Why wait until dinner to enjoy a plate of toasty Mummy Dogs? Holly at Unfurled had the great idea to make a simple breakfast version using Nutella and bread mix. As a big fan of food with other food inside it, this gives me all sorts of related ideas like wrapping up breakfast scramble or veggie sausages in the same way. Seriously, what doesn’t taste better wrapped up in a mummy pocket?

On an unrelated note, we just upgraded a lot of stuff on the backend of the site, so if you see any errors, please let us know. New features and content will be up very soon!

Gory decorations and pet costumes: how’s that for an unusual combination of themes?

The folks at Halloween Forum and Pet Butler recently let us know about the contests they’re running. They’re perfect for Halloween fans and Howl-o-weenies alike, so it’s time to get creative!

The first contest is hosted by Halloween Forum and the objective is simple. Create the scariest scene. All experience levels are encouraged to enter. So far there are simple entries like this yoga skeleton all the way up to a “blood” splattered bathroom like this chilling “Hot Dose” entry. 3 winners will be chosen and will receive prizes from BodyBag.

ENTRIES DUE: August 12, 2008
Full details here

The other contest is hosted by Pet Butler and …

Remember the Yip Yip Martians from Sesame Street? Yep yep? Unh huh unh huh? Instructables user sliny shares a pretty easy tutorial for making this costume idea. It’s almost no-sew except for the mouth area where a needle and thread can be used. k7lim also documented a version of the Yip Yip costume on Flickr which makes for a great photo reference.

Below are some more completed DIY Yip Yip costumes for inspiration. Like the first image shows, this makes an easy group costume idea since you just need to choose different color “fur” for everyone. When making several at one time should be easy to set up an assembly line style of production. Although the idea comes from a kid show, this is definitely an adult costume due to the visibility. The black mouth opening uses …

Here’s a super easy tutorial that can almost instantly create a costume: a fabric mask. No sewing is required for these Carnivale/Mardi Gras style masks, just glue and the embellishments of your choice. Since it’s such a quick and easy project, it would also make a good activity to do with the kids. Maybe a craft idea for a children’s Halloween party?

For a full-face mask, try this tutorial with pictures for a paper mache mask. This method gives you endless possibilities and is more durable than fabric alone.

For inspiration, Faceless Autumn and Deviant Art’s The Mask Club have lots of creative examples.

Have you made your own mask? Show off your creation: leave a link in the comment!

Craftster user grenouille78 made an amazing costume for Dollar Store Challenge Round 2. The rules are simple: spending $10 or less, make something fabulous and hopefully totally unexpected out of items bought at a dollar store. The entries were all amazing, but grenouille78’s reimagining of the iconic Scarlett O’Hara spring dress is really inspiring. So what was used for this costume?

hula hoop
no-skid kitchen mat
green drawstring laundry bag
package of 200 coffee filters
shamrock garland
2 white tablecloths
package of garden stakes
2 water noodles
—————-
TOTAL COST= $10

As we’ve mentioned before, the only thing you really need for a costume is some imagination. Even cardboard boxes and the clothes from your closet can be transformed into a Halloween alter ego.

Other entries into this contest that might help jump-start your Halloween planning;

Tea Party Hat
Hungry Monster Hoodie
In Case …

In short, they’re both. It’s always funny to see a furry little quadruped dressed in his or her finest inmate costume, but cats insist that the process is highly unappreciated.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to find a “dog costume”, but that “cat costumes” pretty much don’t exist? Even if you don’t live with cats, you probably understand that getting one into a costume is generally a fool-hearty adventure. Yes, they look so cute that you will probably squeal, but at what cost? Some cats are good natured enough to let you treat them like a dog (zing!), but most of them would rather rabbit-kick you in the face than endure the humiliation of a costume.

Want an easier target? Kittens are easy to …