Make paper Halloween monsters

Happy Halloween! Doesn't your desk need a paper monster in a Halloween costume? You'd rather make these than get any work done, wouldn't you? Scout Creative has designed printable templates you can download for free.

Update: Scout Creative's website is no longer available.

Generate plaid backgrounds

If you're mad about plaid, you might enjoy PlaidMaker, an online tool that lets you design your own tartan. Pixels mimic threads, and you can create subtle patterns at a tiny scale, or bold prints in wild colors. Start from scratch or check out the gallery of user-generated plaids and modify any you like. Then download a .png file that will tile seamlessly. Use it for website backgrounds or wallpapers. Or, once you've got it tiled across a screen, you could take a screenshot and use it for your Facebook cover image.

Print your own Halloween mask

Need a last-minute, do-it-yourself Halloween costume? Freelance illustrator Sarah Clark has created free masks you can download, print, and assemble. There are three designs to choose from with one more coming soon. Get them here at Cut & Fold Costumes. (Access to the files requires setting up a free account at Scribd, the document sharing site.)

Have a fun weekend, everyone!

Free, printable 2013 owl calendar

My Owl Barn's third annual owl calendar is ready! Customize a calendar with illustrations from artists around the globe, including Ellen Giggenbach, above. Choose from over 40 images, assigning one to each month. Then download the high res PDF and print. The images would make nice gift tags, too, if printed at small sizes. Make a calendar here.

Books for people who like to make stuff

Chronicle Books keeps churning out fun titles, including a couple more DIY volumes they sent over. Stencil Style 101 is stencil master Ed Roth's latest book full of ideas for customizing clothes and accessories.

The first half of the book is comprised of project tutorials with very detailed instructions, and the second half contains 25 pre-cut, reusable plastic stencils. Detach the pages along the perforation, use them, easily wipe off any paint residue, and tuck them back inside the handy pocket.

Designs include patterns like houndstooth, animal prints, checkerboard, and argyle, plus lots of objects: feathers, a rotary phone, birds, ropes, chains, a bowtie, pocket protector(!) and more.

Along with classic stenciling projects using paint, see how to use the stencils for embroidery, knitting, and appliques.

Check out that amazing quilted jacket!

I wonder what's the most interesting substrate Ed has ever used a stencil on. A police car? A hamster? I'm going to ask him.

[Okay, I'm back. Ed reports that it's a banana. I was close.]

You can get Stencil Style 101 right here at Amazon.

People who have always dreamed of making party decorations like you see on Pinterest might like Pretty Paper Parties by Vana Chupp. You know what I'm talking about. Those photos of lovely buffet tables pushed against a wall, draped with bunting, and stacked with glass jars of perfectly coordinating candies and flawless cupcakes sporting paper flags. The ones that make you wonder A) Who does that? and B) What does the rest of the room look like, because you suspect that was just for a photo shoot and the rest of the house looks like a hurricane hit it?

This book can't help you with the housekeeping and doesn't come with glass apothecary jars, but it will make it easier to pull off the garlands and cupcake toppers.

It includes templates for tracing and cutting out simple shapes (think hearts, stars, scalloped chain links, and photobooth props to glue on sticks: glasses, bowties, and the ubiquitous mustache). The real value is in the 40 sheets of coordinating patterned paper, though. Each sheet is printed on both sides with contrasting designs. If you used it all, you'd have a super festive event.

Find Pretty Paper Parties right here at Amazon.

Free, hand-lettered signage font: Barata

Barata Display is a typeface inspired by the lettering on signs used by street vendors in Latin countries. The beta version is available for free for Macs from Estudio Arellano Type Foundry and can be used on personal and commercial projects. Get it here!

How to add clasps to friendship bracelets

I used embroidery floss samples this weekend to make a few friendship bracelets. For the first time, I might add. When I was a kid, shoe pins were all the rage instead of bracelets at my school. I've never made a knotted bracelet before, but since little girls can do it, it would be embarrassing if I couldn't figure it out, right?

Purl Soho's tutorial and Friendship-bracelets.net taught me everything I needed to know. Check out the gallery here for some amazing work. That site has 23,000 patterns. Holy smokes!

I wanted my bracelets to be easily put on and taken off without having to tie them in the traditional way. None of this "leave it on until it falls off" business. That's probably friendship bracelet blasphemy, but so be it.

I like a more polished finish instead of ratty dangling threads. I went to my local hobby store and got some jewelry clasps which are easy to add.

For wider bracelets (10+ strings), a wide crimp connector can work well. A narrower fold-over crimp-head clasp can also do the job. If your clasp doesn't have an attached jump ring, you might need a couple of those, too. And finally, a lobster clasp or a spring-ring clasp will hook the whole deal together.

To use the wider clamp version, cut the loose threads off both ends of the bracelet.

Add a little glue to hold the threads together at the end and work it in with your fingers. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue. After the glue dries for 5 minutes or so, push the end of the bracelet inside the clamp. Then press the metal closed with a pliers. The clamp has tiny teeth that dig into the thread so it won't come apart.

Use a couple jump rings if needed and add the clasp of your choice.

Or, try a fold-over crimp clasp. Cut the loose threads off your bracelet, leaving about a quarter inch. Roll some glue around with your fingers until the loose threads are twisted together. When the glue is dry, trim off any excess length and insert the end into the clasp. With a pliers, fold over one flap of the clasp, then fold the other on top of it and squeeze. Add the closure of your choice.

You can get these jewelry findings at bead stores or all over Etsy.com in the supplies section.

New embroidery floss from Sublime Stitching

Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching sent over samples of her brand new, debut line of embroidery floss. She's pretty excited. Or in her words, "giddy and thrilled and dancing around hugging herself" because this project was a year in the making.

Choose from nine different sets of floss, each with a unique, carefully selected color palette that tells a story. No need to struggle to pick colors that look good together for a project, because Jenny already did it for us.

Each paper band has a tiny message on it, just for fun.

The floss colors won't run, bleed or fade when washed. Need some? Purchase packs here for $6 each.

Free pattern alert! You can also download a complimentary mustache embroidery pattern. Or browse all the stitching patterns and supplies on the website, including tote bag kits like this mountain design, my fave.

I'm not an embroiderer, unless it's to a story I'm telling, but I feel some friendship bracelets coming on...

Update: Yup, sure enough.