Then I remembered that I had some chalkboard paint leftover from a home office project, which I then used to paint the other side of the cookie tray. I’ve since discovered that there is also a chalkboard contact paper that you can use if you don’t want to bother with painting on the chalkboard surface. Now I had a tray that the kids could use with dry erase markers on one side and chalk on the other side, and of course the tray itself works great to take along in the car, on the plane, in hotel rooms for childrens craft kits, craft projects, magnetic games, etc.

Note: because this easy Christmas ornament uses a glass light bulb please do not leave your child unsupervised while working on this project.

Materials:

• burned out incandescent light bulb
• dishwashing liquid cap
• water or soda bottle plastic cap
• decoupage items such as photos, magazine pictures, etc.
• ribbon and decorative trim scraps
• gold, silver or copper wire
• heavy duty crafters or jewelry glue
• metallic paint pen or metallic paint to match your wire
• acrylic enamel paint
• crackle medium (optional)
• clear shellac or varnich
• hot glue
• old color beads of choice (1 for the bottom of ornament and 1 flat bead for the top center)
• rubbing Alcohol or white Vinegar

Wipe the light bulb with a little rubbing alcohol or white vinegar and a piece of cotton from a vitamin or med bottle or a soft cloth. Allow to dry.

Wash bottle caps with hot soapy water and allow to dry.

Using a small nail, poke a small hole in the center of the soda cap. Bend wire into a U-shape and thread both ends through the hole in the cap. Secure the wire ends on the inside by twisting together. Now you have a hanger for your ornament.

Using heavy duty craft or jewelry glue, glue the soda cap to the socket of the light bulb and the dishwashing liquid cap to the bottom center of the bottle cap. Allow the glue to dry.

Paint the glass portion of the light bulb with enamel paint. Paint the socket section, the bottle cap and dishwashing liquid cap with a metallic paint. Allow paint to dry and apply additional coats if needed.

Glue your decoupage items to the painted light bulb.

Follow the manufacturers instructions to apply a crackle finish. When crackle finish is done apply a small amount of an antiquing medium such as burnt umber paint. Allow this to dry and then apply 2 to 3 coats clear shellac or varnish. Do not apply clear protectant to the metallic painted areas, as the varnish will dull the metallic paint.

Use hot glue to apply small pieces of decorative trim to hide the socket area and disguise the dish-washing cap.

Glue a bead to the bottom center of the ornament.

Note: you can leave the dish-washing liquid cap either open or closed. If you decide to leave it open, place a dot of glue inside the cap to keep it from closing.

Ribbons and Bows

Cut each recycled candy wrapper to the same width and tape to package as a decorative ribbon. You can then loop each length of candy wrapper and tape or glue it to the package as a bow. You can face the shiny side out or the writing side out.

Decoupage

I hardly ever buy silver leaf anymore. I just use recycled candy wrappers and recycled potato chip bags.

When carefully opened and washed the shiny side of these wrappers can be used in a decoupage or collage project, or to simulate a body of water in a doll house or Christmas gingerbread house.

I like to use recycled candy wrappers to cover smaller surfaces or surfaces like a frame where a long skinny shape is best. I use recycled potato chip bags for larger surfaces such as pots, trays, etc.

Antique Foiled Frame

I’ve covered scratched wooden frames with the shiny side of recycled candy wrappers. First crumple the candy wrapper. Smooth with your hands. Cut to fit, and glue to the frame. Wipe the foil with brown or black shoe polish to age it.

Contemporary Foiled Frame

Cut wrappers into squares or rectangles. Glue pieces to frame, butting together or overlapping.

Mod Frame

You could use the packaging label side to cover a frame for a retro mod look.

Decorative Tray or Box

Any of the ideas above can be used to cover a tray or box. I’ve used candy wrappers to cover a tissue box, then I use the box to store spare change.

Materials:

• white clay
• toothpick
• plastic fingernail (a true IA devotee would use a fake fingernail that had fallen off and was too damaged to be re-glued on)
• glue
• dark fingernail polish

I do not like those pens that businesses give away. They’re unattractive and they don’t write that well. This project is a good way to make use of those pens. Ghastly Pens make great party favors or a fun take-along for school during the month of October.

For each Ghastly Pen, cover a ballpoint pen with approximately a ¼-inch thick layer of white clay or similar material, leaving the tip of the pen exposed. Use your hands to mold the clay into the shape of a finger, using your own finger or a willing hand as a model. Use a toothpick to make wrinkles and creases for the knuckles.

Glue a plastic fingernail near the pen tip making sure to leave enough room to be able to write with the pen. Trim the nail so that it’s a bit ragged. Use the toothpick to form lines for the cuticle area. Paint the nail with a ghastly shade such as green or black. Let clay dry completely before using.

Glamour Pen – use flesh colored clay instead of white clay. Don’t trim the fingernail to make it look ragged. Paint the fingernail a bright red, or do a French manicure on it.

Teen Scene – use flesh colored clay. Paint the nail a cool color such as light blue or bright orange. While polish is still wet carefully place a decal, sticker or charm on the nail. When polish is dry cover entire nail with a couple coats of clear polish.

Storing Candy

Most candy can be kept at room temperature without spoiling, with the exception of chocolate. Because fat can turn rancid (ever detect a slight soapy smell on your chocolate?) any chocolate candy that you plan to use thirty days or more from the date of purchase is best stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

RePurpose Candy

Use candy corns to decorate Thanksgiving baked goods, or fill a cornucopia with them.

All types of candy bars can be buzzed into milk-shakes, chopped and stirred into home-made ice-cream, as an ice-cream topping, chopped and stirred into baked goods batter, chopped or sliced and used to decorate the top of a frosted cake …

Gum drops, gummie shapes, candy corns, peppermints, Lifesavers, lollypops – all kinds of candies can be used to decorate Christmas gingerbread houses.

Any red candies can be saved for Valentine’s Day.

Any chocolate candies that can melt down completely can be stirred into hot chocolate or coffee.

Start with a recycled cardboard box that is big enough to get your head and arms into. Cut a hole in the top just large enough for your head to fit through. Cut a hole in the bottom just large enough so that you can slip the box over your head and your shoulders will fit inside. Cut a hole in the front that is the shape and size of a TV screen.

Paint the box silver or black.

Draw or use a computer to create an “X-ray” of human insides on a piece of paper that will be taped inside the box so that it will show through the hole in the front of the box. Wear a skeleton costume, black turtleneck and leggings or a hospital dressing gown.

TV Set Costume

A recycled cardboard box can be the start of a great Halloween costume. Turning it into a “television” gives you lots of options for customizing to fit your interests or message.

Start with a recycled cardboard box that is big enough to get your head and arms into. Cut a hole in the top just large enough for your head to fit through. Cut a hole in the bottom just large enough so that you can slip the box over your head and your shoulders will fit inside. Cut a hole in the front that is the shape and size of a TV screen.

Cover the recycled box with wood grain contact paper or paint it silver or black. Attach a recycled rabbit ear antenna to the top.

Draw freehand, use your computer to create a movie scene, cut a poster, or search the Internet for a movie or television scene. Tape the paper to the inside of the box so that it will show through the hole in the front of the box. Wear clothes and makeup that matches your movie. Wear black, gray or brown leggings to match the TV box.

And if you need more ideas for your Halloween costume, check out About.com’s photo gallery of Recycled Cardboard Box Costumes. The instructions accompanying each photo aren’t detailed but they’re simple enough that you should be able to recreate any you take a liking to.

I just had to add this one extra costume. It’s not made from a cardboard box, but from a piece of recycled foam.

Here’s a great way to use a piece of foam that you might have otherwise thrown out. Sonya Style has detailed instructions for using a piece of foam that you might otherwise have thrown out to make a Fortune Cookie Costume.

I started my home redecorating project by removing everything from each room I was redecorating and then only putting back things that I truly wanted in that room. Besides how it contributed visually to the room I considered the fact that anything I put in the room would have to be cleaned or dusted.

Then I lived with each room for a few days to a few weeks, taking away even more things as I found they didn’t add to the room’s visual appeal or usefullness or putting a piece or two back into the room if needed.

Some of the things that I removed from one room I ended up using in other rooms. Other items I sold or gave away.

The next step in my redecorating project was to re-purpose items:

• quilts became wall hangings
• tablecloths and scarves became window valances
• branches from outdoors were arranged in vases
• I traded bed and sofa pillows
• an outdoor plant pot became an indoor umbrella stand
• dining room chairs became a new patio set after the cushions received a triple-coating of Scotchguard and the chairs were treated with marine-grade polyurethane
• patio chairs received new cushions and became my new dining room chairs
• a floor runner became a table runner

By the time I was finished my home redecorating project I’d spent less time than I normally would have (since shopping for new things takes a tremendous amount of time), saved loads of money and didn’t add a thing to the landfill!