15 Halloween Ideas

Where are my Halloween lovin’ friends? Time for some Halloween fun! 

I’ve rounded up some DIYShowOff Halloween ideas from over the years for inspiration for your upcoming weekend projects. 

15 DIYShowOff Halloween Ideas

halloween DIY ideas @diyshowoff

Skeleton Fairy Couture – perfect for adding Halloween touches to your decor. Attach to a wreath, pin onto your jacket, position in a plant, unlimited ideas and so much fun – a little reminiscent of playing with paper dolls only more creative and 3D. 

DIY Halloween Fairy Fashion Show - Skeleton Couture @diyshowoff

Halloween (witch) dreamcatcher // tea party – this whimsical witch-catcher is just too cute! 

Halloween witch dreamcatcher tea party @diyshowoff #madewithmichaels Halloween witch dreamcatcher tea party @diyshowoff #madewithmichaels Halloween witch dreamcatcher tea party @diyshowoff #madewithmichaels

The Raven inspired Halloween party ideas – throwing a monster bash? A black and white Poe theme is perfectly POEtic! 

The Raven Nevermore Halloween Party Ideas @diyshowoff #MakeItWithMichaels

Halloween {essential oil infused} Marshmallow Treats – easy to make party favors! 

So cute! Halloween (essential oil infused optional) marshmallow treats @diyshowoff #makeitwithmichaels

witch hat tutorial for a Halloween centerpiece, candy dish, vignette or planter ‘witch’ purpose works best for you? A construction cone + plant dish = so many options!

Halloween DIY @diyshowoff #lowescreator

monster repellent Halloween party favor recipe – you just might want to use this all year long! Still holding out on trying essential oils? Learn more here —> essential oils 101 class

Halloween essential oils Make & Take ideas, graphics and printables @diyshowoff

Halloween wooden BOO blocks and super easy wall art tutorial – isn’t that laser cut wall art amazing? It’s like the easiest craft project ever! 

DIY Halloween decor @diyshowoff 

DIY chicken wire/cheesecloth spooky skeleton ghost – this guy hangs out in our (storage) barn all year long until it’s time to come out of hiding! A scary sight when you walk in to rummage through the treasures. And a fun addition to the grape arbor/gazebo with the curtains blowing around. Spooky! 

DIY Halloween Ghost

DIY ‘Nevermore’ tree Halloween decor – grab some branches from the yard and ravens from the Dollar Store and your glue gun! Easy fun craft time!

DIY Halloween Nevermore Tree

The Raven inspired Halloween mantel

Nevermore Halloween Mantel

personalized trick or treat tote bags

DIY trick or treat tote bags 

DuckTape trick or treat bucket tutorial

DuckTape trick or treat bucket tutorial #halloween @diyshowoff #spookduckular 

DIY pumpkin/jack-o-lantern diorama

pumpkin diorama @diyshowoff

candy skull owl

DIY Neon Sharpie Candy Skull Owl Tutorial 

wooden candy corn decorations

DIY Halloween/Fall craft: decorative wooden candy corn pieces 

I love this old Halloween display from quite a few years ago…

halloween decorating @diyshowoff

Share YOUR Halloween in this week’s That DIY Party. 

Project Diary Entry #7: Sealing Brick

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Project Diary Entry #7: The bathroom makeover continues! We’re sealing an old original ‘decorative’ vintage brick chimney today!

The full bathroom at the studio property I’m working on was completely covered in paneling or what my husband refers to painted cardboard. For real. What is that stuff?! Even the claw foot tub and pedestal sink was boxed in with the same material! Why?! 

Follow the before and after makeover journey —> #helloredreno

RockSolid Concrete Sealer

Before: 

Yikes! (And no worries, we did repair the roof. It was top priority and the very first project.) But seriously. That paneling. What the….?!

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoff

Recap: 

We tore it all away! Oh my! You guys…I know it’s dirty but do you see the potential?

rustic bathroom makeover

Included was this bump out beside a built in cabinet (another feature I love!)…

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoff

which revealed an original brick chimney…

vintage bathroom charm

Rustic! Texture! A buried treasure! And just like making one of the gorgeous wood plank walls a feature of the bathroom by leaving it exposed…

shiplap wall with hexagon tile floor

I couldn’t bear to cover up all that gorgeous old brick. Know what I mean? It’s completely decorative and not functional but the texture and pretty color variations! Oh man! The old gas register is staying as well.  

decorative brick chimney

But it did have a dirty dull finish. Blah!

brick before

What I did:

  • We gave it a good scrubbing with a wire brush to remove all of the filth and crumbles. 
  • And after talking with the professionals at Rust-Oleum, I used the RockSolid Natural Look Concrete Sealer (low gloss clear).RustOleum Rock Solid Concrete Sealantj
  • I simply applied it with a brush, making sure to get into all of the nooks and crannies. And watching for drips. I gave it one thorough coat and plan to do another. It’ll have dried several days by the time I get around to the second coat. Rust-Oleum Rock Solid Concrete SealerIt goes on white but dries clear.   sealing brick with brush
  • This product sealed it all in and provided a beautiful low gloss finish (nothing TOO shiny, not a high gloss or lacquered finish) that brought out the various vibrant colors and gave it a clean surface. It reminds me of an eggshell or satin finish. 

Conclusion:

So, this 114 square foot bathroom has a lot going on but I am in LOVE with all of the original charm. 

vintage brick

That floor though too! ::drool:: ::heart eyes:: 

exposed brick

More on that here—> Shaw SanFrancisco Hexagon Tile Flooring

What are your thoughts?

Do you embrace and work with the original old character or prefer removing or covering it for a clean slate? 

Next up on the bathroom remodel:

Paint, baseboards, {possible} vintage cast iron tub re-finishing, installing the toilet, vanity, sconce lights and my favorite part…decorating and the reveal! Oh. And probably cutting down 6 doors since re-doing the floors raised them. Not looking forward to that part but things are moving along. Stay tuned!

The building has so much historical charm. It’s about one block from our town’s Main Street. The bus stop is literally steps away. There are breweries, the YMCA, shops, restaurants, salons, florists, candy/coffee shop, holiday parades and festivals within walking distance. So fun! If renovation from blah to ahhhhh is your thing, stay tuned!

So subscribe and be reminded of updates as the renovations progress! I’ll share before and after photos, projects underway and updates, plans and design boards, sources and links as they relate as well as fun events going on in and around the downtown area. I’ll be using a specific hashtag on social media to keep things all neat and tidy and organized.

#helloredreno

I welcome your thoughts and ideas! And as always, thanks for your encouragement and support and for sharing in my joy and vision! Watch for #helloredreno!

Top Essential Oils for DIY lovers

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Hello fellow DIY lovers!!! 

With the studio renovation in progress (follow #helloredreno), I’ve never been so grateful for the power of essential oils! As a DIY enthusiast, I always have one project or another going on and as a DIY blogger, the process from start to finish takes a little longer. Know what I mean? I ALWAYS ALWAYS have my essential oils within reach! Why would it even matter? Well, here are some of my favorite must have essential oils when it comes DIY.

#helloredreno

Peppermint Vitality – energize! Add a drop to morning coffee or a cold glass of water (be prepared – it’s powerful). It’s gonna wake you up! essential oils @diyshowoff

Diffuse for an energizing scent and to enhance concentration…that tip “measure once, cut twice”? It’s so easy to work on auto-pilot and make mistakes. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need a poke to bring me back to mental clarity and alertness. 

peppermint essential oil #diyPeppermint is also cooling. I like to add a couple of drops to a 2 oz. spray bottle. Spritz the back of my neck when working in the heat or feeling overheated. It’s so refreshing. Store it in the fridge. A must have for working outdoors in the summer! 

DIY Cooling Mist

Keep calm & cool off! DIY cooling spray @diyshowoff

Paint fumes? I always opt for a low or no VOC but the smell of paint can be brutal. Add 10-15 drops or so of Citrus Fresh to a gallon of paint to help neutralize the strong odor.

citrus fresh essential oils #diy

Carpet freshener: I like to mix 5-10 drops in a cup of baking soda to create a DIY carpet freshener. Sprinkle before bed, vacuum in the a.m. LOVE it! (Purification or Citrus Fresh). 

Speaking of fresh. Choose a scent you love (lavender would work too!) and freshen up the mattress!

#DIY essential oils

Lavender: Life can be crazy and busy. Sometime my brain has trouble turning off at the end of the day when there’s so much going on. Lavender in a relaxing bath, on my feet and temples.  I like to keep a DIY linen mist spray bottle on the night stand. 

Young Living essential oils @diyshowoff

Lemon – cleaning power! Sticky residue? A drop of lemon oil will dissolve the sticky mess like magic! 

lemon essential oils #diy

DiGize – When we’re working on a DIY big project, meal time is usually on the go or last priority which means we’re grabbing something quick and it’s not always a healthy choice. DiGize is my best friend and I’m never without it! NEVER! I either apply topically around my belly button or for faster relief, I will add a drop to water (1 oz – shot glass size), hold my nose and ‘down the hatch’. Instant results! 

essential oils @diyshowoff

PanAway + Copaiba – after a long day, DIY can be quite the work out. Vibrations from power tools = stiff arms. I’ll usually add a drop of PanAway to a squirt of V6 (carrier oil) and just rub it in as needed. Soooo soothing! Tip: Add a drop of Copaiba to magnify! 

Young Living essential oils @diyshowoff essential oils @diyshowoff

 

Stress Away – Dealing with complicated project details, timelines, budgets, things not working out as planned? “Stress Aways” says it all. They should sell it by the gallon. Bathe in it! Sprinkle some on yourself. Douse your spouse. Whatever it takes. This smells amazing too…a little like vacation to me. You need it! 

Young Living essential oils @diyshowoffessential oils @diyshowoff

Clean up: Thieves Household Cleaner is the best clean cleaner out there, in my opinion. This cleaning concentrate has no harsh chemicals and packs a powerful punch of cleanup and your lungs will thank you! 

Thieves household cleaner #diy

If you’re an avid addicted do-it-yourselfer too, you might want to consider adding some essential oils to alleviate the symptoms and side effects that accompany DIY! Or if you already are, are you in Salt Lake City as we speak?! Let’s connect! 

essential oils @diyshowoff

Haven’t added essential oils to your home yet? CLICK HERE to learn more about getting an amazing brand of high quality oils. I’ll also connect you to some fun and helpful communities on Facebook. You may even recognize some of your favorite DIY bloggers in the groups! It’s an amazing community of friends! I also teach classes regularly so they don’t just sit in the box and I’m offering a 2ND DIFFUSER when you purchase one of the Premium Starter Kits HERE! One for your home, one for your tool box!