So this Halloween I went kinda nuts with costume jewelry because let’s be real, what’s an outfit without some killer accessories? Saw some wild costume pieces at Walmart and thought, nah, that plastic junk ain’t cutting it. Grabbed my old craft bins full of random beads, wires, and hot glue sticks that have probably seen three Halloweens already.

Fishing for Skulls
Dug deep first thing. Found these tiny plastic skull beads from last year’s zombie nurse disaster – score! Also pulled out:
- A bunch of cheap chains – the kind that turns green after two wears but hey, it’s Halloween.
- Black acrylic paint – half dried up but still usable after I stabbed the bottle with a screwdriver.
- Metallic spray paint – leftover from painting god-knows-what silver last summer.
- Some polymer clay – harder than rock. Had to microwave the stupid block for like 30 seconds just to soften it enough to knead.
Spray Paint Carnage
Okay, spray painting plastic beads outdoors? Big mistake. Wind blew my first batch of skulls right off the cardboard. Lost like five to the grass forever. Did the rest indoors over newspaper like an idiot – bathroom smelled like a gas station for hours. Totally worth it though. They looked properly creepy after a coat of that silvery gunk.
Resin Disaster (Almost)
Tried making custom coffin pendants. Melted that stupid polymer clay, pressed some skull charms into it for molds. Shoved it in the oven but forgot to cover the clay. Smoke alarm went off. Neighbors probably thought my apartment was burning down. Pulled them out burnt and smelled like death warmed over. Scraped off the crispy bits, poured leftover UV resin into the indentations instead. Held my phone flashlight over them for 10 minutes until they hardened – fingers cramped like crazy.
Assembly Line Chaos
My kitchen table looked like a craft bomb exploded. Painted chains were sticky. Glue gun kept dripping weird blobs everywhere. Started linking chains and slapping on painted skulls and the resin coffin charms. Burned my finger on the glue gun – again. Ended up making:
- A choker with three dangling spray-painted skulls – feels heavy but looks metal (ha).
- Two mismatched earrings – one long chain with a tiny skull, one shorter with the resin coffin. Asymmetrical is cool, right?
- Bracelet from leftover chain links – glued a single skull on it. Minimal effort.
Final Verdict? Chaotic Cool
Put it all on over a basic black tee to test. Honestly? Looks weirdly awesome. The spray paint gives that cheap plastic a grungy metallic vibe. The resin coffin pendant caught the light funny. The slightly burnt smell is mostly gone now. Is it polished? Heck no. Does it look like I dug it out of a zombie’s jewelry box? Absolutely yes. Total cost was basically zero because I used old crap. Win. Messy win.
