Tag: Halloween

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Halloween DIY: Feathered Flyer Beak and Headpiece

Posted on October 21, 2014August 2, 2018 by M&J Trimming

This year, stand out from the flock with two accessories that are sure to be tweeted about. Make yourself into a bird that’s brighter than any peacock with our DIY Feathered Flyer Beak and Headpiece! This DIY uses a huge array of trims and embellishments that even a magpie would covet, and can be converted into any bird species just by switching up the colors! Want to see more creature-inspired accessories for your Halloween costume? Check out our Party Animals Halloween store!

What You’ll Need:

5.5” x 7” Half Pin Wheel Feather

5/8” Single Face Satin Ribbon

1/2” Square Sequin Floral Trim

25mm Faceted Jewel Trim

Cobalt Blue Crystals

Scissors

E6000

Headband

1. Glue the satin ribbon and cover the headband starting from the tip. Put glue on the outside and the inside.

2.Cut your feather patch into three sections, and glue on top of the headband.

3. Embellish the rest of your headband with trims and stones..

What You’ll Need:

5/8” Single Face Satin Ribbon

1/2” Square Sequin Floral Trim

25mm Faceted Jewel Trim

Cobalt Blue Crystals

Scissors

E6000

Hot Glue

Illustration Board

Dowel

Hole Puncher

1. Cut a rectangle out of your illustration board, and then cut out two equal triangles from the rectangle by creating an “X” mark on the rectangle. Cut where the mark are.

2. On each piece score a line from the tip to the bottom. Softly bend and connect to pieces together. Use hot glue to connect these pieces.
2. Punch a hole under the beak where the dowel will be punch up into the inside. Hot glue on the inside so dowel does not shift.

3. Embellish the beak with trims and crystals.

Canine Costume DIY Roundup

Posted on October 20, 2014July 31, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Do you celebrate every holiday with the furry friends in your life? Then Halloween should be no exception! These critter costume DIYs are just the thing to your best pal’s tail wagging on the scariest day of the year.

Everyone has seen the viral video of the puppy in a spider costume scaring passersby. Well now you can make your own with Martha Stewart’s DIY spider costume!

Make your pup another type of pet with this DIY Chia Pet costume from I Found the Place!

If your pet is king of the castle at home, why not make him king of the jungle for a day with an easy to make lion mane?

This piñata costume will make your pup the life of the party!

Take your dog to new depths with a walrus costume from instructables!

Clever Creature Costumes

Posted on October 18, 2014July 31, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Animals are always a popular pick for Halloween, and with an almost limitless amount of options, the decision to be a critter this Halloween is an easy one. But once you’ve decided that you want to be one with your spirit animal, how do you figure out how to really BECOME the animal? Take a lesson from these costumed creatures who have figured out how to harness the essence of animals with some makeup and trimming!

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Halloween Trends 2014

Posted on October 15, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Every Halloween there are some costumes that you see almost everywhere! Whether it’s the Miley Cyrus costumes of last year, or the flapper attire that was so popular after the Great Gatsby, there are some Halloween trends that people can’t get enough of. Want to know what costumes you’ll be seeing multiples of in the upcoming parades? Here are some of our best guesses.

The Frozen phenomenon has taken the world by snowstorm, and this Halloween you can expect to say more than a few little ladies rocking Elsa’s cool attire. If you want to be an ice princess, try your hand at making some frosted shoes!

Moving from one fantasy realm to another, this year expect to see even more Game of Thrones characters walking the streets. The bevy of characters and incredible costumes make this a natural choice for dressing up.

From fantasy to superheroes, this year many of us met the characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. Needless to say, superhero costumes, especially furry/foxy ones are bound to show up this year. And let’s not forget those crime-fighting reptiles who have an affinity for pizza!

Flowers AND skulls? It doesn’t get any better than that. Pretty meets creepy with Day of the Dead sugar skull costumes. Not only is it perfectly timed with the actual holiday, the results are beautiful, bright and terrifying.

What will YOU be dressing up as this year?

Halloween DIY: Frozen Fantasy Shoe

Posted on October 14, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

This year almost everyone was obsessed with an icy cool animated film, and we have yet to “let it go”. This year, embrace that Arctic-freezing fashion with your Halloween costume! Learn how to make a shoe that’s worthy of an ice princess. Not the princess you had in mind? Check out our Fiction and Fantasy Halloween Shop for everything you need to create the most magical costume of all!

What You’ll Need:

Pumps with clear siding

Crystal Meridian Blue

14mm Round Jewel With 2 Holes

24mm x 10mm Oval Jewel With Holes*

E6000

Crystal Katana1. Decide on the pattern you want to create on your shoes.

2. Use up the larger stones and pieces first. This ensures that you will have space for them.

3. Hold each stone in place for a few seconds so that the stones don’t slip down the shoe.

4. Let dry overnight before wearing.

*This item is currently unavailable. Check out our full selection of sew-on jewels.

DIY: Punk Rock Studded Collar

Posted on October 7, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

This year add some serious punk-rock style to your Halloween costume with a collar DIY that can be easily created with a few simple studs and a collared shirt! Need more edgy DIY materials? Check out our Punk Rock Halloween Shop! What You’ll Need: Black Collared Shirt 7mm x 10mm Metal Spike With Screw 7mm x 10mm Metal Spike With Screw 8mm x 13mm Metal Spike With Screw 10mm Two-Tone Spike Ultra Suede Ribbon* E6000 Hole Puncher Scissor 1- Take your shirt and carefully remove the collar part. 2- Take your trim and glue down on the rim of the collar. Let dry. 3- Punch a hole in the collar and screw in a spike. Repeat this until desired design is complete.

(*This item is currently unavailable. For alternatives, check out our full selection of leather and suede trims.)

Halloween DIY: Medieval Chain Headpiece

Posted on September 30, 2014August 8, 2018 by M&J Trimming

If you’re anything like us, you have Game of Thrones fever, and that fever is bound to inspire a lot of really cool costumes for Halloween! Whether you want to transform into a fair maiden or gallant knight, this regal chainmaille-inspired headpiece is the perfect accessory for your outfit.

What You’ll Need:

6mm Colored Metal Chain

28mm x 16mm Oval Jewel With Holes*

E6000

Pliers

1. Measure silver chain from the tip of your forehead to the mid back of your head, and then measure gold chain going around the length of your head. Close the gold chain, and attach the silver chain in the middle.

2. Take Two pieces of chain and connect to the tip of the first chain. These two pieces should be longer on the sides to create a “U” shape. Measure, cut, and connect to the back piece.

3. Take three long pieces of chain in varying lengths. Connect these pieces to the sides of the U-shaped chains on the side on your head.

4. Add a stone to the front of your headdress where the gold and silver chain meet. 5. Create a small “U” out of chain and attach it to either side of the area where the stone is.

If you want to see what other items we have to create the perfect Medieval Renaissance look, check out our Medieval Renaissance shop. For other costume materials, visit our Halloween Store!

*This item is currently unavailable. Check out our full selection of sew-on jewels.

DIY: Under the Sea Tank

Posted on October 15, 2013August 2, 2018 by M&J Trimming

We love to dye at M&J. It’s always an experiment because the medium has a mind of its own! We embraced that free-flowing spirit with this next DIY, a tank top worthy of any mermaid under the sea.

What You’ll Need:

20mm Paillettes with Hole on Top #13623

Teal RIT Dye

E-6000

White tank top

Big Plastic Bucket or Sink

1. Follow the RIT Dye instructions. We used teal RIT dye powder, which we combined with 2 cups of hot water and 5 cups of lukewarm water.

2. Dip the end of your tank into the dye. If you want an ombre effect, leave the ends of the tank in the dye for a longer period of time.

3. Wring the excess dye out into the bucket.

4. Wash out your tank until the running water becomes clear. This will indicate the dye has set in and will not run.

4. Allow your tank to dry.

5. When your tank is dry, create a design on the bottom of the colored tank using paillettes.

Gluing Down Paillettes | M&J Trimming

6. Glue your paillettes down in your desired pattern. We chose to border the bottom of the tank to represent fish scales, but you can choose whatever design you’d like!

And there you have it, an Under the Sea tank top. We know Ariel would trade all of her thingambobs for this shiny tank! Do you want to replace the paillettes with pearls or rhinestones? Take a look at our Under the Sea page for some extra inspiration!

DIY: Gatsby Headband

Posted on October 8, 2013July 31, 2018 by M&J Trimming

For our second Halloween DIY installment, let’s take a journey back in time to the Roaring 20s. This style has taken the DIY world by storm after The Great Gatsby came out this spring. With the grandiose celebrations, chic fashions, and surplus of sparkles, it’s no wonder we’d love to channel the look into a DIY costume this year. Embrace your inner flapper with this amazing (and simple) Gatsby-inspired headband!

What You’ll Need:

3/4 yard of 18mm Foldover Elastic #25068

1 Curly Goose Feather Patch #42639

1 Beaded Pearl Fan Appliqué #41988

E6000 #46486

1. Use an elastic band to measure the distance around your head. Make sure it isn’t too loose or too tight! Create a half inch overlap, and cut off any excess.

2. Place glue on that half inch end, and glue the ends together. Let it dry for an hour.

3. Take your feather patch, and glue it over the seam you just created.

4. Take your fan appliqué, and glue it over the feather patch.

5. Make sure you allow your headband to dry for 24 hrs before wearing. You wouldn’t want the feathers to go flying while doing the Charleston!

6. Place it delicately on your head to avoid disrupting those fabulous pin curls, and you’re all so set to go! Wear it out to your next party for a look that will make even Daisy Buchanan jealous!

Love the look, but want to make it your own? We’ve got you covered! Find all of the inspirational embellishments you need, from beaded trim to peacock feathers, at our Great Gatsby Inspiration Page!

Top 5: Gatsby-Inspired DIYs

Posted on October 7, 2013July 31, 2018 by M&J Trimming

Even though it’s been months since Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby came out, we can’t stop obsessing over the fashions and accessories of the Roaring 20’s. Here are a few DIYs that will be perfect for your next flapper costume, but we love them so much that we might just wear them to our next party!

This adorable bracelet from Jolie Jouel captures the fringe of flapper dresses perfectly! The combination of the white and blue gems is refreshing, and the bracelet is so dainty that it won’t overwhelm your wrist. It would look beautiful with a white eyelet dress!

This M&J DIY bracelet was inspired by Daisy Buchanan’s beautiful jewelry. This piece would be the perfect addition to any authentic flapper Halloween costume! The best part? All of the items you need to make it can be found at M&J Trimming, even the floral applique!

If headbands make you feel fussy, try College Fashion’s re-purposed hair brooch on for size!

This incredible fringe dress tutorial from Cup of Tea is not for the novice crafter. It does take some skill with the sewing machine. If you’re feeling brave, give it a go! You’ll end up with an amazing dress. Interested in creating some different color combinations? At M&J we have fringe trim in every color imaginable!

This wouldn’t be a Great Gatsby DIY Roundup without at least ONE headband tutorial. The headpiece is an iconic component of the flapper style! This one from Buzzfeed is simply charming, and the way the rhinestone trim dangles adds a romantic touch. Do you love this look too? Check out our great selection of rhinestone trim and beaded appliques if you want to recreate it!

Now you can totally see why we love The Great Gatsby right? Everything about Jay Gatsby’s parties was glamorous and over the top! And can we just spend a minute gushing over the amazing amount of rhinestones in that movie? If you’re looking for more splendidly sparkly embellishments, visit our Great Gatsby Inspiration Page!