Antique Mirror: Mirror Spray and Crackle Paint

Sometimes you need a nice antique mirror to finish off your mantelpiece or over your bed. For us, it's haunted parties. Whatever. With one specialized product (and a bunch of common household items) you can make your own tarnished silver antique mirror with a crackle-paint frame. Clear your afternoon, we're making antiques!

You'll Need:

• Picture frame with glass
• Krylon Looking Glass Mirror-Like Spray
• Spray Bottle
• White Vinegar
• Paper Towels
• Acrylic Paint
• White Glue
• Brushes, water, palette, etc.

ANNIVERSARY!

One year today! About this time last year, A and I were in The Container Store discussing baskets or something. I laughed and said I had come up with the name for a blog and she said we had to do it. A day or so later, she'd gotten everything registered and we haven't looked back. Until today, when we look back on what this year has been for us.

Lighting (Your Pumpkin) wth Arduino

Earlier this week, we showed you how to make your own eternal jack-o-lantern. You could toss some LED candles in there or you could jack that thing up to 11...

This will be the first of (hopefully) multiple posts on using the Arduino logic control platform for various home uses. I'm not a brilliant programmer, and that's kind of the point: I'm learning the system by looking at the world, deciding what I need to happen, and figure out how to get there. As I go along, I'll discuss my thought process in here. Feel free to jump in if there's something glaringly obvious that I'm missing.

What You'll Need:

• Arduino board (I use an Uno)
• LEDs, preferably high intensity
• Assorted resistors
• Wires, soldering iron, electronics tools, etc.

Papier Mache Pumpkin

We're all about saving a buck on home décor, especially seasonal stuff where you only have it out for all of October and part of September. Or, uh, a week or two for other holidays.

But one thing you don't want to skimp on is jack-o-lanterns. These are a Halloween decorating classic, but it can get frustrating to find just the right pumpkins every year and painstakingly craft a new spooky face or pop culture reference. So why not make a permanent one? Yes, you could go nab one of those foam carver's pumpkins at a hobby store, but what if I told you that you can get awesome permanent pumpkins for almost nothing? It takes a little creativity, a little time, and a lot of getting your hands messy. Let's get started.

You'll Need:

• Empty plastic bags (lots of them)
• Masking tape
• A permanent marker
• Flour
• White glue
• Liquid starch
• Newspaper
• Thin cardboard
• Hot glue gun
• (Optional) Cellulose fiber insulation
• (Optional) Drywall joint compound, pre-mixed
• (Optional) Dedicated craft blender