DIY: Spooky Spirit Lanterns

Halloween is nearly upon us, but there's still time for some spooky craft projects, and I've got one to share with you today. It doesn't get much spookier than these "Spirit Lanterns", and they couldn't be easier to make.



I have imagined glowing candlelight flickering behind creepy old-timey spirit photography for a long time, but my printer refusing to print on vellum made my first try at these two years ago a bust. This year, I decided good ol' Mod Podge was the trick to making my vision come to life. Want to see how I did it?

First, you'll need some images. You can use any spooky photo or clip art you'd like, but I found this spirit photography set from the National Media Museum on Flickr, for use under a Creative Commons License.

Supplies needed:

vintage images
clear acrylic spray
assorted glass candle containers
Mod Podge
paint brushes
ribbon or trim (optional)
buttons or other embellishments (optional)
tacky glue (optional)

Before printing, you'll want to first use your photo editing software to resize your images to fit the container you've chosen. I just used regular printer paper. (Photo paper is likely to be too stiff to decoupage, and might not allow the glow of the candlelight to be seen as easily.) If you have an inkjet printer, as I do, you'll need to spray your printed photos with a few coats of clear acrylic spray (outside!) and let them dry thoroughly so that the ink doesn't bleed when you apply the Mod Podge.

You can use any type of heat safe glass container you wish. I used a vase I had on hand and a recycled frosted glass votive I had washed and saved. I have found a folded kitchen towel to be a great help when working with glass containers. Begin by applying a thin, even coat of Mod Podge to the container with a paintbrush. Place your prepared image on the wet glue, and press the air bubbles out carefully beginning in the center and working your way out toward the edges. After your image is adhered, paint another thin coat of Mod Podge over the top of your image.



Before the Mod Podge dries, you may want to clean away the excess from around your image using the corner of a wet paper towel.



You can stop here, if you'd like, but I chose to cover the slightly messy edges with some vintage black grosgrain ribbon I had, adding an old button where the ends of the ribbon met on one, and a piece of an old earring and a tiny vintage millinery flower on the other. I also glued an image to a glass prayer candle that I had using Mod Podge, but I chose not to coat the top, so as to keep the edges neat and clean. It's not quite as glossy as the others, but you may choose to do the same and eliminate the need for trim if you'd prefer a cleaner look. Alternately, you can get close to the same effect by simply printing your image onto sticker paper and avoid the Mod Podge mess altogether. Your choice!



What sort of Halloween crafts have you been making?

Saint Irene

Hello, friends! I've had my crafty nose to the grindstone getting ready for Indie Emporium. If you're near Tulsa, I hope you'll stop by and say hello.


I've got a couple new things up my sleeve for the show, including the newest Sweetheartville Saint, Saint Irene, Patron Saint of Crafting.


The DIY canon is full of needleworkers, but I felt that a general, all purpose crafty lady was in order, so Saint Irene is surrounded by all sorts of craftastic flowers that she has whipped up from tissue paper, feathers, and sea shells. Look closely and you'll also see some glittery bobbles, pipe cleaner curls, a pair of pine cone elves, and a pretty little beaded bird lighting on her shoulder. This lady definitely knows how to wield a hot glue gun!

Normally, I just pull these saint lady names out of thin air, but this one is near and dear to my heart. She is named for my Grandma, one of the craftiest people I've ever known. From crocheting to painting to plastic canvas work to Barbie doll hats made from melted styrofoam cups, she did it all, and I learned so much at her knee. I'm lucky to have been named after her, myself. This little collage is a wink to her memory. I think she would have gotten quite a kick out of it.

Contemporary Shell Craft

Nothing says "kitschy craft of yesteryear" like seashells glued to one another. I have a real soft spot in my heart for this kind of stuff. Maybe it comes from being born a landlocked Okie, but more than that, I think I'm just struck with the ingenuity and creativity of the human mind. Since the beginning of time, people have looked at shells on the beach and admired their beauty. Maybe they even made pretty jewelery. But who was the first person who thought, "If I stick this shell to this one this way, and then attach this little one on top, it would look just like a mouse!" Yes, I think about this kind of thing.




Here's Miss Gayle Pearson, the author and creator of these seashell pretties, of whom great things were expected. I wonder what she went on to achieve in her future career as one of the craft movers and shakers of the 1960s. I love the artist bios in these old craft booklets. These gals were the craft bloggers of their day.




Okay. These mermaid candy dishes just killed me dead.

DIY Chocolate Syrup

Think Hershey's has the market on chocolate milk fixin's cornered? Think again, Sugar Lips! Can you wield a whisk? Then it couldn't be easier to whip up your own chocolate syrup! Once you've tried it, you can't go back to that high-fructose nastiness. You'll need:

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Dump everything but the vanilla into a medium saucepan and commence to cookin' over medium heat. You'll want to stir the mixture constantly with a whisk as it slowly begins to come to a boil. Put your patient pants on, because this can take a good 10 minutes or more. Just keep whisking gently until it begins to bubble and simmer. The longer you cook, the thicker it will be. Let it simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, and you'll have thinner, easier to pour syrup. Let it go another couple of minutes (don't stop whisking!) and it will be closer to hot fudge sauce once it cools. You'll want to keep in mind that it will thicken a bit in the refrigerator. When it's nicely thickened, remove the syrup from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Now you can serve it warm over brownies or ice cream, or store it in the fridge to add to milk and coffee. Hot dog!