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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Alien Crash Landing!!!

You're getting TWO projects today! Ready...?

Okay, so you're deciding on paint colors in your dining room, and you're doing the recommended thing and splashing a few of the shades up on the walls to live with them in different lighting with your accessories. Smart, right?
But as long as it's Halloween, why waste a golden opportunity?
For those of you who do NOT have an irregular smear of Japanese Fern as a starting point, you'll need to paint some poster board in a weird color and cut out a strange shape. How strange?
Give me a minute.
For three aliens, you'll need to hit the Dollar Store for a sheet of foam core board, two foam balls, and three foam wreaths.

Slice your wreaths in half.

Give them a really good spray with metallic silver paint. Three coats gave them a serious shine.

Now, this was MY vision for the project: a cute little alien splattered on the wall. To do THIS, you would slice a styrofoam ball in half for the back of the head to add a little dimension.
However, I have teenagers who love to dive into my projects, and well...





...let's just say their artist's renditions are a little different.

If you're going to make MY alien, which we DID NOT, cut a styrofoam ball in half.
Draw a circle around the ball on the foam core board to represent the head. Add a body and details.
Then completely ignore the cute little vision your mom dreamed up and draw your favorite movie aliens over it. Since your brother is using the exacto knife, grab a weapon and hack yours out.
Believe it or not, we have never in our family history had a trip to the emergency room.
(Disclaimer: this is actually one of Sammy's movie props. Relax. I have sharper butter knives.
He just thought it would look cool.)
Now, let's take our wreath halves and get to work on those.
Liberally apply some hot glue...

Stack them two high.
Insert a quilter's straight pin through a plastic bead.
Stick them right in the rings.
You now have a space ship with lights!




By now, your weird little offspring will have spray painted their alien silhouettes. Do you recognize these guys?

Loops of duct tape on the back...



...and stick them to the wall! Or to the weirdly shaped splotch of green poster board you made as a wall substitute.






Loop a little more tape to the ends of your spaceships.

Drive a thin tack into the wall where the ends of the ship will rest.


And push the styrofoam onto the tack!





Total cost? How about around $6, even accounting for paint, and the beads will just go back in the craft box.

IF we decide to take it down after Halloween, that is...
Visit thecsiproject.com

16 comments:

lisbonlioness said...

You guys are seriously deranged. I love this!

Michelle L. said...

Insane. In the absolute best way possible. I LOVE the spaceships with the bead lights! The aliens are too funny, hooray for your talented and sophisticated minions, I'm so happy they refused to let you do a cute alien. Dude, it's 2010! Cute is so last Halloween.

Heather said...

Very fun! And I thought I had settled your paint colors already... didn't I like the one on the left (from a comment way, way back).

Unknown said...

Hahaha, that is TOOO funny! I love it! :) Unique and original... and fun & cheap, too!

~Chelsea

Holly said...

That's just about the most creative thing I've ever seen!

Life in Rehab said...

Well, we kept looking at the splotches, muttering, "God, it looks like aliens crash landed on the walls in here..."

Sharon@KeenInspirations said...

....and they did! lol :-) You have one creative family! Looking forward to more!
Sharon

Heather said...

I like how everyone in the family worked together!

Debbiedoos said...

I really had no idea where this was going...but WOW that was SUPER creative. I love how the whole Fam participated too...You guys ROCK!

Heather{Our Life In a Click} said...

This one is incredible!!!! I like how the whole family was involved too!

RedTedArt said...

Wow! You come up with the most amazing stuff! Love it!

Thank you for linking up to Kids Get Crafty! Much appreciated (as always!!!)

Maggy

The Autocrat: Haley said...

Great idea to cut those wreaths in half!!

Unknown said...

This looks so cool up on the wall. What a great way to reuse the wreaths!

Ginger said...

Ha! How fun! Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!

MJ said...

So cool! I wouldnt take it down :) Love that your family is also helping with you projects, and also that you let them help... one skill I have yet to manage... on the other hand, am still childless so who cares? LOL. but loving this family project, fantastic!

Sew Can Do said...

Wow - there is some serious crafting going on! I love that your kids were all about it too. And yes, we are big on Star Wars here - next week I'll be posting our full-on Star Wars nerd Halloween Costumes;)