Spooky Cuties (wee ghostie brooches for under £5!)

Hello, ghoulies and girlies!

Halloween is coming and it's a perfect excuse to get crafting. Follow these simple ten steps to make yourself your own little ghostie to celebrate the turn of the season!

Let's get started!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Ruler
• Lighter
• Scissors
• Glue
• White Grosgrain (16mm)
• Coloured Double Sided Satin (7mm)
• Googly eyes
• Glue-on Diamante
• Brooch pin

STEP 1.

• Snip your grosgrain into four pieces.
• I went for 6cm pieces, but it depends on how big/small you want your brooch!
• (don't worry about trailing ends, we'll get rid of them in a minute)

STEP 2.

• Cut a diagonal line across the bottom of your grosgrain, and seal ribbon with a lighter or other flame source.
• I used a lighter because I like the wavy line is can produce, adding to my ghostie's spooky effect!

STEP 3.

• Glue your pieces together, overlapping each ribbon just before halfway.
• You don't need lots of glue for this, just a little gem-tac does the trick.
• Wait for the glue to dry!

STEP 4.

• Once the glue in dry, curve the top of your ghostie with your scissors, and seal it again with your lighter or other flame source.

STEP 5.

• Add your eyes!
• I found this best to do over the joins, and then I added a tiny little bit of glue to the centre join about halfway down, just to keep it together.

STEP 6.

• Now for the little bow.
• Cut about 10cm of your coloured ribbon (I went for purple!) and seal the ends.
• The easiest way to do this bit is to cross the ribbon as shown above and glue together.
• Wait for glue to dry.

STEP 7.

• Flip your ribbon over and, pinching the middle, twist it over.
• Add a little glue over the back of your original join and stick it down.

STEP 8.

• Glue a diamanté of your choice to the centre of your bow.
• Or a button! Or any sort of decoration that you see fit.

STEP 9.

• Press the ribbon into the top left hand corner of your ghostie and wait for it to dry.

STEP 10.

• Finally, add your brooch pin to the back.
• I've glued mine, but it's also possible to sew it on if you feel that's appropriate.
• Alternatively, try hairbands or hairclips - the possibilities are endless!

TA-DA!

And there we have it!

A quick wee ghostie brooch to put you in the mood for some Halloween crafting.

Thanks for listening!

If you have any questions, ideas, or creations of your own - feel free to send them to us at tara@josyrose.com.

HAPPY CRAFTING

The Wonderful World of Ribbon

Ribbons are an excellent way to introduce colour to a room or an item and Josy Rose has a fantastic range of ribbons suitable for all uses and all are available to order online.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with unexpected combinations of ribbons to create something really special. If you’re stuck for ideas read on and be inspired! Want to give your bedroom a new look? Why not trim plain white bed linen and curtains with blue and gingham ribbon for a fresh seaside or country look. Match them with a set of satin curtain tie backs in a wider width. Then, place a simple bow on the front of the tie back for a decoration.

Why not channel your Scottish roots with the Dress Stewart woven edge tartan ribbon, approved by the Scottish Tartans Authority this ribbon comes in red, green, and white in 5mm to 60mm widths of woven polyester.

The Grosgrain Polyester Collection is available in 6mm to 16mm widths and is ideal for dressing up towels with a grosgrain ribbon on their edge. You can also stitch the 6mm ribbon to patchwork quilts to hide the seam.

The Metallic Collection has 4mm to 60mm widths. They include a lacy fully wired delicate web trim ribbon in a metallic finish. It is great for extravagant wrapping.

The Satin Ribbon Collection comes in 3mm to 50mm widths. The ribbons are single sided and great for trimming fabrics.

The Beaded Sequin Ribbon Collection comes in 13mm to 50mm widths. They include solid and lace bands with flowers, sequins and rhinestones. They are great for making wide cuff bracelets or head bands.

The Sheer Ribbon Collection comes in 8mm to 63mm widths. The bronze organza ribbon features metallic gold stripes and is great for bow making.

The luxurious Velvet Ribbon Collection is available in 9mm to 22mm widths. The ultra soft 100% nylon velvet ribbons add touches of glamour to an item. Use velvet ribbons to trim clothes and curtains or to make rolled rosette flowers.

Josy Rose also has a special occasion ribbon section dedicated to ribbons that have been designed based on specific themes such as Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and Valentines. The ribbons come in 10mm to 40mm widths and are ideal for a variety of uses at those special times of the year.