11 HOCUS POCUS Crafts, DIYs, and Treat Ideas

Movie nights are a staple in my home, and I love watching Hocus Pocus with my boys every Halloween. With Hocus Pocus 2 being released this year, I thought it was the perfect time to share my favourite HOCUS POCUS inspired crafts, DIYs and treat ideas.

1) Binx Candy Dish - Paint a wooden dollar store cat black, glue it to a tray, and fill it with dollar store treats. It's the perfect inexpensive centrepiece for a viewing party food table.

2) Hocus Pocus mugs - Add the words "Hocus Pocus" to black dollar store mugs, and you have the perfect vessels for serving hot chocolate to enjoy during the movie. Easy peasy!

3) Witch hat chocolates - These are the perfect snack to enjoy during a Hocus Pocus screening. Top Reese Peanut Butter Cups with a dollap of icing and a Hershey kiss. That's it!

4) Simple DIY Hocus Pocus Spell book - Cover an old book with faux leather (or paint it brown), add a plastic eyeball cut in half, add details with hot glue, and cover the glue with brown paint. Simple and fun!

5) Hocus Pocus banner - Add glittery gold letters to card stock pennants, and string with a piece of twine. It's a simple way to add a bit of fun to a Hocus Pocus movie night!

6) Broom parking - A dollar store over-the-door coat rack makes a fun Halloween vignette. Use it to hang a witch cape, hat and brooms. It's super fun!!!

7-11) Hocus Pocus tiered tray DIYs - A Hocus Pocus tiered tray is a fun way to create an adorable Halloween vignette, and I have 5 simple tiered tray DIY ideas here. (The tiny little brooms are my favourite!)

You can get a closer look at how I made ALL ELEVEN Hocus Pocus crafts in the video below.

Which is your favourite Hocus Pocus craft/DIY/treat? I think they are all easy, inexpensive, and fun!

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (These pretzel brooms are cute too! Package pretzels with a paper straws and tie them with ribbons. Pretty cute, eh?)

5 NEW easy and budget-friendly HALLOWEEN ideas (Dollarama finds and DIYs)

I am obsessed with simple, budget-friendly holiday decor, and I have 5 NEW (and fantastic) ideas to share today. If you like awesome finds and DIYs, you are going to love these!

1) This baby doll head is totally creepy... but also cute. lol I added a light to the inside to make it extra spooky!

2) I found a super-cute purple witch broom at my local dollar store, so I thought I'd set up a "witch broom parking" vignette. I cut a sign from a piece of dollar store foam core, and then I covered the sign with dollar store contact paper. I used my Cricut to add writing, and framed the sign with black electrical tape.

I inserted the sign into the top of a dollar store "over the door" coat rack, and then I added brooms and witch clothing. Cute, right?!?

3) I have used these dollar store cloches is a few DIYs, and I love how versitile they are.

For Halloween, I filled the cloche with the insides of a dollar store pillow, and then I added a nose and mouth (which I cut out with my Cricut). The result is this adorable ghost.

4) I found this screaming doormat sensor at my local dollar store, and I think it's a lot of fun. I can't wait to add it to my Halloween decor.

5) For Fall, I had a lot of fun DIYing with seasonal window clings, so I thought I'd make some similar artwork for Halloween. I started with a double paned floating frame from Dollarama, and I put a spooky window cling in the centre. It took less than a minute, but the result is super-cool.

For a closer look at all the products and DIYs, check out the YouTube video below.

Do you like decorating for Halloween? What do you think of these 5 dollar store DIYs and finds? Let me know your favourite in the comments below.

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in the FALL finds and DIYs here.

15+ Ideas for Thanksgiving Recipes, Crafts, Decor, and DIYs

Over the years, I have shared a lot of Thanksgiving recipes, crafts, diy, and decor ideas. So... this year I thought I'd put my BEST Thanksgiving ideas all in one collection for you to enjoy. Click on the links below for full recipes, step by step tutorials, and free downloads.

1) Reese's Pieces (soft & chewy) cookie tart - When it comes to Thanksgiving, most people opt for pumpkin pie, but this festive tart is a perfect, easy and delicious alternative. Find the full recipe for this Thanksgiving dessert here. 

2) FREE (funny) Thanksgiving print - Every home needs a bit of whimsical decor during the holidays. So, I designed this funny Thanksgiving print that you can download for free here. I popped mine in a dollar store frame, and I love it! 

3) Thanksgiving party favours - I love giving guests a party favour, and I have TWO fantastic options for Thanksgiving. I have a free downloadable tag you can print and add to a bag of cookies for your adult guests here. I also have a fun idea for turning a cookie into a turkey for the kids here.

4) Turkey wine bottle - How cute is this turkey wine bottle? Use a glue gun to attach a couple of dollar store fall leaves to the back. Then, use more hot glue to attach two googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. It doesn't get much easier, and your guests will love seeing this whimsical bottle of wine on the table!

5) Turkey candy dish - The wine is great for grown ups, but there should be something on the table for younger guests too. How about a fun turkey candy dish? The kids can help by tracing and cutting out their handprints from coloured card stock. Then, arrange the hands together, secure with tape, and use hot glue to attach the "feathers" to the back of a glass dish from the dollar store. Finish by using hot glue to attach googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. You can fill the dish with any type of candy, but I love the colours of these Reese's Pieces.

6) Paper plate "stained glass" turkey - Paper crafts are great for kids too. They add to the festive decor... and they keep the kids busy while you are making dinner. You can find the full step by step instructions for this stained glass paper turkey here. 

7) Thanksgiving tissue paper wreath - Kids can use 1 inch squares of tissue paper (in fall colours) to make this paper plate Thanksgiving wreath. You can find the step by step instructions for this simple wreath here. 

8) Argyle sweater Thanksgiving wreath - Don't you just love this cozy argyle fall wreath? If you can use a scissors and a glue gun, you can make this wonderful piece of Thanksgiving Day decor. Find the full step by step instructions for this Thanksgiving wreath here.

9) Tiered tray - Decorating tiered trays with dollar store finds and crafted items is a fantastic way to create a classy vignette in your home. I stained a mini rolling pin, added the word "harvest", and wrapped a scrap of fabric around it. I also added pumpkins and pine cones, and filled a dollar store bottle with orange and yellow buttons. I also crafted a book stack from scraps of wood, and strung some wooden beads onto a piece of yarn. Cute, right?

10) S'more bucket - Add a bit of whimsy to your Thanksgiving decor by filling a dollar store galvanized with S'more supplies. I added the words "Making S'more Memories" to the front of my bucket with my Cricut. Wouldn't a Thanksgiving campfire be fun?

11) Artwork in a dollar store frame - Framing Fall pictures and free downloads is an easy and inexpensive way to add Fall flair to your home. You can download the Fall Menu I designed (below) for free here.

12) Thanksgiving hot chocolate tray - A dollar store frame and few dollar store jars can be easily turned into an adorable Thanksgiving hot chocolate tray. Start by inserting a piece of fall-themed scrap book paper into a dollar store frame. Then, use strong glue to attach wooden beads to the bottom of the tray. Finish by adding jars filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows and fall coloured candies. It looks great, and kids will love it! 

Check out the little display I made on the table in my hallway.

13) Boho DIY yarn wreath - Even if you aren't very crafty, you can easily make this simple and chic fall wreath. Don't you just love the boho vibe? Find the full step by step tutorial (with photos) here.

13) Dollar store frame monogram - It doesn't get easier than this piece of DIY fall artwork. But a dollar store frame, insert fall-themed scrapbook paper, add a wooden monogram to the front with glue, and glue a ribbon hanger to the back. That's it. Easy peasy!

You can find more detailed instructions here.

14) Grapevine fall wreath - I made this simple fall wreath many years ago, but it's still one of my favourite DIYs. It's an inexpensive grapevine wreath with handmade felt flowers glued to it. You can find out how easy it is to make the flowers, and find all the step by step instructions here.

15) No Sew Fall Pillows - Transform Summer pillows to Fall pillows in a couple of minutes with a dollar store tablecloth. This is genius!

  

16) Pumpkin prize punch - if you have kids coming to your house for Thanksgiving, this is a fantastic game to make for them. It's always a hit, and it's cheap to make with dollar store supplies. Find the step by step instructions here.

Which of these fun Thanksgiving ideas is your favourite? Give a few of them a try, and let me know how it goes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

The best NEW Dollar Store Finds and DIYs for Halloween

I love a good dollar store find, but I also want to make sure the items I buy are high quality. Today, I'm sharing my latest NEW dollar store finds and DIYs for Halloween. You are going to love these!

1) The first thing I wanted to share are these Fall pumpkins. They are great for Autumn... but they are fabulous for Halloween too. Just flip them around, and DIY the back.

Trace the pumpkins onto scrapbook paper, cut out the shapes, and use Mod Podge to attach the paper to the pumpkins.

Then, you can use them "as is" or you can add the word "BOO". I used my Cricut, but you could use stickers are paint instead.

Cute, right?!?

2) This double pane dollar store frame is my favourite. It's inexpensive, but it looks high end. How cute is it with this FREE Halloween picture in it? Download your copy of the purple and green "Happy Halloween" print here.

3) Halloween is synomous with "treats", and the dollar store is the perfect place to stock up on goodies. Last week, I bought a bunch of my family's favs.

4) Dollar store stickers and window clings are the perfect way to add a festive touch to decor that you already have in your home. You can add them to frames, soap dispensers, candles, and more.

5) These LED lights are my latest decor purchase, and I think they are adorable. Find dollar store items you love, and add them to existing decor you have in your home. It's a great way to get a high end look on a budget.

6) This over-the-door hanger is fantastic for organizing your home, but it's fun for Halloween too. I used mine to set up a witch closet on the back of my door. Isn't this an adorable Halloween vignette?

7) A few weeks ago I found these adorable faux book stacks, but I didn't love the saying. So... I used a bit of paint and my Criciut to turn it into a Halloween book stack... and I love how it turned out.

For a closer look at all my Halloween dollar store finds and DIYs, check out this video.

How cute are these dollar store finds and DIYs? Which one is your favourite? I'd love to know if you've found anything fun lately!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You may also be interested in the Halloween ideas here.