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)

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)

5 Tips for Establishing a Back to School Routine

The kids have been back to school for a few weeks now, but my boys and I are still working on settling into a back to school routine. This time of year comes with new classes, different after school activities, and the need for schedules that work for everyone. Most kids thrive on routine, and it makes a parent’s life a lot easier, so it is worth spending a little time right now to get things on track.

Here are 5 tips for establishing back to school routine:

1)  Establish a bedtime routine -- Sing a song, have a bedtime snack, take a bath and/or read a story. Find something that works for you and stick with it. A well-rested child will perform better in school and will be less prone to dinnertime meltdowns.

2)  Set up a family calendar -- I put everything on my calendar – appointments, gym and library days, hockey practices, etc… At one glance, I know what everyone needs for the day and where they need to be. I use an excel spreadsheet, but some people use wall calendars or magnetic calendars on the fridge. Choose something that works for you, and update it at the beginning of every month.

3)  Use your weekend to set yourself up for a successful week -- Catch up on laundry, do some cleaning, stock the fridge and pantry, and plan meals and lunches. I like to bake and cook things that I can stick in the freezer for lunches (like biscuits, banana bread, muffins, cookies and French toast) so that I can easily pop them in the boys’ lunch bags each evening.

4)  Sort through seasonal clothing -- Now is the perfect time to You may also want to sort through the Fall/Winter clothes. The days are getting cooler, so now is the time to figure out what needs to be purchased and what needs to be packed away.

5)  Try and do as much as you can the night before -- Make it a habit to lay out clothes, pack lunches, and organize backpacks. A little prep the night before will make mornings run a lot more smoothly.

All of these tips for establishing a back to school routine should help, but don’t forget to be patient with the kids. This time of year is exhausting for both parents and children, so a little understanding will go a long way.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Handprint Trees for Fall

My boys are back to school, Fall is in the air, and the leaves are starting to turn beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange.  Inspired by the beautiful colors around us, my boy and I recently made these adorable handprint trees.

We made two versions of the handprint trees... a simple version for younger children, and a slightly more difficult one for older kids.  You can find full tutorials for both versions at CBC Parents {here}.

Happy Fall!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Olaf Costume

My youngest son loves the movie Frozen, so I was not surprised when he announced that he wanted to be Olaf for Halloween this year.  I knew it would be difficult to come up with a DIY Olaf Costume for him to wear, but I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out.

Isn't he the cutest?

To make the "body" part of the costume, I started with an oversized turtleneck from Walmart that I got on clearance for $3.  (It's big so my little guy will be able to wear a jacket under it for trick or treating.)  Then, I made some pom poms and used hot glue to attach them to the front of the shirt. Finally, I cut the legs off a pair of old tights and pulled them over the sleeves of the turtleneck (to make arms), and I added a pair of black stretchy gloves from the dollar store.

To make the Olaf hat, I started with a plain white hat that I got at the dollar store for $2.

Then, I cut all the facial features out of felt.  You can use the template below as a guide.  Just right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print the 8X10 photo.

I stitched the eyes together, and I stitched the nose together, but if you are looking for a "no-sew" option, you can use hot glue to assemble the pieces.

Then, once the pieces were assembled, I attached everything to the hat with hot glue.

Finally, I cut a small slit in the top of the hat, pulled through a couple of pipe cleaners, and secured them in place with some hot glue.

I made this DIY Olaf Costume for less than $10, and I think it is totally adorable, don't you? 

And if you are looking for an even easier option, I designed a cute, paper Olaf hat template that you can download here.

Enjoy!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE DIY Halloween Costume Ideas here.)