First of all, I just want to thank everyone again for all your kind words and votes over the last few weeks. The Better Homes & Gardens contest has been a ton of work and loads of fun but it’s even better knowing I have so much support!

Today is the beginning of the forth and final leg! For this round, myself and the other three bloggers, were asked to make an outdoor display for the fall season. I wanted to create a pretty arrangement with a hint of Halloween spirit. All it took was a mix of store bought items, a few cans of spray paint and some simple arranging. Below are the materials and instructions to create your own.

See what the other bloggers have been up to and vote for your favorite at bhg.com! And don’t forget, you can vote once a day!

Materials
Pumpkins in varying sizes
Matte Black Spray Paint
Gold Spray Paint
Black Vinyl Sticker Numbers (Found at local art supply stores)
Spiky Plants (I used 2 Cordyline Plants)
Black Halloween Wreath (Found at Target)
Black Urns (Found at Target)
Black Ribbon

I shared my third project for the Better Homes & Gardens contest yesterday and today I have all the materials and instructions you’ll need to make your own. With just a few simple steps, you can make any foam gourd into a pretty and natural looking fall accessory. Have fun!

Supplies
Styrofoam Pumpkin
Candle
Drill
Hole Saw Attachment for drill (found at hardware stores)
Craft Glue
Glitter

Instructions

Things are moving fast and furious now as we get closer to the holidays and this week is the third leg of the Better Homes & Gardens contest. For this round, I, and the other three bloggers, were tasked with using either real or fake pumpkins to create a home decor item. I ended up creating large and small candle holders out of foam pumpkins.

I would have loved to use real pumpkins for this round but sadly due to the unseasonably cool summer here in the northwest, there were no pumpkins to be found in early September. I had never used a fake pumpkin so carving into foam was a bit nerve-wracking but I’m thrilled with the result! The best part, this project will last for years and seasons to come.

To add a little sparkle, I ended up coating the pumpkins in simmering gold glitter before placing the candles inside. I love the charm they add to a tablescape and how the light reflects off the glitter. Paired with the DIY Pumpkin Place Cards I shared earlier, you’ve got an autumnal table fit for entertaining! Check back tomorrow for the complete how-to instructions.

And don’t forget, you can see the rest of the projects and vote for your favorite at bhg.com!

Today marks the second leg of the Better Homes & Gardens Home for the Holidays Contest! I have been so excited to share this project with all of you, as I had so much fun putting it together.

The task was to create a fall home decor item using real or fake leaves. I ended up making a wreath by spray painting fabric leaves from a craft store in gradated purple tones then pinning them to a foam wreath form with craft pins. The wreath ended up being quite versatile and I found it worked well as a traditional door decoration, above a fireplace and even a dramatic centerpiece. I’ll be back tomorrow with the complete list of supplies and how to instructions so stay tuned!

In the mean time, I would love your votes! You can vote once a day from now until Sunday, October 17th. I didn’t fair well in the last round so I’m stepping up my game this time with a link at the top of each page for voting convenience. Thank you all so much for voting for me so far, it means the world to me!

I’m so excited to finally be able to share my first project for Better Homes & Gardens! As I mentioned in my earlier post, three other bloggers and myself were asked to contribute and take part in an online contest where we’ll each create four projects based around specific concepts. For the first challenge we were charged with making a halloween mask. I decided on a peacock inspired mask, and to give it a twist I wanted to make the feathers entirely out of paper.

To make the mask, I coated the base in glue then covered it with light blue flocking powder – my new favorite find! The small feathers were made useing a leaf craft punch and then glued in place with a hot glue gun. To make the larger peacock feathers, I created a template in illustrator then cut them out of card stock. To keep them standing up straight I backed a few with floral wire. For a little sparkle, I lined the eyes with mini rhinestones, added a little extra detail around the right eye and  affixed one to each of the large feathers. To complete the look, I added coordinating ribbons to either side for securing in place.

This was a lot of fun for me and I can’t wait to share the next project. In the mean time, make sure to head over to Better Homes & Gardens before October 10th to see the other contestant’s work and to vote on your favorite!