Geek Crafts

Jake the Dog Plastic Bag Holder

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Teaandcraft of Perth, Australia, has a practical side that I appreciate. She decided recently she really needed a plastic bag holder, and that it should totally look like Jake the Dog from “Adventure Time” on Cartoon Network.

Her Jake has a 65cm long torso and, including his arms and legs, is about 118cm long in total. He is only 14cm wide though; but she can’t decide if she likes the skinny look best (because it kind of looks like he really has stretched) or if she should have made him wider.

Personally, I like the long and skinny Jake, because it looks like he’s changing size to me.

For more details on how Teaandcraft made her Jake, check out her posting here.

Make Your Own Octopi Amigurumi Army!

You don’t have to make an army of them, but why wouldn’t you? Check out this free crochet pattern, designed by Adorably Kawaii on Craftsy. It’s a beginner level pattern with pictures, and did I mention it’s free? I imagine it would be a great scrap buster too, and it would be easy enough to replace the safety eyes with buttons if that’s what you’ve got on hand.

Simple Crafts For Halloween

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Sometimes, the best Halloween decorations are the simplest. Case in point, check out the windows in this house. The creatures you see in the windows are spray painted, flattened cardboard boxes. The boards are on the lower windows are painted polyurethane foam board that was cut into “planks” and painted.

SneakersRobinson posted his Halloween decorations recently to Imgur. He said he finally got his own place after living with roommates for a while, so he decided to do Halloween right this year by making his own Halloween decorations.

He started by making fake 2×4’s, by buying big sheets of polyurethane foam board and cutting them into planks. After cutting, he used a nail to make groves and some knots into the “wood”. From there, he got some light and dark drown spray paint and got to work. He said he also noticed that if you spray some spots excessively the paint will eat away some of the foam board which made making the knots a lot easier.

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He then got the largest boxes he could find and cut them so they would lay flat. He looked online for some inspiration and started drawing an outline by freehand. After he had his outline, he cut them out with a box cutter.

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After they were all cut out, he spray painted them black so they looked like shadows in the windows. When he was ready to start decorating, all SneakerRobinson had to do was place these guys in his windows.

Go Old School With This Halloween DIY

If you’re into the classic, Victorian, and vintage style Halloween decorations, then you’re going to love this tutorial from DIY Home Sweet Home where you can make your own Halloween themed cloche using the simplest of materials. The tutorial only covers making the cloche itself, so filling it will be up to you and your imagination. If you need ideas, then try looking at these terrariums to start! Use your homemade cloche to display Halloween scenes, vintage inspired ephemera, miniatures, and anything else you can think of.

It’s Dangerous To Go Alone

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Whew, it’s nice having electricity again, now that Hurricane Matthew is gone! My entirely dark neighborhood made me think of this quote: “It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this!” Unfortunately, we didn’t have Link to guide us.

Meleriffic, of Texas, recently made this Link cross stitched project for her husband for his birthday. The pattern is from StitchLine on Etsy. When she saw it, she knew it was perfect. Her husband loves The Legend of Zelda video game series and often quotes, “It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this.”

Meleriffic been working on it off and on since May, and just finished this a week ago.

Make Your Very Own Bat Mobile

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Unfortunately, it’s not four-wheeled Batmobile we’d all love to take a spin in, but rather a Halloween decoration from Martha Stewart.

Peek into your backyard and your art-supply drawer — odds are you have everything you need to make this bat mobile.

Trace her free bat templates onto black card stock; cut them out and fold them according to template instructions. Make a small hole in the center of each bat with a tack. Poke a piece of thread through each hole, and knot it. Tie the bats to a found branch (painting it black is optional). Then hang the branch from two pieces of thread secured to the top of the window with flat thumbtacks.

One pointer I’d like to add: start keeping your eyes open for the right branch weeks before you start your Halloween decorating. When you find the one(s) you like, bring them into a garage or some other climate controlled area, and let them dry out completely. It’s also a good time to check the branches over for bugs. And if you decide to paint your branch, here’s a great tutorial on the best way to do it.