Towering Reaper

Sometimes when I look at Halloween decor online I think to myself, "I can make that myself for much cheaper!"  Here is the example of a Towering Reaper I saw on Grandinroad and had that thought. 

My Version:

I gathered the items I thought I could use for this project at home and the rest I thrifted or found at the local hardware store.   First of all, you need a long white sheet.  I found a king size sheet for a few dollars at a thrift store.  I folded it in half long ways and sewed it down the edge and top leaving the bottom open.  I folded it at the top corners and sewed straight across to create shoulders.  I added a little tail piece with a single white curtain panel. 

For the head and body I found a kid's helmet for $1.50 and spray painted it white. I turned it backyards so the two holes at the back were the "eyes." 

I bought battery operated lights online and glued them into each hole using super glue. 

The body was made using 1" PVC pipe already on hand and some 1" T pipe fittings. 

For the arms we used pipe insulation around the PVC to give it more padding. 

To adhere the "neck" to the helmet we placed a cross fitting pipe inside the helmet and used some zip ties to hold it in place. 

We tied rope around the body and up through the helmet to hang it from another rope that strung across from two trees. 

Here it is at night! The tail of it, which is a used sheer curtain got wound up in the wind. I will straighten him out tomorrow.  So the Grandinroad reaper is on sale right now for $101.  Ours to make was all in $14.50!  DIY for the win.

Here's a couple of other "new" things we added this year.  A moss covered hand coming out of the tree.

And a headless statue to the cemetery...

 Happy Halloween! 👻👻

xo
Cathleen

DIY Graveyard Sign

Every year we try to add something to our yard for Halloween. This year I wanted to make a sign for our graveyard.  I pretty much lucked out when I found this twin headboard for $5 at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore. It was already painted like this with teal paint and some light black wash.  

I measured the space on the sign and got to work finding the perfect font to create the words I wanted on my sign. Once I printed the words I used Modge Podge to glue the letters onto the headboard.

We used our Bosch Plunge Router to then trace out all the letters. We had to buy a special bit to create the depth that we wanted also one strong enough to cut out wood.  This process was quite different than the lettering I made on my foam gravestones.  Be sure to use protective eye wear and a face mask when drilling into wood. 

After the letters were etched I used my indoor/outdoor cabinet paint to give it two coats of paint.  It turned out that I could still see a bit of the teal color which gives in a nice weathered look. I used gold acrylic craft paint and a small paint brush to do the letters.  I found these cute light up jack-o-lanterns at the At Home Store and used velcro command strips to attach them. 

I gave it a coat of waterproof spray paint to further protect it from the elements.

In order to prop it up I bought two Christmas tree stands with Pentagram feet on Amazon.  I honestly think they are perfect for this so we could anchor both legs. I added two solar lanterns on the ground with shepard hooks to illuminate it at night. 

I hope you like this little Halloween DIY. We have another project in the works so stay tuned!

Cathleen

 

Halloween yard tour 2025

 

Halloween Indoor Tour 2025

My absolute favorite time of year is here! Halloween is simply the best. Christmas falls at a close 2nd place. But Halloween is all about magic, creativity, candy, and all things dark. Practically every night we have on a spooky movie, light candles and soak up the magic. This year I have learned to read Tarot cards and can't wait to do a reading for my friends and family.   You'll probably notice too that many things have changed in our house. I haven't posted a home tour in a while so a lot of things are new. 

Hope you enjoy this little tour on how we decorate for Halloween!

 Happy Halloween!  🎃

Cathleen

Eat-in-kitchen updates

Gathering items from Estate Sales lately had me in the mood to redo our eat-in-kitchen. Especially our gallery wall, where the old art was all framed mostly in white. I have been finding beautiful gold framed pieces that I thought would look lovely in here. I also found a beautiful antique glass case that replaced our black one.

 
There is a bit of space left on the wall for future art finds! I may add wallpaper and crown molding to this room one day, but for now I'm going to live with the off white walls.

I found these adorable gold bow lamps with pink velvet scalloped lamp shades at Home Goods. I know they may be for a little girls room but I love them. They tie together the pinks in the new curtains and also go really well with the leopard print rug.

I was able to get four new curtains from Anthropologie, called Lorena Printed Velvet. They are the 108" panels. The colors are perfect for this room and also the rest of the downstairs. 

This antique walnut cabinet, literally from 1923, was such a score for $100. If even locks so we can keep liquor safe. 

Getting quite the abundance of annual flowers in the yard. I was able to pick my cone flowers, Zinnias, Yarrow, Dahlias etc. 

Now that summer is officially here this weekend, it's time to relax. 

xo

Cathleen