Halloween Costumes

Make these simple chair covers for Halloween craft, then customize them for any celebration at home or school.

Materials

• Felt
• Fabric glue or needle and thread

• Pins
• Repositionable glue (we used nontoxic Aleene's Spritz-On Reposition-It Tacky Glue, available at craft stores)

Instructions

1. The Slipcover:
   
   This easy slipcover, made from a few yards of felt, serves as a backdrop for a year's worth of decorations.
   
   First, decide how far down the back of your chair you want the slipcover to hang. Measure from that point up and over the top of the chair, then down to the seat (or stop at the arms if your chair has them). This is the total length of felt you'll need for each cover. Now measure the width of the chair back at its widest point; add to that measurement the thickness of the chair back and 1 inch for the seams (1/2 inch per side).
   
2. For each chair, cut a piece of white felt to fit your measurements. Ours ran 1 1/2 yards long and 2/3 yard wide.
   
3. Fold the felt over the chair and pin the sides in place. Remove the cover and sew up the sides or glue them together with fabric glue. If you sew them, turn the cover inside out.
   
4. The Decorations
   
   To haunt your house with this friendly spirit, simply download the
   ghost template.
   
5. Trace the templates on to felt (or other lightweight materials such as ribbon) and then cut them out. (We glued white felt pupils onto the black eyes.) Dimensions will depend on the size of your chair covers.
   
6. Spray the back of each piece with a thin layer of repositionable glue, then press them onto the slipcovers or layer them on top of one another. (If little hands peel off any of them, just apply another layer of glue and press them back on.) Tip: If you get a clump of glue, spread it out with a paintbrush so it doesn't leave a mark on the white felt.
   
7. Store the pieces in plastic bags, preferably with the sticky sides facing away from one another. Next time you use them, spritz on another layer of glue.
   

Tips:

Check out these other chair covers for all the different seasons!

A Wreath for All Seasons

Show your family's true colors with an ever-changing wreath

We all know that first impressions count, so why not help your front door put its best face forward? This decoration extends a warm welcome to guests and allows your family's personality to shine. Starting with a store-bought grapevine wreath, you can have the whole household get into the act of customizing the embroidery-hoop ornaments in endless ways (we suggest a few easy techniques here).
Go beyond the holidays by hanging ornaments that celebrate achievements, announce happy events like birthdays and graduations, or cheer on a team. Add or remove ornaments each season, and the fun — and that terrific first impression — can last all year long.

Materials

• Embroidery hoops (see tip below)
• Solid-color fabric or canvas
• Paintbrush and paint, paint pens, or other decorating tools (see instructions for details)
• Outdoor Mod Podge

• Greenery, faux berries, or other seasonal extras
• Grapevine wreath
• Floral wire

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Instructions

1. 
   For each ornament, measure the hoop, then cut a fabric circle that's an inch larger in diameter. Sandwich the fabric between the rings of the hoop, then pull the fabric taut and tighten the screw. Trim any excess fabric.
   
2. Decorate the ornaments (see ideas below). Let them dry, as needed, then apply a coat of Outdoor Mod Podge for weatherproofing and let it dry. Attach the ornaments and greenery or other extras to the wreath with lengths of floral wire. For the greatest durability, hang the finished wreath in a protected spot.
   
3. Stamp simple shapes by applying acrylic paint to a halved apple or a leaf, then pressing it onto the fabric (practice on paper first). Add details with a paint pen.
   
4. For a 3-D effect, use strong glue, such as Crafter's Pick The Ultimate, to adhere collage materials like the fishing line shown here (made from a bit of cord) and metal charms.
   
5. Acrylic paint and a brush are great for creating bold images like our pie design, and for livening up the hoop frames (paint them before adding the fabric). For more detailed designs, such as our horse drawing, use fabric markers or paint pens.
   
6. Create ornaments from photos — like the dog portrait shown here — with inkjet-printable cotton sheets (we used Jacquard brand, available at craft stores). Follow the package instructions to transfer a digital shot or scanned drawing to the fabric, then use a paint pen for extra flourishes.
   

Tips:

The embroidery hoops used here are 3 to 5 inches wide and cost $1 to $2 each at craft or fabric stores. For another creative hoop craft, check out our