👻 Halloween Fun! 👻

From the five women at Cece DuPraz, there are 10 children amongst us and we all can agree that the arrival of Halloween could not have come at a better time.  The last 10 months has created challenges for gatherings and socializing, but any parent knows that Halloween is a time where imagination can run wild and kids can let loose with their creativity; and let's be honest, we all need to let loose and let ingenuity take over for a bit.  But aside from costumes and candy, Halloween is a time that sparks joy in so many.  It is a time that is synonymous with happiness, laughter, family and friendship.  It also marks a time where seasons change and as the year starts to wind down, we inevitably begin to reflect on what was and what is going to be (but more on that later)
There is no doubt that 2020 has been a tough year, but it is within this collective strife where we need to cling to things that make us so happy our hearts start skipping beats and our cheeks hurt from laughing too hard.  Although Halloween may look a little different for you this year, we wanted to do our best to keep spreading the joy, and so we put together fun activities to keep the creativity flowing.  Inspiration can be found anywhere, sometimes we just need a little guidance to help light the way.
So, from the Moms at Cece DuPraz (*also Entrepreneurs as well as Equality and Positivity Advocates) we give you our tangible version of a way to fuel the joy and happiness brought on at Halloween.  Use simple materials and somethings found in nature to get everyone in the Halloween Spirit!  Upload pictures of your boo-tiful crafts and tag us with #jointheparty💙.  Happy Crafting!
Halloween Garland
Materials: Watercolor set, colored pencil set, paper, long string or yarn, tape or paper clips for attaching
Begin by drawing as many Halloween theme pictures as you can.  Try and switch it up by using the watercolors and the colored pencils together to see what colorful designs you can come up with.  Examples: pumpkins, candy corn, witches, bats, spiders and skulls. Cut out your shapes and attach them to a long string using paper clips or tape.  When your garland is complete, hang it somewhere for all to see!
Mosaic Rainbow Pumpkins
Materials: Watercolor set, colored pencil set, paper, glue or tape, scissors
Cut out a large shape for your pumpkin.  Cut out small squares of paper and color them in with different shades and colors using your watercolor set.  Once they have all dried, cut each shaded square into smaller pieces and begin gluing or taping them onto your pumpkin.  Fill in the white spaces with your colored pencils.  Use the black watercolor or dark colored pencil to create a Jack-O-Lantern face if you want to decorate it up! 
Sugar Skulls
Materials: Watercolor set, colored pencil set, white crayon, paper, scissors
Start by drawing the outline of a skull with the black colored pencil and cut it out.  Create a face with the black colored pencil or watercolor.  Use your white crayon to make a face and designs all over the skull.  Next, take your watercolors and go over the white crayon with an array of colors and watch your designs appear!  Hang them on a long piece of string to make a garland.
Ghost Leaves
Materials: Fallen leaves, white and black paint, paint brush
(for extra fun, glue and googly eyes)
Simply go outside and grab a few leaves that have fallen off of a tree.  Make sure they are not too old and crunchy or they will crumble.  Paint the leaves white.  When they are dry enough, add eyes, either using black paint or use glue and googly eyes (**note: the face should be near the “stem-end” of the leaf).
  
Halloween Cupcakes- Fun For The Whole Family!
Materials: Favorite boxed cupcake mix, homemade frosting: ½ cup of softened unsalted butter, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups of sifted confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, different colors of food coloring (suggested colors: orange, green, white and black)
(** For added fun: gather different things to decorate your cupcakes like pretzels, candy corn, Oreos, M&Ms, sprinkles or Hershey’s Kisses)
 
Cook cupcakes according to directions on the box.  Frosting: begin by mixing the softened butter and sifted confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Next add the milk and continue to mix until smooth.  You can divide the frosting into different bowls and add food coloring to make the different colors.  Once the cupcakes have cooled, you can decorate.  If you do not have a pastry bag, you can add the frosting to any plastic bag and snip the corner with scissors. 
Decorating inspiration: create Mummy cupcakes by using white frosting and make criss-cross lines and M&Ms for eyes; for a witches hat, use a Hershey’s Kiss; for a spider, use Oreos and pretzel sticks.