Vampire Contact Lenses for Halloween Parties
October 28th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Vampire lenses are one of the best types of special effects contact lenses that you can purchase on the market right now. They are highly popular during Halloween, but can be just as impressive and effective for costume parties and theatrical purposes. If you’re part of a local playhouse or thespian activity, having Vampire Contact Lenses in your makeup toolbox can be a very effective and important addition. They also can come in handy for the more mischievous types of course, giving you an effective means to get a few scares out of people.
For those of you who have poor eyesight, and need prescription lenses, do not worry. Vampire Contact Lenses aren’t restricted for use by people with poor eyesight. When you purchase them over the counter, they don’t require a prescription, so they won’t affect your vision. However, if you suffer from astigmatism, or any other optical problem, then these types of lenses will have no effect. If you need lenses that help correct your vision, you may need to get them custom ordered, which may up the price on them. Vampire Contact Lenses are prepared very differently from conventional, cosmetically colored contacts, in that they are not tinted. Because of the colored effect required, the lenses are actually printed which gives them a more stunning look.
If you are experienced with wearing contact lenses, then you will be familiar with the regime that is involved with putting the Vampire Contact Lenses into your eyes and removing them. You should also be aware of the hygiene requirements that surrounds the use of contact lenses. However, if you are not familiar with using contact lenses, then it might be beneficial for you to consult an eye care professional, to test whether or not your eyes can use the lenses without any unforeseen problems. This will also help educate you in the use of contact lenses, the care and upkeep of your lenses, and the knowledge of what might need done if anything goes wrong with your contact lenses.
It is very essential that you maintain a good hygiene level when you are wearing any type of contact lens, even Vampire Contact Lenses. A big concern is eye infections, which are very serious. Following approved guidelines for the care and use of contacts is extremely important. It’s imperative that you make sure to clean your Vampire Contact Lenses thoroughly before and after each use. Also clean your hands before and after the removal of your lenses or insertion of them. Also remember to never share your lenses with another person, or share their lenses with them, even if you know them.
Free Halloween crafts for children
October 28th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Creating with preschoolers is an experience in and of itself, so finding free Halloween crafts for preschool on the web can be fun and eye-opening. Small hands need simple projects that they can easily create their own masterpieces with the minimal of disappointment and at least fuss. The thing to keep in mind when trying to find free Halloween crafts for preschool is to let them do what they can and not demand perfection. The cutest preschool crafts are the ones that are less than perfect but that are theirs to call their own. Here are 2 fun free Halloween crafts for preschool age children you may need to try.
When you have carved out your pumpkin, you are left with the seeds. If you’re like me, I like to roast the pumpkin seeds in the cooker dusted with sea salt. But save some of those seeds and clean them off and let them dry. Then take a piece of construction paper or cardboard cut into a circle and glue the pumpkin seeds round the outside with the points facing out. Attach a second row inside the first row and spatter glitter in the middle. You can paint the seeds if you want and fasten a stem, but we endorse punching a hole in the top and hang round the room or on the wall.
Some fun free Halloween crafts for preschool are ones that are edible because the child can eat their craft after they make it! This one is actually fun dust and Worms! First, get a clear, plastic cup. Place a bit of chocolate ice cream in the base of the cup. Then give your child a few chocolate cookies we recommend Oreos in a plastic Zip-Loc bag and tell them to smash the cookies into little bits. After they are all smushed up, pour them over the ice cream and add some gummie worms. Give them a spoon and allow them to enjoy their creation!
Finally, another of the great free Halloween crafts for preschool we found is to make a lovable bat from your kids handprint for a fun and lovable keepsake. First, get a paper plate and pour in washable black craft paint. Put your youngster hand in the paint making sure to fully cover the entire hand. On a chunk of construction paper or another paper plate, press your kids hand onto one side with fingers splayed. Turn the paper around, re-coat the children hand and press the hand to the paper again with the heels of the hand matching up. Use white paint to make eyes or buy some googly eyes and glue down. Punch a hole in the top and put a string through to hang.
Finding free Halloween crafts for preschool is straightforward with the help of the Net. Just make sure they are easy enough for your kid to do and then have a blast with each other!
What you just learned about Halloween Costumes for Women is just the beginning. To get the full story and all the details, check us out at Halloween Costumes for Women.
| Russ D. Edwards |
Party planning for little ghouls
October 21st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Planning a children’s Halloween party need not be bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Here are ideas and recipes for a unique party that your little witches and warlocks will talk about for months to come.
When planning a Halloween party, the first thing to do is to send invitations. You can make invitations very easily using your computer and, if your children are old enough, they may like to design and print these themselves.
To avoid the frustration of people turning up at your party who have not RSVP’d, a good tip is to purposely omit the party’s commencement time from the invitation. Instead, try adding the line, ‘Please RSVP to know the party’s start time’ - this should significantly decrease the number of ‘gatecrashers’.
Costumes are next on the ‘to-do’ list and to children this is one of the most exciting aspects of Halloween. Before talking with your children about the options, bear the following in mind:-
• Select a costume for your child that won’t disintegrate before the night’s festivities are over and one that won’t make the child feel too hot or cold.
• For safety’s sake, ensure the costume will not hamper your child’s movement.
• Face paint is a safer alternative to a visibility-impairing mask.
• If the costume is elaborate, dress your child in simple clothing underneath. This way they can easily slip out of it to play games, take a break or visit the toilet.
Costumes can be bought, hired or home-made. If you’re considering the latter, there are hundreds of websites with a glut of unique ideas – head for Google!
As with any party, you can choose to either keep the décor simple with streamers and balloons or go all out and create your own Haunted House. When planning the party’s décor, make sure you bear in mind the ages of the children attending. Younger kids may find just a few hanging bats sufficiently scary, while most teenagers enjoy a heavily themed venue with scary ambient music and sound effects.
Store-bought cobwebs as well as dimmed lights are wonderful additions to the Halloween atmosphere too. Older kids will absolutely delight in sitting down to eat at a themed party table. All you need is a black, orange or purple tablecloth, a vase of dead flowers, tealight candles and a scattering of small party favours to set the scene for a ghoulish supper. If the table is not large enough to accommodate all your guests, use it to display your food and beverages and provide a buffet meal.
Now….what would a party be without food? A quick Google search will result in many Halloween recipes for some superb but gruesome sounding food including Kitty-litter Cake, Baked Bones and Dracula’s Blood Pudding. You can really get creative when it comes to Halloween food but it’s best to keep it simple and not too gross-sounding for the younger elementary ages.
When it comes to drinks, a Halloween party isn’t complete without a bowl of punch. Maybe you’d like to try a Blood Bath? This is made by mixing 64 ounces of cran-raspberry cocktail and four cups of apple juice with four cups of vanilla ice cream. Or perhaps you would prefer a Toxic Punch? For this combine four litres of chilled green lemon-lime soda, 24 ounces of orange juice concentrate, two packets of blue Kool-Aid and a few drops of green food colouring.
When planning your Halloween children’s party, prepare two to three games ahead of time. It’s also a good idea to have an extra little game or activity ready just in case. Children can be unpredictable and you need to be flexible – so, if a game is not working or is not being enjoyed, having a back-up means that you can easily substitute one with another.
Many favourite party games can be given a new Halloween twist – for example Pin the Hat on the Witch and Pass the Pumpkin. Halloween’s classic and traditional game however is Bobbing for Apples in a bowl of water. At our parties we quickly follow this (with faces still wet) with a game of Bobbing for Marshmallows – on a plate of flour.
Making ‘Ectoplasm’ is always a big Halloween party hit. This eerie substance is made by combining two cups of cornstarch, one cup of water and a few drops of green food colouring. It is made in just seconds, is a great consistency to play with - and guests can also take some home in a sturdy zip-lock bag!
It is always a good idea to provide a quiet corner at parties for children who are not into games. Crayons, some colouring-in sheets, a batch of play dough and a few biscuit-cutters will keep little hands occupied. At sites like Hello Kitty Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Hello Kitty coloring sheetswhile little boys would perhaps enjoy the coloring sheets at Pokemon Coloring Pages.
As an entertaining extra activity, fill a plastic jar with sweets and have each guest write their best guess as to how many are in the jar. This is a great game to play at the beginning of the party, as guests filter in. Announce the grand- winner at the end of the party – the champion wins the jar! As your guests leave, surprise them with some spooky treats to take home.
One of the simplest and most effective inclusions in the traditional goody bag of sweets and chocolates is the Ghost Pop. Place a square piece of white tissue paper (or kitchen roll paper) over a lollipop, tie with a small elastic to make a head and then use a black marker to draw eyes on the ghost. These small treats also make great prizes for games.
Finally, remember to charge your camera and camcorder and capture each spell-binding moment.
Cool Classroom Decoration Themed For Halloween
October 21st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
It’s hard to believe but Halloween is already upon us again! It’s time to start thinking about bright orange and black colors, pumpkins, ghosts, witches, fun costumes and how you are going to decorate your classroom.
If you are just starting to think about what to do for Halloween in your classroom then you are in luck because there are some great ideas below to help get you started. Even if you already have everything all planned out you can still get some new, fresh ideas!
Giant Spider in It’s Web
A large, blank wall calls for large decorations. If you have a big wall in your classroom, start with a nice sized spider web. It is really pretty simple to create a cool looking spider web. All you really need is some yarn in a color that will show up nicely against the wall you are using. Once you have chosen the color of yarn you are going to use just pick six points in the shape of a hexagon to create the outer edge. Some good reference points are the hour hands on clock of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2. Then, simply cut three pieces of yarn making sure they are long enough to connect 2 of the spots you previously made that are opposite each other. For instance, the point close to the twelve hour hand should go down to the point at the 6 hour hand and so on. Once the three pieces are attached you should have something that resembles an asterisk. Then, working in a spiral from the outside, attatch the yarn at each of the six spots with tape or glue until you have at least three spirals. You may have several more spirals depending on the size of your wall.
Now it is time for the fun part, creating the spider! After all what would a spider web be without a spider hanging in it? Even though spiders come in a wide variety of different colors black usually works the best since it seems to go with the whole Halloween theme. Creating the spider is pretty easy. All you have to do is cut two circles or ovals out of black construction paper making sure one is smaller for the head and the other a little larger for the body. Pipe cleaners seem to work really well for the legs, but you can also just use construction paper for those as well if you would like. You can even fold the construction paper like an accordion to add some dimension to them. After the spider is complete you can put it on the web.
If you would like to you can just create the one big spider, but it can also be a lot of fun to let your students to create a bunch of smaller spiders out of pom-poms and pipe cleaners!
Fun Scenes of Halloween
One classroom door decoration idea is to make scenes of Halloween out of colored felt or construction paper and put them on the door. The scenes need not be scary, but warm and inviting, drawing the children inside. A kitty with a pumpkin, friendly goblins, skeletons with top hats, or a big moon with a fence silhouette are just a few ideas to get the ball rolling. Use simple shapes and contrasting colors to create a delightful variety of mini-scenes for decorating your classroom door. Make sure to keep the children involved by asking them to cut out some of the shapes for you or glue some of the pieces together.
Surrounded by Skeletons
A border of cut out skeletons can wrap all the way around the upper part of your classroom wall. You can create the skeletons in a paper doll style, with multiple layers of white construction paper cut out all at once so they are connected after you unfold the paper.
Another idea is to have the children cut out the bones of small skeletons, connect the bones with brass fasteners and then hang them around the perimeter of the classroom. Children can express themselves by putting the arms and legs of their skeletons in funny positions or even hanging them upside down!
Inspiring classroom decorations are an important part of creating a classroom where students are motivated to learn. If you would like to involve the children in classroom decorations, many lessons can be incorporated into simple classroom decorating ideas like the human body, art, math and social studies.
Two Easy Halloween Crafts
October 21st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you’re too busy to spend a lot of time on Halloween crafts with your family but you’d like to do some kind of activity together, you’re in luck. The Internet is full of free Halloween images that can be used to create quick and easy crafts. As an example, craft projects made from free vintage Halloween cards found online are simple to make, because vintage images are both versatile and very effective at conveying a Halloween feel. You can find a little something for everyone, because vintage Halloween cards run the gamut from sweet to scary. Vintage images can also be downloaded and used without fear of copyright infringement. That’s a terrific bonus, because you don’t have to worry about using other people’s art illegally.
Doing a fast online search for “vintage Halloween” will net you a huge number of free images from which a lot of craft projects can be made. And, of course, if you don’t like vintage, contemporary Halloween clip art can also produce great craft projects.
Here are examples of two Halloween projects nearly anyone can make by using free art found online:
Handmade Halloween Greeting Cards
Once you’ve gone online and downloaded the Halloween image you would like to use, paste it into a word processing or PowerPoint document. You can size the card using the software’s settings. Place the image on one half of the card, so it can be folded in half after it’s printed. Print the card on card stock as heavy as your printer will allow, fold it and use a little glitter glue to make it sparkle. You might also want to make your own envelopes or just buy two-for-a-dollar card and envelope sets at the dollar store and then recycle the cards.
Spooky Halloween Wreath Decoration
Crafting Halloween wreath is simple. Here are the supplies you’ll need:
- 1 plain Styrofoam wreath ring (you choose the size)
- Scissors
- Short straight pins
- Ribbon or a metal or plastic door-hanger
- Halloween clipart or vintage Halloween cards of your choice (between 2 and 4 inches long), printed and cut along the outlines
- Black and white Halloween scrapbook paper (optional)
Download the art you want to use to your hard drive. Then, print enough clip art images to fit around the wreath and cut them out with scissors or a craft knife. You can also vary the look by using Halloween scrapbooking paper cut into bat or leaf shapes. Once you’ve cut all the components, position them in a balanced way around the Styrofoam wreath and affix them with the straight pins. Be prepared to adjust the positioning of the pieces a bit to get everything to look balanced. The straight pins should make it easy to reposition the elements. (Just make sure small children don’t get their hands on the straight pins!) When you’re done, use a door hanger or a ribbon to display it.
I hope you have a great time making these Halloween craft projects and that you have a fun holiday!
Halloween Decorating Ideas
October 21st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
David Artsmith - Halloween has grown up. Sure we still delight to the sound of children running the streets hollering “trick or treat” in brightly colored costumes. However these days, adults want in on the fun too. However it isn’t very grown up to dress your home in pumpkin orange with cardboard skeletons. Luckily, it is actually rather easy to create a Halloween themed décor without looking like you live in a “fun house.”
The traditional colors of Halloween are pumpkin orange and black. Reds, golds, and other autumn colors are all complimentary to this style. This is great for kids, because it allows you to add a safe, and fun side to what is basically a scary holiday.
But when you grow up, you graduate from Scooby Doo to real horror movies, and your ideas about Halloween should grow up as well. Feel free to indulge in the dark, and enjoy the malevolent nature of the holiday.
To accomplish this, use copious amounts of black, in shades varying from midnight to charcoal. Ignore the autumn colors for the most part, they are too warm and inviting, you want to create something which puts people off a little bit, and startles them. If necessary, traces of crimson can be used in accents throughout the space to add a little excitement to the room. Create a powerful contrast with bone white products.
As far as accessories, don’t bother with cutesy cardboard or construction paper cut outs. Instead, use a little creativity to develop a space which is truly spooky. Try to be realistic in the decorations that you create, and play on peoples inherent fears.
Deep black accessories such as candle holders, and decorative items such as cats, rats, crows, and ghouls create a sense of mystery and shadow. Spider webs, easily simulated by stretched cotton, are always a winner. In a dark space it is hard to tell the difference between them and the real thing. The use of little black plastic spider toys can also be a creepy way to add to the ambiance.
If you want to take it one step further you can purchase black dishes, cutlery, and even linens. Blackout curtains also make the space feel enclosed.
Contrast the darkness with bright white items such as skulls, ghosts, and napkins.
You’re all grown up now, but you don’t have to give up the Halloween spirit. Just take a mature look at the spirit of the day, and you will find all sorts of exciting ways to enjoy the day.
