Fall is my season and Halloween lives in my blood. I am in no way ashamed that I am all things stereotypical of a Basic Fall B...let's go with Babe to keep this G rated. So obviously, my spooky little soul was over the Harvest Moon when Nikki asked me to collaborate on her Box of Shadows: Halloween Edition, with the Hellfire Skullflowers bouquets.
The Skullflowers in your box are coming to you ready to add to your Halloween decor, but these are actually the result of a Dollar Tree Halloween DIY project! With minimal supplies and easy to follow instructions you can grow your Skullflower bouquet into an entire garden!
A deep love of all things Halloween has been passed down to my kiddos as well. They joined me in making these and then went on to show Nikki and her boys the ropes! YEP!! This craft is simple enough for the kiddos and I encourage you to have them help!
What you'll need:
*Dollar Tree(DT) Mini Skull heads (8ct bag)
*Your choice of DT fall flower
- We chose the sunflowers but you can pick whichever bloom your heart desires.
*Black acrylic paint
*Elmer's School Glue
*"Bone" colored acrylic paint
- I went with brand Craft Smart in Vanilla
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks
Box cutter or exacto knife.
Paint sponges (3)
How to:
*Prep your area with some newspaper to protect your surface.
* Using the box cutter/Exacto knife remove the back half of the skull
* Paint your little skull friends solid black and let the layer dry completely
* Using a fresh sponge, add a thick layer of Elmer's glue over the skull. You want to do this in a patting motion to leave ridges and lines in the glue layer. This adds texture to the skull giving it a more realistic look. It also helps the 2nd layer of paint adhere properly. Let this layer completely dry and harden.
*For the final layer, we "dry brush" on the bone paint with our final sponge. Dip your sponge into the paint lightly and brush of 80% of the paint onto a napkin. Using upward strokes, slowly paint the skull until you are happy with how your skull looks. Let dry completely.
*To complete the project apply hot glue the rim that was created when we cut off the back of the skull. Adhere it to the center of your flower.
BOOM! A gorgeous piece of spooky flora to add to your Halloween aesthetic.
Tips:
The paint and Elmer's glue steps are perfect for getting little goblins in on the fun. Our kiddos loves watching the skulls' change as they added each layer. The dry brushing technique highlights all the bone protrusions on the skull adding depth and realism to the skulls look. If you feel like you over did it on the bone paint, take a small brush and add black back into the cracks and sockets to bring back more depth.
I hope you love your bouquet, it was made just for you with lots of Halloween love and a little goblin help! Now go forth and sew more spooky Skullflower seeds!
Nikki’s Edits to Add: I learned that hard way that skipping the glue step will cause your black paint to wipe off if you add white directly over it, even if it is completely dry. Don’t skip the glue step. Ideas of other ways to use you Hellfire Skullflowers: -Pop the whole bloom off and use them on a festive wreath! -Pop the whole bloom off and use a needle and thread to make a festive garland with other spooky trinkets between each bloom.
-Separate the stems (cut off the base) and arrange the fake flowers into a mix of seasonal live flowers to make a lovely yet spooky centerpiece. Find Ashley on IG @TheArtOfBakingAndCrafting Don’t forget to show us how you used your décor by tagging @2keo on Facebook or @eclectic_Oasis on IG! Use the Hashtags #BoxOfShadows RELATED POSTS: