DIY No-Sew Primitive Zombie Dolls – Creepy Halloween Craft

Primitive crafts don’t always have to be sweet and Christmassy. With a few spooky tweaks, you can transform the same rustic style into something that feels perfectly creepy for October. These no-sew primitive zombie dolls are quick to make, delightfully imperfect, and just the right balance of eerie and fun.

Whether you’re decking out your Halloween party, spooking up your mantel, or just want something ghoulishly handmade, these dolls will definitely raise eyebrows (and maybe goosebumps).

Supplies You’ll Need

• Drop cloth, muslin, or scrap fabric (pre-washed and tea/coffee-dyed for that aged look)

• Doll or gingerbread-style template (any simple body outline works)

• Fabric scissors or pinking shears

• Hot glue gun & glue sticks

• Polyester stuffing or cotton filling

• Black, red, and green acrylic paint or fabric paint

• Old buttons, scraps of lace, ribbon, or twine

• Embroidery floss or black marker for “stitches” (optional)

• Sandpaper for distressing edges

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Cut Your Doll Shapes

Trace your doll or gingerbread man template onto your fabric. Cut two shapes for each doll (front and back). Imperfect edges add to the spooky charm, so don’t stress about neatness.

Step 2 – Glue the Edges

Glue the two pieces together around the edge, leaving a small gap at the bottom for stuffing. Work slowly in sections so the glue bonds before cooling.

Step 3 – Stuff Your Doll

Add polyester filling, pushing it into the arms, legs, and head first, then the body. You want it to look lumpy and uneven—that’s part of the zombie effect. Glue the opening closed.

Step 4 – Distress the Fabric

Lightly sand the edges or pull a few threads loose for that ragged, decayed look. You can even dab on a little diluted black or brown paint for “dirt.”

Step 5 – Add the Zombie Details

• Eyes: Glue mismatched buttons, or paint one eye big and the other tiny. A red X or black stitch marks also work great.

• Mouth: Paint on a crooked smile or stitch across the face with black thread for a Frankenstein vibe.

• Skin: Use green or gray paint to give your zombie doll a sickly complexion. Add red paint splatters for a “bloody” look.

• Clothes: Tie on scraps of lace or ribbon, shred them up, and glue in place for ragged zombie attire.

Step 6 – Display

Perch them on your mantel, nestle them in a bowl of faux cobwebs, or line them up on your porch with a pumpkin or two.

* This article was originally published here

Ask a Vet: Why a raw food diet isn’t safe for your pet — or you

Raw diets are marketed as a safer alternative to processed pet food. Here’s what you need to know.

* This article was originally published here

DIY Fall Gnome Wreath – A Whimsical Autumn Door Decor Idea

If you’re searching for the perfect fall wreath DIY that’s equal parts whimsical and cozy, this Fall-Themed Gnome Wreath project is a must-make. Gnomes continue to trend in seasonal décor, and pairing them with autumn leaves, sunflowers, and berries creates a door wreath that’s both playful and welcoming.

This design starts with a rustic grapevine wreath base, giving it that farmhouse charm we all love. Layer on faux fall foliage, sunflowers, and a pop of berries, then tuck your gnome right in the center with his fluffy beard and seasonal hat. The result is a handmade autumn wreath that looks boutique-worthy but costs a fraction of store-bought options.

Why You’ll Love This Fall Gnome Wreath

• Beginner-friendly: No complicated skills required—just a hot glue gun and some creativity.

• Budget-conscious: Craft a high-end look with affordable supplies.

• Customizable: Switch the hat fabric to plaid, swap flowers for pumpkins, or give your gnome a Halloween or Thanksgiving twist.

• Seasonal statement piece: Hang it on your front door, mantel, or porch wall to instantly welcome autumn vibes.

Decorating with Your Gnome Wreath

This wreath isn’t just for the front door. It makes a beautiful centerpiece when placed above a fireplace or even leaned against a shelf for layered seasonal décor. Imagine pairing it with pumpkin candles, cozy throws, and a few rustic mason jars—it completes the autumn farmhouse look instantly.

Whether you’re sprucing up your home for Thanksgiving, adding warmth to your porch, or just celebrating the magic of fall, this gnome wreath DIY is a project that will bring smiles all season long.

* This article was originally published here

The very old, very human tradition of making art out of hair

Saving the hair of loved ones isn’t just a macabre Victorian relic

* This article was originally published here

Do I really need to clean my gutters more than once a year?

Plugged gutters can cause all sorts of problems for your home. Here’s how to determine how often to clean them.

* This article was originally published here

Dollar Tree Halloween Candy Bucket Wreath – Budget-Friendly Spooky Décor

If you love stretching your decorating budget while still getting big seasonal impact, you’re going to adore this idea from our sister site CraftBits. Their Dollar Tree Halloween Candy Bucket Wreath is the perfect blend of thrifty, fun, and festive.

This project takes those classic little plastic trick-or-treat buckets—yes, the ones kids carry door to door—and turns them into a bold and colorful wreath. With just a few supplies from Dollar Tree and a bit of hot glue magic, you’ll have a front-door statement piece that screams Halloween spirit without scaring your wallet.

What makes this wreath so clever is how customizable it is. You can keep it bright and playful with neon buckets for a kid-friendly look, or stick to classic orange and black for a more traditional spooky vibe. Add a big bow, some cobwebs, or even battery lights, and you’ve got a wreath that will stand out in the neighborhood.

The tutorial is straightforward and beginner-friendly, so even if you’ve never made a wreath before, you’ll be able to pull this off in an afternoon. It’s a great weekend project and would even make a fun group craft with friends or older kids.

If you’re after cheap and cheerful Halloween décor that looks like it came straight off a Pinterest board, this Dollar Tree Halloween wreath is the answer.

See the full tutorial here: Dollar Tree Halloween Candy Bucket Wreath – CraftBits

* This article was originally published here

Moving to an island of 300 people, it took effort to become a local. But that hard work paid off

I was looking for community when my husband and I relocated to Dangar Island. So I volunteered, invited people to dinner – and invited them again

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“You’ll lose your friends,” said one of those friends when I moved to Dangar Island. As a migrant, with only two daughters and husband nearby, I was looking for community.

Accessed by boat, a little over 300 people live on Dangar Island, on the northern outskirts of Sydney on the Hawkesbury River.

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* This article was originally published here

All suds, no substance: some laundry detergent sheets no better than water for stain removal, Choice study finds

Omo continues to clean up at top of 2025 rankings while Aldi products deliver mixed results – but experts say no detergent makes up for a bad washing machine

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Several popular brands of laundry detergent sheets are little more effective – and in one case, less effective – than plain water in front loading washing machines, testing by consumer group Choice has found.

A relatively new form of detergent, laundry detergent sheets are usually advertised as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional forms of detergent such as powder and liquid, as they don’t contain single-use plastics.

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* This article was originally published here

How to Decorate for Diwali – Handmade, Heartfelt and Full of Light

Diwali is so much more than just a festival—it’s a time when homes glow, hearts open, and families gather in the soft flicker of candlelight. If you’ve ever stood at your doorway, holding a box of tangled fairy lights and wondering how to make the magic happen, you’re not alone. This year, let’s create a Diwali décor plan that’s as beautiful as it is meaningful, with handmade touches that celebrate tradition, creativity, and love. Check out our Diwali party blog posts here.

Greet Guests with Glow and Heart

Modern Rangoli Magic
Traditional rangoli patterns are stunning, but if bending over to place hundreds of petals or colored powders isn’t on your to-do list, there are modern options that still look fabulous. Try eco-friendly colored rice, chalk paints in vibrant hues, or even a mix of flower petals and spices like turmeric and coffee. The scent is as inviting as the look.

Handmade Torans with Personality
A toran (door hanging) sets the tone before anyone steps inside. Instead of store-bought, make your own using ribbons, beads, scrap fabric, or recycled paper. You could even weave in old jewellery pieces for a touch of nostalgia.

Illuminate with Handmade Flair

Hand-Painted Diyas
Clay diyas are timeless, but you can give them a personal twist. Paint them with acrylics, add dots with the tip of a pencil for a rangoli-inspired look, or glue on tiny gemstones. If you want to avoid open flames, pop in LED tealights—just as pretty, and safer for little hands.

Faux-Silver Ganesha Wall Art
For a statement piece, try this CraftBits-inspired idea: glue a small Ganesha figurine into a thrifted picture frame, spray paint it in silver or gold, and then gently rub with a bit of boot polish to bring out the details. It’s devotional, eye-catching, and unique.

Upcycled Lanterns
Turn glass jars, old tin cans, or cardboard tubes into glowing lanterns. Punch patterns into tin cans, wrap jars with lace or doilies, or layer tissue paper for a stained-glass effect. Cluster them together for a warm, magical glow.

 Handmade Touches for Inside the Home

Festive Paper Lanterns
Lotus flower lanterns made from colored cardstock are not only beautiful but symbolic of purity and new beginnings. Hang them above your dining table or in entryways for a soft, welcoming light.

Diwali Greeting Card Corner
Set up a small table with card-making supplies and let guests (especially children) create their own Diwali cards during the evening. Not only is it interactive, but you’ll end up with keepsakes filled with heartfelt messages.

Textured Candle Embellishments
Wrap candles with jute twine, add dried orange slices, or sprinkle glitter on mod-podged surfaces. Even the simplest candle can become a centrepiece.

Make It Meaningful

Gratitude & Blessings Wall
Hang a large sheet of kraft paper or fabric and provide markers for guests to write what they’re grateful for this Diwali. Add fairy lights around it for a warm frame. By the end of the night, you’ll have a wall full of love and shared joy.

Memory Display
Clip family photos, past Diwali moments, and hand-drawn artwork to a string of lights. It turns a simple wall into a celebration of togetherness.

At the end of the day, the most beautiful Diwali decorations aren’t the ones that cost the most or took the longest to put together—they’re the ones that hold meaning. That paper lantern your daughter cut slightly wonky? Perfect. The hand-painted diya with smudged paint? Treasure it. Because Diwali isn’t just about lights—it’s about lighting up hearts.

* This article was originally published here

Mouldy plates, burning pans, clouds of vape smoke: how to survive the horrors of the shared kitchen

Whether it’s your first day at uni or your 10th year in a flatshare, there’s no telling what awaits you whenever you enter the communal kitchen. Here’s how to cook and eat with the minimum of squalor – and the maximum of safety

The communal kitchen is the beating heart of a houseshare. In the sitcom Friends, it’s where Monica gets a turkey stuck on her head; in New Girl, it’s where Nick repeatedly fixes the kitchen sink whenever he’s “going through stuff”. It’s the natural place for drunken deep and meaningful chats, first kisses and epic fallouts. It’s also where many people discover how truly disgusting having housemates can be. It can often feel like you’re taking your health into your own hands when you cook in a shared kitchen.

It’s something the rising number of seasoned house-sharers among us know too well. While the exact number of house-sharers in the UK is hard to quantify precisely, Spare Room report the number of people in the UK looking to rent via the flat-sharing platform has tripled between 2013 and 2023, and further reports indicate 11.5% of house sharers are over 40. It’s also something this year’s fresher students who are opting to live in university halls are about to find out.

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* This article was originally published here

Ignore all the smart home gimmicks. These five devices actually make life easier

Skip the wifi oven and Alexa toothbrush – these time-tested smart devices are must-haves in any home

I have tested hundreds of smart devices over the years, but only a select few have earned a permanent spot in my home. Too many seem to offer overcomplicated solutions for problems that barely existed in the first place – making them little more than a gimmick you toss in your closet weeks after purchase.

However, while many smart home gadgets aren’t the wisest investment, others can bring serious improvements to your home. From robot vacuums and smart bulbs to smart locks and video doorbells, here are five smart home devices that have made my life easier, and why you should consider adding them to your home, too.

For automating all of your floor-cleaning chores:
Roborock Saros 10
_{$1,599.99 at Amazon}

For mimicking the sunrise for an easy morning:
Wyze Smart Bulb
_{$26.26 at Amazon}

For ensuring your never lose a key again:
Yale Assure Lock 2
_{$259.99 at Yale}

For keeping your front door secure:
Ring Video Doorbell
_{$49.99 at Ring}

For maintaining a fresh-smelling home all day long:
Aera Smart Diffuser
_{$199 at Amazon}

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* This article was originally published here

Flavour of the month: why edible natives make a delicious sustainable choice for home gardens

Spring has sprung, and native plants such as lemon myrtle, mountain pepper and finger limes can add colour to the garden and flavour to the kitchen

• Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint

• Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com

Australians love their gardens and since spring has arrived, many are looking for ways to revitalise their veggie patch, or to add to their collection of balcony plants.

Native edible plants – like lilly pilly, lemon myrtle and midyim berries – have been gaining popularity over the last few years; not just in kitchens and restaurants, but also in home gardens.

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* This article was originally published here

How I learned to stop worrying and love the snakes in my ceiling

Overcoming my terror of new housemates was gradual but by observing them I learned that pythons can be beautiful and clever

Fifteen years ago, while perched on the back deck of my 1920s tin and timber Queenslander home in Brisbane, I realised I was being watched.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I spun around to discover a snake dangling from the lattice. Terrified, I rushed inside and locked the door. Clearly, fear is not rational, or I would have understood that serpents don’t have arms.

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* This article was originally published here

‘Pack plenty of blankets or towels’: how to start thrifting secondhand furniture

DIY expert Jaharn Quinn has spent 20 years upcycling homewares. She shares where to look and what to bring when hunting for pre-loved pieces

I have always loved thrifting and upcycling. There’s no greater feeling than discovering a hidden gem at a thrift shop and upcycling it into something new, especially when you save hundreds – sometimes thousands – of dollars.

I love flipping through interior magazines, poring over gorgeous images on Pinterest and scrolling through home tours on social media.

Compile your thrifting inventory. This should include the items you are especially looking for, such as a bedside table or a chest of drawers. It’s inevitable that you’ll get sidetracked – which is half the fun – but a list helps you focus when you start to feel overwhelmed, which sometimes happens.

Always carry cash. It makes it easier to bargain.

Pack plenty of blankets or towels in your car. These will protect the pieces you find and keep them cushioned from moving around in your vehicle too much.

Pack a toolkit including antibacterial wipes to wipe down secondhand furniture, removing the dust and dirt to see what’s underneath; measuring tape to see what will fit in your car and home; a notebook filled with ideas, house plans and measurements plus a pencil to jot more down; paint swatches to check for colours that can easily be integrated into your home; and a screwdriver set in case you need to take furniture apart to fit it into your car.

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* This article was originally published here

Dust is sneaky, but it’s also predictable. Here’s where it likes to hide.

Once you know where to find it, dust is easy to keep at bay.

* This article was originally published here

Who buys an MP3 player in 2025? Why music streaming doesn’t always cut it

Nostalgic tech; autumn garden hacks; and what to wear when it rains

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When I was 18, I bought a heavily reduced MiniDisc player. This wasn’t even what you could charitably call “fashionably late”, given the format was already on its last legs, but I loved it, and because nobody else was interested, blank discs were dirt cheap. I have a vague recollection of grabbing packs at Poundland, allowing me to create a glorious self-curated library of cheap music, five years before the birth of Spotify.

I’m reminded of this because this week I’ve published a piece on the Filter about the portable audio technology that killed them: MP3 players. Or digital audio players, to give them their more accurate name, given MP3 playback is just one of many supported file formats.

The best beauty Advent calendars in 2025, tested (yes, we know it’s early!)

The finishing touch: great buys for under £100 to lift your living space, chosen by interiors experts

‘It’s better than plastic and cheaper’: 20 sustainable swaps that worked (and saved you money)

How to get your garden ready for autumn: 17 expert tips you can do now – and what to skip

‘The crunch? Spot on’: the best supermarket gherkins, tasted and rated

What to take to university – and what to leave behind, according to students

How to decorate your university room: 16 easy, affordable ways to make it feel like home

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* This article was originally published here

How to get your garden ready for autumn: 17 expert tips you can do now – and what to skip

Dry herbs, sow green manure, catch the rain: garden professionals share the simple jobs that will make all the difference come next spring

• The best garden tools to make light work of autumn jobs

The nights are drawing in, TV programming is kicking back into gear and there are ominous warnings about “party season”. However, that doesn’t mean we should ascribe to horticultural tradition and “put our gardens to bed”.

There’s still plenty you can do in the garden to make the most of those crisp, bright autumnal afternoons and relish the offerings of the season to come. Whether squeezing some more joy out of the garden before it dies back for another winter or doing jobs your future spring self will thank you for, these are the things that define the season.

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* This article was originally published here

Yes, you should earthquake-proof your home. Here’s how to do it.

Simple steps to take now that will help keep your home — and you — safe in an earthquake.

* This article was originally published here

* This article was originally published here

Yes, you should earthquake-proof your home. Here’s how to do it.

Simple steps to take now that will help keep your home — and you — safe in an earthquake.

* This article was originally published here

Raccoons in the kitchen, bugs in the walls: Welcome to log cabin life

Rustic log cabins are part of the American psyche. I moved my family into one.

* This article was originally published here

Burford garden centre: how did it become the UK’s hottest celebrity haunt?

It sells £70 trowels and £3,000 trees – and with A-listers suddenly flocking to the Cotswolds, some of the most famous people on earth have been seen there

Name: Burford Garden Company.

Age: 49.

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* This article was originally published here

Watch fire researchers burn down homes to show how to save them

How to protect your home from wildfires? It comes down to three simple, affordable things.

* This article was originally published here

Allotments are a safe space in times of crisis | Letter

Dr Hannah Connelly on why the government needs to recognise the value of having more allotments in cities

As a former allotment holder in Glasgow, I read Robin Tyne’s article with empathy (‘I joined every list’: the gruelling search for a Glasgow allotment, 2 September). I too joined every waiting list in Glasgow before I became a plotholder. There are not enough allotments in Glasgow and indeed across the UK. While the company Roots and other private allotments have a place, they can never be a replacement for local authority ones. Under the 2015 Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act, Scottish local authorities have a duty to provide allotments. We need to find more space in our cities for them – spaces that have been proven to improve mental and physical health, at an affordable price.

In 1932, the Scottish allotment scheme for the unemployed was created. Plots were provided, as well as grants for seeds and tools. The scheme was not just to provide a place for growing food but also seen as preventing a mental health crisis, even though that would not have been said at the time. Plots were found on existing allotment sites, but the scheme also worked with local authorities to create new sites.

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* This article was originally published here

‘It’s a secret garden’: National Theatre turns roof into a riot of colour with dye plants

Textile artists are reshaping how the theatre makes its costumes with the aim of replacing harsh synthetic dyes

Squint at the roof of the grey, brutalist National Theatre on London’s South Bank and you might be able to spy a riot of colour spilling from the concrete.

This is the theatre’s new natural dye garden, from which flowers are being picked to create the colours for the costumes worn in the theatre’s plays.

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* This article was originally published here

* This article was originally published here

‘It’s a secret garden’: National Theatre turns roof into a riot of colour with dye plants

Textile artists are reshaping how the theatre makes its costumes with the aim of replacing harsh synthetic dyes

Squint at the roof of the grey, brutalist National Theatre on London’s South Bank and you might be able to spy a riot of colour spilling from the concrete.

This is the theatre’s new natural dye garden, from which flowers are being picked to create the colours for the costumes worn in the theatre’s plays.

Continue reading...

* This article was originally published here