A Happy 2013 to you! Thanks for a fun 2012!

Happy New Year everyone! I've recently come across a few New Year's related videos and projects that I'd like to share with you. I hope you'll enjoy these, learn a little something, and maybe even do some crafting.

But first, I have to thank Becca from Magikal Seasons for the wonderful prize I received in the mail today. That in itself put me in a happy mood for the new year! Here's my prize, Frozen Jack:

As you can see, Jack is a frozen pumpkin, covered in glittering snow. He has that howling, shivery thing going on that we probably all have in January. I just love him, and I think he looks great on my pink Christmas tree! Thank you so much Becca. This is the perfect winter gift for a Halloween nut like me. You'll want to see the rest of Becca's creations, which are in her Etsy shop:

Becca's Seasons Art Etsy Shop

She has pumpkins, skulls, Bigfoot, the yeti, and all kinds of cool things going on there!
 
Onto the New Year's trivia! The other day, I caught an episode of Burt Wolf's Travels and Traditions. If you've never seen the show before, it involves the host Burt Wolf acting as a luxury tour guide and teaching you about the history of food and ceremony. The episode I watched was about New Year's traditions. Here are a few clips from that show. I bet you'll learn a little something new from these!



I wonder how many people are "fully awake and clear headed" when midnight rolls around?



It's interesting to think about celebrating the new year in spring instead of winter. I can definitely see why this was the original plan for some people. New growth and more sunshine helps to make people feel hopeful each spring, like something new is beginning. Still, I can see something positive in celebrating a new year so soon after Christmas. It's something else to get excited about after the Christmas celebrations have ended. I found the part about the God, Janus very interesting too!

There's Janus, facing both the past and the future. He's the perfect symbol for New Year's Eve.

I'd like to have a nice New Year's hat this year. So I plan to try creating my own. For anyone else who'd like to get hat making along with me, here are some tutorials that might help you! The girl in this first video is one of the more fun and funky crafters I've run across on YouTube:

OK, I just heard her use the term "fun and funky" herself. So I guess we're on the same page!

Some people also like wearing crowns or tiaras for New Year's. I found a clear and simple tutorial for that too. Even if the woman in this video was planning for Jubilee celebrations, I think these crowns would work fine for New Year's Eve. Like the last tutorial, there is a template included.



Mini top hats and crowns can come in handy for Halloween celebrations too. Just imagine these in an orange and black theme!

For any crafters out there who are looking for a last minute New Year's project, I found a page full of them! These projects mostly have a glittery, celestial theme:

51 DIY Ways To Throw The Best New Year's Party Ever

I hope you all have a fun New Year's Eve no matter how you decide to celebrate. As Burt Wolf said earlier, try to stay awake and level headed!

I wish you all a wonderful 2013 and I can't wait for another year of reading your fun, spooky posts. During the past year I have learned so much from your blogs and gotten to know many of you better. I've felt like our Halloween community has grown closer through 2012. So thank you for your friendship and all the entertainment you've provided!

Good luck in the coming year. I look forward to a 2013 filled with your creativity, photography, stories, reviews, and enthusiasm!