Share the joy

In hindsight it was a totally ‘oddball’ purchase, but the first animated/family DVD we purchased when Dave and I found out we were pregnant 12.5 years ago was Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas – how can that movie have come out in 1993?!

the_nightmare_before_christmas_poster Anyway, I freaking LOVE this movie, it’s a stop-motion masterpiece and thank goodness it’s on Netflix as there is literally nothing I despise more than DVDs………….except CDs lol.

We also LOVE Halloween. You guys already know (I’m sure) that Dave is American and I lived there for 6 years so we bring our A-Game at the end of every October. New Zealand is slowly starting to embrace the spooky season and we are super lucky to live in an amazingly Halloween Friendly neighborhood which has become a bit of a ‘destination’ for Trick or Treaters over the past few years.

So, decorating for Halloween is one of my favourite themes to work with as it doesn’t matter if it’s *less than perfect*, which to be honest, is how I roll 24-7.

So, If you’re hosting a Halloween Party or welcoming Trick or Treaters, a wreath is an easy way to set the mood and create a great focal point – it doesn’t have to hang on the front door, this one will probably go on our mantlepiece with some other spooky decorations.

I’m creating a Jack Skellington themed wreath this year because my kids NEED more Nightmare Before Christmas in their lives, I’m a bit worried I’ve been failing them on the Tim Burton front – Ethan hasn’t even seen Beetlejuice ::::::gasp!:::::

How to Make a Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween Wreath

You will need:

1 x foam decor ring, 1 x foam decor ball for Jack’s head, wool/fabric strips in your choice of colours, artificial flowers, craft glue, a black permanent marker or black paint, scissors, pins, artificial spiderweb, ribbon for hanging.

Step 1: Cover your foam ring

I used a mix of cheap acrylic yarn, fabric from my stash cut into long strips and spotted crepe paper streamers. I tied the wool off then applied craft glue to the inside of the ring. Holding the ring between your knees as you wrap it will help things move along quite quickly! Wrap the ring in whatever pattern/configuration you like – Jack’s colours are traditionally black and white but I wanted to add a pop of colour so used orange for contrast. Leave a section unwrapped to save time as this will be covered with flowers.

Step 2: Attach flowers

I used dressmaking pins but you could also affix the flowers with craft glue.

Step 3: Draw Jack Skellington’s Face

Find an image online to work from – I used this one. Sketch the features on in pencil, It’s pretty simple just watch the proportions. When you’re satisfied, trace over the pencil with black permanent marker and colour in the eye sockets. I went over the eye sockets a couple of times to get a good black finish.

Step 4: Suspend Jack in the wreath