Easy Halloween Cupcakes

So if you are wanting to send some cute easy cupcakes to work or school parties, here are some great idea’s! Make it even easier by using box cake mix. Yes you can go all out and make from scratch too but sometimes its just nice to go the fast way. Which PS I love to just make to eat raw. YUM! I haven’t done that in so long, for baby’s sake!

The Zombie Cupcake

Here your going to want to start with a chocolate cake. Dont use liners for this one, so you have a full effect of dirt. You can even add chocolate chips and/or nuts for a chunkier look. If you still feel the need for frosting of some kind stick to a glaze or ganache so its thin and doesn’t take away from your look. Then head to your favorite craft store and grab a bag of baby doll arms. This goes without saying, dont bake the arms in the cake. Add once your cakes are cooked and cooled. For an added touch add some cookie gravestones!

The Cupcake Liner Witch Hat Topper

This great site does some fun cake stuff. And this little tutorial is cute and simple.

instructions:

  1. Grab a regular sized cupcake liner.  Fold liner in half.  Fold in half again, creating a pie-like wedge.  Tape the two flaps together using double sided tape, so that you have one solid triangle.
  2. Fold in half again.  Tape again.  Now you should have a tall skinny wedge that is 1/8 the size of your original circle.  If your liner is now a flat triangle due to folding, fluff it up with your finger so that it makes a cone.
  3. Insert a toothpick into your cupcake and place your cone on top of the toothpick.  This is the body of your hat.  The toothpick will help your hat stay in place.
  4. Grab a mini cupcake liner.  Cut a hole in the middle of the liner.  I found it easiest to do this by folding it in half and then cutting out a ‘C’ shape on the folded edge.  Open up liner and slightly flatten with your hand.  This will be the brim.
  5. Slide the brim down over your cone to complete the hat.  Smush and crinkle to add character.  Bend the tip of the hat, if desired

The Candy Corn Cupcake

Start with a vanilla cupcake and a plain liner. Then grab your favorite stiff frosting. I like a good buttercream for this one. They hold up better than store bought ones. Split your frosting into thirds making one slightly smaller (your white) and one slightly bigger (your yellow) Then use food coloring to tint your frosting yellow and orange, leaving the small one white. Then grab a frosting bag and a tip of your choice to pipe first a circle of yellow, then orange on top, then white to top and finish!

Halloween Paper Dolls

This is beyond super cute! Two free downloads for printable paper dolls. A girl and a boy version. No one is left out! They are cute and they are Halloween. Surprise your favorite little one with this simple time sucker! I was so in love with paper dolls when I was little that I just love these two. Brings back lots of happy memories.

Click here to be directed to the site with the download. For girl version, for boy version.

Candy Corn Bunting

This one is super easy. And a fun cute way to decorate your home or classroom. The kids can even help you make this fun festive banner.

You will need:

thing 9 inch paper plates

Orange, yellow, and white craft paint

Brush for painting

Compass

Hole punch

Black Ribbon

Trace, using your compass, a 3 inch circle in the middle, next a 6 inch circle around that. Paint your circles accordingly. White in the 3 inch, orange in the 6 inch, and yellow on the outside edges. Next cut your plate in half, and in half again, and in half again. Like a pizza leaving you 8 slices. Continue until you have the amount you would like to make banner. Punch holes in each yellow corner and lace Ribbon through plates. You can either run the ribbon through the plates or tie off at each hole. Leaving longer ribbons at each end to hang banner.

Costumes!

I love dressing up! I used to plan my costumes months in advance. I even had a costume party for my 20th birthday. I’m sure when we were all out that night with everyone dressed up as enthusiastically as me, others were thinking “Halloween is still 3 months away!” But I don’t like to buy my costumes, I love to make my own. I use store bought items, or just stuff around my house. Creativity can spark up some great idea’s.

I have made a dozen or so costumes. I was a dark Fairy the first year in this house, a masquerade with friends one year. My first year out of high school I convinced a friend to be Hue Hefner and I was a bunny, I painted my whole body silver (twice) to be a nymph, I had my dad make a whole wooden contraption in 30 minutes to make a last minute costume as a marionette, And last year I used as much candy as I could get a hold of to make a candy costume. This year wont be as impressive as the others as I will be more focused on a new baby in the house! But I still have a cute one ready to go anyways!

But here are some other fantastic idea’s from other people. I just love how creative people get this time of year.

The corpse Bride, Where’s Waldo, Mary Poppins, and Mrs, Frizzle! These people definitely deserved to win some big prizes! And they are all costumes you can copy using things around your house, or individual pieces from a costume store. I cant wait to see all the costumes this year!

Spirit Jugs

After yesterdays post if you are still not feeling the pumpkin thing but are still looking for a festive walk way, try this idea!

We all go through enough milk cartons in our houses. Clean them out, draw some spooky faces and have your kids color them in! Using a craft knife cut a small hole in the back of each jug.

Line your house with your jugs and use a string of christmas lights, stuffing a couple in each jug along the line. Light them up to welcome your trick or treating guests to your house!

Source: Eighteen25

Pumpkin carving

Are you tired of the same old Jack O’Lantern faces on your pumpkins? Here are a few idea’s to inspire this years carvings. Some you can even make without those sharp tools so your kids can help out too!

To kick off the pumpkins we have a baby pumpkin! How fitting for my household. This one is super easy. Find a soother, cut the rubber end off so you have a flat surface to hot glue gun to the pumpkin. You can now either draw with a permanent marker or paint, your eyes and a nose. Or you can cut out these features if you still want to have a glowing pumpkin. Tie a ribbon on the stem, and you have one super cute baby pumpkin!

If you don’t have any kids in the house though, you can still add pumpkins in a classy way. Simply use your monogram of choice and carve a letter in your pumpkin. You can use this same simple carving method to cut out your house number as well. Stack a couple pumpkins and your house will invite trick or treaters in the classiest of ways!

You wont need any tools to cut these pumpkins. Just some paint. The possibilities are endless with paint. Create some simple candy corn pumpkins by layering orange, yellow, and white paint.  Try Some gold paint for a fun bright effect. Dress it up even more with some black patterns over the gold. But if you really want to have some fun think of your pumpkin as dressing up in costume. This orange M&M is perfect, but see what you can come up with too!

And Last today we have a Mummy Pumpkin. You will need, Cheese cloth, scissors, fabric stiffener,an artificial pumpkin, glue and hot glue gun, 1 inch googly eyes, optional glow in the dark paint. Cut your cheesecloth into 4x 12 inch strips, fold strips in half length wise. Apply fabric stiffener, according to directions. Apply strips to pumpkin Leaving top and bottom uncovered. Let dry. Hot glue eyes to pumpkin. Cut additional four 4×6 strips of cheesecloth. Apply fabric stiffener. Cover each eye diagonally to let eye peek out. Let dry. At this point you can be done but if you want a glowing pumpkin still, apply your glow in the dark paint and let dry.

I hope this inspires you to carve pumpkins this year. Its always been a favorite tradition of mine. And with this many idea’s, you dont even need to get messy and carve. Halloween is all about pumpkins so make some today!

Creepy Eyeball Ice Punch

Create this creepy floating ice eye ball for your punch. Along with some red punch this will set your theme up on your table.

You will need:

Round-bottom bowl

Flat bottom bowl

Kiwi fruit

Black olive

Chunk Style Pineapple

Red lace candy

Red punch

Directions:

Balance the round bottom bowl inside another bowl with a flat bottom. Slice kiwi fruit horizontally about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out the white center of the fruit; discard. Place the kiwi in the center of the bowl.

Cut a 3/8-inch-thick slice off the end of a pitted black olive. Place olive slice in the center opening of the kiwi with the rounded tip touching the bowl. Place chunk pineapple pieces along the edge of the kiwi to create the iris of the eye.

Cut random lengths of red lace candy, leaving them long enough to extend over the edges of the bowl. Carefully place the red lace candy along the sides of bowl, touching the pineapple at the bottom and extending over the edges of the bowl at the top.

Place the stacked bowls on the freezer shelf. Very slowly pour water into the bowl until the bowl is one-third full. Freeze for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until ice forms a firm layer and begins to turn white on the edges.

Add additional water to fill the bowl to within 1 1/2 inches from the top. Freeze 4 to 6 more hours or overnight.

Dip the bottom of the ice-ring bowl into a sink of warm water. Then slip the ice ring out of the bowl and place it in the punch.

This creepy Giant eyeball will keep your punch cold and your guests shivering too!

Candy Corn Favors

If you are having a Halloween party or are sending gifts to schools you may need a cute way to package some sweets. Use this download to print on white card stock.

Use double sided tape along your long edge. Roll to form cone. Next add another strip of double sided tape to your open end. Stick tissue paper of coordinating color around the edges. Use a 7″ wide, 20″ long strip and ruffle (as shown) against edge. Overlap ends slightly and secure with tape. Fill with your hearts desire. (Candy corn would be perfect 😉 ) Wrap with ribbon when full and you have a beautiful candy Corn Favor!

The original poster from Skiptomylou.org even suggested having them sit on individual plates on a dinner table. How super cute would that be. Like Christmas crackers but filled with candy! A perfect Halloween specialty!

Ginger Bread Men-Halloween style

If Halloween is not your holiday you may be bursting to bust out the next holidays goodies. But you can modify them to make them work now! Find your favorite gingerbread recipe (sorry not a fan so I dont have one to suggest!) And cut out all your little ginger bread men.

Now decide how you want to decorate these cute little guys! Make some mummies with white royal icing and black highlights. Or just use white and make them a little skinnier than the usual chunky men! How simple but effective.

Crazy Hair Costume

Is there a male in your family that doesn’t like the whole idea of costumes and dressing up? Your not alone. Not many guys are as into Halloween as the female population. But this may be something you can persuade your guys into.

A simple outfit of Hawaiian style should be easy. But the hair is where this shines! You need some spray color. Either from Target or a beauty supply store. Lots of hair spray, and a comb. Play with it to get it your way. Longer hair might be harder but could make an even better, BIGGER wave! Glue a hair clip to a cheap surfer toy and add to your wave-a-licious hair! How cute and very original!