GawthKrafte

goths of all skill levels can give the gift of morbid handmade stuffs, regardless of reciever's gothnicity (or lack thereof)! make some of this stuff and give it to yourself!

Pouches and Purses

source: Flying Green Cow, and GothFaeri
contributed by: Flying Green Cow, and GothFaeri

¥ou need:

Little bags can be fun to make, out of any scraps! They involve only *simple* sewing, so even those who have never sewn anything before can do this!

Cut out a rectangle, twice as long as you want the bag to be, and just as wide. [gothfaeri suggests that you put a tiny hem all the way around, or at least on the twice as long sides, because it will make your edges cleaner later on, and prevent the drawstring's tunnel from fraying and looking messy around the edges.] On each end, along the length, fold over the edge about 1" (2-3cm) and sew straight across. Make sure that when you fold it, the side you want facing on the inside is folded together. Next, fold both ends up wards, this time with the sides you want facing *out* together. Sew two straight lines up the side from the folded edge, leaving a bit of space at the top where you had previously sewn down the edges. Take a safety pin and stick it through the end of a bit of medium-thick string, or medium cord. Use the pin to push the cord through one of the flaps (it makes a "tunnel") and pull enough through to push it back through the other flap. Allow it as much slack as you want, then tie the ends of the string. Invert the sack, and you've now a rather nice bag to carry anything you want in! They make excellent sacks for Tarot cards, makeup, money, and the occasional bat or snake. ;-) [GothFaeri adds that you can also use this simple bag to wrap any of the other gifts in! or get "complex" (yeah right!) and sew a lace overlay!]

and a variation by the Flying Green Cow:

hmm...the way me does this is take some fabric... two pieces.... unless you only want one half...but...why? *g* and take a circular item from the house..... trace it so that on the cloth it shows only a half circle... then draw a straight line up to however long you want it, make a straight line going across for the top, and cut!!! after that... make sure wrong sides are on the inside, pin them together, fold the top straight edge down about a centimeter on both pieces... sew those in a straight line individually, put them back together and go around the half circle and back up to the other straight side... MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET SEWING HAPPY!!!! not a good thing to go ALL the way around.... *l* doesn't work that way... well... turn it inside out..... and the actual pouch is finished... then do the same thing... ie cord to a saftey pin and thread it through the top "tunnel" what you can do is, start from one side (which you stopped just intime to still leave this spot open... I hope..) and loop it around..take another piece, start from the other side and loop it around.... tie the ends and you can pull it and it works nicely.... this is what I did for my recent one....

Goth Pouches and Variations (what to put in)

source: GothFaeri and ?
contributed by: GothFaeri and ?

Sew bags out of scraps of brocade, velvet, satin, or any lovely fabric... good to wrap gifts in, plus handy to store stuff in. Then go to the cosmetics counters in dept. stores [and the body shop, garden botanika, bed, bath and beyond, etc.] and ask for samples of their products...voila! A luxury beauty bag! [add a nice sponge, loofa-washcloth, or one of those weird bath poofs to complete the ensemble... or add catnip and a bell or some ribbons and a bit of fiber-fill, and you have a gothy cat toy! or... fill with potpourri, dried flowers, pieces of terra cotta pots, or a cotton fiber filling, add a few drops of an oil, and voila! a sachet!]

Batik

source: Gabriella Vervaine
contributed by: Gabriella Vervaine

¥ou need:

One option is to dip the whole piece of fabric into dye, such as Rit, for a background color, in which case you should let the dye dry before proceeding. Drip the wax from the candle for small patterns of dots, or melt the candle (if you're using a candle and not wax leftovers, cut it into bits first for easier melting) in a tin can in a pot of boiling water, remove with prongs, and pour over the fabric in any design you please. The wax will dye the fabric some version of the candle wax color, and will provide an area that color will resist in any subsequent dyings. Here's where I diverge from normal batik the most: I paint on fabric paint with brushes around the edges of the wax, and elsewhere. I use tie-dye type fabric paint in bottles, and dilute it with water so that I have a real watercolor look going on. To get the wax off, place newpapers of paper towels over the thing and iron on a medium setting. You may need to do this many times, as the wax will soak through the paper pretty quickly. This isn't a particularly gothy look, but I've gotten outrageous compliments from it (gorgeous, magical, fantastic, you are deserving of your birth name ... yadda yadda.) And, because I'm using recycled fabric, candle leftovers, and diluted dye, the cost is pretty low.

Goth Gloves

source: Trystan L. Bass
contributed by: Trystan L. Bass

Sew lace or velvet fingerless gloves, well, actually mitts -- these are fingerless gloves without even partial finger casings. Draw a pattern around your hand, cut off the fingers across the knuckle. Works best in stretchy fabrics.

Homemade Lip Balm

source: ?
contributed by: ?

¥ou need:

melt some wax (I am still playing around with the proportions.... probably something like 1 part wax to three parts oil) in canola oil in a double boiler (or, a small saucepan resting in a larger saucepan with water in it) until the wax is melted. Then add your choice of essential oil (the amount depends on what kind and how strong you want to make it), let it cool a bit, and put it into little boxes, jars, or tins.

I'm making Peppermint, Tangerine-Cinnamon, and Lemon-Anise (already made the peppermint), and using little, bright-colored, clear plastic ring boxes from The Container Store to put `em in.

[i would figure the proportions to be correct. and one ninth of a part of essential oil.]

Hydrosol of Citrus or Rosemary

source: GothFaeri and jeanne rose's aromatherapy book
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

this is a variation on a rosemary method, that i love. rip the peel, or slice or cut or whatever, into little rounds or squares small enough to fit through the opening in the bottle. string them onto the thread with the needle, and run the needle through the cork upwards. do this with several strands of the peels, and then tuck them all into the bottle. after you push the cork back in, you should have chains of peel dangling inside the bottle. place this bottle in the sun, where the oils and the water will evaporate and condense, sweating out and onto the walls, trickling into the bottom of the bottle. after some time, you can take out the peels a strand at a time, and pour the citrus water out. this is a sort of hydrosol of the water and oils... and i cant for the life of me remember how to seperate the two.... but depending on your needs, that may be far enough...you can use it to rinse a face mask, treat a wound (rosemary only), or spritz on a hot day, to cool and smell lovely.

Coin Jewelry

source: unknown
contributed by: unknown

¥ou need:

Do you have some coins from either foreign countries (or your own even!) that you particularly like? Then, wear them! Get a drill, with a *very* small drill bit (I recommend a 1/16" bit), and hold the coin still while you go at it with the drill. Make sure that you either do not care about what happens to the floor beneath you or have a 2x4 on which to drill it! After you've made the hole, stick either a small bit of wire through it or a ring designed for making jewelry (often used on earrings, and the occasional necklace/bracelet end). String it on a nice chain alone, hook them to a larger link chain for a dangling charm effect. (So far, I've made myself one from a Canadian loony - sorry if I got that spelling wrong.. I only know how it's said! :P - and an Irish two pence. I've also made quite a few for friends from various currancy, including some from France, Spain, Italy, the U.K., and the U.S. :-) It's rather fun, too!)

Handmade Gothy Chocolates

source: Artemisia, Trystan L. Bass and GothFaeri
contributed by: Artemisia, Trystan L. Bass and GothFaeri

¥ou need:

melt the chocolate in a double boiler. fill molds and allow to set. pop them out and put them in tins! or wrap them first. you can get flavoured chocolates, or the special chocolate flavourings and colourings to mix yourself. you can even buy the creme filling mix!

For Xmas, decorate with red & green chocolate to add holly sprigs at the bat & skull's necks (kinda like a bow tie ;-). Wrap in red cellophane tied with black and red ribbons.

Ligeia's Beautiful Flower Ornaments

source: Ligeia
contributed by: Ligeia

¥ou need:

take some of the ribbon & make a loop, pin it into place on the foam ball, secure w/glue. glue flowers into place around the foam ball, making sure that none of the foam shows through. it's good to use some of the leaves to stick between the flowers, helps hide some of the foam & conserves the flowers. let dry.

Recipe Book

source: ? and GothFaeri
contributed by: ? and GothFaeri

compile favourite recipes that might have a theme.. like that person's favourite ingredients... i once made a recipe book for someone that was filled with only recipes for chocolate cake... you could go with a theme of halloween recipes, foods in gothic colours, (like squid ink pasta, blueberry-dyed foods, things with lots of poppyseeds, liquorice, cajun foods, purple or blue potatoes,) foods with historically gothic meanings, like a literary reference, or poetic meaning, or foods that look icky or creepy. one really gross but neato recipe: for hard boiled eggs, after hard boiling, but before shelling, roll it gently on a hard surface, crackling the shell evenly. soak this egg in a bath of dark food colouring and water. then rinse and peel. this is the neatest looking thing! it ends up all veiny and weird!

Cook 'n Bake!

source: GothFaeri
contributed by: GothFaeri

here are some creepy recipes to begin... i made a big batch of pumpkin butter that was way delish! (ask me if you want the recipe) you can make and can your own gothy preserves... i think pumpkin butter and blackberry preserves would be a cute little gothic duet, in a nice little black wicker basket with black or dyed red raffia, and some dried roses.. a big black satin bow.... i've heard wonderful stories about neato graveyard cakes and skull cupcakes... make something creepy and put it on a bed of black carnations, rose petals, black raffia, or even black satin. maybe put it inside of a gothy painted box? my director wont leave me alone about the time i brought peanut butter cookies for everyone in a box shaped like a coffin. stuff like this really makes an impression!

Embossed Candles

source: Rubberstampmadness magazine
contributed by: Trystan L. Bass

¥ou need:

stamp and emboss the designs onto the tissue paper. colour in as desired. Cut out the designs and place on the candle (wet the edges of the paper a little to make it stick; do not glue). With an embossing tool or heat gun (often sold as paint strippers), warm the candle area over the tissue paper design. Do this carefully, until the wax slowly melts and absorbs the tissue paper, then turn off the heat. The design will then appear to blend into the candle. This project is easiest if you've already collected a bunch of goth-ish rubber stamps, skulls, skeletons, bats, cats, celtic knots, demons, fairies, and the like.

Wrap Candle Embossing

source: ?
contributed by: NyteWyvern

¥ou need:

Take some plain tissue paper (preferably the same color as the candle itself.. I find that white works the best for this). On it, either use stamps with a dark ink (blue/black, although others work, too) or draw little pictures all over them. [use a good dark ink from a good pen.. or markers! prismacolor markers are god.] Cut out a strip that can completely wrap around the candle, from top to base. This step can also be done first, if you want the pictures to fit exactly. Next, light a different candle, and take your new one and run it across the flame, melting a line down the side of it. After it begins to run *slightly*, remove it from the flame and *quickly* place one edge of the tissue paper over it. Wrap it around, and try to smush the other end into the soft wax, as well. If it doesn't get in, don't worry. Hold both ends tight against the candle, and run it across right *next* to the flame (not above.. that will burn it). This will melt the wax again, right behind the tissue paper. Take care not to get it too close, or the tissue paper will either scorch or start to burn. The candles can be used as decoration, or burned as usual, although the outer tissue paper does sometimes have a tendancy to catch fire or scorch further if it was not completely sealed to the wax when it was melted. [ i think this might also be done well if you smooth a large piece of tin foil over an electric griddle and roll the candle on to it, warming the whole surface. you would then immediately apply the tissue paper to the candle. and i mean IMMEDIATELY! this way, the paper seals to the candle all the way around. plus no danger of scorching.]

Etched Glass

source: GothFaeri and ?
contributed by: GothFaeri and ?

¥ou need:

first place your bottle of etching creme into the hot water bowl. the creme needs to be at about 72 degrees farenheit for it to etch well. while your creme is warming, take a length of masking tape (or stencil mat) and stick it flat onto your hard surface. draw your pattern on. if you want to use a stencil you already have, trace the pattern onto the masking tape with the pencil. use the Xacto knife to cut out the pattern, leaving you with what should look like a wicked piece of masking tape! carefully peel this masking tape off the surface and apply it to the glass where you want the pattern to be. now with your brush and etching creme, paint over the stencil. you'll want to be quick, because the etching creme should only be left on the glass for 1 (one) minute. then rinse the etching creme off the bottle, and peel away the stencil. i like to wipe the bottle down with rubbing alcohol to be certain i leave no traces of the scarey chemicals. be warned, that this glass etching creme is nesty stuff, and you'll want to use mucho caution when you work with it. that said, happy etching!

Pomanders

source: ?
contributed by: ?

"they are beautiful, simple, very fun and magical to make!"

¥ou need:

start studding ball by using a round toothpick or skewer and poke holes and insert pointy part of clove in said hole. this takes about 3 hours to closely together stud ball. [do it while you watch TV. doesnt take me 3 hours] when finished, it will be beautiful! then take ground spices and orris, (you can use the spice in almost any combination, but remember that nutmeg is pretty overpowering ...you don't need alot.) give your ball a bath in the mixture every day or every other day (I recommend a bowl or paper plate...) for a week or two. longer is better. The fruit gets "cured", dried with the spices and should keep for 2 years or more. don't get ball wet. oh by the way, you want to keep the little spice balls intact on the cloves if you can ...you're gonna break some, though, so don't cry....enjoy! oh: you must try and find the herbs in bulk...if you buy at the grocery store, cloves can cost $8 an ounce ...you can find them cheap at wholesale clubs..you should not spend $1/oz for the cloves.... [these are KILLER when hung in your closet or wrapped in cotton in the naughty drawer. or in the rear-view mirror of a rennie! whose car will smell better than anyone's!]

Goth Medals of Valour and Medallions

source: Sparky
contributed by: Sparky

¥ou need:

Look at pictures of some real decorated military folks n' old military uniforms for ideas... crosses and hearts are easy to find, and look great dangling from a bit of purple or red velvet ribbon.

Fold over a piece of wide satin or velvet ribbon, attach your charm to the bottom (sew or thread it on), and sew the ribbon up at the top so the charm won't fall off. [gothfaeri says fold it over before you sew so you wont have a raw edge] add a pin back with hot glue (or by sewing to make it real sturdy). To make the smaller "bar" pins, just wrap a small rectangle of cardboard with satin or metallic ribbon (the thin gold/silver cordstuff works great) [traditional ones i think are like grosgrain] in your choice of colors, glue it down in back and then glue/sew it to the pin back. Voila -- you're a major general.

You can use interesting military-looking buttons or bits of old thrift shop jewelry if you can't find new charms -- or if you're good Sculpey, Fimo, or any other modeling materials, you can make some really creative "awards" for your ribbons. General Bead here in San Francisco has some wonderful metal charms, their 3" bat with outstretched wings would make a great Goth Army medal... hmmm...

[you could mold/sculpt all manner of things with polymer clay, using mettalic clays, painting them afterwards, or using shimmery powders. old saint medallions would be nifty. you could use rubber stamps and metal seals to make gothy medallions, either stamped directly into a polymer clay round, or stamped, baked, and then using a mold release powder, (like those shimmery make-up things!) pressing more clay into the mold.]

Bath Salts

source: GothFaeri
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

mix all the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ones. mix in a bowl, or shake in a ziploc baggie. use about 1/4 cup per bath. for relaxing baths, add geranium and lavender. for invigorating baths, add citrus, peppermint, and/or rosemary, and substitute ½ cup table salt for the epsom salts.

Magic Mint Bath Oil

source: Kathi Keville {for Vegetarian Times}
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

combine all ingredients in the bottle.

Two-Layered Lemon Twist Bath Oil

source: Kathi Keville {for Vegetarian Times}
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

combine all ingredients, and let it sit. it will divide into two layers. shake well immediately before use.

<Floral Facial Steam

source: Kathi Keville {for Vegetarian Times}
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

combine all ingredients. to use, clease face first. bring 3 cups of water to a simmer. add ¼ cup of the herbs, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and allow it to steep a few minutes. remove the lid and hold your face about 6 inches over the pan. drape a towel over your head and the pan to keep the steam in. steam up to 10 minutes, taking breaks to cool off in needed. then moisturize immediately.

Anobie Woods (perfume)

source: Inrehanne0
contributed by: Inrhehanne0

¥ou need:

mix all

Odor of Sanctity variation (perfume)

source: Infandous
contributed by: Infandous

"It does not so much have a fragrance as a vibe, a message. It smells like everything and nothing. How strange."

¥ou need:

blend all

Fresh Rose (perfume)

source: Inrehanne0
contributed by: Inrhehanne0

"This is a tricky one, but it's great if it turns out"

¥ou need:

Puree the two rose buds, and press out the juice. Save the juice.. It is about two or three table spoons. add Rose oil or essence, add the dash of Patchoulli. store in a NON-METAL container.

Castille (Olive Oil) Soap

source: Majestic Mountain Sage
contributed by: Pauline

mild and moisturizing to skin

¥ou need:

Warning- Keep children away! DO NOT use any aluminum utensils. You can use stainless steel or glassware. Wear rubber gloves and eye goggles (or even shades) when handling lye. Also try to cover the mouth and nose with a cloth when you're stirring the lye and water because you don't want to breath the fumes, or you'll start coughing like crazy. If you do get lye water into your eyes, wash them with water for 20 minutes. if you get any on the skin, wash it with vinegar. The solution is high in base and should be handled carefully because it can corrode your skin. However, when it's turn into soap and allowed to cure, it's not harmful to your skin. All soap is made this way.

Pour COLD water into a non-aluminum bowl or glass jar. Carefully pour the lye into the water while mixing it. Mix it until the solution turns clear. The solution will get hot. Leave it there to cool around 125 degree F. Once it reaches to that temperature, heat the oil between 110 and 125 degrees F. The object is to get the oil and lye solution between 110 and 125 degrees F. Pour the lye solution into the oil and mix it. Mix it every 15 minutes for about 5 minutes. Look for a trace or when it has thicken up like pudding. Tracing takes several hours or even days. You want a trace so the soap and oil mixture won't separate. Keep a check on it. When it has reached the tracing stage, add your fragrance or essential oil and stir. If you want a black and exfoliating soap, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee. Other ingredients you can add are grounded oatmeal, and herbs. Pour the thick liquid into a mold or rubber tupperware. Allow it to become solid for 24 hours or 3 to 4 days. When the soap does not make an impression when you lightly press on it, it's ready to be taken out of the mold. Cut the soap if you used a large mold and allow 4 to 8 weeks to air dry or cure. The powdery film on the soap is potash, nothing harmful. Just brush it off. Once you finished, you made your own soap.

Soap 1

source: the Complete Soapmaker/ Home Matters
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

place the soap and water in a pot over low heat. do not stir. let them set this way for 5 minutes. fold gently. then let it sit over the low heat for 10 more minutes. fold in the scent and the matter bits. pour into molds and freeze for an hour or more. pop the soap out of the molds, and place it on plastic needle-point mesh for 6 weeks.

the molds can be anything from tupperware, to old jello molds, cookie molds, milk carton bottoms, etc. the matter bits: for my soaps, i made a coffee scented soap using coffee instead of water, adding some grounds, and a few whole beans. my tropical soap contained a blend of several oils, mostly citrus and coconut, with dried and crushed bits of that foam-like stuff between the peel and the sections on grapefruits. i also made cinnamon soap, adding no oil, but 1 tsp. of cinnamon. if you use a fruit (kiwi is lovely), you'll need to add benzoin to prevent spoilage.

[this soap recipe sucks in a sense, because you have to make the soap 6 weeks before you want it ready. the soap will also shrink to about 1/2 it's original size, maybe even smaller. my soaps ended up funky, so i strongly reccomend the second soap recipe for beginners, or small or detailed molds. this method is worth the try, and experimenting, and i got some nifty looking rugged soaps from it, but i was left pretty unimpressed.]

<Soap 2 (Glycerine Soap)

source: GothFaeri
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

with the knife, cut the soap into chunks, about an inch across. put the chunks in the dish, and place in the microwave. cook for 10-30 seconds. if the glycerine isnt liquified, cook in 10-30 second intervals until there are no more chunks left. [im serious about these times! it only takes a bit of time! and if it's not pure glycerine soap, freaky things will happen. some green appple soap i bought wasnt pure glycerine, and i got this big frothing green mass spilling out of the bowl after 15 seconds.] now add your scent and if you'd like, your bits of matter. pour into molds, and let it set. for faster set-up, cool in fridge or freezer. pop out of molds and voila! [good stuff about this type of soap is that you can make it right before you have to use/give it. it will hold any detail in the mold exactly. i have several bat molds, which make wonderfully goth soaps. i often use these molds with a good brown, spice scented glycerine soap. i pour about 1/2 the mold full, let it cool a bit, lay down a few cloves, and then add the rest and cool completely. the soap is transparent, and the clove contains its own strong oils, so you see the suspended cloves, with a little dark halo around each one! i also add little black plastic bat confetti, ground up seeds or pits for an exfoliating soap, glitter, dried flowers (ooh! a dried mini-rose in the middle of rose scented soap might be nifty!), herbs, hey maybe even a note, or a fortune! (waterproof ink? or maybe inside a bit of plastic, sealed...experiment!)... crystals, pebbles, and just about anything you can imagine adding to the inside for either decoration, or for function. as a joke, i once included my rabbit's nail-clippings, but i wouldnt do that for a gift if i were you...]

a Sandalwood Perfume Oil

source: ?
contributed by: Kerry Eady

¥ou need:

put in a bottle (sterile) and leave be, you can use it right away but it gets nicer the longer the amber infuses in it. To use it as perfume I mix it with a nice carrier like almond oil and a tiny bit of melted beeswax, let it solidify and scrape into a jar.

some notes from the author i thought were important: the reason the mix is divided this way (so much bois de rose) is that sandalwood oil, the real stuff is insanely expensive and harvest causes deforestation in an area that has a real problem with desertification. Rosewood oil is cheaper, smells similar and acts as a good base. thats real rose oil not the "green" mixtures called tearose. I mix it up once a year and dole it out in perfume, for bath oil, for the final rinse on unmentionables, mixed with candle wax, etc. Wesley, my husband wears it every day and it lasts all year with the quantities I listed.

Dark Pillows

source: ? and GothFaeri
contributed by: ? and GothFaeri

¥ou need:

fold the fabric "hamburger style" to form a ½ yard square. press the seam very lightly. for a dark ages look: you can get silver studs (like.. the Bedazzler kind!) at any craft or fabric store. now map out your design for the studs in a light coloured pencil or chalk. you want to form an "X" across the pillow. here the method varies.. some of the studs come with a little metal bump you can pound them onto to fold in the stabby back tabs. others have to be bent in individually. then you just lay the right sides of the pillow together, and sew two of the sides completely, and most of the 3rd. through the unsewn part, you turn the pillow outside in and stuff it with poly-fil stuff.

far be it from me to limit you. you could do a nice gothy cross if you wanted... heck! forget the studs! buy plain black cotton and paint or stencil on a crucifux, rose, ivy borders or whatever! stencils come in all gothy manner. when you go to a craft store to look, if you dont find what you like on the shelf, ask if you can see the catalogues. if they dont have em, or wont let you. there should be a phone number for the company on some of the merchandise so you can order your own.

sew on buttons, beads, polymer clay creations, charms, upholstry cord, fringe, velvet bias tape, whatever! make quilted panels in lovely gothy patterns or colours. make one half of silk, painted in a most macabre manner, and the other or a rich velvet in a complementary colour.

Goth Scrunchies

source: GothFaeri and ?
contributed by: GothFaeri and ?

Sew velvet or lace scrunchies (you know, those elastic ponytail holders). Sew a tube of fabric, slip in a length of elastic, sew the ends together. [if your hair commonly gets caught up in your hair bands, satin or sanded silk will help, and with fine, wispy hair, a strongly textured velvet or stiff faux fur.]

Fizzy Bath Crystals

source: Majestic Mountain Sage
contributed by: Pauline

¥ou need:

Mix cornstarch and Citric Acid together thoroughly. Add fragrance oil as desired. Blend in baking soda. Package and label. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup per bath.

Fizzing Bath Bombs

source: Majestic Mountain Sage
contributed by: Pauline

¥ou need:

Place all of the dry ingredients (first three) into a bowl and mix well. In a small glass bowl melt oil then add fragrance and colorant. Slowly add oil mixture to dry ingredients and blend well. Take truffle sized scoops of the mixture and shape into balls. Balls should be about one inch in diameter. Let the balls rest on a sheet of waxed paper for two to three hours. Gently reshape if needed. Let the bombs (balls) dry and harden for 24 to 48 hours. Pack each bomb into its own candy cup (glassine cups). Store the bombs in a closed container to keep fresh. [maybe you could cut these with gothy cookie cutters? or press into creepy molds? play with the colours... and the scent.]

To use, drop one to three bombs into warm bath water to release fragrance and oils.

Rose Glow Complexion Cream

source: Kathi Keville {for Vegetarian Times}
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

combine beeswax and oil in a pan. heat on low until the wax melts. pour the water into a blender or food processor and turn on high speed. slowly add the beeswax mixture through a hole in the lid. after adding about ¾ of the mixture, the cream will begin to solidify, so stop. use a spatula to stir the cream, and turn the blender back on. add the vitamin E and essential oils, and then the rest of the beeswax mixture. pour into wide-mouthed jars while warm. to make this a lotion, use ¾ cup oil and ½ oz. beeswax. refrigerate for extended life. make sure your tools are very clean, to avoid introducing bacteria that may cause spoilage.

Men's Powder

source: Kathi Keville {for Vegetarian Times}
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

combine all ingredients, and use as an absorbant powder after a bath, or on the feet, or anywhere really...

Lavendar Powder

source: Kathi Keville {for Vegetarian Times}
contributed by: GothFaeri

¥ou need:

combine all indredients and use as an absorbant powder. the rose and lavender improve the complexion.

Dishes of Doom

source: Gothfaeri
contributed by: Gothfaeri

¥ou need:

When friends first get a place of their own, what better housewarming gift than some uber-goth dishes!? And for that caffeine-whore friend, how about a morbid coffee mug? Perhaps you can revamp [ooh!] all your old, plain dishes on a Sunday afternoon. But don’t limit yourself to the kitchen! Do a vase! Strip the labels off of Corona bottles and paint them up for your window sill! Buy thin black frames, take out the glass, paint it, and return it to the frame for a little stained glass window display! Golly, paint your favourite biblical scenes and line them up! Pebeo makes very nice metallics and jewel tones, as well as tubes with tiny tips for outlining. You can also use Liquitex Acrylic Enamels (Glossies they are called), but they aren’t food-safe, so if you plan on doing plates, silverware, or anything that touches food, go with the Pebéo. (yes, you can do metal too!)

little glass votive holders are inexpensive, and an easy way to start off. you can find them at craft stores for less than a buck each, or find old glassware in thrift stores, like candlesticks, goblets, and vases. The quality of your brush matters a lot in ceramic and glass painting, so if you don’t have a good set, and don’t want to buy expensive sable brushes, you can buy one or two inexpensive white nylon or sable brushes, and that shouldn’t be more than 5 bucks or so.

Not having to fire means your project is done within a half hour of putting it in your home oven. The paints are non-toxic, unlike ceramic glazes, and easily water soluble. Why is this nifty? Because if you don’t like what you did, you can WASH IT OFF! That's right! It washes right off! To fix small spots, you can wet your brush and brush the paint right off! Note that some paints are transparent, and some opaque, so if you're painting on black dishes (very cheap! Pic n Save or MacFrugals!), Keep in mind the transparents will barely show up. Now, to get gothy: You get all swirly and ethereal! You can roughly paint skulls andflowers for that Day of the Dead look. Cut stencils out of masking tape, or cut little bits of foam and sponge to use as stamps. Maybe a stencil of a pewter ankh in the center of a black plate? A ring of black bats around a white plate rim? Ivy wrapped around the handle of a black mug? Or sponged-on deep red roses? The possibilities are endless! Happy crafting!

shoulder bag from unwanted knee-length velvet skirt

source: synner@intergate.bc.ca (Bess Lovejoy (gabriella vervaine))
contributed by: synner@intergate.bc.ca (Bess Lovejoy (gabriella vervaine))

¥ou need:

[sounds kinda... obscure, i know... but trust me, you will make this. when you really think, im sure we all have at least one skirt like this hanging around that doesnt fit. if not, thrift store! very cheap!]

Exceedingly minimal sewing skills required. Okay! First, sew up any slits in the skirt at the hem. Now, carefully cut off the waistband. I say carefully, because if its a nice waistband (i.e., no elastic showing), there's your shoulder strap. If it is, set aside and preserve from curious kittens and the like. Next, figure out just how big you want your bag to be. Unless you don't mind re-doing all four sides, you're stuck with the width of the skirt as it is. But you can make it as long or short as you please. I kept mine like a nice square, about equal on all sides. So snippity-snip at the top and bottom until your get your desired shape, leaving some room for the hem. And, you may want to only snip at one end so as to leave a finished end for the top of the bag. You'll still need to hem both ends, but this way when you open your bag and the hem at the top is visible, it will look good. Okay, now turn the whole thing inside-out. Now you're going to hem it. If you want to do this with sewing, use your God-given brain and do it. I'm only going to tell you how to do it with the tape. If you only snipped one end, make this the bottom of the bag (so the top looks more finished.) So let's start at the bottom edge of your bag. First, stare mesmerized at the package of no-sew tape. Contemplate grandmothers past and the toil they went through while you sit there drinking orange juice and listening to old Ministry tapes. Shake your head, then get on with it. Fire up the iron, no steam. The package may say to do it on the "silk" setting. This is a blatant lie. You need to do it a few settings higher, say two, to get any results with velvet, unless it is very thin. Make two slits at either end, at the top, so you can turn the hem down. Cut the no-sew tape to size, then lay it down and fold the hem over it. Attack with iron. Work on a section of about 7 inches at a time, ironing for about three minutes. My package said 3-5 seconds. Bah. Press hard. Now, repeat on the other edge of the bottom. Then, turn rightside out again, and iron on the front. This sets it more. Once both bottom edges have been hemmed to your satsifaction, place another piece of the no-sew tape between these edges. You are going to seal the bottom of the bag. Because, it would be very upsetting to have a bag with no bottom. Some might even say that defeats the purpose! So, set the tape down, and iron away again. This may seem like a lot of tape but it works out and your bag looks all professional and keen. So, now you have the bottom of your bag done. That's good. Now repeat on the top, but, silly, don't seal the two edges together. That would defeat the purpose even more. If your waistband is going to be your shoulder strap, jolly for you, stitch it on. I would suggest putting the ends of the strap inside the bag so as to make it look more finished. If your waistand is not going to be your shoulder strap, make one somehow. There are a variety of options: 1)use what you snipped off, hem with the tape, then stitch on 2) use another scrap of velvet the same way 3) buy some chain or trim and use that. Yay! Now you have a bag! Unless you want to be a minimalist, put on some trim. You can sew or glue this on, using craft glue, not the no-sew tape. If you used the waistband for a strap, you could put some trim over the edge where you cut to make it look more finished. You could also put trim on the bottom and top. If you want to be all fancy-like, you could bead it. Ribbons, whatever. To make it safer, you can put in buttons or snaps along the top also.

DIY Glitter Stickers

source: Serpentine (Gachaman@concentric.net)
contributed by: Serpentine (Gachaman@concentric.net)

¥ou need:

Micheal's arts & crafts store has this stuff called Sparkles. Basically it's sheets of holographic glittery sticker material and it comes in silver, red, blue etc... I got myself the red ones and I'm going to cut out a little bat to stick on the back window of my car. You can probably also make crosses, ankhs, skulls, whatever.

GawthKrafte Web / ©1998 Féerique Creations, All Rights Reserved / GothFaeri@aol.com kicks ass / most graphics magically (poof!) from sparky / revised `round late june-ish, 98
1