Fun Dollar Store Halloween Crafts...Target Too!

I Love a Vintage Halloween!

 

For me, Halloween is not about the day...it's about the season.  I have always been an Autumn person.  I look forward to the brisk mornings, the falling leaves and the flavor of Pumpkin Spice Everything!  I have such fond memories of Halloween from when I was a child...and I have spent my adult life trying to recreate it somehow.  That's why I love the look of vintage Halloween decorations and have a bit of a collection of blow mold lanterns and die cuts of cats and haunted houses.  My neighbors know I love to decorate my front porch as well as the inside of my house...I can't help myself.  I have a need to create.  If you, too, are feeling a need to create...but money doesn't grow on Halloween trees...I have assembled a few fun holiday projects that I found on Pinterest and a few blogs.  Nothing scary...I don't like gory "chainsaw massacres" on my front yard.  I prefer black cats and Jack o' Lanterns. 

 

Dollar Store Crafts

My Favorite...Haunted Village.

Dollar store houses are sprayed with matte black.

I made a Christmas village by painting the houses cream and adding glitter.

From 36thavenue.com

 

Pumpkin Topiary

Dollar store burner covers, a pail and a yard stick or dowel.

madebymolliesmom.blogspot.com

 

"BOO" Front Door Décor

The one shown is embroidery hoops, but burner covers would work instead.

Think "JOY" for Christmas!

 missloviecreations.blogspot.com

 

Wrap a Dollar Store Pumpkin in Burlap...Classy!

thecountrychiccottage.net

More Dollar Store Pumpkins.

Paint or decoupage for a designer look.

community.qve.com

I especially love this! Trick or Treat Flower Pots!

Wouldn't a Black Cat head be cute as well?

 jenniferrizzo.com

 

Dollar Store Frames or DI.

So much fun printable art can be found on Pinterest

adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com

 Blog Friend Kim transformed a Target owl from the $3 bins.

The hat is in the Halloween section...also $3.

Musings From Kim K.

 

Kim turned a Target light-up house into a Trick or Treat house!

$3 in Halloween section.

 

 Pot Lid Pumpkins.

I spray painted lids from the DI and added buttons and such for details.

DI had a lot of pot lids yesterday.  I get the ones with the black knobs for noses.

 My blog Zettas Aprons

 

Burlap Halloween Art.

Walmart sells burlap wrapped frames.

Decorate with scrapbook paper and trims for super quick fun!

 

That's all for now...

Happy Halloween Crafting!

 

Apple Days...and School Days!

Beautiful Apples!

September is here at last!  Gardens are brimming with tomatoes and peppers and corn.  Time to count the canning jars and get the canner down from the top shelf of the pantry.  I am really missing having a garden this year.  George is the family gardener...and canner...and was too busy with an out of town job to take care of a garden.  So no tomato and bacon sandwiches for us.  Luckily our neighbors, the Andersons, took pity on us and brought us a big bag of the most beautiful, perfect tomatoes.

Apples are my favorite fall fruit.  I have so many happy memories of stories from my Devey grandparents, of their fruit farm in Alpine...in Fort Canyon.  During WWII, they were at their most busy, growing strawberries, raspberries and apples.  My dad has written many stories about working on the farm in his personal history.

Utah Mountain Apples fruit label...Alpine, Utah

Most fruit growers had their own crate labels.  Unfortunately, Dad's family didn't have one.  This label is from the neighboring farm.  Grandpa Mel and Grandma Zetta worked for the Andrews family when they were first married...so I have adopted their crate label.  I found two online and framed them...one for my kitchen and one for my dad as a Christmas gift.  



Canning Apple Pie Filling

Looks Delicious!

This recipe was found on  Skip To My Lou Blog

One of my Pins on Pinterest.

Apple Crisp

Also from Skip To My Lou

Apple Crisp

Mix together:

3/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup butter (use a 1/2 cup to make it over the top)

Pour pie filling into a 9 X 13 pan (or smaller for thicker crisp). Spread topping on top of apples. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes until bubbly.

Serve warm with ice cream. Yum!

If you crave apple pie, but not the work...try the recipe below.

~ Apple Dumplings ~ The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter 

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

2 tubes crescent rolls 

2 granny smith apples 

12 ounces of Mountain Dew 

Cinnamon 

Vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

Peel and slice your apples.   

Wrap each slice in a crescent dough triangle and place in sprayed (greased) pan.   

In a bowl, melt your butter and stir in sugar and vanilla.   

Pour over top of the wrapped apples....or spread on top with a spoon.   

Pour the Mt. Dew all around and sprinkle with Cinnamon.   

Place in 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.  Serve hot with ice cream! 

Update 3/12 - I've had several readers tell me they like cutting the sugar down to 1 cup.  I just tried it and liked it just as much!  So, might as well use less sugar, right? :)  Believe me, it's still plenty sweet...especially with ice cream. 

I have made this before and it's almost too yummy...if that's possible!

Aren't you glad they're back in school!

Happy September!