Halloween Swizzle Sticks

I really love Halloween.  I’m not just saying that because it’s suddenly cool to be obsessed with all things Fall.  I have always loved it and never really grew out of it!  I keep our living room area sort of Victorian Gothic, with spiderwebs, black and white photos (some that have hologram skeletons in them when you look at them from a certain angle…), lots of candles and pumpkins.  Then I have fun with the rest of the house, putting up ghost garland and halloween-themed wreaths.  People never really know how to react when they come over in October!  

I don’t limit Halloween to the home decor though.  I serve food off a Jack Skellington platter, use jack-o’lantern dishes and have pumpkin napkins too.  So it’s only logical that I serve my October cocktails with appropriately-themed Halloween swizzle sticks!  These little ghosts are so cute that I actually regret using paper straws to make them.  I wish I had used wooden skewers instead, so I could reuse them.  Those straws just don’t hold up very well, but I couldn’t resist the fun colors and patterns!  And with wooden skewers, you could also use these as cake or cupcake toppers.  Or add them to a floral display.  Or stick them into your jack-o’lantern.  Brb, going to go make about a dozen more of these little guys.

What you’ll need:
Small styrofoam balls
Paper straws or wooden skewers
Cheesecloth
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Black sequins

What to do:

1. Attach the balls to the skewers or straws.  If using straws, you can use the hot glue to attach the two.  If using skewers, just stab the ball with the pointy end of the skewer.
2. Cut 4-6 layers of cheesecloth into roughly 5 inch squares.  They don’t have to be perfect!
3. Apply a generous amount of hot glue to the base of the ball, where it meets the stick.  While it’s still hot, wrap the cheesecloth around the ball and press firmly against the glue to give it a loose ghost shape.
4. Take 2 or 3 loose black sequins.  Apply a tiny dot of hot glue for eyes and a mouth (if you want) and quickly affix the sequins.
5. A few optional steps: I didn’t like the holes in the center of the sequins, so I used a black permanent marker to color them in.  I also trimmed the bottoms of the ghosts to make them more even and a little shorter (we don’t want them getting wet in the drink!)