Boo-ti-ful Halloween Projects

No self-respecting witch goes anywhere without her broom. Let trick-or-treaters know she's home with a sign made from a precut wood plaque and a gold glitter paint pen. Create a ghoulish broom by adding green raffia or dried grasses to one end of a weathered stick. Cinch an old leather belt around the end and this witch's broom is ready to take flight.

• 5-foot length of 6-inch-diameter tree branch
• 2- to 3-feet-tall and 10-inch-diameter bunch of purchased dried grass
• Glue gun and hotmelt adhesive
• Rubber bands (optional)
• Packaging tape
• 2-inch-wide strip of black leather or an old leather belt
• Two 30-inch-long leather shoelaces
• 5-x-16-inch wooden plaque with hanger
• Gold glitter paint pen

1. Remove most of the smaller branches from the large tree branch, leaving a few at the top. Shorten the remaining branches; one shortened branch will serve as a hook for the plaque.
2. Hot-glue dried grass several inches from the bottom end of the branch. Secure the grass with rubber bands or packaging tape 2-3 inches below the top edge of the grass. Wrap the leather strip or belt around the broom to cover the rubber bands or tape; cut the leather so the ends overlap by 1-2 inches, and tape. Wrap leather shoelaces around the leather strip to crisscross on the front side; tack in place on the back with hot glue. Hot-glue the overlapped area together to fit snugly on the broom.
3. Use the gold glitter paint pen to write the message on the wood plaque; let the paint dry. To hang the plaque, loop the plaque's hanger over one of the shortened branches.