel and stick! No glue. No special tools. Just the paper and box cutter.

It took about two hours by myself. I used 8 sheets, but I probably could have done it in less if I had not matched seams or covered the inner side walls. This desk has more angles and edges than my previous projects so I was a little concerned, but it was super easy. Just stick it down and smooth it out. Larger patterns like this are surprisingly forgiving, and even on the underside where I gave up on trying to match seams, it still looks terrific!

This particular pattern screams COLORING BOOK (and you know I love a good coloring book). Think I’m going to start with the inside panels and see if it grows from there. I like the idea of keeping a cool/neutral/black/white background for more colorful painting and craft projects, but I also like the idea of it becoming colored with time. Speaking of which, in case you are curious, the flat surface on top is already stain and water resistant. The paper is almost like a lightweight vinyl. Water beads up on top – it does not soak in on contact. It’s not plastic like oil cloth, but I have gotten some paint smudges on it in the past month and they wipe right off if I get in a timely manner. The paper is not created to be a flat work surface, but by golly it’s doing the job just fine.

This is my view to the front. Not too shabby…

Oh, and did I mention there is a fireplace?

This wallpaper looks real good with a fireplace.

There are still plenty of improvements I’d like to make, starting with that ceiling fan (not a fan) (no pun intended)) and I’d like to get a more substantial work chair for me (I’m trolling Craigslist for a wingback with roller feet) and some more comfortable guest chairs than these red aluminum castoffs from my dining room days of yore. The red chairs are cute, but some very important people are going to sit in here and I’d like them to be comfortable.

Yes, Abraham. You are a very important person and you deserve more comfortable chairs. Patience!

The rest of the room is an undulating work surface or flowers and stripes and glitter and whatever else the day has in store. The Christmas workshop situation is about to explode up in here and I’m excited to see it happen. My hope it that it will be as beautiful as it is functional and this desk is the anchor piece to it all!

– Thank you so much to Elizabeth at Chasing Paper for making another one of my removable wallpaper dreams come true (she is the bestest!)

– Thank you to Lisa for designing this beautiful design which will become the visual soundtrack to many new creative adventures.

– Thank you to Kathryn for giving me the idea in the first place.

– Thank you to the doctor lady who used to rent this space and left behind a massive desk in need of a makeover.

– And thank you to YOU for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Visit Chasing Paper online, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

DIY Desk Caddy

by aunt peaches 3 Comments

Now that I am paying good money to rent a studio for the specific purpose of working, I determined to stay organized. No, for real. I mean it this time. I know I have said that before, but I am on a new path. It’s new. That counts. And I have a new rule too: nothing is coming in this room that does not serve a purpose. Function before form.

For every item I ask myself, Does it bring me joy? Does is directly relate to generating revenue? If I can’t answer yes to at least one of those questions (preferably both) it never crosses the threshold. Bam!

This is a new approach for me so I am investing a lot of energy into keeping organized. Even boring stuff like bills and invoices are going to be kept to a minimum and contained in lovely, colorful fashion. And because my budget is slim-to-nothing, I thought an all-purpose desk caddy would be a good place to start.

It’s colorful. It’s functional. It brings me joy and it pays the bills. Literally. And it was made from stuff I already had in my recycle bin/junk drawer.

Want to make one too? Thought so. Hop on over to Pentel and see how it’s done!

DIY Tassel Napkin Rings

by aunt peaches 6 Comments

Confession: I hate napkin rings.

No, really. It’s hard to hate something like a napkin ring, but I do, I really do. So imagine the surprise I felt when I was setting the table and a wave of inferiority rushed over me. I NEED POMPOMS. I NEED POMPOMS. I NEED POMPOM NAPKIN RINGS!

…and thus, a new chapter began. Much like the last chapter, it was filled with pompoms and tassels and yarns of yore.

And by yore, I mean the largest yarn stash ever known to someone who does not knit.

I have been on a tassel making kick for months, making small batches at night in front of the TV. They pile up in plastic bags in my craft room waiting for the day (probably any day now) when I turn them into knob bobbles. If you don’t know how to make yarn tassels, check in over there first. Get your tassel on!

The keys here is to leave the hanging strings long enough to tie them together (I also tied on a couple extra long strands for good measure). Then I braided the strands together and tied it off in a loop. It’s a little messy, but really, who is counting on neatness here?!

Confession: Those aren’t even real napkins. I just buy a yard of 100% cotton fabric, rip it in quarters, wash in hot water with baking soda and towels (puffs up the fibers), and let the edges fray. Nice thing about napkin rings is you don’t have to iron. Hayo!

Another confession: These babies stopped being napkin rings 20 minutes after these photos were taken and are now hanging on a Christmas tree. More on that next week!

Painted Chargers for a Holiday Feast

by aunt peaches 12 Comments

I have been toying with the idea for painted holiday plates for a while, but I’m not patchouli enough to hang out at the local pottery shop wearing Tevas and tube socks. Since Thanksgiving is upon us, I decided to do a little experiment with painting chargers. Neither chargers nor placemats have been of interest to me in the past, as it seems like just one more thing to have on the table. BUT. In this case, when you pair a painted charger with a glass plate, it’s like having mini art pieces on the table.

Lookit!

Wouldn’t mashed potatoes look really good on that?

Yeah. I know.

Want to make some? It’s crazy easy. It’s just layers of splotches in a circle-ish pattern around the plate. Let each layer of paint dry before you move on to the next. Or not. Maybe you want them to blend. You do that. You be in charge. Get it girl!

Materials
Gold Chargers $1.50 each
Martha Stewart craft paint, Satin finish $1.99 each (colors used here, bottom to top: Wild Blueberry, Granny Smith, Wedding Cake, Beach Glass, Habanero)

PS: You’ll find everything here at Michaels craft store. Yes, I am a Michael’s Maker. No, They aren’t sponsoring this. It’s just handy when you can find everything in one place.

Won’t the paint wash off?
I can’t speak for every acrylic paint on the market, but I really like this Martha Stewart paint in the satin finish (mixed review on the others). `The label reads:
“Use on Wood, glass, metal and fabric. Indoor/Outdoor Water based. Non-toxic. Weather resistant. Shake. Dry 1 hour between coats. For glass: Clean surface with alcohol. Cure 21 days. Top-rack dish wash.”
Because the charger here is probably plastic coated, and acrylic will never stick to plastic as well as other surfaces, I would probably not put it in the dishwasher. And I would never soak it in a sink like regular china. But a soapy rinse and wipe down? Sure thing. These haven’t even cured 48 hours and I can testify to them surviving a good rinse and dry in my kitchen, no special sealer or anything. And I’m not eating on them directly, so really, I’m not that worried. Worst case, if some of the paint did come up, it would just mean more of the gold underside showing through, and I like that. Problem solved. Boom.

You gotta love fancy china, but there is something awesome about clear glass plates. Especially since you can find them at most any thrift store or Dollar Tree. Inexpensive, all occasions, and you can add to your collection at any time.

And…while we are chillin here before dinner, did you see my centerpiece?

A cluster of glittery gold candle sticks, also from the thrift store (all five for sunder $10, btw)….but using my not-so-secret method for making no-shed glitter objects. Because nobody needs glitter in their cranberry sauce.

Or do they?

You can get the deets over at ILovetoCreate.com.

I’ll admit, I made these chargers just for the fun of it. I’m not doing a big Thanksgiving feast, butttt, if I was, I would go back and make these in autumn colors on this metallic brown base. Or for Christmas or Channukah, maybe a selection of blues in navy, white and periwinkle on these silver chargers. Or maybe just buy some blanks and let the munchkins go wild. Is that a family art project I hear coming down the tracks?

Toot toot!

Welp. That’s it. Your place is set. Who is coming over for dinner?!

Mercury Retrograde

by aunt peaches 21 Comments

Want to see an impressive eye roll? Start talking to me about astrology.

Look, I know Yoko Ono won’t get her hair cut unless the stars are aligned in her favor, and that is a valid opinion, but I do not share it. Not even for Yoko. Not long ago I heard someone on the news, who was actually a credible reporter, explaining that the Bashar al-Asad, Asyrian president and overall genocidal tyrant, was doing the things he does because he was born in September, and as a Virgo, he has “extreme control issues.” Honestly. WTF? He was born in September because his parents had sex in January. That’s how human gestation works. It’ not a Virgo thing, it’s an asshole thing.

And hey! Guess what? I’m also a Virgo. Surprise.

Anyhow. Despite the fact that I do not believe in astrology, I wholeheartedly believe in the concept of Mercury retrograde. A lot of people understand, conceptually, Mercurian retrograde is a time of upheaval. Bad luck. Chaos. Astrologers explain it as the universe’s way of reminding you that you are not in control, and to surrender to the forces of sacred things that never wear deodorant. Scientists explain Mercury retrograde as a blip in the cycle. Most people have heard of it but few understand what it is, so let me explain it in a nutshell; both the Earth and Mercury orbit the sun, but at different rates. Mercury walks a little faster. Eventually that slight extra speed creates a noticeable distance, so a few times a year, Mercury sees the Earth has fallen behind and takes a quick break in rhytym wait for his pal the Earth to catch up. In that brief period of time, there is a sort of catch-up thing that happens and everything in the universe notices that the pair were briefly out of lock step, and it’s awkward. Really awkward. And while I do not believe in astrology, I do believe in physics. I believe in energy. And believe in the immeasurable domino effect that is created when something as BIG AS AN EFFING PLANET decides to quit marching along with everyone else.

It’s like, have you ever been driving along and someone in front of you suddenly slams on the breaks, so you slam on yours, and even if you don’t hit the person, it scares the crap out of you and you can’t think or do much of anything for a couple minutes? You know that lingering feeling of fear and chaos? That. That is Mercury retrograde.

I hate it. And guess what? Mercury has been in retrograde alllllll week.

So if you have been having a crappy week, good news, it’s be over on Saturday the 25th! And let me tell you, I cannot wait. This week has been a goat rodeo. I have surrendered all control. And while I will not bore you by complaining about everything that has gone wrong this week, I will say that yesterday, just as I had settled in to what needed to be my most productive work day in months….THE POWER WENT OUT.

Thanks, Mercury!

The power company estimated a 2 hour blip, then 2 hours came and left, then it was 4, then it was 6. All is fine now, and I’m thankful for this luxury that we call electricity, but yesterday, when I was freaking out, I needed something to do. This went way past the point of stress cleaning, and since I didn’t have any ice cream in the house, and it was too early for decent liquor, I went with the next best thing: rhinestones.

I organized my beads, sequins, crystals, confetti, and anything else that came in a tiny cup. It started as total chaos, but I took control, and not because I am a Virgo, and whipped this mess into a thing of beauty.

Tangent: Why can’t bead/sequin/notions manufacturer up their game with packaging? Could they not take a hint from the shredded cheese people and sell things in clear resalable bags? Would that be so hard? Would it? Think cheese!

So. Lucky for me, Menards sells these bin organizer tackle box situations. I have seen similar tackle box things in stores before, but usually the drawers are really small. This model offers a mix of big and small drawers, so I have room for growth. Which is important when you have hoarding issues.

Before this, I was keeping everything in a Tupperware full of ziplock baggies. And most of the beads are still in that set-up in a drawer, just a lot more organized. There is something so cathartic about sorting through sparkly things. I don’t know how to explain it, but it might be better than therapy.

Remember the gold magnolia wreath I made for Kiki a couple years ago? She gave it back!

And now it’s all done. I have my power back, and I can see all my sparkly stuff at once. This makes me want to make gem sweaters for every day of the week. Not this week though. If you need me, I’ll be holed up at home waiting for Mercury to get his butt of retrograde!

Sparkle Tooth Alert: Collage Clay Crystal Skull

by aunt peaches 15 Comments

Two things I can never get enough of: frosting and rhinestone skulls.

I needed something to coordinate with my Liberace gourds, naturally, and since sugar skulls are all the rage, this needed to happen. He’s out on the bookshelf now but I’m thinking he may need to stay out year round. Nothing says Christmas like a crystal skull!

I must give credit where credit is due — I totally stole this idea from this crystal skull I saw on Cathie and Steve’s Facebook page. I don’t think they will mind me telling you because I’m also going to tell you about their product, which is my new favorite thing: Mod Podge Collage Clay.

Materials

Mod Podge Collage Clay goes on like frosting but it’s a actually a glue. A puffy, air-dry glue. If you have ever made mosaics using tile adhesive and grout (love the look – hate the process) you are going to LOVE THIS STUFF. It comes in a tube, like frosting, with tips, like frosting, in pink or white…like frosting. Dries light weight but heavy duty enough to hold your stuff in place. I picked some up at Michael’s for $10 (now on sale in stores only for $5.99), and used a little more than half the tube to cover this basketball sized skull. Now I’m thinking of eleventyseven other things I want to make with the other half of the tube. I’m not going to say what rhinestone creature will emerge next, but it might begin with “tape” and end with “dispenser.” Shhhh.

Skull I also found this jumbo foam skull at Michael’s for about $10 (now on sale for $6.99), however, now that I am contemplating keeping this bad boy out year round, I am regretting that I used a foam base. Next time I’m thinking about getting a hollow plastic skull ($1 at Dollar Tree), filling it with sand, sealing it off, then cover with crystal sparkles, then set on the bookshelf. BLMAO Instant book end! How’s that for practical thinking? I know. You’re welcome. If you’re not into bookends, the foam is nice and light. Actually, they sell these HUGE foam skulls at World Market too, like, as big as a car seat. They go for $40 right now, but I’ll bet they will be on sale any day now. I’m thinking you could just make a huge one and mount it as a hood ornament. I’m so tasteful.

Rhinestones I’v mentioned this before but I’ll say it again, the best deal running on crystal gems is this one pound bag. I have never seen it in stores, but you feel free to hunt around. This project could also be a great opportunity to break up an old necklace and salvage the beads, or buttons, or maybe just the sparkliest crap at the bottom of your junk drawer. I’ve got 46 cents in Canadian coinage that me best destined for new and glamorous heights!

Applying the Collage Clay really is just like putting on frosting. I know I keep comparing it to frosting, and you are bored of that, but that is the only relevant comparison I can think of. Just squeeze it on and spread it out….don’t lick your fingers.

Then you stick in your gems and goodies and leave it alone. The package says it dries within 1-5 days, but I found it to be much faster. I would say it dried to the touch within 5 hours and was perfectly solid overnight. It probably didn’t cure 100% for another day, but I was free to put it on display the next morning. No coaster or special protection needed.

After the collage clay dried, I went back the following day and coated the eye sockets, nose and mouth with clear-drying Tacky Glue and laid in some more sparkles. I can’t tell what makes him look more crazy – the pink eyes or the diamond teeth. Every time I look at him I hear him singing “LET ME SEE YOUR GRILL.”

Let me see your what?

“Got da whole top diamond and the bottom row’s gold.” – Nelly

Annnnnnnnd that’s about it. Easy peasy. I’m not sure if you are supposed to use gloves, but I didn’t. I got some on my counter but it wiped off with a paper towel like….wait for it…frosting.

You knew I was going to say that didn’t you?

Also. Because this is important. I would like everybody to know that I did not stage this rhinestone skull on a field of gold sequins; it’s here laying around all the time. And by all time, I mean all week. It’s costume season and Abigail wants to be an iguana. I think she meant the iguana from Dora the Explorer but I’m going to reinterpret this as the iguana from the Solid Gold Dancers and telling myself it’s for her personal safety. Sequins are mother nature’s safety reflectors. We must keep the children safe.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Monday: Vin Diesel and Skelton Flamingos

by aunt peaches 4 Comments

Skeleton Flamingos. Because who needs good taste when you can have skeleton flamingos?

What’s shaking, Sweetums?

Welp. Let’s mention the obvious: last week I finally switched my blog platform. Goodbye Blogger, hello WordPress! Things look a little different on the front end, but trust me, they look VERY different on the back end. You like? I’m diggin it. My cyber housekeeping list is as long as my arm right now so I’m chipping away a little more everyday. Bear with me if things look a little wonky in-process. She still hasn’t put on her pantyhose just yet.

And, speaking of technological learning curve…here are six holidays that need to be updated for the internet age. Who is starting to feel guilty about Columbus Day? Dang.

Looky: 24 awesome tattoos for librarians.

Also, I hate taking selfies, but this new French Girls app has me tempted.

Someone ranked all top ’90s YA fiction. I’m not saying I agree with it (*cough cough* Sweet Valley High plays second fiddle to no one! *cough cough*) but it’s a trip down memory lane (or shall I say, Fear Street.)

Other exciting news on the book front: how the lost chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was discovered.

And here’s a map of European countries with literal translations of their Chinese names. This means, potentially, Ikea exports could now read MADE IN VERY LUCKY SOLDIERS.

I am a recent convert to the pom-pom maker gizmo cult. This is a really good tutorial on how to make them.

Equal parts delightful and disturbing: Vin Diesel singing Christmas carols alone with his computer. You could not pay me to watch a Fast and Furious movie, but the dude’s voice is oddly compelling.

…in other news, it’s been an exciting week for me on the social media front.
Pop on over to check out my latest blog post for Queen Latifah; 13 No-Carve pumpkins that are going to rock your world. Everything from thumbtacks to decoupage to birds in jaunty hats.

Speaking or rocking my world…Mark Montano —best-selling author, designer, television host, Gandalf-level craft wizard, and fellow possum lover— instagramed my gourds! This means I have officially made it as a crafter. Even my cat was like, MARK MONTANO???? NO WAY! And I was like, I KNOW LOLA. I KNOW.

So that was exciting. Let’s close out with one of my all-time favorite Mark Montano videos featuring zip ties, peeler beads, and not-at-all creepy circus music. Happy Monday!

Pimp My Gourd

by aunt peaches 21 Comments

Now is as good of a time as any to tell you that I watch ice dancers on youtube late at night and sometimes I get really angry that they are not wearing enough bling. I mean, the hell? If you can’t count on ice-effing-dancers to hold down the sequin quota, who can you count on? Nobody. That’s who. It used to be the Russian contingency could always be counted on to festoon themselves in sparkles (that’s what 80 years of communism will do to a nation) but now they have all gone tasteful too. I blame Vera Wang.

Anyway. Now that the weather is cooler and it’ll be another three winters ‘til I get a decent round of icecapades, I turn my eyes to the humble bounties of the Midwest: gourds.

Here in Illinois, gourds are easy to find. Just about anywhere that sells pumpkins will sell some sort of gooseneck gourd situation. Home Depot sells small ones for a buck, and big ones for $10. Important side note: my local Home Depot also keeps a shelter cat in their greenhouse named Xena The Warrior Princess, so you know they are good people. So that’s why I buy my gourds from them. Last year I spray painted a bunch of them gold, then I let them set out in a box on my sun porch all winter thinking they would dry out and by this fall the gourds would be nice and dry. But you know what happened? One of the gourds went rotten and instead of drying it just melted over the other gourds and one day I opened the box and was like a car accident. A big, moldy, wet fart smelling car accident. So. That’s my way of saying I do not suggest you dry your own gourds. Unless you have a nice cool/dark place you can dry them without touching each other. But that’s not me. Where was I? Oh yeah, gourds.

If you have the patience to dry your own gourds for decorating next year, by all means, be an over achiever like that. I found mine on clearance at Crate & Barrel for $3 (another advantage to living in Illinois: the Crate & Barrel Factory Outlet) but you can also buy them online from farmers like this guy.

If you wanted to make these I’m guessing you pretty much know what you’ll need.

-Dried Gourds
-Rhinestones*
-Tacky Glue*
-White and/or Gold Sharpies**
-Gold glitter sparkle glue paint***

*Note on rhinestones. There are a lot of things in life I know very little about, but cheap rhinestone isn’t one of them. If you are looking to buy/use/hoard acrylic gems, the best bargain is this one pound bag from Michael’s online, courtesy of Darice. My local store sells some smaller grab bags of crystal-rhinestone-thingies, and they are great, but if you want some bang for your buck, this is it. It comes in a giant jumble bag, which I like, but if you don’t, sorting rhinestones by color is oddly soothing. It’s also a great way to occupy a squirrely kid for an hour or two. This bag runs for $15 online, but if you use one of their 40% coupons it runs less than $10. Ten bucks for a pound of happy is a good deal.

** Note on Tacky Glue. I don’t know why anyone bothers to use any other kind of glue. Just don’t. Tacky glue is THICK. And it holds stuff. And it dries clear overnight. Rhinestones deserve a firm glue. They deserve it!

***Note on White/Gold sharpies. There are a lot of good paint pens on the market, but to write on a gourd it will need to have a felt tip or the nib will get gooked up writing over the textured surface, especially if you purchase the gourd and it’s oiled. No water-based ink is going to stick. Sharpies are the best/cheapest/most effective.

***Note on gold glitter sparkle paint. I’m insane for the Scribbles brand of gold glitter puff paint. Actually, I shouldn’t call it puff paint because it doesn’t puff. It dries flat, but, the density of the glitter is much higher than other brands. You’ll find very similar glitter paints/glues in any given craft store, but the Scribbles packs a lot more punch. I use it on lot’s of projects just as tiny little dots like putting tinsel on a Christmas tree. It adds an extra layer of depth and sparkle. And it’s cheap, so you know I love it.

I like to snake a line of the gold glitter all over the surface like a snail trail or something (see wet blobs above). You’d think they’d be glittery enough without it, but no, they really need that extra punch. Trust me.

These gourds joined some of the rest of my Liberace pumpkins from previous years. Weirdly, I can’t find half my Liberace pumpkins right now, so you every well might see them making an appearance come Christmas. I don’t think Jesus will mind.