Sparkle Craft: Halloween Special - Keepsake "Switch Witch" Plate
In the So Many Fairies story “Sam Sugarpop and the Switch Witch Surprise”, Sam Sugarpop is a frisky little fire sprite who loves-loves-loves sweets “for breakfast, for dinner, for supper, and tea,” as the nursery rhyme goes. When the children of the world hear his rhyme and also get a taste for sweets, a Halloween tradition is born — trick-or-treating for candy!
Well, it turns out that Sam is not the only fairy looking for sweets. There is a cheerful witch who wants the candy for a very different reason — one that is a surprise to the children, their parents, and to Sam Sugarpop, himself. This brings about another Halloween tradition that lets the children make an enjoyable choice.
Like many families, our crew loves to go trick-or-treating. The costumes, the silliness, the candy — it's such fun to have a night, or even two, of free-for-all fun and sweets.
But when there are still piles of Halloween candy lingering at Thanksgiving ... well, I probably don't even need to list off the reasons that might be problematic. So this year we'll be giving our kiddos the option of trading some of their candy with the Switch Witch.
To help kick off the tradition, my daughter and I made this special plate to leave out for the Switch Witch. This simple handprint art commemorates both the Halloween season and my daughter's sweet, tiny hands. I'm looking forward to pulling it out for years of trick-or-treating to come.
Keepsake “Switch Witch” Plate
Rubbing alcohol
A few paper towels
1 white plate or bowl, large enough to fit your child's handprint
Small paint brush
Green glass paint
Black, purple, and orange glass markers
Directions
Begin by using the rubbing alcohol and paper towels to get the plate super-clean.
Once it's clean and dry, use a small paint brush to thinly coat your child's hand with the green glass paint. Have your child spread out their fingers, then press their palm to the plate.
As much as possible, try to help them press their palm straight down and pull it straight back up to make a good print. (If it smears and you want to try again, just use the rubbing alcohol to remove the paint and start over.) Once you have a print that pleases you, let it dry for one hour.
When the handprint is dry, use the paint markers to fill in the details of the witch. Looking at the handprint upside down, outline the thumb to make a long nose and add two eyes where the thumb meets the palm.
Use the purple marker to draw a hat on the witch's head and fill in a hat band with the orange.
Use the black marker to give your witch some curly hair. Lastly — whether on the front or back of the plate — be sure to inscribe your child's name and the year.
Once the marker is dry to the touch, put your plate on a baking sheet in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 350° and let the plate bake at that temperature for 30 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the oven and allow the plate to remain inside until it has cooled completely.
While most glass paint says that its dishwasher safe once it has been cured in the oven, your plate will last longer if you wipe it with a soft, damp cloth when it needs to be cleaned.
Now put a handful of Halloween candy out and see what surprise the Switch Witch decides to leave in trade!
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
