DIY Halloween Costume Party Awards

Every year I host a HUGE Halloween costume party for my family.  {It is only huge because my family is huge.}  You must have a costume to even come through the door…I am serious!  It pays to wear a great costume to the party because I hand out awards and movie gift cards!  This year I am not only handing out gift cards, but each recipient gets a killer skeleton statue. 

I found the inspiration for these awards as I was walking around the dollar store and came upon a mini skeleton garland.   Enjoy the tutorial…and please help with my question at the end!

Supply List:

For Skeletons:

-Skeleton Garland from Dollar Tree

-4 small wooden dowels

-4 small wooden platforms (scavenge the garage)

-Krylon Metallic Gold Spray Paint

-drill with drill bit the size of dowels

For Decorating Skeleton:

-Xyron “X” Create-a-Sticker Machine

-thin white grosgrain ribbon

-computer, printer, paper

-Felt, pom-poms, etc

-glue gun

Instructions:

Put the dowels in a cardboard box (or right into the grass) and slip the skeletons on the dowels.

Spray with the Krylon Metallic Gold Spray Paint.

 

While the paint is drying, let’s work on the wooden platforms.

Stain the wood by using a foam brush and painting the stain on.  Use an old rag and wipe it off.  {For a darker stain leave the stain on longer and then wipe it off.}

When your stain dry drill a hole in the base of each platform.  I didn’t do the hole in the middle of the base, I wanted the skeletons to be more toward the back so I could doll up the base if I felt like it.

Okay, now we can assemble everything!

Put a drop of hot glue on the end of the wooden dowel and slide it into the hole you made on the base.

Slide the skeleton on the dowel and hot glue its spine to the dowel. {Make sure to remove those pesky hot glue strings.} Glue its feet to the base as well.

Now to make the sashes! You are going to PRINT ON RIBBON! This is so easy.

Type up whatever awards you plan to give out.  Use a bold font, hit enter twice between each award, and center the text.  Print it out.  This will be your guide as to where you place the ribbon.

Cut your ribbon into 5 inch strips.

Feed two of them through your Xryon Sticker Maker {side by side} according to manufacture instructions.

Rub the ribbon a bit so the adhesive sticks to it really well.  Peel off the transparent piece and gently peel off the ribbon.

Place the sticky side of the ribbon on the paper over your words.

Once you have done this to all the ribbon pieces, put the paper back through the printer.  This time the words will have printed right on top of the ribbon.  {I know, your mind is blown, right?}

Gently pull up the ribbon.  If the paper rips a bit that is fine.  Just take the paper off the back of the ribbon and drape across your skeleton.

The ribbon was still sticky enough to stick to the front of the skeleton.  However, I did put a dab of hot glue in the back to secure the sash.

Aren’t they looking so cute?!  You could leave them like this or doll them up a bit.  I chose to doll them up with various crafting items I had collected.

 

The SCARIEST award is a witch costume made with black felt and a glue gun.

The FUNNIEST award is a clown costume made with a white pom-pom, a red pom-pom and a hot glue gun.

The LEAST EFFORT award is just sitting there with no costume…that was easy!

Now here is where I need your help!  What in the world do I do to decorate the BEST OVERALL Skeleton? How would you decorate him? I can’t wait to hear your ideas!

 

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