Crafty Black Halloween Cat

Grab a unpainted wooden cat cutout at the craft store on sale and turn it into an adorable Halloween decoration that can be changed up for all seasons.


Last week, while I was in the craft store, I accidentally ended up in the Halloween aisle.

Clearly not my favorite.

However.

As I was rushing to get past all the scary decor, I spotted the most darling paper pumpkins for 60% off.

Naturally, I had to stop.

And while I was bending down to pick up a few, I came eye to eye with this guy.


Also 60% off.

Now, if you know me well, you know I'm a sucker for a bargain.

And for cats.

Especially black ones.

Which of course he would eventually become.

So into my cart he hopped.

On the way to the register, my daughter very blunted said, You hate Halloween. What are going to do with that?

To which I calmly, yet firmly, replied that he was absolutely not a Halloween cat. He was a Christmas cat.

I was going to paint him black and stencil Merry Christmas across his chest. And he was going to have a bright tartan bow.

And a bell.

By the time I got to the word bell, I might not have been as calm.

I was excited and who could blame me?


This not so little guy had a stand, can you believe it? I mean I could see him sitting proudly next to my fireplace, surrounded by lights, candy canes and my collection of vintage sleds.

While I sat in my rocking chair listening to carols...

It was going to be great.

Well, once we got home and I started playing with paint, surrounded by the fragrance of carved pumpkins and orange lights, those plans went right out the window and this kitty got a Halloween makeover after all.

I figured, why waste a good opportunity to start displaying him now. He was too cute to sit around for the next few weeks all naked and unpainted.

Then just like my small upcycled ghost lanterns, after Halloween, he'd get to pull double duty during the holidays.

So I got to work.

I started by giving him a few coats of black paint, front and back.


I used a medium sized foam brush for that task.

To get into the small spots around the eyes and nose cut outs, I switched to a bristle brush. Then I set him aside to fully dry.


Now, these wood pieces from the craft store are always a bit rough, so I did take my nail file (my trusty substitution for sandpaper sheets) to smooth out any loose wood shaving on his face.

I used the same nail file trick when I updated my wooden swan planter. Works great.

I patched any spots that needed a touch up due to my sanding.

Then I coated the entire cat with a water based clear coat and a foam brush.


The next morning I added a few black and orange ribbons from my stash to his neck and realized that if I wanted him to really shine for Halloween, I needed to go all in.

So I painted his eyes in a shocking orange color. 


It provided just the right amount of mischief. 

And he was perfect.

He's perched on my kitchen table at the moment. 

As all bad kitties usually are...


But only until the weekend.

Then he will indeed be getting that Christmas makeover.

Although, I've been thinking.

With a little paint and a new bow every few months, he could be a cat for all seasons.

Just as all kitties should be...

Don't you agree?