Ghoulish glow up

Halloween needn’t be yet another expensive occasion. Metropol’s Gadget Guru Ian Knott looks at a crafty options for spicing things up.

Halloween “celebrations” still struggle to get a foot-hold in New Zealand compared with the likes of the USA.

Whether your family goes all-out, or simply lights the odd candle to make some spooky shadows, there are some quick and easy crafts that you can do at home to get into the spirit.

For those who own a vinyl cutting machine, there’s a new range of glow-in-the-dark iron-on material and vinyl to embellish your favourite t-shirt, bag, hat, or even a window or a wall.

My Cricut Maker 3 made short work of cutting elaborate patterns with the glow-in-the-dark material, and I found it even easier to ‘weed’ (peel off unwanted bits) than regular iron-on and vinyl.

In normal lighting conditions, the material looks a creamy white colour, but in the dark, and especially after shining a bright light on it, your pattern of choice glows a brilliant luminous green.

It’s just perfect for spooky window decals, such as spider webs, or skeletons, or scary faces on t-shirts.

If glow-in-the-dark isn’t your vibe, there’s also a range of temperature-activated, colour-changing materials that allow you to let your imagination run wild.

Available in iron-on and vinyl, these materials come in heat-activated or cold-activated versions. Perfect for creative t-shirt designs (remember the old ‘Hypercolour’ t-shirts of the late 90s?), and even clever patterns on coffee-mugs or your favourite cocktail glasses. Watch the colours change before your eyes as the hot or cold temperature takes effect.

Halloween aside, with Christmas just around the corner, these crafty solutions make for terrific personalised gifts that have a special little surprise when they’re exposed to temperature or light.