HEARTH​AND​CARAVAN​​​​

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Painting on natural elements like leaves, and rocks, is blowing up the internet lately. Isn't this type of art so fun? Painting on a natural surface was high on the to-do list, but the trees here in Kentucky need about one more week before they are really changing colors and ready to paint. Also smooth rocks are a little hard to come by without traipsing through the creek! But, we have a TON of shells from our vacation this past summer. The bits and pieces of shells is what I pick up on the beach because I love their shapes. I never feel like a shell is ugly or not worth picking up because it's broken. If you're ready to get some paint out and have fun with a quick project, dig through the seashell basket and give seashell painting a try!

The misty, ethereal fog that comes from bubbling cauldrons is something I have wanted to emulate for Halloween for a while now. The options were limited and either expensive, dangerous, or  single purpose. (i.e. Dry ice or fogger). That is, until I got my diffuser with the essential oil starter kit! Turns out, my diffuser is perfect for this task, highly functional (we use it every day!), and not dangerous at all. 

Here is how I constructed my cauldron of DOOM:

1. Get your diffuser. Well, obviously, I had the diffuser before I had the idea. (Many of you probably found this post because you already have a diffuser! I'm so glad to be able to offer a fun idea to use it in a different way!) But if you are interested in Essential oils and getting a diffuser for yourself, check this page out.
2. Get your cauldron. We looked a couple of places for a cauldron that would accommodate the height of the diffuser. Wal-Mart is where I ended up finding this one. (I believe it was around $6)
3. Go to the Dollar Tree. A trip to the dollar tree is now in order! I found a foam wreath form, some spooky cloth (I used 3 to wrap my foam form), a skeleton hand, and some glow sticks for good measure. 
4. Assemble the Goodies. Gather all the pieces together. Wrap your foam wreath form with spooky cloth. Wrap the glow sticks up in the spooky cloth if you like-- Do it any way that looks good to you! Fill your diffuser with water according to the directions and add your essential oils. A good fall combo would be thieves and tangerine, but feel free to use whatever floats your boat. Stack the wreath on top of the cauldron. 
5. Diffuse the Diffuser Even More. You'll see the skeleton hand across the top of where the diffuser sends out its mist. It's there for a couple of reasons. 1) It hides the diffuser a bit. 2) It causes the mist to float outward, instead of straight up in a line. This makes it look creepier, floatier, and, well, more cauldron-ish!