DIY Halloween on the cheap: Dolls

I went to Walmart and looked at Halloween decorations, there were a lot of cute things but the prices (yes, at Walmart) were too high for my taste. I didn't intend to spend that much on Halloween décor that was going to sit in my yard all season through the California sunshine and the rain. So, I didn't. Instead, inspired by the decorations I'd seen I decided to make my own, on the cheap. I was going to buy dolls and paint them myself, figuring that even if they didn't look great, people probably wouldn't see them close up anyway. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted so I went to the thrift stores to see what they had. I found a couple dolls at the Salvation Army, but they weren't quite what I had in mind so I got back in the car and went to the Goodwill store instead. They had an entire aisle of baby dolls. I decided not to spend more than $2 on each doll, with that limit I bought up about a dozen baby dolls and a Bratz styling head which was thoroughly covered in marker and lipstick. Brought them all home and cleaned them up well. I have a lot of crafting paint just sitting in my garage, so I didn't bother to buy more. Saved money there. After the dolls were dry I painted them as zombies, ghosts, ghouls, etc. I spent a couple hours overall on each doll. I think they turned out pretty well. And at most each one cost $3 to make. Of course, now my yard is decorated with dead babies and the neighbors are giving me funny looks. But, whatever. :)

What a find! This little bronze rabbit, about the size of a bowling ball and roughly 6lbs, is open on both sides and absolutely perfect for my hens and chicks succulents. I found this at the Salvation Army store. The original sales sticker was still in place on the bottom, this was sold by Orchard Supply and Hardware for $29.99. The Salvation Army and listed it for $3.99, but it was half-price day (everything in the store was half-price, except mattresses and coffee), so I got it for less than $2. What a find, indeed! I love the bit of whimsy the rabbit adds to my Spring garden.