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Halloween Craft ~ Circa 1976

October 18, 2013

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Apparently, I have been crafting forever! 


This year while digging out my Halloween decorations I came across this little number and I couldn't believe the date on the bottom.  I have been a crafty DIYer for a very, very long time!

I made this treasure at our local public library when I was just eight years old ~ now you know exactly how old I am!  My mom signed me up for a craft class.

It was a very easy project and unbelievably, I still remember the day, the class and the actual crafting.

We had to bring an old tuna fish can to the library and flattened one side. We then covered the inside and outside of the can with thick, orange, velvet ribbon, accenting that with a strip of black. We did not have glue guns or quick drying tacky glue; we used Elmer's.

Next, we stuffed a cotton ball into a bit of orange tissue to make the jack-o-lantern and another piece into a small square of white fabric to make the ghost. The faces were added with marker. In the back, there is the tiniest bit of hay!

To complete our vignette, we traced the cats on orange and black paper and then glued them to the corner of the can. Having taught primary school for many years, I can say that I am actually pretty impressed with the cutting skills of my eight year old self! I'm not really sure if I could do much better today!

My project is very o-l-d and tattered now, but I am so glad that my mom kept it so that I can display it in my own home today. It's filled with memories from Halloweens long ago and serves as a great reminder that I have been a crafty girl all along!

Happy Halloween!

When did you get crafty?



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  1. How ADORABLE!!! You are a crafter at heart!! :) My grandmother was a BIG crafter! I remember making all sorts of things with her from the time I was really little. She was really talented so as long as she had her hand in it, it was great. When I was left to my own devices, the results were a little more dicey. I remember an egg carton bird thing I made that was hideous!! --Lisa

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    1. Ha! Lisa, I had an aunt who was exactly the same way...if she helped me out, I looked like a DIY superstar ~ on my own, not so much! I guess I have grown into my "talent"!

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  2. So adorable!!!!!!I think I started being crafty/artsy around Grade 2 or 3, because I started drawing a lot and even won an INternational art exhibit for kids in Japan! LOL! those were the days, now all I can do is paint a wall! hehehe!

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    1. I don't know, Vel, I've seen your house, you still look pretty artsy and talented to me! All kidding aside, your art exhibit sounds really amazing! That sounds like really big deal, but I totally get it. When I was in high school I won an award and had an exhibit at our local library (um...not nearly as big a deal as your exhibit!), but now I can't seem to find the time to paint or draw anything either! Ah...maybe someday we'll get back to it!

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  3. That's cute, Kim! I've always loved crafting, but I tend to make things my own way instead of always following directions--weird!
    Dee :)

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    1. I am a wing it girl most of the time myself, Dee! I get an idea in my head and I just go with it...I'm not very patient when it comes to reading directions!

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  4. I used the old throat lozenges metal boxes, Sucrets, as Barbie's "suite cases" ;-) Sorry now that I didn't keep it. Plus my dad smoked those King Edward cigars, and they made cool sofas stuffed and wrapped with dish towels, or beds, overturned and with the lid torn off, and used wash clothes as bed spreads ;-) Poor kids had to get creative!

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    1. Oh JoAnn...Barbie doll DIY!! I love it!! I did it too...shoebox lids for beds with fabric scraps, sleeping bags from socks, chairs made from small boxes taped together and magic markered! One year Santa brought me a small clothing making kit...mini stapler and fabric scraps! Ha! It worked great until you wanted to take the outfit off! Thanks for bringing back that memory!

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  5. I love your 'craft from the past'! What a great memory to have!! Like you, I think I started my craftiness pretty early. I remember loving craft time as a first-grader in Vacation Bible School!

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    1. I agree, Sondra Lyn, come to think of it, craft time was always my favorite party of school, brownies and church! :)

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  6. This is so adorable and sweet! How wonderful that your mom kept it. I'm glad you explained how you made it because I was thinking it was larger, didn't realize how small it is. I remember making a beautiful burnt matches cross in VBS one summer, I sure wish I still had that. Take care - Dawn @ We Call It Junkin

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    1. It was a small project, Dawn, I guess for small hands! You know, it's so funny, I remember telling my mom so many times, about so many things, "I will never want this- just get rid of it!" Now I am so happy I do have some of them after all...I guess we get nostalgic as we get older! Thanks so much for the comment.

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  7. Hi Kim,
    What a sweet little craft you did here. Sometimes I think crafts (made a few years ago) are a little more soft and sweet and a little less glitter, rhinestone and glue based. The thing about these crafts we have made is that they preserve our emotions of that time. I can remember every craft my mom ever showed me that I did. It is a wonderful feeling. Very creative of you to share it now. Glad to have found your blog!

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    1. I agree Rae, it definitely was a simpler craft for a simpler time~ no bling involved! I think I am still all about simple when it comes to crafting! I also agree about the emotions, that's exactly what makes this faded and tattered old tuna can so special! :) Thanks so much for popping by!

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  8. A cute little craft Kim. My mom saved some old cards I had made for her, including a Mother's Day card and a Valentine. I had forgotten I liked poetry back then. Well, it was a little girl attempt but I thought it was special that she kept them, and now they've come back to me for safe keeping.

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    1. It's funny to see what we created as children, isn't it Cheryl? I think it's nice when we are we reacquainted with our former passions! ;)

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  9. Oh this made me smile! I love it. I think I have some of my kindergarten creations. :)

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    1. Thanks Laura! I'm so glad that it brought a little joy into your day! :) Thanks for the comment...now you have brought a little joy into mine!

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  10. Cami, you are too sweet and too funny! I love that I Dream of Jeanne story! I remember wanting to be her for Halloween, too! That costume was so great, but my mom squashed that idea...too revealing ~ haha...which sounds so silly compared to today's standards! I did make a Little Bow Peep costume, that I was very proud of, out a my white ruffled makeup vanity skirt! I love that so much! I don't know what happened to it, but I'm glad I have my tuna can creation! ;)

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  11. Fun, fun, fun, I love this idea. Thanks for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

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    1. Thanks Marty! A tiny tin diorama...very simple compared to today's crafty standards, even for a kid's craft, but still sweet!

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  12. I love coming across old decorations. So many memories! Halloween is one of my favorites! Thanks for sharing at Silver Pennies Sundays! x

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    1. Danielle, I am trying to be as good as mom was with keeping all of our treasures safe and labeling everything for my own kids. I'm sure that despite what they say, they will be happy to have a few memories of their own when they are older!

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