'All Hallowed Spirit Continues'

Welcome party goers with pumpkins

The French poodle costume gathering is well underway with a few other Halloween alternatives: a flapper, firefighter, Bat Girl and peacock.

Not sure which costume I will wear to the Halloween party at the local nursing home, but the end result will likely be well-received by the seniors. Candy shopping has already been completed, including some sugar-free options for the diabetics.

Halloween decorating for the annual extravaganza, which I will help in planning and executing, is still not finished. Last week, I shared a few do-it-yourself tips for crafty decorations such as the Jack-O’-Lantern and tissue paper bouquets that seniors can even do.

This weekend, there will be DIY friendly ghosts, pumpkin painting and more to add to the mix. Here is what’s in store:

For the ultimate party entrance, spell out a greeting in lighted pumpkins (top). Carve out pumpkins and make an opening on the bottom – not on the top like most people tend to do. Use a drill to bore holes in the pumpkin and to spell out your greeting. Use Christmas tree lights, rolled in small bunches, to light each pumpkin. Tip: unscrew the bulb of the lights where it connects to the next pumpkin.

Friendly ghosts

Nevermind Casper this year. Try a hand at your own friendly ghosts with a little bit of cheesecloth and some small balloons. First, soak a strip of cheesecloth in fabric stiffener and have it dry over a balloon. Place it over a small paper cup. Pop the hardened balloon with a pin. Using craft glue, have the seniors glue tiny black circles out of felt onto the ghosts. Remove the ghosts from the cups and hang using fishing wire.

Use pumpkins to decorate a simple bookshelf

Use the entire length of a bookshelf or cabinet to create a ceiling-length tree with pumpkins. You will first need to decide the placement of the pumpkins. Tip: the larger pumpkins should be placed at the bottom of the shelving unit. Take a felt tip pen and trace the outline of a tree onto the pumpkins (once in its ultimate spot). Start at the bottom and gradually trace your way up. Remove the pumpkins and fill in the outline with black acrylic paint. Once dry, place back onto the shelf.

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of countryliving.com