For the most unique and spectacular Halloween goodies you really can’t do better than handmade. The diversity, quality and imagination beats the pants off any of the mass produced Halloween items. Etsy - the epicenter of handmade items sold online - has put together a spooktacular Halloween gift guide that features quite an array of treats; costumes, decorations, jewelry and accessories, toys, cards, spooky art, and even food. Now you can support independent artisans while decking out your haunted mansion in style.

Want a really unique costume idea? Do you like the vintage look? The contrast of a black and white costume can create a really stunning visual effect and they leave lots of room for creativity.
Get some great vintage inspired black and white costume ideas here.

This conceptual “bloody table” design by French designer John Nouanesing would make a killer Halloween decoration. It’s not available for purchase, but you could probably make your own version.

Either start with an old table you already have and remove the legs or get a piece of plywood. Attach some skinny wooden dowels as table legs. For the blood effect try liquid latex or spray foam (expanded polystyrene). Around the edges of the table it looks like craft foam might be the best option for easy shaping.

But as with all DIY Halloween projects, there are probably many methods of making it look amazing. Just experiment and see what you come up with. If you make your own Bloody Table, leave a comment and …

Alexa at SwellDesigner let us know about a weekly Halloween Craft and Idea project that she’s working on this year. She has been posting a tutorial each Tuesday for a variety of Halloweeny decorations and goodies. Here are some great ones;

vintage inspired Jack-o-Lantern decoration
Funny fill-in-the-blank Halloween Cup Labels
Vintage Black Cat Pendant (or use any graphic you like)
Frightfully Funky Feather Wreath (more spooky wreath ideas here)
Martha Stewart style Halloween Pennants
Cute Cupcake Stand made from a used CD

In addition to her own projects, she is now adding a Halloween Crafts and Ideas Roundup that will include other spooky projects from around the Internet. If you’re the DIY type, be sure to check …

There’s a new craft project posted in the Extras section that shows you how to transform toilet paper rolls into snazzy containers for candies and other little surprises. Treat Tubes are easy to put together and are definitely more impressive than those little treat sacks you buy at party stores. If you’re planning for a Halloween party or want something creative to give out on Halloween night, start saving up your toilet paper rolls and get to craftin’.

Here’s a green Halloween craft project that’s simple, creative, and kid friendly. “Treat tubes” make a fun and DIY alternative to store bought treat sacks and can be used at Halloween parties or given to trick-or-treaters. They’re just big enough to fit things like fruit strips, candies, little toys, and mini Fair Trade chocolates. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all those TP tubes!

Just start with an empty toilet paper tube, fill it with small treats, wrap it in paper, twist and tie up the ends with ribbon, and add any sort of decoration you want to the outside. You probably already have all of the supplies needed such as glue, scissors, and of course toilet paper tubes. For embellishments you can buy store bought decor such as …