Annual Inspirations Witch Hats Tutorial

We all love home decor that screams creativity! Several of you have seen the adorable hats on page 38 of Annual Inspirations and have asked for instructions on how to recreate them. Below you’ll find step-by-step directions you can use with the Annual Inspirations recipes already provided to give your home a little more spook this season. 

Happy crafting!

October 31 Hat

Cricut^® Shapes:

Artiste

Spike Flowers: 3 ½" and 4 ½" Shift+Accent 2 (p. 54)

Round Flowers: 3 ½" and 2 ¾" Accent 2 (cut several, p. 54)

Cupcake Liners: 2 ½" and 2" Accent 4 (cut 4 of each, p. 77) 

Circle: 11" Card (p. 48)

Vines: 1", 1 ½”, and 1 ¾" Shift+3D Object (cut several, p. 54)

Spiderweb: 4 ½" Accent 4 (p. 76)

Banners: 1 ¼" and 2" Accent 2 <5> (cut several, p. 35)

To find a list of the other materials required, please refer to the Annual Inspirations recipes.

Cone and Base

1. Attach two sheets of 12" x 12" B&T paper on top of two sheets of 12" x 12" cardstock. This double-sheet thickness is needed for extra stability in the cone of the hat.

2. Using tape, attach the two sheets of layered 12" x 12" papers together to form a 24" length. Ensure that edges are precisely aligned.

3. Starting from one corner, roll the paper into a cone, adjusting to form your desired shape. Use a strong adhesive to hold it in place. Hats will measure differently according to how tight you roll your cone.

4. Cut the 11" circle to form the base of the hat.

5. Center the cone on the base and trace the bottom of cone onto circle shape. Trace another circle within the first, about a 1/2" smaller than the original.

6. Trim out innermost center circle, then use scissors to cut ½" slits approximately 1" apart around the entire outer circle to create tabs. Fold tabs upward.

7. Staple, or adhere with a strong adhesive, the tabs into the cone, starting from where you would like the front of your hat to be.

Edging

1. Cut out spiderweb cupcake liners and trim off the tabs.

2. Attach four of the 2 ½" spiderweb liners underneath the base of circle so that the edges of the webs extend beyond the rim of the hat.

3. Attach the 2" spiderweb liners along the top of the hat’s brim against the inner edges, near the cone.

Decoration

1. Select where you would like the front of your hat to be and adhere the 2" banner to it.

2. Adhere 1 ¼" banners overlapping the larger banner around the bottom of the cone.

3. Cut several ½" strips of B&T paper, pleat them, and attach them end to end on the bottom of the cone.

4. Cut out flowers, spiderweb, and vines from the Cricut^® Artiste cartridge.

5. Use an embossing tool to mold the leaves of the branch shapes. Ink the edges with Slate ink using the sponge dauber.

6. Ink the edges of the flowers in Thistle and Sunset using the sponge dauber. Using your quilling tool, roll the flowers, adhere them closed, and add Sparkles to the center of each as desired.

7. Attach the spiderweb to the side of the cone and layer the floral arrangement on top of it.

8. Back the “Spooky” metal shape from your Scaredy Cat Complements with Thistle cardstock and add it to the floral arrangement.

Top of Hat

1. Cut a 2" x 12" strip of Thistle cardstock. Cut a 1" notch every ¼".

2. Using your quilling tool, roll the strip until the solid edge is small enough to fit into the hole at the top of the cone. Adhere it so it cannot unroll. Make sure the roll is small enough to fit into the top of the cone. If needed, trim the tip of the hat to allow more space for the topper. 

3. Fit the curled hat topper into the hole at the top of the hat and secure with adhesive.

4. Using your quilling tool, roll the ¼" strips downward into tight curls.

5. Cut the ribbon into 3" pieces, loop them, and adhere them individually to the top of the hat, arranging them in layers.

6. Add stars from the Scaredy Cat Assortment.

Embellishment

Embellish your hat with the Scaredy Cat Assortment, sequins from the Mini-Medley Accents black collection, Slate diagonal striped ribbon, or other accents of your choice.

Variations

You can create a variety of decorative hats using the cone and base shapes shown above. Check out these clever variations:

Spiderweb-Topped Hat

Cricut^® Shapes:

Artiste

Circle: 7 ½" Card (p. 48)

Sunburst: 9" Accent 3 <5> (p. 35)

Yo-Yo: 1 ¼" Shift+Card (p. 55)

Decorative Circle: 2" and 3 ¼" Accent 4 <5> (p. 35)

Spike Flowers: 1 ¾" and 2" Shift+Accent 2 (p. 54)

Artbooking

Corner Spiderwebs: 3 ½" RDS Shift+Overlay (cut 2, p. 70)

To find a list of the other materials required, please refer to the Annual Inspirations recipes.

• This hat’s base is made from a sunburst shape from the Cricut® Artiste cartridge.

• The spiderweb topper is made from two webs cut from the Cricut^® Artbooking cartridge.  Adhere their edges together and trim hat as necessary.

• The spider image is from the Scaredy Cat Complements.

• The focal point of this hat is made from a stamped image from the Halloween Greetings stamp set.

• The pleated strip of B&T at the base of the cone was stitched before being adhered to the cone.

Batty Hat

Cricut^® Shapes:

Artiste

Yo-Yo: 1 ½" Shift+Card (p. 50)

Decorative Circle: 4" Accent 4 <5> (p. 35)

Circle: 9 ½" Card (p. 48)

Cupcake Liners: 2" Accent 4 (cut 4, p. 77)

Spike Flowers: 1 ¾" and 3" Shift+Accent 2 (p. 54)

Round Flowers: 3 ¼" and 3 ½" Accent 2 (p. 54)

To find a list of the other materials required, please refer to the Annual Inspirations recipes.

• The streamers dangling from this hat are made from a variety of Scaredy Cat B&T papers that have been folded accordion-style and attached at the top.

• This hat’s focal point is an image cut from a sheet of Scaredy Cat B&T. The bat images are Scaredy Cat Complements.

There you have it. I hope you enjoy your haunting home decor additions! 

We would love to see how your hats turn out! Feel free to share a photo in the comments or on the Close To My Heart Facebook page.

A Great Day For Remembering

I love this beautiful holiday—it's such a perfect day for honoring all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, for those who served valiantly in the military, and of course, for remembering those whom we have loved and lost. 

Driving past cemeteries alive with colorful wreaths and beautiful mementos and gathered families is guaranteed to bring a lump to my throat. I guess it touches the memory keeper in me particularly, because I believe remembering is the greatest honor we can give our loved ones. It fills me with renewed dedication for the important work we do, telling stories and preserving photos.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful day of remembrance—and capture lots of new memories today, too! That's exactly what I'll be doing with my family today, as we look forward to summer and many more memory-making experiences together. Make it a day to remember!

What I Love about Christmas

With Christmas day this week, I've been thinking of my favorite experiences and memories around the holidays. Without a doubt, what I like best is spending Christmastime with my children and grandchildren. Christmas wonder is ALWAYS best experienced through the eyes of a child. I love their enthusiasm, belief, and their efforts to stay on the "nice" list. I know many a mother (myself included) who has threatened Santa's absence if the kids don't behave.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite holiday memories when my two youngest girls, Rachel and Aubrey, were little. They were both members of a dance group and they had a Christmas recital. Rachel, the elder, performed her solo routine without a hitch. But when it came four-year-old Aubrey's turn, she simply refused. She sat down cross-legged on the floor and just planted herself there. We tried coaxing. We tried bribing. Finally, I resorted to those infamous holiday warnings: "If you don't dance, then you'll get no toys."

She responded, "I hate toys."

"No presents."

"I hate presents."

"No visit from Santa."

"I hate Santa."

And on it went. We were getting desperate, and David even tried lifting her up by the elbows to aim her toward the stage. Her legs never even unfolded.

In retrospect, the whole situation completely makes me laugh. And did we withhold presents? Of course not! How could we? If you had seen her big, innocent eyes and spunky personality, you would have relented, too! That's part of what I love about Christmas: kids' personalities really emerge and define them. It's great to see what they wish for, their excitement for Santa and gratitude for Christ, and of course, the kindness and generosity they begin to exhibit toward others. That pure desire to give and serve is what defined Christ's ministry on earth, and it brings me great joy to see service and a concern for our fellow man growing as our children grow.

However you celebrated Christmas this year, I hope that fun was there. I hope family was there. And most importantly, I hope Christ was there, at the center, giving you His peace, comfort, and joy in the knowledge that He lives.