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...