Halloween gifts

[melligator.livejournal.com]

Each year, two of my friends and I make a big deal out of one weekend for Halloween. It doesn't always fall on the actual Halloween weekend, but it always includes a night at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, a fancy prepared spooky meal, and themed gifts. One year I made those flat purses that go over a shoulder and around the body, all the better to store the necessities while keeping ones hands and arms free for zombie/chainsaw clown defense. Last year I did lame gift bags with stuff n' things in them. I thought I was going to have to end up doing the same thing again, for lack of ideas, but I finally came up with something!

They are a surprise till the weekend of the 25th, but I know neither pal is on this comm, and so!



I had been browsing websites and stores for weeks, here and there, and it all came together in the last shop when I found the bottles that fit perfectly inside. An idea of little decorated storage boxes became full props - I figure they are a witch's go-to basics box for every day incantations. If that gets boring, I am thinking they will end up storing jewelry :D











A few in progress pics, though I got to engrossed to take many!

They were plain unfinished, I gave them a quick go over with some stain I was using on a table:



Secured the lock loops with some panel pins, and trashed my jewelry pliers, no doubt, by nipping off the excess:



Getting them lined with some stash velvet:



It's hard to tell from my pics, but the lid inlays are tufted and cushiony - batting, butcher paper, hot glue, thread and seed beads and a nice result I think. I used acrylic paint, some crackle glaze I found from ages ago, fabric, paper and trim in my stash. I did buy some extra rub n' buff and some multi use varnish/adhesive medium. I could have saved some money on some ornamental corner shapes transfers that were just rubbish, but all in all I love how they turned out :D