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Tricked Out Mantle
Adorn old portraits and silhouettes with witch hats, pitchforks and scythes, fangs, and devil horns. Detailed cutouts of candelabras and sticks, “lit” with gold flames, give a mantel faux glow. Trick out the perfect mantel decor with paper bats attached to swoops of black sewing trimming with black upholstery tacks.
Finally, line the opening of your fireplace with paper or painted wood. Attach a roaring red paper glow. Cut snake andirons from black foam core and glue to painted craft blocks.
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Tart Cherry Eyeball Punch
Drain two 15-ounce cans of lychees, reserving a cup and a half of the syrup. Carefully stuff blackberries from a 6-oz. container in each lychee. Next, chill it well. Stir together reserved syrup, four cups of tart cherry juice and one cup fresh orange juice in a large pitcher. Set aside to chill again.
Add stuffed lychees and three 12-ounce cans chilled sparkling water to the punch. Serve over ice. Makes 12 servings. For a sweeter drink, substitute ginger ale for the sparkling water. For adults only: stir one and a half cups of vodka or light rum into punch.
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“Help Me” Cake and Raven Feather Cupcakes
This eye-catching “Help Me!” cake is simply a store-bought white cake with a few dark twists. Start with a store-bought frosted layer cake. Cut out a pair of arms and hands in black craft paper and tape to skewers to help them stand upright.
Pile on a mound of “dirt” or crumbled chocolate cookies to give it that “buried alive” vibe. Top vanilla-frosted cupcakes with edible fondant raven feathers. For an extra hair-raising element, add plastic critters around the cake.
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“Poison” Cocktail and Lace Stamped Coasters
The secret to this inviting witch’s brew? Gin, vermouth, and a couple of drops of green food coloring. Glasses can rest in lovely peace on these coasters. Here’s how to fashion your own: First, paint both sides and the rims of three-inch wooden disks.
You can use Farrow and Ball’s Green Blue and Golden’s Titan Buff. Once the paint’s dry, stamp on a crochet motif, using a black solvent ink pad like Tsukineko’s StazOn. Let the ink dry for five minutes, then seal with a matte finishing spray.
