Halloween Goodies

We're a week away from All Hallow's Eve (Halloween) and I decided to share with you my pick list of neat DIY Halloween stuff, to inspire (some of the articles are mine, and some are by Cintia), and perhaps, give you a giggle. So let's get into it, shall we?

First up are simple costume ideas:

{My Poppet Makes: Chat Noir Costume}

{My Poppet Makes: DIY Koroku Mask}

{Kidspot: GITD Skeleton Costume}

{Kidspot: Superhero Costume}

And for costume ideas that are a bit more advanced... in other words let's dip our toes into the world of cosplay:

{My Poppet Makes: Linkle Cosplay}

{My Poppet Makes: Bellatrix Estrange Cosplay by Cintia}

Let's not forget the awesome Halloween decorations that you can make:

{My Poppet Makes: Pumpkin Gift Box by Cintia}

{My Poppet Makes: Upcycled Halloween Wreath}

Last, but not least:

If you're a sewing nut check out the Halloween themed sewing projects listed at Coloured Buttons.It's a smorgasbord of spooky, sewing fun.

Her Lil' Craft Shop

© Melissa Gaggiano

This was a long time coming. Inspired by Beedle, the nomadic merchant of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Little K decided to have a shop, selling her handmade wares during school lunch.

It was an almost forgotten back burner project. So I was pleasantly surprised when Little K set about building her shop and supplies. The shop consists of an upside down cardboard lid with yarn straps, and a stick with a felt flag.

So much can come of Little K conducting her store, including:

• Increased confidence.
• Business acumen.
• Communicating with and reading people.
• Having fun, 'making'.

My take away from all this – 

When you want to do something, you just got to summon your willpower and 'do it'.

{link}

DIY Legend of Zelda Cosplay

{My Poppet link}

For the average ghosty it is that time of year – Halloween! But for some it's Halloween all year round. That's right! I'm talking about cosplayers. And for all you cosplayer wannabes I've written an article tailor made just for you. So head on over to My Poppet and read about my design journey when I made a Linkle cosplay outfit.

DIY Legend of Zelda Character Costume

DIY LoZ Korok Mask

My Poppet Makes

Ding dong!

Halloween is around the bend.

Masks on!

Mischief is in the air.

My latest craft tutorial is now live at My Poppet. It is the perfect project for all you Legend of Zelda enthusiasts. And even if you don't know about LoZ, head on over anyway, to find out what Koroks are all about, and how to make this mask for the lil' Korok in your life.

My Poppet – DIY Korok Mask

Coffee Break, Masks and Other Challenges

In things that have been happening:

© Gwen Gaggiano

My eldest has offered to paint my portrait if I can go a month without drinking coffee. I'd love to have my portrait painted, but I don't know if I can sustain myself through caffeine withdrawal. I mean, my aim in life is to be less grumpy, and I can only imagine what the lack of caffeine might do. Perhaps the trick is to build it up – go one day without coffee, then have a coffee the second day. Two days without, one day with. Et cetera, et cetera!

Felt craft: The Legend of Zelda – Link with Bunny Mask;
Deku mask; Majora's mask.

My husband's birthday is just around the corner and I made him a headband. No, really!  I did. For a bit of context, years ago I made him a LOZ Link doll. Each year after that I make an accessory to go with the doll. So far I've made a Deku mask, and Majora's mask. This year I made the bunny headband mask. I'm thinking that one day we will need to build a treasure chest to store these pieces. Perhaps it can look like an actual LOZ chest.

© Melissa Gaggiano

My doll design development continues, as always. Working with armature, continued improvements to the pattern with each new doll. This week I have been exploring wig hair. Playing with a synthetic weft, as well as a needle felted hairdo. My next step is designing shoes and a crochet top for the blue haired doll. The crochet top is a massive challenge as I am experimenting with a super fine crochet hook and embroidery thread. Might work, might not! We'll see!

Excellent Things

    It has been a full, and very long week. I have been awaiting the arrival of 'things' in the mail. A lot of thinking 'will it be here today'. It has been a week of projects completed. Yes! It is also a week in which the wind in my sails direct me to an island I had once given up on finding. In point it is wise to never give up on the things we desire, even if the path doesn't seem obvious or likely.

© Melissa Gaggiano

    A new tutorial from moi has gone live at My Poppet. If you're into cameos and felt craft this be the thing for you.

Instagram

    This week I finished making Majora's Mask accessory for a felt crafted Legend of Zelda: Link doll. A couple of years ago I made the doll for my husband's birthday. It was quite the epic event – took several weeks to design and make. The next year I made a Deku mask to compliment the doll. This year, at my husband's request, I made Majora's mask. The mask is needle felted and hand sewn in parts. I wonder what I will make next year to compliment Link. Perhaps Epona [now that would be a massive thing] or Zelda herself.

    I sourced one of the mask materials from Etsy shop Yummy Yarns & Fiber. I was struggling to find green felt to finish the mask. But I found what I needed in this shop. I bought a perfect little 1M pack of green dyed Alpaca felting fibre.

© Melissa Gaggiano

    In other news I am returning to my illustration work in a big way. You can find new prints in my Red Bubble store. Check it out!

My Work Is Done

© Melissa Gaggiano

    May I present to you, one finished Link doll, and one very happy kid. The awesome thing about this doll is that it has an armature skeleton, which means bendy body parts.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Head over Heels

© Melissa Gaggiano

    This morning I cut out pattern pieces, sewed, stuffed and attached the head onto the Link doll. You will notice my daughter's Link drawing. She's been drawing many Links lately.

Making the Link

© Melissa Gaggiano

    Work continues on this little Legend of Zelda: Link doll. Yesterday I sculpted the limbs and boots. Today was all about making the pants and tunic.

© Melissa Gaggiano

    The way I am sculpting this felt doll I am reminded of an animated film from my childhood - Gulliver's Travels. In the film these tiny people mend Gulliver's [The Giant] clothes and make him a new tunic by sewing the outfit onto his body. Of course, for these little people, levers, pulleys, bows and arrows were required to make this happen.

Little Link

© Melissa Gaggiano

    My littlest  has put in a request for a large fluffy sloth and a miniature Legend of Zelda: Link doll. I have chosen to take on the smaller of the two options. But make no mistake, when it comes to doll making, 'smaller' doesn't necessarily mean 'easier'.

    I have begun the doll with armature and wrapping. So right now the doll looks like a headless Egyptian mummy. From little things...

Under Wraps

    Last year I made a Link (Legend of Zelda) art doll, which came accessorised with shield and sword. At the time I had wanted to include other accessories, such as a Deku mask (as seen in the Majora's Mask computer game). For a number of different reasons the mask wasn't made, but it was always there in the back of my mind. It was something that I still wanted to make. Almost on the anniversary of making this Link doll I finally made the Deku mask.

See here the visual diary of the Link art doll being made:
Entry 1: Legend of
Entry 2: Hard to see
Entry 3: Look at that
Entry 4: Hat and ears
Entry 5: Shield
Entry 6: Check, check, check
Entry 7: On his way

On His Way

Doll making by Melissa Gaggiano

Doll making by Melissa Gaggiano

    Another quick Link update. He is coming together and holding his own… things. Good on him.

Check. Check. Check.

Doll making by Melissa Gaggiano

    Link? Check. Shield? Check. Sword? Check. What next? Sword holder, Majora's mask, bunny mask and Deku mask.

    My hands are occupied with sewing. My ears are occupied with the sounds of Frozen [4th viewing request by Keira]. My mind is thinking of a million wonderful creations that may just happen once I finish making Link.

Shield

    This afternoon I did some shield work. This is the first accessory to go with the Link doll I have been working on the past week or so. No time to say much more than that. Must eat...

Hat + Ears

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

    This is where I'm at with the Link doll. The transformation of this doll has been incredible. I just love how the little pieces make up the whole.
    The next phase is working on the accessories, starting with the shield.

Look At That

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

    Will you look at that. I wasn't sure how I'd address Link's hair. Using my usual felt wigs [the mermaid dolls] and the floppy yarn hair [a more recent design feature] wasn't going to work with this doll. Staring at the illustrations of Link I realised that his hair needed to be flat, curved and layered in individual pattern pieces.

Hard To See

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

At first it's hard to see how it's all going to come together when faced with a couple of unconnected, flat pattern pieces. But as you build on it, that doll takes on a life of it's own. Keep on, keeping' on!

Legend of…?

    A new project in the works… A Legend of Zelda doll. Not saying much. Very busy. Here's a snapshot of where it is at. Gotta keep on, keeping on.

Melissa Gaggiano Photography

I am actually crocheting!

My husband's birthday is just around the corner. So for his Birthday I am crocheting a coin purse for him.

Since childhood, Michael has been a hardcore fan of The Legend of Zelda. So this will be the inspiration for the coin purse. The purse will be a drawstring pouch which will latch onto trousers.

I found just the right coloured yarn and have begun making the little coin purse.