Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Halloween Tree with Ornament Tutorial

Grrrr... moan.... BRAINS.... uugghhh!

Halloween Tree - Nichola Battilana

I feel like I totally missed Halloween last year, so I'm really digging all the spooky stuff from Alpha Stamps over the past couple of months. I know that creepy isn't for everyone... but I love to get ghoulish!

I've wanted a Halloween tree for some time and I decided to finally make myself one to hold all my tiny terrifying trinkets and charms.

Halloween Tree - Nichola Battilana

Let me just say that big things are a pain to photograph. This actually looks pretty dang magnificent on my dining room table with all those spindly branches poking this way and that. Unfortunately, those same spindly branches don't translate well in a single image. (Poo!)

Halloween Tree - Nichola Battilana

ANYWAY, I created the tree by binding several branches together with wire, then spray painting the whole kaboole in matte black. The 'tree' sits in a cauldron with zombie infested cemetery scene using pieces from the August Cemetery Kit.

Halloween Tree - Nichola Battilana

On the branches of the tree I've created some little ornaments, stringing together beads and gruesome things like this Large White Turquoise Skull Bead.

Halloween Tree - Nichola Battilana

I also created a bunch of simple paper ornaments and to show off some spooky doodads like this  Halloween Poison Cameo.

Want to make your own? Here's how:

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

1. Cut two large shapes and one smaller shape. 
and cut pieces from Graphic 45's An Eerie Tale 8x8 Paper Pad 

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

2. Add some texture to the smaller piece with an embossing folder. 

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

3. Ink the edges and raised embossed areas with an old stamp pad.

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

4. Apply some foam squares to the piece like so and
add a loop of jute twine for hanging.


Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

5. Affix the two large pieces together with the twine
sandwiched between the layers.

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

6. Apply the smaller shape on top.

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

7. Add some decorative elements like Cream Adhesive Pearls and a focus piece such as this Halloween Owl Cameo* 

Halloween Tree Ornament Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

8. For one last finishing touch, apply a bit of sparkle with some Diamond Stickles

These ornaments are simple to make and could be altered to fit any occasion. Prepare the pieces ahead of time and they'd be a great project for even the littlest 'helper' to assist in making them.

Here's all the doods and dads for making the bits in this post:

THE HALLOWEEN TREE
August 2015 - Cemetery Kit
Mini Black Wrought Iron Fence 
Zombie Finger Puppets
Sheet Moss*
large plastic cauldron
branches
wire
black matte spray paint


PAPER ORNAMENTS
Diamond Stickles 
Cream Adhesive Pearls 
Halloween Owl Cameo*
Tim Holtz - Embossing Folders - Eiffel Tower & French Script Set 

Tim Holtz Thinlits Mini Labels Die Set
An Eerie Tale 8x8 Paper Pad
adhesive foam squares
jute twine