Die schwarzen Katzen von Deutschland

When looking for vintage Halloween decorations I have come across many vintage die-cut creations from Germany.

Halloween isn’t traditionally celebrated in Germany, so all of the paper products and other decorative Halloween items made in Germany were actually manufactured solely for export to the American market. Halloween manufacturing was a small cottage industry and the majority of German Halloween memorabilia were made by home craft workers or by small craft companies. Virtually all of the items were hand decorated, and it really shows in all of these unique designs.



A common theme I found, was of the black cat. Black cats are known for giving good luck, the history of this came from Britain due to their Pagan roots. However in far Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens, specifically being suspected of being the familiars of witches. The black cat in folklore has been thought to shape shift in to humans in order to spy and bring information to witches as well as fetch ingredients for their witches to use in spells.

Paper Cemetary

This is just amazing. And it has my last name in there. Hard to beat.
On sale at Etsy HERE

Thrilling Trims: Papier Mache

We all have our own memories from childhood of papier-mache creations and activities. The easy, do-it-yourself nature of papier mache as a medium lends itself to all crafting traditions and works as a simple, yet beautiful way to make any holiday need, from costumes to decorations to functional items such as bowls and dinnerware.


Papier Mache is the art of making objects with paper, reinforced with rags and stuck together using a liquid wet paste such as glue, starch or wall paper adhesive. The name Papier-Mache is French for "chewed paper" and is thought to have received its name from French workers in London Papier-Mache shops who were said to have actually chewed the paper. The manufacturers may have put this idea into circulation in order to hide their true methods and recipes.

The history of papier mache dates back to the 2nd century AD in China where paper was created. The art did not reach Europe until the 17th century. Large imports of papier-mache goods flooded European markets which led France to start making its own wares. England started to do the same in the 1670s, however it only became very fashionable in Britain in the late 1700s and into the 1800s. It was used for primarily for mask making and festival activities.

Papier mache made its first appearance in the United States in 1850, when William Allgood, an English Quaker, established the Litchfield Manufacturing Company in Connecticut. The company was successful, producing such items as fans and card cases. When it was introduced at the 1854 World's Fair, papier mache art was given a favorable reception.

From it's start in the Chinese Court, papier mache has been used by common people to create objects for all forms of celebrations, ranging from religious ornaments for All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead to objects of revelry like Mardi Gras floats and has developed as a fun way for children to create their own artistic masterpieces. Professional and fine artists have also picked up the medium. Below are a few folk artists that I love.

The artist, Johanna Parker, makes simply amazing versions of these vintage German-inspired Halloween folk art creations. These whimsical decorations are sweet and stunning and will make any house glow with a unique look during this haunting season. Her designs are available for purchase on her website HERE







Kalamazoo Artist, Scott Smith, is in the middle of preparing for an major Halloween exhibition in Detroit that will include his one-of-a-kind papier mache creations. Mlive has the full story.



Here is a selection of vintage German inspired papier mache treat bowls for your Halloween table. blackbirdfolkart makes these wonderful designs for very reasonable prices at Etsy.

Kitschy Books

When you love Halloween as much I as I do, you often swoon over any ghoulish/Halloween theme books you may come across. Here are a few of my favorites. Also, be sure to check out Lisa Morton's Halloween Encyclopedia blog HERE for an amazing bibliography of all sorts of Halloween inspired books!
Enjoy.

This book is great to have whether you are a cat lover or Halloween fanatic. It has some great memorabilia in it. A few excerpts from the book are listed belowWhat great advertisement for hosiery!

I love these vintage Halloween decorations


I love this book and luckily it is apart of my collection. Full of great designs and funny antedotes.

What a great wolfman!
This is what I am like on a bad day. Watch out.

I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Another great Taschen book from the Icons series. Contains a very diverse collection of devilish graphics.
This one is great too!

Wicked Words Wednesday: A tribute to Edgar Allen Poe

Poor Mr. Poe. As most of us know, the master of macabre's life was not one of fortune, recognition, or happiness. In some cases, we should be grateful for his misery since without it Poe may have easily written poems about puppies, and Virginia's beautiful fall foliage instead of dead beating hearts and tortured souls. Luckily the city of Baltimore knows how to respect their dead and recently had a funeral procession for Edgar Allen Poe a couple of weeks ago. I would have loved to join the 200+ mass of people who followed his hearse to the cemetery. Read more about the event HERE and watch a news clip about it Here.

Another terrible cake

Somehow I missed this cake last week when I was highlighting ugly halloween cakes. Between the doilies, sprinkled candy corn, and weird custard(?!?) face, I am at a loss for words.

Terrible Treats Tuesday- Halloween Supper

Halloween is all about the sugar high but sometimes you need a few savory treats to help balance out all that sweet goodness. Here are a few supper like treats with a Halloween twist for your spread:

Martha has a simple trick to making a great Halloween spread, color. Simply choose a ghoulish tone of green, or a dark rustic purple/black, or go pumpkin! Either way, you can easily play around with your food options and get pretty creative too. This spread is mostly cheese, crackers, veggies, and dip.
This Spread has a darker theme with peppered cheese, figs, plums, and other dark fruits.
These treats aren't too ghoulish looking but they have a nice autumn twist. Black bean salsa, tea dyed crackled eggs, and croque monsieurs are a perfect hot sandwich to have on a breezy night.

These crackly eggs are a nice break from the common deviled egg appetizer. Plus they are super pretty. Similiar to the ones listed above. Recipe can be found Here.

Healthy, fun, and super easy. You can really play around with this idea and create other great Halloween motifs. For example, take chopped red peppers and create a nice goatee devil.Mummy Hot Dogs. Fun, cute, great for kids, and super yummy. Pumpkin Polentas Yummy.
How great are these chips?!! Go Here for some helpful hints on how to make these creepy creature chips.

These Bat Bites are actually little cheese ball appetizers. I have a feeling they are super scrumptious.

This is what I'd like to call the Moldy Cheese Log. Don't worry, it's not moldy. Super easy to make and it is sure to add the perfect grotesque twist to your spread.


This Pumpkin Chowder is a little more traditional but a great autumn snack. I recommend using an actual pumpkin for your bowl.
Wow, doesn't this pumpkin curry look great? It also would make a great filling for the veggie stuffed intestine below.
Yes, these stuffed intestines look kinda gross, but check out the Recipe cuz it sounds super delicious.
Spider Pizza. Perfect for all ages and also easy and cheap to make. I recommend using pesto sauce instead to give it a more ghoulish look.