In another installment of Grae finds household objects and turns them into art — a.k.a mundane magic🪄 — today we’ll learn how to make your very own sticker sheets using toner-printed images, packing tape and waxed or parchment paper! This craft has it all: it’s easy and engaging; astonishing and adorable; low-cost and endlessly customizable. Moreover, thankfully stickers never seem to go out of style, which is probably all thanks to Lisa Frank. Thanks, Lisa!🦄 Continue reading “DIY Sticker Sheets 🐸✨”
I know we aren’t very far into winter (not even a month since the longest night of the year), but TBH I’m already over it. Don’t get me wrong I’ll be complaining about the heat too – there are two weeks in the fall I will find happiness, the rest of the year is debatable. Anyways! If you need a quick craft pick me up this one is super simple and BONUS you can use the excess nail polish you have lying around from NOT giving yourself a pedicure. Below I’ll show you how to transform a few household objects into a marbled piece of artwork! Read the supply list and directions carefully before attempting this project. It is very easy, but it also needs to be very quick otherwise the nail polish will congeal – it’s not bad, but it may not be the look you are going for either. Continue reading “DIY Dip Dye Ceramics”
Calling and/or caterwauling all ghouls, goblins, gargoyles, gremlins, and giggling green ghosts: Spooky Season has arrived with all of its ghastly delights and gnarly frights. Hip-Hip-Horroray! Which means it’s time for another installment of Spooky, Not Scary™️, a watch-list of titles for all of us soft goths, tender terrors and nervous nellies. A quick recap for those of you just joining in: while Halloween and all its eerie marvels are my top vibe, I avoid the deeply distressing and downright disturbing imagery and atmosphere of most “scary” movies, tv, and even musical soundtracks, mostly because I have always had an immersively detailed dream and/or nightmare life, which often means I don’t really need the help or inspiration or taunting hauntings that that kind of media provides. Thanks, horror genre, but I can terrorize myself all on my own! 💀
So, to still celebrate this terrifically chilling time of year, I give you the following titles that are avowedly Spooky, Not Scary. Each title is rated on a scale of 0-5 smashed pumpkins. The more smashed pumpkins (which I’ve metaphorically dropped out of terror), the closer the tv show/movie/video is to being truly frightening.
Continue reading “Spooky, Not Scary Watch-List: Volume II aka BOO! 👻”
This time of year is perfect for some creepy crafts, but if I’m being honest I love all things spooky any time of year! See below for some of our favorite spine-tingling projects. Happy haunting! Continue reading “DIY Creepy Crafts”
While we can’t guarantee that these crafts will make you happy, who can be blue when you’re crafting with rainbows? Below are some fun, queer crafts you can try at home! Some of these activities are more difficult than others so we have ranked them with rainbows, so the more rainbows the more challenging the craft. Enjoy and happy crafting! Continue reading “Be Happy. Do Crafts.”
Warning: This blog contains spoilers for the series “Stranger Things,” plus a lot of fanning/fawning over New Wave/Synth Pop ROYALTY Kate Bush. Proceed with caution and/or get ready to dance your heart out.
It’s been a little over a year since the fourth season of Stranger Things debuted in two installments on Netflix in the early summer of 2022, and tbh I am still processing my feelings. I’ve been an avid watcher of Stranger Things ever since the first episode when Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers pulled her son Will (played by Noah Schnapp) close in his makeshift fort in the woods and endearingly screeched “What about my wiiiiiitch?” The series is famous for its 1980s pop culture nostalgia and homage to the films, television and music of that decade, but more generally I find that the show has just the right amount of heart, horror, humor and hair-raising adventure to keep me binging each season all in one go whenever it’s released. Plus, as someone who has basically wanted to be part of a Scooby gang and/or a Goonie all their life, I really admire how the show both explores and advocates for cross-generational friendships and community building, even in the face of (perhaps especially in the face of) truly gruesome ghouls from alternate dimensions.
But I’ll be honest, season four was rough. Continue reading “If You Like(d) Stranger Things . . .”
It’s been said that crafting can help with stress, and most of the time I would be inclined to agree. However, I should warn you that this project is one that can send you into a fit of rage, or maybe that was just my reaction when I found out how easy it was and realized I could have been doing it years ago! Continue reading “Upcycle Crafts: T-Shirt Wall Art”
Do you love all matter of spooky ephemera, including (but not limited to) asymmetrical gourds, a crunchy walk through leaf-litter at dusk, black cats, swooping bats, a chilly breeze, the moonlit hoot-hooting of an owl, flickering shadows, the curling crackle of a bonfire with friends, your favorite elder’s throaty cackle? 🍠🍂🐈🖤🦇🌬️🌕🔥
Are you into that *swirls hands in the air over imaginary cauldron/crystal ball* distinctly witchy vibe? 🔮🕯️
Are you a young ghoul at heart? 👻
Does your bedroom feature skulls, spiderwebs, and tombstones as year-round decor? 🕸️💀
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you’re among friends (or fiends 😈)! Halloween and all its haunted trappings gives my heart, in the words of young vampire Vlad the Rad, “bat wings” and “sugar-frosted lightning bolts,” but I have a confession: while I love all manner of the occult, I am just too tender-hearted for the harrowing thrills, over-the-top gore, scritchy-scratchy musical panic, and heart-pounding jump-scares that are present in many scary movies (and the horror genre more generally). Which means I have to be extra selective when it comes to figuring out how to best usher and revel in the ghastly glory of spooky season. So this year I’ve come up with a curated Spooky, Not Scary™ Watch-List perfect for anyone who wants to experience a spectre-tacular atmosphere without sacrificing their delicate nerves. Each tv show, movie or video is rated on a scale of 0-5 smashed pumpkins. The more smashed pumpkins (which I’ve metaphorically dropped out of terror), the closer the tv show/movie/video is to being truly frightening. Note: no gourds were harmed in the making of this list. 🎃
You can access the full list here; what follows are my Top 6 with minimal spoilers! Happy Hauntings! Continue reading “Spooky, Not Scary Watch-List”
Do you daydream about escaping into the woods and wonder what it would be like to be a woodland creature? Or do you want to know how to give up a boss life for a moss life? We recently hosted a program where we did all that and more! In our ongoing how-to cosplay series, we transformed ourselves and our patrons into fantastic woodland animals. Don’t worry if you missed our program, we’ve got tips below to help you become a majestic creature! And be on the lookout for more cosplay fun in December! Continue reading “Cosplay Tutorial: Woodland Creature Transformation”
Summer Reading is upon us! With a theme like “Oceans of Possibilities,” how could we not think of merpeople?
We are so lucky to have our very own siren, Dana! She loves cosplay and makeup effects, so we wanted to share her talent with you in this video tutorial so you can play along at home.
Here is what you’ll need to get started.
- Eyeshadow pallet. Any colors or brand you want to use, but the higher the pigmentation, the better.
- Brush or sponge. Dana used a makeup sponge in the tutorial, but a large makeup brush would work, too!
- Wig cap or fishnets. The wig cap is what gives you the scale pattern effect.
If you feel like going all out, combine a costume and a watery location!
We would love to see your finished look! Snap a pic and send it to us at teen@dbrl.org.
