Sunday October 25th, 2015 Last Minute Halloween

There are only six days left to get ready for Halloween!  Are you worried that you won’t have enough time to carve your pumpkin, make the perfect costume, or plan your party?  Then head over to the Thunder Bay Public Library. Our resources have lots of ideas to help get you ready for next Saturday.

What Halloween is complete without carving a pumpkin?  If you’d like to carve one but don’t know where to start, check out Edward Palmer’s Pumpkin Carving. It has basic carving instructions and includes some face and design templates you can use for your pumpkin. How to Carve Pumpkins for Great Results by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell is another basic book full of great tips for carving, storing, and reinvigorating dried out pumpkins. If you want to get a bit more advanced, then check out Extreme Pumpkin Carving: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous by Vic Hood and Jack A. Williams, which shows you how to relief-carve a pumpkin with both basic and woodcarving tools. Relief carving allows you to create actual depth on your pumpkin’s face, making it look more realistic than when you just cut out solid shapes.

Another really fun part of Halloween is dressing up. If you’re looking for costume ideas, you can flip through 1000 Incredible Costume & Cosplay Ideas: A Showcase of Creative Characters From Anime, Manga, Video Games, Movies, Comics and More! As the name suggests, this book is a photo gallery with 1000 pictures that are sure to inspire your next costume. If you’re a sewing whiz, you can try The Fantastic Costume Book: 40 Complete Patterns to Amaze and Amuse by Michelle Lipson and Friends. Along with sewing patterns, Lipson’s book has some costumes that can be made quickly with little to no sewing necessary, so it’s definitely worth a look if you’re pressed for time. We’ve also got Kathryn Harrison and Valerie Kohn’s Easy-to-Make Costumes, which is full of fantastic ideas, many of which only need cardboard, scissors, paint, and glue.

If you want some Halloween crafts to make with your kids, recipes to make for a party, or decorations for your house and yard, then look no further than Ghastly-Good Halloween: 201 Spooktacular Recipes, Crafts & Decorating Ideas by Gooseberry Patch. While full of tons of decorating and craft ideas, where this book really shines is in the recipes. From the Brew-Ha-Ha Punch to the Witch’s Cauldron Chili, you’re sure to find the perfect Halloween treat. Some similar all-in-one books include Happy Halloween! Bewitching Parties and Recipes, Enchanting Pumpkins and Decorations, Plus Lots of Other Spine-Tingling Ideas by Country Living, which has some fantastic recipes and a section on carving pumpkins (and pineapples!) with other fruits and vegetables as props. Extreme Halloween: The Ultimate Guide to Making Halloween Scary Again by Tom Nardone is a book devoted to yard and party “tricks,” including making pumpkin monsters and ghastly party drinks (Bloody Brain Shots or Brain Goo, anyone?)  And Halloween Recipes and Crafts by Christine Lyseng Savage, Rosa Poulin, and Tamara Eder has some last minute costume ideas and includes recipes to make your own makeup. It’s also got a list of older Halloween movies and some game ideas to make any party extra fun.

Thinking of Halloween makeup, stop by our Makerspace tomorrow afternoon; makeup artist Rhiannon will be sharing her amazing makeup and costume techniques between 3 and 5pm.

While there are only six days left until Halloween, there's no reason to panic. If you need a bit of help carving a pumpkin, making the perfect costume, or planning a party, be sure to stop by your local library. With our help, you’ll be ready in plenty of time for next weekend!

Shauna Kosoris