Spooky Sparkly Door Charm

Halloween gets glitzy with this fun door charm. Glitter, glow-in-the-dark ghosts, and pumpkins with pizzazz accent this festive piece.

Welcome guests in style with this glitzy door decoration.

What You'll Need

• 66 inches lightweight armature or garden wire
• Tape measure
• Pliers
• Heavy-duty wire clippers
• Polymer clay:1 ultralight, 2 black, 2 Granny Smith, 2 glow-in-the-dark
• Flat baking tray
• Large capacity toaster or convection oven
• Oven thermometer
• Black acrylic paint
• 1/2-inch flat paintbrush
• Pasta machine
• Waxed paper
• Translucent liquid clay
• Glitter: black ice, orange surprise, sparkling snow, majestic purple
• Clay blade
• 7/8-inch leaf shape cutter
• Inks: tangerine, Santa Fe red, passion purple
• Needle tool (or toothpick)
• Paper towels

Note: An acrylic roller may be used instead of a pasta machine. The higher the number mentioned, the thinner you should make the sheet when rolling clay out.

1. With pliers, bend a 1-inch loop about 4 inches from an end of armature wire. Twist end of wire below loop for about 11/2 inches. With long end of wire, make a bend about 8 inches down and double wire back to top. At wire fold, form a 3/4-inch loop, and twist 2 wires together above loop for side branch. To form center branch, make a bend about 12 inches down from top and double wire back to top. Form a 1-inch loop at fold, and twist 2 wires together. Form third branch as you did first. Twist end of wire around center branch, and trim excess wire. Form loops at bottom of each branch into diamonds, and curve each branch.

   Form and twist the wire branches as shown.

2. Using ultralight clay, pinch off small pieces and cover armature. Bake 20 minutes at 275 degrees F. Let cool, then paint top side of clay black. Let dry. Turn piece over, and paint back black. Let dry.
   
   
3. Pull off a pinch of black clay, and set it aside for ghost eyes. Mix remaining black clay with an equal amount of ultralight clay. Roll into several 4 x 6-inch sheets on #2 setting of pasta machine. Lay a sheet of clay on waxed paper. Spread a thin, even layer of liquid clay over surface. Sprinkle with black ice glitter. Use a swirling motion with fingertip to spread glitter over surface. Add more glitter if necessary. Shake off excess glitter. Repeat for remaining clay sheets. Use leaf cutter to cut shapes from clay sheets; make about 70 leaves.

   Sprinkle the black ice glitter over the liquid clay surface.

4. Place waxed paper on baking tray; lay armature on top. Spread a thin, even coat of liquid clay over branches. Starting at bottom of each branch, attach black leaves in layers until all branches are covered. Add extra liquid clay to attach top layers. Save 8 to 10 leaves for next step. When done placing leaves, bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 275 degrees F. Let cool completely.
   
   
5. With Granny Smith clay, roll four 8 x 1/4-inch-thick snakes and two 12 x 1/4-inch-thick snakes. Twist two 8-inch snakes together, and taper an end to a point. Squeeze a line of liquid clay down center of a shorter branch, and press twisted green stem in place, trimming excess clay at top. Repeat for other branches (12-inch snakes are for center branch). Add remaining leaves over top of stems with liquid clay.

   Make the twisted stems with the Granny Smith clay.

6. Roll a sheet of ultralight clay on #1 setting. Place sheet on waxed paper, and squeeze tangerine and Santa Fe red inks over surface of sheet. Let ink dry, then knead color into clay. Roll four 1-inch balls. Squeeze a small amount of liquid clay onto a ball. Dip ball into orange surprise glitter. Roll ball between palms to coat it evenly with glitter. Add more liquid clay and glitter if necessary. Tap off excess glitter. Repeat for remaining 3 balls. Gently flatten each ball into an oval, and cut ovals in half for pumpkins. Make lines with needle tool. Roll a 1/4-inch-wide snake of Granny Smith clay, and cut eight 1/4-inch pieces. Add stem texture with needle tool, and attach stems to pumpkins with liquid clay. Roll a long 1/16-inch-thick snake, and cut it into 2-inch lengths. Attach 1 to each pumpkin with liquid clay, making a swirl at end. Attach 7 pumpkins to base with liquid clay.
   
   
7. Mix glow-in-the-dark clay with an equal amount of ultralight clay. Roll five 1-inch balls from mixed clay. Flatten a ball into a disk, and roll disk through pasta machine on #1 setting and then #2 setting. Turn clay sheet 1/4 turn, and roll through again on #3 and then #4 setting to make a thin, flat oval of clay. Place sheet on waxed paper, and spread a thin, even coat of liquid clay over surface. Sprinkle sparkling snow glitter over surface, and swirl with finger for complete coverage. Repeat for other 4 ovals. Roll five 5/8-inch balls of mixed clay. Make a ball into a slightly flattened oval. Drape a glittered clay sheet over flattened oval to create ghost. Repeat for other 4 ghosts. Make ten 1/16-inch balls of black clay. Roll balls into ovals and flatten. Attach 2 ovals to each ghost for eyes. Add liquid clay to back side of each ghost, and attach them to base.

   Roll the clay through the pasta machine to make a thin, flat oval.

8. Roll out a sheet of ultralight clay on #1 setting so piece is about 5 x 6 inches. Lay clay sheet on waxed paper, and cover surface with passion purple ink. Let ink dry completely. Turn sheet over, and ink other side. Let dry, then mix color in clay. Roll clay into 6-inch-long sheet on #1 setting. Spread thin coat of liquid clay over surface of sheet. Sprinkle purple glitter over surface, and rub it onto sheet using a circular motion. Tap off excess glitter. Flip sheet over, and glitter other side. Cut a 5/8-inch-wide strip of clay, and cut ends on diagonal. Fold strip into a V for ribbon tails. Put a dot of liquid clay at top of door charm below hanging loop, and attach V. Arrange ribbon ends so they "flow." Cut 4 strips 6 x 5/8 inches each. Fold each strip in half, gluing ends together with liquid clay. Attach loops on top of V with liquid clay. Shape bow so it "flows." Attach last pumpkin to center of bow with liquid clay.

   Use liquid clay to attach the last pumpkin to the middle of the bow.

9. Bake door charm 30 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit; let cool. Your door charm is ready to hang and greet your guests!

Looking for another glittery Halloween piece? Continue to the next page for a bewitching Halloween tree project.

Want to scare up more fun Halloween ideas? Try these:

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• How Halloween Works: Traces the popular holiday’s Celtic roots to American traditions celebrated today.