I believe that the temporary tattoo trend might have been rendered acceptable and stylish and perhaps even sophisticated when la maison Chanel introduced its temp-tatt collection earlier this year. They’re cool, though perhaps a little obnoxious but they are also Chanel-priced at $75 for the pack. So, we thought you’d like to know about more affordable and playful options…

	We think that this collection by TopShop is the closest to the Chanel temporary tattoo vibe, minus the in-your-face branding. Affordable too at $10 for a three sheet pack.
	Need to unleash your inner rock star? Sephora sells this Temptu tattoo kit which goes for $25 and got great user reviews. We hear that they are water resistant, opaque coverage, fast-drying which is all important to keep the rock queen appearances going all night long…
	Henna tattoo, have been around for thousands of years. Less familiar to us is the Black Jagua ink for a realistic temporary tattoo. Looks like the real deal but will wash off in 10 to 15 days. The Black Jagua Body Paint Kit is $26. And you can get extra themed stencils here. We love this DIY option.
	For a super cheap, uh, inexpensive version (I’m guessing that these will stay put for the length of an evening, just enough time to get tongues wagging) you might want to try the Dover temporary tattoo collections.   We like the Henna Floral motifs but art tattoos featuring the work of Van Gogh, Mary Cassatt or Frida Khalo are irresistibly fun and unexpected.  For $1.50 you get four large tattoos. What a deal…
	TattooFashion has temporary tattoos in every variation of iconic tattoo designs plus some unexpected ones such as the Banksy tattoos. At about $3.00 per tattoo, why not…
	Or, want to go completely au naturel? Try tan tattooing. In the odd chance that you wouldn’t figure is out for yourself, eHow has some instructions on “How to get a Tan Tattoo” and you can get tan tattoo stencils here. Who knew?

Send us pics of your temp-tatts and we’ll post them here…

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s a charming idea but this particular application didn’t really work for me and it does not create a downloadable font. Now that I was teased with this idea and really wanted my own downloadable personalized handwriting font, I remembered bookmarking this site some time ago: Fontifier.com for “your own handwriting on your computer”.

After some experimentation and examining various iterations of my handwriting rendered as “The quick brown fox jumps….”, I settled on a non-cursive style. It looks like this:

I think that I will try a stylized font next. The Fontifier is a great idea for people with beautiful, calligraphy-like handwriting, or for those looking to create that distinctive style. Or, like me, just for fun. I will set it as my default font for email. It was $9.

Mad Scientist Jars

I love these jars. They definitely appeal to the darker side of Halloween. So easy to make. Augment the creepiness with complementary props (lots in the websites mentioned below). Visit the Cathie Fillian site for the instructions.

Halloween Terrarium

Here’s another creepy-mood-setting idea. Would perfectly add to the mad scientist’s display mentioned above. It’s a little more involved but certainly well worth the effort.

Find the DIY details here. And here is the link to other very clever projects by Poopscape, the creator of these terrariums.

Giant Spiderweb

A Halloween prop like this can go practically anywhere, outdoors or in. Seems that all you need is some yarn and a pair of scissors. The comments to the instructions (BTW, see these here on Instructables) suggest adding glow in the dark paint to the web. Good idea.

Climbing Skeletons

I found this idea on Instructables as well. It’s a little more involved since you need a tall ladder and good balance. Still, if your go-to person that hangs your holiday lights is around, the full spooky effect might well be worth it…

Spider Lantern

Love Chinese paper lanterns. Good for all occasions, but really fun here decorated for Halloween. If you don’t have a Chinatown near you, go the Paper Lantern Store. The 6″ lanterns start at 70¢. Can’t go wrong there. And, if you use removable glue, you’re good to use these the following week, all newly decorated for the holidays!

Pumpkin Snowman

Here’s a safe decor idea for those not enamored with Halloween shock value. It’s adorable, innocent, fall/Halloween neutral and most likely won’t scare away little children. Instructions here, by Maddy Lane.

And, should you be the baker type, I just found some gross, uh, great recipes on Epicurious for Finger Cookies, Brain Cupcakes and Bleeding Heart Cupcakes.

You will also want to take a look at these DIY and instructional websites: 5min.com, diyideas.com, craftbits.com for other unusual and gory ideas. Just search for “Halloween”. Duh!

Personally, if I’m going to do the whole Halloween thingy, I’m NOT going for the warm and cozy feel. I might just have to alienate the neighbors after all.

Do share you great DYI finds and projects!