Easy-to-Make Venus Flytrap & Snake-Wrapped Candy Halloween Centerpiece

This easy Halloween centerpiece post has been sponsored by Oriental Trading Company, your Halloween headquarters.  All opinions expressed are my own.

October is a busy time of year for us, especially now that my children are older and are not all at the same school.  Between all the fall festivals, fundraising, and help with homework, I hardly have time to even think about Halloween.  That's why I was super-excited to come up with an easy Halloween centerpiece that both my children and trick-or-treaters would appreciate.

Putting together an easy display like this would be a fun Halloween activity to get the children involved in.  That's right!  This centerpiece is so easy to make that a child could probably do it.


How to Make a Halloween Serving Tray . . .

All you need is a basic serving tray and some printed Halloween-themed paper.  The tray can be black, woodtone, brown, orange, green, purple, or any other color that reminds you of fall.  Then measure the inside dimensions of the tray and fold the edges of the printed paper under itself to match the tray measurements.  Then place it inside the tray.  That's it!  I chose not to glue the paper down so that I can switch it out for different themed paper in the future.  The printed paper could be from scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, or a Halloween bag.  Use your imagination!  I used part of a paper Halloween table runner.

How to Make Snake-Wrapped Rock Candy . . . 

It's tough finding candy that everyone will like that is also safe for children with allergies.  I discovered that rock candy is gluten-free and dairy-free.  These rock candy lollipops paired with some cute fuzzy hair monster bookmarks are sure to be a big hit with trick-or-treaters, even ones with some dietary restrictions.


Here comes the fun part!  To wrap bendable snakes around the rock candy, first coil them around your index finger.  When the snakes are in a coil shape, wrap them around the rock candy lollipops.  If you intend to display these treats in a cup or a pail, like I have, then be sure to keep the snakes towards the top of the lollipops.  This would also work well with hard candy sticks.

How to Put Together Your Halloween Centerpiece . . .

I was lucky to find a set of 3 Halloween pails that I fell in love with.  Either little pails or flowerpots would work well in this case.  The first pail is for holding your decorative Venus Flytrap plant.

The other two pails are for holding your snake-wrapped rock candy lollipops.  Place the three pails in the Halloween serving tray you created.  Add a few snakes here and there, and you're done!

Like this Halloween decor idea? Pin It for later . . .

What ideas do you have to delight trick-or-treaters?

Share them in a comment here.

How to Make an Easy Black Crow's Nest Centerpiece for Halloween

Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing some of the supplies used to create our Halloween centerpiece.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Halloween is such a fun time of year to decorate.  I always try to find a good balance between cute and spooky.  My favorite part of Halloween is handing out candy to all the trick-or-treaters, so I would feel terrible if I ruined even one child's Halloween because something at my house was too scary.

This year, I saw some black feathered crows in Oriental Trading Company's Halloween Headquarters.  I showed them to my children, who thought they were pretty cool looking, so I felt inspired to come up with some easy crow-themed Halloween ideas.

How to Make a Crow's Nest Candy Bowl Centerpiece . . . 

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

1 clear round 5qt serving bowl

1 clear round 2qt serving bowl

1 pair decorative feathered crows

1 bag decorative fall leaves

1 bag black metallic shred (can also use matte)

2 or 3 small pumpkins (real or artificial)

1 bag bulk candy

Step 1.  Separate your artificial leaves into two piles, one pile for crinkled leaves and another pile for flat.  Take the crinkled leaves and make a large bed of foliage at the center of the table.  Then scatter the flat leaves on and around the pile of crinkled leaves.

TIP 1:  Using flat leaves in the areas around the leaf pile will make it easier for you to place other decor items or serving bowls and platters on the table.

Step 2.  Place the larger of the two clear round serving bowls in the center of the leaf pile.

Step 3.  Place the black shred (black Easter grass) inside the large bowl.  Pull the shred apart until it is loosely intertwined and covers the bottom and sides of the bowl all the way to the brim.  Then nestle the smaller clear round serving bowl inside the bowl of black shred.

TIP #2: Although you want to have the shred to show above the rims of the bowls, you can pull out any long strands hanging down over the edges to neaten your nest a bit.

Step 4.  Add the decorative black feathered crows to your centerpiece.  The pair of crows from Oriental Trading Company have wires at the bottom of their feet so I could bend the wires around the edge of a bowl or a pumpkin stem to help position the crows where I wanted them.

Step 5.  Fill your crow's nest with the candy of your choice.  One bag of bulk candy should be enough to fill this candy bowl to the top.

TIP 3:  Want to use your crow's nest candy bowl for handing out candy? If you have a place to set your bowl down on your porch, then the crow's nest can be used as-is.  If you need to hold the candy bowl or carry it to and from the door, then simply remove the crow.

Step 6.  Add a few small pumpkins to complete your Halloween display.

More Black Crow-Themed Halloween Ideas . . .

I also found this cool Eyeball Feather Wreath at Oriental Trading Company.  This wireless wreath was perfect for our door and will surely delight trick-or-treaters.  It runs on 3 AA batteries (not included) and has an on/off switch on the back.  You could also place the smaller of the two crows in the center of the wreath.

I also thought it would be super-fun to have a crow on your forearm when you greet trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.  To do this, simply take a glove or gauntlet with buckles or fasteners on it and wrap the wires on the crow's feet around the buckles.  We used an Anakin Skywalker costume glove and it worked out perfectly.

How will you be decorating for Halloween this year?  Share your ideas with us in a comment here.

Remember to Pin these Crow-Themed Halloween Ideas for later!  Also, be sure to check out our Zombie Head Eyeball Centerpiece from last year . . . 

Visit Oriental Trading Company for more fun Halloween ideas and supplies to inspire you!  Just having a quick look around always sparks new ideas for me.

Easy Spooky Zombie Head & Eyeballs Halloween Centerpiece

Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing most of the supplies needed for our DIY zombie head Halloween centerpiece.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our children will be 12, 9, and 9 in a few months.  Our oldest decided that he's too old to go trick-or-treating this year.  That's why I decided that we better squeeze in as much Halloween fun as we can before they are too old to enjoy Halloween the way only kids truly can.

Zombies are all the rage these days, whether you're 8 or 80.  Checkout this easy Halloween table centerpiece I made with a few Halloween supplies from Oriental Trading Company!

What you'll need . . . 

Zombie Head Centerpiece

zombie punch bowl

latex monster hands

strong double-sided foam tape

big bags of assorted candy (red and pink preferred)

Bowl with Eyeballs & Floating Candles

floating candle bowl

eyeball erasers

3 red tealight candles

rat prop

Table Coverings

orange tablecloth

stretchable black web

Scary Hands Holding Zombie Head Candy Bowl . . .

This candy bowl will be super-easy for you to make because we have done all the trial and error.  All you need to do is attach the latex monster hands to either side of the zombie punch bowl so that they look like they're holding the head.  We tried hot glue, white glue, model glue, and a tagging gun and could not get the hands to attach securely. What finally worked is double-sided foam tape.  I highly recommend that you use permanent double-sided foam tape because the non-permanent kind we used still allowed the hands to detach now and then.

If you are careful in the placement of the foam tape, then it will hardly be visible at all.  You can also make it so that a person can put their hands inside the monster hands to hold the candy bowl for trick-or-treaters to help themselves to candy for some spooky fun.

Speaking of candy . . . we used two big bags of assorted candy (85 pieces each) that had mostly red and pink wrappers.  I removed the small handful that were other colors so that only the zombie brain-colored ones remained.  This punch bowl can hold a ton of candy.  My two bags only filled half of the head, so I placed a plastic food container upside-down at the bottom and stuffed some paper around it to help the candy reach the brim of the bowl.

Bowl with Eyeballs and Floating Candles . . .

The eyeball erasers from Oriental Trading Company come in a set of 24, which was the perfect quantity for this project.  We had enough to put in the bowl and to scatter around the centerpiece.  The erasers are flat on one side, so the eyeballs remained stationary with the pupils facing up even in the floating candle bowl filled with water.

As for the candles, I just used tealights I already had in the house.  You can certainly purchase small floating candles, but the tealights worked just fine for us.  If you are using tealights, you'll need to carefully remove them from the plastic cup.  Be sure to check that the metal disc on the bottom that is connected to the wick has at least a thin layer of wax over.  If the disc is not covered, then water might get up through the center of the tealight.  Before placing the tealights into the water, trim the wicks to 1/4" tall.

Halloween Table Covering . . . 

For an easy Halloween backdrop for our centerpiece, I layered a stretchable black web over a vinyl orange tablecloth.  The web was not what I was expecting.  I pictured something more stringy, but this web worked out fine.  It was sticky just like you'd expect a web to be and even came with a handful of spiders designed to hook onto it.

Let's talk candle safety! . . .

PLEASE DO NOT leave candles unattended while they are lit and do not leave your children or pets alone with the them.  Also, DO NOT place anything, including decorations, close to or over the edge of the floating candle bowl.  The candles float around with the slightest air current.  I placed the rat prop next to the bowl to make the centerpiece more interesting, but had to remove it shortly after I lit the candles because one of the tealights floated right over to it.  Remember, Halloween is not just about having fun.  It's about being safe as well!

For more Halloween inspiration, be sure to visit Oriental Trading Company's Halloween section!

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Children are Never Disappointed with These Non-Candy Treats for Halloween, Party Favors, and Stocking Stuffers

Thank you to Moose Toys for providing complimentary product samples as non-candy treats for my children's classroom Halloween celebrations.  All opinions expressed are my own.

For the past two years, non-candy treats have been part of my children's Halloween fun.  In 2011, we had Trash Pack toys for trick-or-treaters who were 5 years and older.  In 2012, we sent in Trash Pack toys for classroom celebrations.  They were such a huge hit that we are thrilled to be able to do the same thing this year, except this year we will also be sending in the new Glitzi Globes as well.

In our school, there is a strict no-sweets policy for any type of celebration.  That means no candy on Halloween and no cupcakes on birthdays.  That coupled with all the various food allergies in each classroom, I find it much easier to send in non-food treats for all celebrations.  The Trash Pack were a huge hit last year, so I am happy to be able to be able to send them in again along with another fun new toy.

 If you are not familiar with them, The Trash Pack toys are small collectible figures that each come with their own trash can container.  Each figure is something you might find in the trash, but portrayed in a cute way.  All 3 of my children, both my sons and our daughter, love collecting Trashies.

Glitzi Globes are a fun new toy that are geared towards girls and also appeal to the collector.  They are little kits that come with everything you need to make a glitter globe.  All you need to do is add water!

Now the single pack samples I received to distribute are not available in-stores, but you can easily purchase multi-packs of The Trash Pack or Glitzi Globe toys and split them up to put in your treat bags or to just wrap each in cellophane and ribbon to hand out by itself.  I found 5-packs of the Series 4 Trash Pack here for just $4.79 each.  That's less than $1 per favor!  I have used these for non-candy treats in goody bags, in Easter baskets, for stocking stuffers, and to hand out on Halloween to trick-or-treaters and the reaction of the children have never disappointed me.

What other ideas do you have for non-candy treats?

3 Tasty & Easy Ways to Add Something Fun to Your Halloween Celebrations! #SpookyCelebration #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study about Halloween Celebrations for Collective Bias and their client.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Since I am not usually into Halloween baking, I thought I would share some easy no-bake ways to make your Halloween celebrations more fun.  In our house, Halloween is mostly about creating fun memories for our children.  This not only includes cool costumes and candies galore, but also memorable decorations and unique ways to celebrate.  Nothing makes me happier than hearing the words "Remember one year when . . . ".

Last year, we created some pretty darn cool favors to hand out to trick-or-treaters.  This year, I experimented with a few different ways to use candy to create something fun just for our children. After a week of experimenting (my poor husband was tasked with the job of eating all the failed experiments), I came up with a few cool things that anyone can make, even children.


How to make Eyeballs Ice Cubes . . . 

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 standard ice cube tray

Skittles candy

Step 1.  Fill each mold in a standard ice tray about 90% full with water.

Step 2.  Sort through your Skittles and pull out all your orange, yellow, and purple candies.

Step 3.  Place 2 of the same colored Skittles next to each other flat against the bottom in each water-filled mold of the ice cube tray.

Step 4.  Place tray in freezer and allow to freeze completely.

You will notice that the color coating of the Skittles will dissolve into the water almost immediately.  By the time the ice cubes have completely frozen, much of the candy center will have dissolved also, leaving behind two small pieces of candy that will resemble eyeballs.

How to make Candy Corn Ice Cubes . . . 

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 standard ice cube tray

Starburst candy (yellow and orange only)

knife

cutting board

Step 1.  Fill each mold in a standard ice tray about 90% full with water.

Step 2.  Laying each unwrapped Starburst flat on the cutting board, cut the candy into halves.

Step 3.  Place 3 pieces of cut candy flat into the bottom of each water-filled space in the ice cube tray.  Be sure to line the 3 candy pieces in a yellow/orange/yellow or an orange/yellow/orange pattern.

Step 4.  Place tray into freezer and allow to freeze completely.

Although the Starburst candy pieces do not completely dissolve, the results will be a gradient of color within the ice cubes.

Take a look at our Eyeballs and Candy Corn ice cubes . . . 

Keeping in mind that these ice cubes contain sugary candy in them, you may want to use plain ice cubes to fill 2/3 of the glass and add the candy ice cubes on top.  These taste great served with 7UP alone (which was my favorite) or in a party punch made out of 50% 7UP and 50% Hawaiian Punch.

How to make Ice Cream Sandwich Coffins . . . 

WHAT YOU NEED:

rectangular ice cream sandwiches

M&M candies

tube of white icing (for writing)

knife

cutting board

Step 1.  Lay each frozen ice cream sandwich vertically on the cutting board and cut off the tips of the top two corners.

Step 2.  To form the shape of a coffin, cut off the bottom two corners of the ice cream sandwich, starting your cut about halfway down the left and right sides.

Step 3.  Sort through the M&M candies and pull out the fall colors (brown, yellow, orange, and red).

Step 4.  Push the M&M's into the ice cream all around the sides of the ice cream sandwich, making sure to alternate the colors.

Step 5.  Using the white frosting, write the letters "RIP" on the front upper half of the ice cream sandwich.

Step 6.  Store the decorated ice cream sandwich in the freezer until ready to serve.

I experimented with all types of candy, such as Snickers and Twix Fun Size bars, to finally settle on using M&M's.  If you end up doing some experimenting of your own to make Halloween punch, this ice cream sandwich coffin, or other Halloween desserts, I would love to hear about your results.


For more fun #SpookyCelebration Halloween ideas, visit the Spooky Halloween Celebrations Pinterest board and BrightIdeas.com.  Also be sure to check for coupons on products you may use in these and other Halloween recipes.

DIY Candy Corn Flower Cuff Bracelet & More Easy Halloween Crafts to Try From Tori Spelling #StarburstCandyCorn

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Starburst. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Creating crafts involving candy is something I have done in the past for Halloween and Christmas, such as gingerbread or haunted houses and candy wreaths, all things I had created as something fun for our children.  Now having seen some of Tori Spellings elegant Halloween candy crafts, I no longer only associate candy crafts with children.  I must admit I was amazed at the creativity behind Tori's DIY decor, desserts, and party favors, all made with Starburst Candy Corn.  In addition to the candy corn bracelet craft I tried, below are some of my favorites of Tori's Halloween crafts . . .

Starburst Candy Corn Mum Balls, Napkin Rings, Place Cards, Party Favors, and Photo Frame

Not only are these creations elegant, but they are all very easy to make.  How cute would that candy corn photo frame look displaying a photo of your costumed child or pet from a past Halloween?

Starburst Candy Corn 'Boo' Door Hanger

In addition to the crafty items above, Tori also created some Halloween jewelry.  I decided to try my hand at making her 'Bewitching Bangle.'  It really could not have been any easier to make.  The most difficult part was selecting the perfect pieces of Starburst Candy Corn.  This bracelet was also inexpensive to make.  I just needed a metal cuff bracelet ($5 at Walmart), one gem, and one metal bead.  The metal bead was not actually part of Tori's design, but I prefer a little metal in my jewelry.

Today's Project:  Easy Candy Corn Flower Cuff Bracelet

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

20 Starburst Candy Corn (5 yellow, 5 pink or red, and 10 orange)

1 metal cuff bracelet

1 metal bead

1 clear gem

hot glue gun

Step 1.  Choose your pieces of candy corn in advance, avoiding any that are broken or have blemishes.  Then lay them out with their points towards the center in a circular pattern as shown in the photo above.

Step 2.  Using your hot glue gun, glue the candy pieces from Layer #1 to the top center of the bracelet.

Step 3.  Glue the candy pieces from Layer #2 on top of the first layer, positioning the tips of the candy as close as possible and making sure to position the pieces so that you can still see each piece from Layer #1.

Step 4.  Glue the candy pieces from Layer #3 on top of the second layer, making sure to position the pieces so that you can still see each piece from Layer #2.

Step 5.  Put a dot of hot glue at the center of your flower and immediately push the metal bead into place.

Step 6.  Put a dot of glue at the center of the metal bead and immediately push the gem into place.

That's it!  Could that have been any easier?  I was pretty pleased with how this project turned out.  Even my husband, who never notices anything I wear (especially jewelry), thought the bracelet was pretty cool looking.

The results of our project . . . 

This and any of Tori's Tasty Tips For Halloween Entertaining would make fun projects for a girls' night-in!  Personally, I think these colors would look beautiful during the spring and summer seasons too.  If you agree, you might want to buy some extra bags of Starburst Candy Corn to keep aside before they're gone for the season!  Which of Tori's crafty Halloween ideas would you try first?