Shop Scissors Blog

Last minute Halloween candy dispenser

Not in the mood to dish out candy to trick-or-treaters this year? No problem. Enlist the kiddos to help you make this spider candy dispenser so you can enjoy a night out on the neighborhood with your own little ghouls and goblins.

Crafty materials:

• 9" paper plate
• 4 black chenille stems
• Three 36"-long pieces of green yarn
• Black, white and light green acrylic paint
• 3" x 5" piece of orange construction paper
• Black marker
• White craft glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Fold paper plate in half and make a crease.
2. Cut paper plate in half using crease as a guide.
3. Turn paper plate pieces upside down (rounded side up). Paint both halves of plate with black paint and let dry 
4. When dry, glue along the rounded edges of the two pieces of plate and stick the plates together, unpainted sides should be facing each other. Do not glue the cut sides; this is the opening of your plate pocket.
5. Cut chenille stems in half.
6. Set aside two of the chenille stems. Bend the ends of the remaining chenille stems, about 1" at each end. Bend one to the left and the other to the right 
7. For the remaining two chenille stems, bend one end about 1" and the other end about 2".
8. Place plate pocket in front of you, with the open end at the top. Glue three chenille legs on the left (glue to the under side) and the other three on the right.
9. Take the remaining two stems and glue the 2" bend under the plate about 1/3 of the way down from the left, and 1/3 of the way down on the right. Allow to dry.
10.  Make eyes from white construction paper, or paint a section of any color construction paper with white paint. When dry, cut out two circles, about 1.5" in diameter. Use the handle end of a paint brush to add the black pupils. When black is dry, use a toothpick or small paint brush handle to dot a small bit of white onto the black pupil. When eyes are completely dry, glue them to the front of the plate.
11. Paint a wiggly smile on the front of the plate using green paint 
12. Write "Happy Halloween!" on the orange construction paper with black marker. Glue the paper underneath the spider’s "hands" so that it appears that it is holding the sign 
13. To make the handle, line all three pieces of yarn up together and tie one end in a knot. Braid the strands together and knot at the other end.
14. Open the pocket and pipe some glue into the creases then press the ends of the yarn handle inside and let dry 
15. Fill with candy or other treats and hang.

 

Pocket scissors two-pack for sewing on the go

Wish you could tote your favorite sewing scissors anywhere you go? You can. Check out our pocket scissors two-pack, which contains two super portable sewing scissors.

ACME Pocket Scissors:

ACME 2.25" Pocket Scissors are petite and lightweight scissors designed for portability.  Each pack contains 2 pairs of pocket scissors and is backed by a lifetime warranty.

• 2 scissors in each package
• Convenient lightweight steel construction
• Small and compact
• Lifetime Warranty

Feature Friday: EZ Open Scissors and Box Opener

E-Z Open Box Opener Stainless Steel shears provide you with a durable pair of scissors and a safe way to open boxes, cartons, and shipping packages. The box-cutting blade extends from the handle only when you need it for injury-free cutting.

Product Details:

• Unique trigger release extends box-cutting blade Blade retracts when pressure is released
• Corrosion-resistant stainless steel blades
• Manufacturer’s Limited 10-year Warranty 
• For left-or right-hand use
• 8" Length 3-1/4" Cut

Holiday scissors to make your season bright

We know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but this blast of cooler weather has us thinking about the holidays. Besides trimming the tree, one of my favorite holiday activities is wrapping gifts. There's so many cool and even unconventional ways to wrap holiday gifts, and you don't even need to be that crafty to pull it off. 

It's part of our philosophy to bring you the best and in this case, most festive, scissors and cutting tools possible. Check out our essential holiday scissors. Oh, and browse the gift wrapping collage for some inspiration!

1. Purse Shaped Package - This is super easy, but it looks so different and fun. It's heavy, textured paper folded around a tissue-wrapped gift. Add some colorful ribbon and you have something that's out of the box.

2. Paper Cones - If you're looking for a nostalgic way to wrap some candy or tiny treats, try using a paper cone with fabric appliques. 

3. Fabric - Ok, it's not actually fabric. But did you know you could photocopy fabric and come out with a fabulous result?

4. Kid-crafted - Put your kiddos to work. Have them doodle on some paper and wrap up gifts with their creations. It will pack some serious "awww" factor. 

5. Dreidel Gift Card Holder - Make your Hanukkah gifts a little brighter with these sparkly holders. 

6. Pretty Doily - Add some old-fashioned doilies for a pretty presentation.

Images via Martha Stewart Online

Haunt the yard

These window coverings will create a jack-o-lantern effect for your entire house and add a haunting atmosphere as all of those trick-or-treaters make their way to your door.

What you'll need:

• Corrugated Cardboard
• Pencils or markers
• Craft Knife
• Glue Stick
• Orange tissue paper
• Masking tape
• Lamp

Halloween treats that make ghouls and goblins a little sweeter

We know we're usually telling you about crafts or the best scissors to use for your projects, but today we're putting on our culinary hats to bring you some spooky treats that will tempt your little ghouls and goblins.

1. Witch hat sundaes

2. Creepy Cupcakes

3. Dulce de Leche Bat Cookies

4. No Bake Spider Cheesecake **Use gummies and licorice for spider legs. Cut to size with kitchen shears**

5. Coffin Brownies

Images and recipes via Martha Stewart Online

Our top five homemade Halloween costume ideas

There's something about a homemade costume for kids that has so much more character than going to your local super store and picking out something everyone else on the block will have. If you have a little bit of a crafty bone in your body, you'll love our top five homemade Halloween costume ideas for your kids this fall.

Don't worry. If it sounds intimidating, it's not. Many of these featured options don't require any sewing what so ever!

It's the little mermaid but with more style. This costume uses strategic folds and lots of double sided tape to pull it together.  See how at www.FamilyFun.com

Mama Mia! They'll look so cute you could eat them up. We suggest some heavy duty shears for cutting the felt and foam pieces on this pizza costume. 

Give him some salty attitude with this fisherman costume.  This costume is perfect for cooler weather climates and you can dress up your pup, too!

A cowboy is a classic that will never go out of style.

  This is a girlie take on the standard puppy costume. The main component of this Pink Poodle costume? Bath puffs! 

Weekend Feature: Children's Bumblebee Scissors

Your kids will love our children's critter scissors from bright bumblebees to striped tigers.

About children's scissors:

Scissor Critters™ are the fun way to cut! Their whimsical shapes are inspired by nature and are sure to become any child's favorite "at home" pair of scissors. They also make great party favors or craft supplies. Critters appeal to all ages and are a great accessory at home or in the office. Manufactured with stainless steel blades.

Manufacturer: ACME United

Model: 13915 “Buzz” Bumble Bee

Relish in ribbons this Halloween

Who says you have to carve a pumpkin in order to get in the Halloween spirit? Adorning autumn gourds with ribbon is just one way to use those extra spools you have lying around the house. The perfect companion for these ribbon-laced projects? Ribbon shears for precision cutting. Enjoy the ideas below and think of your own to spruce up your home or apartment.

Use ribbon within your centerpiece. Photo by Country Living

No carving here. Decorate your fall pumpkins with ribbon. Photo by Good  Housekeeping.

Top off a handmade goody cone with a satin ribbon for the perfect party favor. Photo by Country Living.

Breakout the florist shears for this batty centerpiece

We love it when crafty folks use real flowers to add a touch of class to a table or centerpiece. Halloween is one of the holidays where you can go all out with creepy decor or tone it down a notch while keeping an eerie yet cool fall vibe. We vote for the latter.

You'll need your thorn and stem stripper for this one. Arranging orange and gold tinted roses never looked so good--you just want to be sure the thorns are gone. Add some batty accents and candles and you're on your way to a simple and pretty Halloween centerpiece.





Photo from wedding flowers and reception ideas