do-it-yourself spooky!

Halloween is right around the corner, but there's still plenty of time to get spooky. I've got a bunch of tutorials to help you out to get your creepy on!

1. Halloween iPhone Wallpapers
2. Eye-See-You Earrings
3. Salted Halloween Bark
4. Zombie Make-Up Tutorial
5. Skull Votives

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. A Halloween blast from the past. 

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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything

It's Friday! I'm so excited the weekend is here. We are going dresser hunting! Heather & I are hitting up estate sales, thrift stores, & antique shops to try & find something that will hold our growing assortment of winter garb. I forgot how many clothes you need just to survive up north! I'm hoping we can find a sad little chest of drawers that needs some DIY love. That being said, I'm also eyeing this beauty. 

This week's links:

• All of the creepy cocktails for a rad Halloween party
• I'm losing it over Koko the Gorilla & her furry birthday presents
• Oprah's face when people are ignorant is priceless
• How to fix your sad broken houseplants
• If you need some background tunes, someone uploaded the complete Kmart in-store soundtrack - what a time to be alive
• I love fall - caramel, spices, sweets!

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S.  Halloween is so soon! If you need a last-minute costume idea, check out this zombie make-up tutorial.

kraft paper & chalk notecards

I love snail mail. Who doesn't? (Except for bills, obviously.) As a kid, getting a card in the mail made you feel so important, & even as adults there's something sweet about getting a hand-written note in your mailbox. I was thrilled when JAM Paper reached out for a collaboration project that involved pretty note cards & paper (they have a zillion other products too), because the timing couldn't be better. I've been meaning to write home since moving cross-country to those I miss dearly.

There's no limit to what you can do with these note cards; they're quite literally a blank canvas. I decided to utilize a trick from middle school art class. If you've ever done a charcoal drawing, you know how messy it is, & that any kind of handling after the fact results in fingerprints. A spritz of hairspray will fix that, & that's exactly what I did with these cards. I love the look of white chalk on natural brown paper, & sealing it in hairspray means they can be handled without smudges. 

You'll need: 

• Kraft paper notecards (I'm using the 4bar size) 
• Matching envelopes
• Chalk marker
• Hair spray
• Stencils (optional, not pictured)

Step 1. Design! | Since I'm sending these cards out just to drop a line, I wrote happy greetings on mine. If you don't have a steady hand (like me - I'm surprised how straight I got those letters!), I highly recommend using a stencil. That's how I got the patterned look on my cards.

Step 2. Spray! | Once you've decorated your cards, spray an even, light coating of hairspray over the entire surface of the cards/envelopes. The hairspray slightly darkens the color of the paper, so it's important to cover the whole surface, not just the chalk doodles. Don't fret if your paper looks wet & weird at first - it will dry. Don't handle them while they're drying, just lay them out in a ventilated area. 

Done! Don't forget to decorate your envelopes to match. If your planning on mailing your cards, leave spaces for the send & return addresses. 

Even if you don't live far away from friends & family, think about how fun would it be to get a card in the mail! Just for giggles. 

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. More on handmade cards & pen pals.

Disclaimer // JAM Paper was nice enough to send me these materials to play with; all thoughts & opinions are my own. 

out & about | autumn leaves

I grew up in Pennsylvania, a state that enjoys all four seasons. As a kid I experienced wet spring rains, late summer nights, crunchy autumn leaves, & piles of winter snow. Having just moved back up north after spending the last decade in Florida, I have a heightened sense of appreciation for seasonal change. Since moving here, I've kept saying, "I can't wait for winter. I can't wait for the snow," totally forgetting about fall! I know, more gushing. But I've missed it. Since Heather (a native Floridian) has never experienced a real fall, & since I can't stop freaking out, we went out & played in the leaves. Like total tourists. But I don't care.

Go outside & enjoy it before it's gone!

xoxo,
-m.e.


P.S. Halloween is so soon, check out these glitter skull votives to spook up your space!

eye-see-you earrings

Halloween is THE BEST & it kind of crept up on me this year. I haven't a single idea for a costume, & I'm not even sure where I'm going to be on Halloween. What I do know is that I want some creepy flair to wear to work the day before All Hallow's Eve. This is barely a tutorial (basically googly eyes & glue), but I just had to show off my second set of peepers. 

easy-peasy knitted cap

Confession time! I am not a great knitter. My skills consist of being able to knit rectangles, squares, & more rectangles - which basically just means scarfs & pot holders. Learning how to knit in the round is something that just never happened for me. It's definitely on my to-do list, but so are a slew of other things (traveling the country, learning how to write with my left hand, nailing the nay-nay dance). Not having time (or motivation) to learn how to use my circular needles, I've settled on a compromise with this easy knit cap. Emphasis on easy.

While this cozy hat is made with a knit stitch, the pattern can easily be adapted to crocheting.

To make this easy-breezy-peasy cap, you'll need: 

• Super chunky yarn 
• A crochet hook
• Long knitting needles (size 10-11)

To make the bulk of the hat, you'll be knitting a large rectangle. 

• Cast on 50-60 stitches (this is dependent on the diameter of your head) on one of your knitting needles. 
• Knit 30-32 rows of knit 1 purl 1 rib.
• Cast off.

Next, fold you rectangle in half widthwise. Using your crochet hook, weave a long piece of yarn down the side, joining the rectangle as a cylinder. Basically "stitch" along the side. Tie off.

Using another piece of yarn & weave around the top of the hat. Cinch, & tie in place. 

Flip your hat inside out. To make a fuzzy pom-pom, follow our pom-pom making tutorial, making the larger of the two template sizes. Leave excess string when tying your pom-pom off, & feed through the top of your hat. Tie in place. 

I felt ridiculous while I was making this hat, because we were experiencing a seasonably warm 80º day. That being said, yesterday's lows are today's highs, so I'm very grateful for the extra warmth.

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. Knit on! Check out this ombre-inspired scarf.

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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything 

Ugh, it is so incredibly, beautifully autumn-y everywhere I look. I cannot even stand it. I'll quit my seasonal gushing, because I have a request! I need your input. At my new job I have the great pleasure & privilege of being able to listen to my iPod for large chunks of the day. However, I am quickly plowing through all of my usual podcasts, & there's only so much Pandora I can listen to before I get bored. So I'm looking for suggestions! What's your favorite podcast? Which audio book should I listen to? Let me know!

This week's links:

• Travel the country through a 50 states photo tour
• A look at our favorite men's (& women's) hairstyle, the undercut
• All the cheesy snacks that take no time to make (like I need an excuse to eat more cheese)
• A groundbreaking article about our favorite comedian, Amy Schumer
• Please look at these sun bears & their adorable faces

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. The temperatures are dropping so quickly that I've been wearing my giant snuggly cowl all the time. Every. Single. Morning. 

gifts to start making now (to be done by the holidays!)

Every year I have plans to give handmade gifts to everyone at Christmastime, & inevitably, every year I am rushing to finish everything in time. This year I'm being optimistic (despite my poor track record) because I'm planning ahead! Here are some gift ideas I came across that require some major prep time, but if started now will definitely be ready in time.

Photo courtesy of Fringe Association

Knit & crochet projects | Nothing says "carpal tunnel" quite like speed-knitting to get a project done at the last minute. Do your hands a favor & start those big knit & crochet projects now. Crocheted baby blankets make thoughtful gifts for the expectant mothers in your life - or you could get started making the ultimate holiday present: a cozy sweater, like this awesome one.

Photo courtesy of Craftaholics Anonymous

Quilts | What better gift to give in the middle of the winter? They take a lot of work, but quilts make fantastically cuddly gifts. If you want to keep a loved-one warm, get patching now. Whip up a comfy t-shirt quilt, or make this awesome no-piece geometric quilt. 

Photo courtesy of Kirbie Cravings

Extracts | This gift doesn't take a lot of hands-on time to make, but it does require extra time to sit & steep. Extracts make lovely little gifts, plus they can be made in basically any flavor (I'm thinking peppermint for the holidays - festive!). You'll want to make your extracts a few week ahead of time - check out this simple recipe.

Happy crafting!

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. All this talk about the holidays has me wanting a cup of hot cocoa. Is it too early for that?

// All photos used in this post belong to their respective creators & were used with permission - check 'em out! // 

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Instagram @wecanmakeanything | Twitter @wcmanything

It's been four months now since I moved to Minnesota. I feel like I've settled in here. I know how to get from point A to point B without looking at a map. I've got a favorite grocery store, & they have my order memorized at the coffee shop around the corner. It's starting to feel a lot like home here. The only thing that's missing is an active social life. This weekend I'll be researching social groups & local meet-ups. Hopefully I'll stumble across some fellow crafters & DIYers. What about you? How do you make friends as an adult? 

This week's links:

• Yeah, it's time to start wearing layers, but let's focus on eating more layers
• I thought I was getting fancy by packing chickpea salad sandwiches for lunch - my brother's lunch game is on a whole 'nother lever
• Scotty the wallaby is the cutest thing on Facebook right now
• Let's all move to Sweden where they're shifting to a six (!) hour workday, & they're healthier because of it
• Oh look, the internet has the answer to everything: how to make friends in Minnesota!
• Apparently you can make a latte sans espresso machine!

xoxo, 

-m.e.