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)

Halloween Countdown {free printable}

I love building anticipation by "counting down" to holidays and special events, so this year I designed a fun Halloween countdown printable that my boys can update using a dry erase marker.

I printed the 8X10 photo at Staples (my local office supply store) for $.39.  Then, I put it in a white frame from the dollar store.  Now my boys can change the number every day with their dry erase marker.  Cute, right?

To print your own Halloween countdown (for free), just right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.  {As with all of my printables, I'd love for you to use and share this Halloween Countdown Printable.  However, copyright belongs to me, so please don't use this photo/printable on your own site, and don't sell it in any form.  Thank you!}

I love black and purple decorations for Halloween, don't you?  Are your little ones already counting down to October 31?  My boys definitely are.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Non-candy Halloween Treat {Mazes}...with free printable tags

My boys like to bring Halloween treats for their classmates, but because of their school's nutrition policy, I always try to come up with simple "non candy" Halloween treats for my boys to share with their friends.  This year I found little "maze" games, and I attached little notes that said, "I think you are an a"MAZE"ing friend."

Cute, right?  Check out the adorable printable tags I designed.  You can download the 4X6 labels for free by right clicking on the picture below, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular photo.

I put each "maze" game in a candy bag with a little spider (for an extra touch of fun).  Then, I added the tags.

I love this simple idea, and I think it is great candy alternative.  I know my boys' friends will have fun with their little treats.  Do you have a fantastic non candy Halloween treat idea?  I'd love for you to share it with me and my readers.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

No-Sew Superhero Cape and Cuffs

This summer, my boys and I had a "Superhero Day", and as part of the fun, we made Superhero Capes and Cuffs.  With Halloween around the corner, I thought today would be a perfect day to share our no-sew Superhero Capes (made from t-shirts) and our Superhero Cuffs (made from paper towel rolls).

To make the capes:

1) Start with an inexpensive t-shirt.  (I got mine at the dollar store for $3 each.)
2) Cut the sleeves off the t-shirt.
3) Open up the t-shirt, and cut one side off... being careful to leave the neck hole intact.  (Note: If the kids are going to be using the capes without adult supervision, you should cut the neck hole and fasten with velcro... and even with the velcro, adult supervision is recommended.)
4) Let the kids decorate their capes.  My boys used foam stickers, but fabric markers/paint would be fun too.

To make the cuffs:

1) Paint paper towel rolls.
2) Cut to the length of a cuff.
3) Cut a slit in the cuff.
4) Decorate with marker or stickers.

That's it!  My boys had a great time with their DIY Superhero Capes and Cuffs.  We set up an obstacle course on the front lawn, and had a fantastic day.  Do your little ones love Superheroes as much as mine do?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)