Pool Noodle Witch Legs

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I love DIY crafts using supplies from the dollar store, and Halloween is the perfect time time for dollar store inspired projects. Yesterday, I made these pool noodle witch legs, and I am super-happy with how they turned out.

Aren't they cute?  To make your own set of pool noodle witch legs:

1)  Cut a pool noodle in half and pull a dollar store sock onto each noodle.
2)  Glue a witch's shoe to the foot end of each sock. (I found these ones at the dollar store.)
3)  Put some floral foam in the bottom of a "dollar store caldron", and then stick two wooden skewers or dowels into the foam.
4)  Stick the open end of the pool noodles over the dowels.
5)  Use tissue paper to hide the foam.
6)  Add a dollar store sign (if desired).

I love how simple this DIY Halloween decor project was... and it looks adorable in my hallway.  What do you think of my pool noodle witch legs?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find OVER 50 MORE easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Eyeball Cake

I wanted to make my boys a fun Halloween cake.  So today, I baked my own version of one I saw at The Joy of Boys (which you can find here).  I think my boys are going to love this simple eyeball cake, don't you?

To make the eyeball cake:

1)  I started with a cake mix that I prepared according the directions on the box.  Then, I bake the cake for 70 minutes (at 350 degrees) in a greased, oven-safe glass mixing bowl.  (I would check it after 45 minutes, and then increase the cooking time by increments of 10 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean.)

2)  I let the cake cool, and then I frosted it with pre-made white icing.

3)  I added a little blue food coloring to some of the white icing, and used it to make the colored part of the eyeball.

4)  I used a tube of black decorating gel to make the pupil of the eyeball.

5)  I finished by adding some "veins and blood" with red decorating gel.

Didn't it turn out cute?  It was easy to make, and I think it is a perfect Halloween dessert for my three little boys.  Do you have a little one that would enjoy this adorable eyeball cake?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Peter Pan Costume

My oldest son decided that he wanted to be Peter Pan this year for Halloween, so today, I am sharing the tutorial for his DIY Peter Pan Costume.

Didn't it turn out cute?  I started by making a Peter Pan tunic out of a green t-shirt from the dollar store.  I used tape to mark where I wanted to cut, and then I cut zig zags from the sleeves and bottom of the shirt.  Then, I cut a slit for the collar and pinned it down.

I also cut zig zags out of the bottom of a pair of green shorts I found on the clearance rack at Walmart.  

I couldn't find green tights for under the shorts, so I bought a white pair from the dollar store, and I dyed them with food coloring and green kool aid.  I boiled them on top of the stove, stirred them around, removed them from the heat, rinsed them with cold water, and hung them to dry.

Then, I made a simple hat from green felt, and I added a red feather with hot glue.  {I hand-stitched mine, but fabric glue would work well if you want a no-sew version.}

To finish the look, I added a brown belt from the dollar store and a sword from our dress up box.

My 8 year old is very pleased with his Halloween costume, and I like that it was easy and inexpensive to make.  What do you think of our DIY Peter Pan costume?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE no-sew costume ideas here.)

5 Non-Food Halloween Treat Ideas

Halloween always comes with an avalanche of chocolate and candy, so I always love finding fantastic "candy free" treat options for my boys to give to their friends.  Today, I am sharing 5 spooktacular non-food Halloween treat ideas that are easy, inexpensive, and 100% sugar free.

1) Halloween play dough kit - This adorable treat includes a package of orange Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for homemade Halloween play dough.  Click here to download the free printable playdough recipe gift tag.

2) Mazes - This little "maze" game is inexpensive and sure to be a hit with little ones.  You can download the "I think you are an a'MAZING' friend" free printable gift tag here. 

3) Googly eye glasses - These silly glasses are sure to make little ones giggle.  You can download the free "'Eye' am lucky to have a friend like you" bag toppers here.

4) Pictures with pencils or little toys - Add a personal touch by attaching little gifts to photos.  You can find all the "how to" details here.

5) Tic Tac Toe game - This tic tac toe board is definitely more "treat" than "trick".  You can download the tic tac toe boards {for free} here. 

Aren't these great alternatives to Halloween candy?  I bet you have some fabulous ideas too.  I'd love to have you share some of your favorites in the comments.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Candy Free Halloween Treat {play dough}

I love a fun candy free Halloween Treat, and today I am sharing a really simple and adorable idea that would be perfect for a child to share with his/her classmates.  How cute are these "make your own Halloween play dough" kits?

Each inexpensive kit includes a package of Kool Aid, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a recipe for play dough.  Fun, right?

You can download the 4X6 copy of my favorite play dough recipe here.  Just right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular photo.  With one hour photo processing, this makes a fantastic last minute class treat.

Do you think your little ones would have fun sharing this candy free Halloween treat?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Printable Halloween Tic Tac Toe {candy free treat}

Candy is an inevitable part of Halloween, but it is always nice to have some candy free options for kids to share with their friends.  This year, I designed an adorable free printable Halloween Tic Tac Toe board.

Isn't it adorable?  You can print the boards for free and use buttons or coins to play the game.

This printable is set up to print like an 8X10 photo (with two game boards per sheet).  To print your own copies, right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print like a regular photo.

I sent a bunch of these cards to Staples (our local office supply store) for printing.  I printed them on cardstock, and they look really great.

These are a fantastic candy free option for class treats or Halloween parties, don't you think? No need to worry about allergies with these fun Halloween Tic Tac Toe boards!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Ninja Costume

This year, for Halloween, my 7 year old son decided that he wanted to be the white ninja from LEGO Ninjago.  So... I researched what "Zane" looked like, and this is the DIY Costume I came up with.

Isn't it cute?  It cost me less than $10 to make, and I love how it turned out.  It was pretty simple to make too.  I did a tiny bit of sewing, but you could easily use fabric glue for a completely "no sew" version.

To make the shirt:

1) Start with a plain long sleeve t-shirt.  I found this one at Walmart (on clearance) for $1.  I bought a few sizes too big so that my son can wear warm clothes under it when he goes trick-or-treating.

2) Cut a "V" shape from felt and secure it to the top of the shirt with fabric glue or stitching.

3) Braid dollar store shoe laces together to create a rope, and use safety pins to secure it to the shirt.

4) Cut a belt from grey felt.

5) Draw a lion face on a piece of yellow craft foam, cut it out, and use hot glue to secure it to the rope.

6) Use a black Sharpie to draw the remaining details on the shirt.

To make the hood (which was inspired by a tutorial I found at Creative Mama on a Dime):

1)  Start with a plain white turtleneck.  I found this one (on clearance) at Walmart for $1.

2)  Pull the turtleneck over the child's head until it is covering his/her ears and nose.

3)  Pull the back of the shirt up over the child's forehead.

4)  Tie the arms around the back of the head.

5)  Adjust the hood until it has the desired look.

Simple, right?  I added a pair of women's leggings (that I found on clearance for $5) and a pair of black gloves from the dollar store.

I am so pleased with this easy and inexpensive DIY Ninja Costume, and my 7 year old loves it too.  Do you have a LEGO Ninjago fan in your house?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find more easy and inexpensive Halloween ideas here.

Halloween Mason Jar Candles

When it comes to Halloween, my boys are easily spooked.  So, when it comes to Halloween decor, we prefer cute rather than scary.  This year, we made three adorable Halloween mason jar candles.

Today I am sharing the full tutorial for these adorable mason jar candles over at CBC Parents.  Click {here} for all the fun DIY details.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Mummy Door

We love decorating the door in our entryway.  It's a small project that has a big impact.  For Christmas, we turned our door into a snowman,  and for Easter, we transformed it into a bunny.  So... for Halloween we decided to create a Mummy Door!

It's such a simple idea, but I just love how it turned out... and my boys think it is hilarious.

To make a Mummy Door, you'll need white and black card stock, four rolls of white streamers, lots of double sided tape, and painter's tape.  

Cover the door by taking the streamers from one side to the other and securing every time with double sided tape.  Then, when the door is completely covered, reinforce the edges by running painter's tape along all the outside edges of the door.

Finish the door by adding eyes made from white and black card stock.  Make sure to put a little of the eyes under the streamers to add depth.

Isn't it cute?  We love our Mummy Door, and we can't wait for our trick-or-treaters to see it.  Happy Halloween!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Boo Your Neighbours {free printable}

Every year, we "boo" our neighbours, and every year I try to come up with new {adorable} printables to go with our treats.  If you aren't familiar with "booing", here's how it works... you wait until after dark, sneak up to your neighbours' houses, and try and leave treats without getting caught.  "Booing" is a favorite Halloween tradition in our house.

To print a copy of the "booing" printables I designed, right click on the pictures below, save them to your computer, and print them like normal 8X10 photos.  I sent mine to Staples (our local copy store), and printed them for $.39 each.

Aren't they cute?  Our treat packages are ready to go, and my boys can't wait to sneak around and "boo" the neighbours.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Science Inspired by "Wreck it Ralph"

My boys love the movie "Wreck It Ralph".  In the movie (in case you haven't seen it) there is a scene where Mentos "mints" fall from the sky into a "soda" pond.  There is a fun reaction that occurs, and I told my boys we would recreate the experiment in our yard.  So, today I am sharing how we made a Mentos geyser.

All you need is a 2L bottle of diet soda and a package of Mentos. (Make sure it is diet because the reaction is a lot better.)

Then, open the soda, drop the Mentos in as quickly as possible, and stand back.  (If you have a tube that allows you to slide them all in at once, it would be ideal.  However, I just gave two to each of my boys and told them to drop them in as fast as they could!)

Please note... if you have a 5 year old that steps back from the geyser too slowly, he will likely get soda on his clothes... and there is a good chance he will cry.  :-)

Aside from a little soda on my 5 year olds clothes, the experiment was a success, and a lot of fun.  Have you ever made a Mentos geyser with your little ones?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)