I love Halloween shopping! Love it. I’m not sure a day has passed since Halloween decor hit store shelves that I haven’t popped into at least one store to check out their Halloween goodies. And as much as I love Halloween decorations, I am the most excited about the things I find that can be used all year long. Take this Victorian Gentleman Skeleton Chalkboard Sign. Yes, perfect for Halloween…. but also for a New Year’s Eve Bar Cart… or a spooky dinner party menu board… or signage for a Gothic wedding…. or a To-Do list in your office or kitchen… I could go on and on. Here’s the thing, this guy wasn’t always so well rounded….
Finding Halloween decor that is truly “year-round friendly” is a bit harder to come by than your typical Halloween decor. Mostly, because you’ll find so many decor items are covered in Halloween specific phrases and images and colors. (I know, I know…. many of you, even some of my dear friends, intentionally decorate with Halloween themed things all year long….. you’re excluded!) For those of us who want a spooky touch in our home, but don’t necessarily want it to look like a holiday party…. Halloween shopping can be so exciting but so frustrating when everything cool says Happy Halloween on it!
It doesn’t have to be frustrating. Not all of the time. A few weeks ago, I took some cheap-ish Halloween decorations, and gave them a makeover… resulting in some beautiful Antique Bird Claw Candle Holders that I will be using all year long. I was so happy with the transformation, that it opened my eyes to other Halloween decorations with the potential to become so much more.
That brings me to my Halloween Gentleman. I found this Skeleton Trick or Treat Greeter at Homegoods a week or so ago. For some reason, I had to have him as soon as I saw him. I have a serious obsession for anything Victorian Gothic. Not that he screams Victorian Gothic by any means… but the top hat and the jabot and the cane…. it all had the right flavor. I am also a fan of signs for the purpose of entertaining…. Menu boards, Buffet Labels, Jar and Bottle Tags, Seating Cards, etc. In the case of this dapper skeleton, I pictured his Trick or Treat sign next to a big bowl of Halloween candy!
This gentleman did have some obvious flaws…. while I liked his chalkboard, I was not thrilled that the words Trick or Treat were literally carved into it. I also had my reservations about his yellow & orange trim…. it made him less Victorian skeleton, and more cheesy Halloween skeleton. As is, this poor guy was so limited… he was going to have only one purpose, only one time each year. I liked the idea of a skeleton holding a chalkboard way too much to allow that to happen. I decided to give him a makeover so I could use him all year long!
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Here are all of the tools I used:
- Apoxie Sculpt Modeling Clay in Black
- Modeling Clay Tool
- Sand Paper
- Small paintbrushes
- Black Chalkboard Paint
- Gold Paint
- Black Paint
The first thing I had to do was get rid of those carved letters. I chose to use Apoxie Sculpt Modeling Clay. It just happens to be something I had on hand, and am familiar with using. There are probably other putties or clays that could work just as well… you just need something that adheres as it dries, and dries hard enough to sand.
I used a pretty heavy coat of the clay over the letters, and used one of my clay tools to ensure the clay was firmly pressed inside the carved cavities (a putty knife would work too). I smoothed it out as much as I could, and set it aside to dry.
I always allow the Clay to dry overnight. I needed it to be completely hardened for the next step.
Using sandpaper, I sanded the dried clay, until I had a smooth surface on the chalkboard.
To finish up the chalkboard, I repainted the board area with chalkboard paint.
Next, using a fine tipped paint brush, I did away with the bright yellow and oranges, and replaced them with antique gold, and painted the white jabot black, with gold trim.
Now my guy is ready for any event. He’s more Victorian Gothic, and less Halloween, and because he fits so much better into my decor, I will be able to use him year round.
While you may not happen upon this exact Skeleton figure, I see Halloween decor all of the time, with carved phrases, and painted in bright Halloween colors. My advice to you…. always step back, and evaluate whether or not a little makeover would give something a life outside of just Halloween.
And if it’s something you really love… buy two! Keep one for Halloween and makeover the other for the rest of the year. Truth is… that’s exactly what I did with this Skeleton Chalkboard!! I can never have too many skeletons!
Love him! And you’ve introduced me to yet another useful technique, using modelling clay to fill in all that one-time signage. Thank you my lovely x
Of course!! Thanks, Sue!!
Love this idea. I have seen signs at the thrift store that I loved the shape of but not the carved saying. I’m going to try this with joint compound on the next one I find.
Good luck Felicia! Let me know how it turns out!
Awesome post! I love the skeleton figure and how you transformed him! I have pinned this to my board. Where did you find him? I can’t seem to find anything like this. Thank you!!
I found him at Homegoods this fall. I know they still have whats left of their Halloween merchandise out… you might still get lucky. But if not, they seem to carry the same things year after year, so you should keep your eye out next August. So glad you liked the post! The good news is you can use this tutorial on pretty much anything with Halloween words carved into it….and that seems to be in endless supply! 😉
Ah! Where did you get this skelly!? My wife got one a few years ago and he broke to pieces while on the porch. She was so heart broken; I’ve been stalking the internet since looking for another and this is the first time I’ve see another!
oh no! I actually bought him at Homegoods last year with all of their Halloween merchandise. I’m sorry I couldn’t have helped more!!
That’s actually good to hear! I think we got ours the year or two before. So that means they might still be out there at the stores! Ebay and Homegoods every Halloween it is!
Earle…. I remembered you were looking for one of these for your wife. Not sure if you ever found it, but I’m clearing out a bunch of my Halloween decor. I had purchased 2 of these, and am listing one for sale on poshmark…. https://poshmark.com/listing/Skeleton-Trick-or-Treat-Sign-Halloween-Decor-611a0c609c33786e062fa7a6