During the course of my substitute teaching, I’ve encountered situations where some students and their families don’t celebrate specific holidays or occasions that the majority do.  Or they might have holidays that are new to the other students.
What do parents do?

Simply bring this to the attention to the teacher, or the principal if it involves a number of classes.
Ask that your child might do something else during this time.
Offer to come into class and explain your holiday to the youngsters.  Or provide your child with material to do so.
Refrain from taking a defensive attitude until you’ve explored the possibilities to …read more

I love dressing up for Halloween!  This year I have been a little disappointed with myself because I haven’t come up with the absolute perfect idea.  Usually I spend about 11 months concocting something, but this year I might just be a little more boring than usual and use a costume that is stashed away in my closet…
Dressing up as a pair is always fun.  If you are lucky enough to have a significant other or friend to pair with who also enjoys dressing up, there are lots of ideas out there for couples.  You can buy one of the …read more

Are you looking for a Halloween craft to make that’s fun, easy and charming?  How about Halloween crafts that use fabric and ribbon to make?
The folks at Martha Stewart have obviously been having a lot of fun with Halloween ideas this year, because they’ve come up with some great ideas.  These crafts provide more “thrills” than “chills” if you prefer Halloween to be fun… not bone-chilling!

This ribbon snake is easy enough for kids to make along with you.  Use wired ribbon, masking tape and a pen to create this creepy-crawler… and see if it will protect the Halloween goodies …read more

Guest Post by Ann Martin
There’s a chill in the air, and Halloween is just around the corner. This fall holiday has increasingly become one of the most popular American celebrations. It’s come a long way from just trick-or-treating. Adults love the spooky atmosphere, as well as the chance to dress up and pretend to be someone else for an evening. Throwing a creepy party for your friends takes some effort, but you might just find yourself hosting it annually after the first one.
Setting the scene is one of the most important things to do for your Halloween party. Decide if …read more

J & O Fabrics is on the hunt for the best hand-made Halloween costume out there.
And as an extra little incentive – you could win a $50 gift card from American Express!

J & O Fabrics is holding their 1st annual “Most Amazing Handmade Costume” contest from now until October 31st.
They want your best idea, your most creative costume – all handmade of course!
To enter, take a picture of your handmade costume and log onto Facebook.  Become a fan of J & O Fabrics and then post a picture of your costume on their Wall.  Don’t forget to describe your costume …read more

With Halloween coming up, many children are involved in activities in preparation for this day. 
I worked with a class of second graders who wrote a poem on a Halloween topic…witches, bats, jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, etc.
Even though I teach poetry workshops for children and adults, this format was new to me.  The youngsters had great fun with it.  Perhaps yours would, too.
Simply choose a topic (and it could be about anything, not just Halloween).  Then answer these questions and your poem will evolve.

Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?

You don’t place these words in the poem, simply give the answers.  For the second graders, this often consisted of one …read more

Do you need a little treat to get you in the Halloween mood?
I can’t give out chocolate through the internet, but I can give you some great free Halloween cross-stitch patterns!
And let’s face it – free patterns are much better than a Halloween trick, any time!
The first little goody is a collection of five miniature Halloween designs from Craft Ideas/Tam’s Creations:
They’ve got pumpkins, black cats and more for quick and easy patterns to stitch.
If you’d like to make something a little bigger, Rainbow Gallery has several free Halloween patterns.  This one features some cheerful looking candy corn, but you can …read more

Halloween is still a week and a half away so there’s just enough time to put in an order for a cute dog costume!

These adorable bat wings are from Barker & Meowsky for just under $20.
Made from black chintz, the wings fit around the back of your pup securely with black cording that ties under the chest. Available in two sizes, with the small fitting dogs up to twenty pounds, and the large fitting dogs up to 45 pounds, though the size says the larger wings can be tinkered with at home to fit larger dogs.
I think these would …read more

Are you looking for a creative way to finish off your Halloween costume?
How about making your own mask?
Craftster is a wealth of ideas and information  for creating your own Halloween costumes.  You can find everything from traditional costumes to completely one-of-a-kind creations that must have taken months to complete!
You can buy plain masks from most of the big craft stores, and then embellish them like Robotarsonist.  She’s used everything from drapery trim, feathers, lace and pearls to decorate her Marie Antionette mask:

Paper mache is also a popular method of making masks.  You can make your own, or buy the pre-made …read more

This time of year, pumpkins are prevalent in stores, at roadside farm stands, in pumpkin patches, as decorations for parties and carved for jack-o-lanterns. 
What are the many ways you can incorporate a pumpkin theme in your craft work?

Decorating pumpkins with paint
Drawing pictures of pumpkins, pumpkin patches or pumpkins and children
Making pumpkin jewelry, particularly earrings
Using fabric with pumpkin designs for fiber art and mixed media.
Utilizing pumpkin decorations for a fall theme or Halloween party.
Making pumpkin cookies or cake and decorating these with jack-o-lantern faces.
Making a pumpkin costume for Halloween.  When we were growing up, my sister carved a large pumpkin, cut …read more