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Ideas For DIY

How to Get Featured in Home and Garden

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As you might imagine, the editors here at Craft Gossip receive a lot of suggestions for project features. While I would love to feature everything that is submitted to the Home & Garden channel, there’s only so much time in a day, AND only one of me! 🙂 However, I did want you to know that I do save the suggestions and go through them regularly.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get featured on Craft Gossip? Well, we’ve recently updated our submission guidelines and I invite you to read them here.

Things that I specifically look for in the Home & Garden channel are:

1) Good photographs – they don’t have to be professional, but natural light is always better than a flash and sharp, focused photos are a must. If your photos are blurred or washed out, even a great project can look bad. 🙁

2) Tutorials – I realize that not everyone posts tutorials, especially if you are in the business of selling your items. Tutorials are excellent, especially those with good step by step instructions and photos, but I also look for projects that will inspire others. So if you don’t post tutes, be sure you describe how you created your project in a way that will allow others to draw from your talents.

3) Unique ideas – I am always looking for creative inspiration. Chances are if you followed a tutorial from someone else I’ve already featured, I might not be inclined to feature yours. :-/ Nothing personal! But if I’ve already featured something, I’m on to the next thing. If you’ve made something you feel is unique, by all means submit it.

4)  Popular areas – Some of the most popular posts are crafts made for the kitchen, unique photo displays, furniture makeovers with a twist, and organizing projects. Wreaths are pretty popular too, especially when they are holiday or season specific. But don’t discount the other areas. Just check the side bar on the left and you’ll see the sections of the Home & Garden channel.

Because I have soooo many suggestions sitting in wait, I’ve decided to try and randomly grab one or two each day and feature them. I may use them in a round up or individually, but I will always post a comment on your blog letting you know when I do.

So watch for your project and be sure to share the Craft Gossip love with your readers when you are featured!

Have you read?

DIY Giant Eyeball Lanterns – Creepy Halloween Decoration

When it comes to Halloween, bigger is always better—and these giant eyeball lanterns prove it! With nothing more than plain white paper lanterns, a little paint, and some imagination, you can create huge, spooky eyes that look like they’ve popped right out of a monster movie.

They’re perfect for hanging from ceilings, displaying on porches, or grouping together in a corner for an eerie effect. Best of all, paper lanterns are super inexpensive (you can grab them on eBay, Amazon, or even your local dollar store), which makes this a great budget-friendly craft for big impact Halloween décor.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Large round white paper lanterns (various sizes look best) 
  • Acrylic paints or craft paints in black, brown, green, red, orange, or blue (for irises) 
  • Wide paintbrush for background color 
  • Small paintbrush for details 
  • Black construction paper or cardstock (optional for spiky “lashes” or accents) 
  • Hot glue gun or strong craft glue 
  • String or fishing line (if you want to hang them) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lanterns

  1. Assemble your white paper lanterns according to the package directions. 
  2. Make sure they’re fully open and the wire insert is in place so the surface is taut for painting. 

Step 2: Paint the Iris

  1. Using a wide brush, paint a large circle in the center of the lantern to create the iris. 
  2. Choose spooky colors—green, red, orange, or blue work wonderfully. 
  3. Don’t worry about making it perfectly smooth; streaks and uneven textures add to the eerie, organic look. 

Step 3: Add the Pupil

  1. Once the iris paint is dry, use black paint to fill in the pupil at the very center. 
  2. Make it large enough to stand out against the iris. 

Step 4: Detail the Eye

  • Use a smaller brush to add darker or lighter streaks in the iris for a more realistic effect. 
  • You can even add thin vein lines in red around the iris to give it that bloodshot look. 

Step 5: Optional Spiky Lashes

  1. Cut long triangles from black construction paper or cardstock. 
  2. Glue them around one side of the lantern so they stick out like sharp monster eyelashes. 
  3. This makes the eyeballs look even more monstrous and stylized. 

Step 6: Display Your Giant Eyeballs

  • Hanging: Use string or fishing line to suspend them from ceilings, trees, or porch rafters so they look like floating eyeballs. 
  • Stacked: Place them in corners, along stairs, or even grouped on your lawn for a spooky display. 
  • Tabletop: Use them as oversized Halloween party props. 

Tips & Variations

  • Glowing Eyes: Insert battery-powered LED lights into the lanterns so they glow from the inside. 
  • Rainbow Eyes: Mix up the colors and make a whole rainbow of creepy eyes. 
  • Monster Cluster: Group multiple eyeballs together in different sizes for a scarier effect. 

This DIY Giant Eyeball Lantern craft is quick, cheap, and gives you maximum Halloween spook factor with minimal effort. Whether you make one or a whole creepy collection, your haunted house setup will definitely be eye-catching!