Halloween Part II: The things I've crafted for love!

My wife is an amazing teacher and an inspiring woman.  I have never met anyone who works as hard as this woman. She is the kind of teacher who should be making millions, and I'm not just saying that because that would free me up to craft all the time.

Now being the wonderful educator that she is, she believes that it is important for her to wear costumes at every appropriate moment, and maybe even a few inappropriate ones.  Over the last few years I have made her many things and some of them have been costumes.

I think the most recent achievement is quite fun! Tomorrow is one of the homecoming spirit days at the high school, it's 70's day!  What's an educator to do? I think the answer is to wear a disco ball on her head! You may ask, "Without tiny spotlights, how will it shimmer?" Don't worry, I'll feed you baby birds.

***Disclaimer: Deb wants to makes sure the credit goes where credit is due.  She says this headgear was all her idea. It was her idea, but I crushed the execution!

First off you head to your local craft store, for us it is Michaels.  I purchased everything we needed there, and I mean everything.  First of all I needed a disco ball light enough to sit on a headband.  This meant that I was making a disco ball.  Can I just say in the words of Charlie Brown "UGH".  We bought a large styrofoam ball, and then Deb decided that I shouldn't just roll this thing in glitter, a.k.a. unicorn poop, she asserted that I should take glitter paper and cut it into half inch squares and glue them all over this thing.  Isn't she a giver, sharing her input like that? Her attention to detail making sure I live up to my own high standards...Thanks (Just in case you missed it, please read that thanks with sarcasm.)

***Disclaimer #2: Deb wants to remind you (my faithful readers) and I that I'm doing it for the children.

I was hoping to make this a quick project but it was not looking like it would go that way.  We found a headband to mount it on and the only thing left was how to illuminate it.  This next part was all me!

This is the first time and probably the last time I will ever say this, but thank goodness for retail stores putting out their Christmas crap out in October! I had a feeling that I should check what was available to add majesty to any ceramic Christmas village.  Turns out that you can turn the spotlights on your own tiny holiday theatre with mini battery operated "flood" lights. What? Now we're talking.

We got home tended to our sweet beasts and then my slave driver put me to work.  I broke out the exacto and scissors and began to cut tiny half inch sparkle squares.  It was not fun and when I thought I had enough and began to glue, it turned out I had only cut enough for half the ball.  Nobody wants only half a glittery ball! So I cut more, cause that's what I do!

***Disclaimer #3: I should just call these Debclaimers, she wants it noted that she was not just sitting next to me eating ice cream and watching Twilight, she was working, making a test for the children.

After I got the ball completely tiled I had to attach it to the headband.  There was a failed attempt at a wire attachment which basically made the headband fall off so it had to go.  In my moment of desperation you may ask what time it was.  It was time to "make it work"and break out the hot glue gun.

I glued the ball on some grosgrain and then glued that around the headband. Perfection.  No for the best part! Turn on the spotlights and let the magic happen!

Isn't she a beauty! Oh I am just so proud!

***Debclaimer: She says that I should not take all the credit, the idea was hers. True but without me where would she be right now I ask you?

A new reader Susan asked me to show off some of my past costumes for Deb, cause I mentioned them in the blog post Halloween... What to be? I made a lot of these things before I started taking good pictures of things and before blogging so forgive the sparse and poor quality photos.

1) Mr. Potatohead.  I think this may be her favorite.  She's really proud she helped, she made the eyes! Her co-worker Jen is featured here as the Snow Queen.  I also really liked this costume.  To keep Mr. Potato's head light and full, we stuffed it with small balloons rather than batting.  It worked out perfectly and two years later they are still full and keeping that costume looking AWESOME!

2)I have to say I was really proud of this night.  The theme for the homecoming dance was Candyland the board game and so Jen went as Queen Frostine and Deb was Princess Lolly.  Sorry the picture isn't the best ever but it's what I got.  I fixed her wig and made her lollipop crown and she wore my wedding crinoline to keep her dress up and fluffy.  I did also help Jen finish up her dress that night.  It was a serious "make it work" moment.  So stressful that when they left I had a beer and napped on the couch till the dance was over. For that to be understandably strange you should know I was not in my house, I was at Jen's.  Whatever.

3) Finally the best of the best.  I made her lab coat for school! Her website is www.biomonsters.com, and so I used monster fabric for her lapels and on the back it says Bio Monsters in black and sparkly blue vinyl cut out letters.  Cutting those letters made me fear carpal tunnel. It was another harrowing experience with me and an exacto blade, how do these opportunities find me?

I hope you enjoyed that Susan, as well as everyone else.  It was nice to see some of the past things I have done;  If there is something you want me to blog about, let me know, I'm happy to look into it.  Till later,

-Caroline