Halloween is coming and we can make it pretty {free printable}

Full disclosure: I have never really been into Halloween much – it has only really gathered momentum in Australia in the past few years and it was pretty easy to ignore really. That said though the idea is growing on me more and more each year and I am loving watching the creativity and generosity in my local area. Going trick or treating with the kids over the past couple of years has given me a new appreciation for the fun it can inject into your year.

This was our first adventure in 2015 – clearly I wasn’t that prepared for the whole costume thing. Not that my costumes have got any better of the years though to be honest. They had such a ball though and it was really fun to walk our neighborhood and talk to the people in it.

I had a sudden realisation this year that my time to build these fun memories is drawing to a close and, like Elf on a Shelf, I can bring some fun with really little effort. Hannah has been begging me for years to decorate the house and I have always put it off but this year I have decided to have some fun and go for it. Only rule: it has to be pretty or it isn’t happening. I mean I cant after all change myself at the core lol.

I am not a huge fan of Halloween colors – and I think this especially rings true in October as we are coming out of winter into the sun. Darkening everything back down again seems wrong. When Meadow Lane by Sara Davies for Riley Blake Designs showed up on my doorstep though it just felt perfect. The colours were there but I had pretty pretty florals within them.

I decided to update my table runner using the range and created a free printable for bats that I then used to applique on the top. Super cute, quick and ready to be used within a couple of hours. I decided to do wavy quilting to give it some movement and made it wider and longer than my last one so it filled more of the table.

So fun and sweet at the same time.

I used the printable again to make this bat garland. It was as simple as using fusible webbing on the back of the fabric bat, ironing it to felt, shadow cutting and then threading with clear nylon thread. I didn’t even bother sewing this one because it will be fine for its intended purpose.

The cute window scene and stick on bats came from the Australian website HallOZween – run by a friend of mine and dedicated to all things Halloween in Australia. To be honest it was Andrea who really got Halloween stuck in my head – to say she is passionate is an understatement. We met virtually during the bushfires and worked together to get food and supplies to some of our struggling carers in South Australia – we became fast friends and while she suddenly found herself looking at fabrics and quilts I developed a new appreciation for Halloween and horror. We talk nearly every day still and as soon as lockdown is lifted are planning a visit to meet each other in the flesh.

Clearly I need more spider web practice!

If you love Halloween and want a spot to talk decorations and ideas then make sure you join the Hallozween Facebook group – while I am very much a novice I am so impressed at the skills out there. You don’t need to be Australian to get benefit from the content but gee it is nice to have a site dedicated to incorporating our culture and sense of humor.

How cool is that tree reflection through my curtains. I put the windowscene on the outside of the window and love the effect. When the sun shines through in the morning the moon and pumpkins light up and glow! There were WAY more bats in the pack too – I am going to stick them all over the trees on Halloween .

Andrea has also created an amazing Halloween themed magazine. It is full of cool recipes, crafts, articles and decorating ideas. If you look closely you may even see a curated handmade craft section from yours truly.

So it looks like Halloween is hitting our house and I may have the bug. I am thinking of making a quilt and cushion using the left over fabric and larger applique shape from the printable – hopefully I get the time to make it happen. If not then I look forward to growing my collection over the years.

I think it is a pretty good start though!