Outdoor Mod Podge Porch Pot Ghosts Tutorial

Do you decorate outside for Halloween?  I hate to admit it, but I usually get so busy working on costumes & indoor stuff most years that my front porch gets a bit neglected. So when the folks at Plaid Crafts, (the makers of Mod Podge), sent me a few supplies for making an outdoor Halloween project, it was just the push I needed to remedy that problem. So I came up with a project that adds some festive fun, but is also easy for those of us with limited time this season: Outdoor Mod Podge Porch Pot Ghosts.

Materials Needed:

- Gauze/Cheesecloth 

- Google Eyes

- Terra Cotta Pots

- Acrylic Craft Paint

- Stiffy Fabric Stiffener

- Outdoor Mod Podge (this waterbased formula seals & glues for the outdoors)

- Wood Shapes

- Cardstock

- Aluminum Foil

- Foam Brushes

- Optional: Hot Glue Gun, Mod Podge Applicator Brush, Die cutting machine

These can be made as big or small as you want, but since this was my first try, I went for a smaller size.  I started by making a ghost base to mold my cheesecloth on.  I put a piece of foil over a glass bottle and shaped it so looked like a ghost with its arms up, but curved in a bit so they'll be able to hold their own signs.

I poured some Stiffy Fabric Stiffener into a bowl to apply it.  It looks a bit like runny white glue, but dries clear and without the super crunchy feel of glue.  This makes its easy to create a molded, permanent project from fabric - ideal for freestanding shapes like my ghosts.

Then I folded my cheesecloth in half and draped it over my foil and began "painting" the Stiffy on with a foam brush, just enough to get it well saturated.  I left the bottom half without stiffener so it could be draped or folded later.  I let it sit for a couple of hours to dry.

When dry, I carefully pulled the foil out from under the stiffened ghost.  Even though I was pulling and peeling that foil like a crazy woman, that stiffened fabric kept its shape:

Next I used a free spooky-looking font, SCAL software & my Cricut machine to cut out some Halloween messages for my ghosts out of card stock (hand cut letters work too):

Using a foam brush I painted my plain wood plaques with the orange FolkArt acrylic paint Plaid sent. I did several coats so it was nice & bright:



Once my last coat of paint was dry I did a layer of Outdoor Mod Podge.  I used the brush applicator Plaid provided and it did help give a good even coating.  

I added my lettering on top and then several more coats of Mod Podge to seal it up.  At first it seemed a bit tacky after it dried, but the outdoor formula recommends waiting 72hrs before putting it outside and by the time it was ready to put out it felt much smoother. 

Using a dab of hot glue, I stuck on the googly eyes, added my gauzy ghosts into my pots and hooked their signs into their arms.



Now they're looking friendly and ready to greet any visitors.

And the best part is since everything pulls apart easily, the signs can be changed and the ghosts pulled from the pots so they can be used in different ways every year.  Maybe next year the ghosts will hang and float or the signs will be staked instead.  And it's simple enough that the kiddies can help make more too.  Now my outdoor Halloween decor can be fun year after year!

Get more ideas from fellow crafters on Plaid’s Facebook Page and follow Plaid for Inspiration on Pinterest. Or enter submit a photo of your most creative pumpkin from Sept. 25- Oct. 24, and you could win a $250 gift card to Michaels along with a Mod Podge and FolkArt Prize Pack, and bragging rights of winning their 4th Annual Trick Your Pumpkin Contest (ends Oct. 24)!

And checkout these other fun Outdoor #HalloweenMP Crafts:

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I was financially compensated for this post.  I received select craft supplies from Plaid Crafts for their Mod Podge Halloween campaign.  The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.  For my complete disclosure policy, click here. 

Let's Make A Spring Glitter Cottage!

Earlier this week I showed you some of my favorite crafty supplies from Sugar Pink Boutique, now I'm going to show you how I like to use them.  Let's Make A Spring Glitter Cottage!!

As some of you know at Christmastime last year I discovered the magic of glitter houses and fell in love with how magical and pretty they looked.  And it was surprising how easy and inexpensive it is to make them.  All the basic materials can be found at the local craft store & you can add your own special touches with your favorite stash pretties.  I made my first one gingerbread-style for our holiday mantle and was hooked.

And since I love seeing lovely things all year long, I started making them for other seasons & holidays too.

So now that it is spring, it seemed the right time to make a spring-themed glitter cottage to celebrate some of the beauty of the season indoors.  Here's how you can make one too -

You'll Need:
- Small wooden or cardboard house/birdhouse (From Joann's was just $1)
- Acrylic craft paint (also from Joann's for about $1)
- Clear German Glass Glitter (I order mine online from Sugar Pink Boutique)
- Ribbons (textured & colorful work best, mine were also from Sugar Pink Boutique)
- Assorted pretty beads (I used inexpensive plastic ones from Michael's)
- Mod Podge
- Hot glue gun
- Foam brush, tweezers


First start with two coats of acrylic craft paint on the house.  I used grass green as the main part of the house & top, sky blue for the roof & base and white for the trim.  Give about 10 minutes to fully dry.

Next apply a very thin coat of Mod Podge, a section at a time (since it dries fast):

Sprinkle the glitter on until you get your desired level of sparkle and shake off the excess.  Any clear glitter will work, but German glass glitter gives a lovely, textured, "sugary" look you just can't get with plain craft store glitter.  Definitely adds that special something:

I added a border trim to the roof using yellow velvet ribbon.  I applied it with hot glue, doing one a side at a time so it was easily to get the placement on the edge just right.

I clipped two butterflies from some shaped ribbon and glue that on the center of the trim to cover where the ribbon ends meet on the front and back.  

I did the same with some pink puffed satin tulip ribbon to go along the bottom of each side for some garden accents.

Once all sides and roof are done & dry (about 10 minutes), I carefully applied the round blue beads around the opening with a hot glue gun, one dab at a time using tweezers.  

Then I used hot glue to individually add the shaped flower beads along the edge of the roof.  Since the glue comes up through the holes in the center of the beads, I used tweezers to add a seed bead to each one so it covers the hole and adds some extra detail.  

Now the glitter house is ready to add a little spring to the room!

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Make A Sweetheart Glitter Cottage!

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I'm all about the sweetness of Valentine's Day and what better way to show that with a Sweetheart Glitter Cottage!  I caught my fever for making glitter cottages at Christmas when I made this winter-themed one last month:

It looked so lovely sitting on the mantle & added a little extra festive flair around the house.  And even though it looked fancy, it was soooo inexpensive to make.  So I knew I HAD to do another one - this time with a sweetheart theme for the upcoming holiday:

Glittery, sugary goodness makes my heart warm:) And once again, I got a lot of my special decorating goodies from Sugar Pink Boutique, my go-to source for sweet, pretty accessories.  Want to make one yourself?  Here's how:

You'll Need:
- Small wooden or cardboard house/birdhouse (From Joann's was just $1)
- Acrylic craft paint
- German Glass Glitter (from Sugar Pink Boutique)
- Pom pom ric-rac (from Sugar Pink Boutique)
- Baby pom pom trim (from Sugar Pink Boutique)
- Assorted heart beads (from the giant $6 plastic bead grab bag at Michael's)
- Wall spackling & sandwich bag (optional)
- Mod Podge
- Hot glue gun
- Foam brush, toothpick

First start with two coats of acrylic craft paint.  I used bubble gum pink as the main part of the house, hot pink for the roof & base and white for the trim:

For the "frosting" on the roof, I used spackling piped on using a sandwich bag with the corner cut out:

Next apply a very thin coat of Mod Podge, a section at a time (since it dries fast):

Sprinkle the german glass glitter on until you get your desired level of sparkle.  German glass glitter gives a lovely "sugary" look you just can't get with plain craft store glitter.  Definitely adds that special something:

Once all sides & roof are done & dry, I carefully applied small heart beads around the opening and some larger ones as accents on the front and roof with Mod Podge and a toothpick.  Again, doing these a side at a time means they won't slide around while drying:

Next I applied my ric-rac & pom pom ribbon using hot glue.  That stuff dries fast too, so a side at a time is key:

Then my little Valentine's Cottage was done and ready to be loved:

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My Sweet Little Glitter Cottage & Tutorial To Make Your Own!

I can't tell you how much been looking forward to sharing this project - I truly loved making it!  My Little Glitter Cottage:)  I first found out about this sweet craft via one of my advertisers, Sugar Pink Boutique, and was totally enchanted with the idea.  Pretty like gingerbread houses, but permanent and with that magical extra shimmer:  

So when I bought some sweet, crafty goodies like glass glitter, berry beads and tinsel from her shop I knew I had to make one of my own.

It was so much fun I plan to make a little village of them.  I thought I'd share how I made mine for anyone else who wants to give them a try.  Being easy, fun and lovely to look at, it's a really wonderful seasonal project.  I started out with this plain wooden gingerbread house from Michael's - got it on sale for $2.50:

Then I painted it with a foam brush and two coats of acrylic craft paints - some of them were left over from a stenciling project...from 9 yrs ago.  I know, the fact that I even have paints that old means I'm a total crafting packrat.

This was my favorite part - I "iced" the house with wall spackle piped on using a sandwich bag with a corner cut off.  The spackle has the same consistency as royal icing so the effect is pretty realistic and it dried about as fast.  

Next, working quickly and one side at a time, I brushed on a thin coat of Mod Podge with another foam brush:

and sprinkled on german glass glitter - the more the better and so much sparklier than regular glitter:

Once everything dried, it was time to decorate.  I used a cotton swab and dabbed on some tacky glue to attach the oblong beads for the "jimmies" on the roof:

I used these sugary looking berry beads along the trim:

Small assorted beads decorated the snowman, tree and door and some lovely iridescent wired tinsel around the base for a finishing touch:

I unrolled some batting to go underneath and added the candy light bulbs and sweets garland I also got from Sugar Pink Boutique to make our mantle have a full sparkle effect:

And with twinkle lights under the batting, when lit up at night, my mantle looks like a magical winter wonderland:)

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