From iconic celebrities and renowned artists to immersive exhibits and electrifying cosplay, Fan Expo Dallas offers an unparalleled experience where attendees can immerse themselves in the fantastical realms of their favorite movies, TV shows, comics, and more.

Guests

Some of those iconic celebrities this year are David Tennant(Harry Potter, Good Omens), Mads Mikkelsen(Hannibal), Hugh Dancy(Hannibal), William Shatner (Star Trek), Susan Sarandon (Rocky Horror), and Geena Davis(Thelma and Louise). Find other guests as well on the Fan Expo Guest List.

With its diverse array of panels, workshops, and interactive activities, Fan Expo Dallas celebrates the boundless creativity and passion that unite fans under one roof, forging unforgettable memories and fostering a sense of community among aficionados of pop culture.

Panels

Fantastic panels with Helen Hunt, Lana Parilla, Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy, and even the Stranger Things cast. A group panel with Doctor Who cast as well. Wonderful way to help plan out the day between photo ops and autographs. Have a look at the Fan Expo Dallas schedule.

Vendors

At Fan Expo Dallas, the bustling vendor halls are a treasure trove of eclectic merchandise and one-of-a-kind treasures. Spanning across the convention center floor, vendors of all kinds showcase their wares, ranging from rare collectibles and vintage memorabilia to handmade crafts and exclusive merchandise.

Some of our absolutely favorite vendors are Jim Ferguson and Chris Oz Fulton. Check out the North Texas Ghostbusters as well with their booth and classes at the convention.

As fans gather to share their passions and connect with like-minded enthusiasts, Fan Expo Dallas will once again prove itself as a vibrant hub of geek culture, leaving lasting memories and igniting the excitement for this year’s spectacle. Don’t forget to join the fun!

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Join us on a journey as we delve into the artistry behind this dazzling wood wreath creation, exploring the traditions, symbolism, and craftsmanship that make it a quintessential part of the Mardi Gras experience.

Materials:

• 18″ wood wreath
• 2 – 12×12 sheets basswood
• XTool M1 Machine
• E6000 glue
• D Rings
• Command Picture Hanging Velcro Strips
• Folkart Acrylic Paint Purple Matte
• Folkart Acrylic Paint Dark Purple Matte
• Folkart Acrylic Paint Moon Yellow Matte
• Folkart Acrylic Paint Green Matte
• Folkart Acrylic Paint White Matte
• Bead and Crawfish SVG Files
• Font SVG (or you can type your own in xtool creative space)

Load the SVG file for the beads and the crawfish into XTool creative space. Adjust the crawfish to about 4 inches. This will change depending on your board size.

Adjust the wood beads to be the size you’d like for your board. Cut with the settings 100 power, 8 speed, 2 pass for 1/8″ basswood. Place on the triangle prisms with the 3mm basswood setting.

Cut out wood letter with the same settings as above. Paint the letters with white folkart matte paint. Paint the wood beads and crawfish the purple, green, and yellow paint. Let dry for a few hours.

Paint the wood wreath the base color you would like. I used a light purple paint and darker purple for the other items. Let the wreath dry about an hour and flip and paint the backside.

Once dry place all the cut items on to the board where you would like them to be. Brush E6000 glue on the back and place. Repeat this for all the piece. Let dry overnight.

How To Hang Wreath

Use d-rings for the backside. Just place them on each side of the back of the wreath and drill in the screws. Triple knot ribbon onto each side to hang on a wreath hanger. Command picture hanging velcro strips can be used to keep in place on the back so it doesn’t swing.

As we bid adieu to this colorful journey of Mardi Gras-inspired creativity, may your homes be adorned with the festive charm of the handcrafted wood wreath.

Each stroke of paint, wood carving, and the collective spirit of celebration embedded in the fibers of the wreath tell a tale of tradition, artistry, and the joyous embrace of Mardi Gras.

Until the next celebration, may your days be filled with the echoes of Mardi Gras magic. Enjoy this Mardi Gras wood wreath in celebration of a wonderful time.

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Get ready to sprinkle your holiday season with a dash of DIY magic as we delve into making spectacular Harry Potter ornaments using the XTool M1!

This laser machine is a crafter’s dream, turning simple sheets of basswood into beautiful cursive ornaments, each brimming with spell like luster and festive cheer.

I love how the Xtool M1 precisely cuts and engraves unique designs. Let’s get started below with this magical project.

Materials:

• XTool M1 Machine
• Folkart Gold Matte Paint
• Basswood 1/8 – 12 x 12 Sheet
• Green Ornament Hooks
• SVG’s for Spell Names

Once you have all the materials then it’s time to upload the svg files to the XTool creative space. Just open them and size the files to the size you’d like the ornaments to be.

I do try to get as many of the ornaments to a wood piece as possible so that I’m using the entire source. One of the things I enjoy about XTool creative space is that it allows you to see and do this.

Then use the shape tool to find the circle and then place it at the top of each SVG and set the cut settings. This is for the hole to loop the green ornament hooks through.

Settings For XTool M1

For cut I used the recommended power 100, speed 8, pass 2. On 3mm basswood setting with triangle prisms. The machine will cut out around all the lettering. If you find that the ornaments are breaking on longer words you can cut two sets and glue them together with e6000 glue back to back.

After cutting out the design with the XTool M1. Remove the wood from the machine. I put them on a plastic drop sheet and paint them with the Folkart acrylic paint front and back. The paint can soak in so two coats is a must!

Once I have at least two coats on them I let them dry overnight. I have found that usually they dry within just a few hours. But I like to make sure their fully dry before adding the hooks and placing on the tree.

Once dry place the hook into the hole and twist to the right. Hook onto the tree or a spellbinding look to a Harry Potter Christmas tree. If you would also like to make the flying keys you can get the Harry Potter flying key ornaments tutorial here.

We hope the potterheads out there enjoy this Xtool tutorial for Harry Potter spell ornaments. Working the the XTool is lots of fun for crafts and for making things to sell. Stay tuned for more craft tutorials with the XTool M1.

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Just three ingredients make this delicious cranberry ice cream. Vanilla ice cream, canned or homemade cranberry sauce, and dried cranberries. Whip this up in minutes for Thanksgiving dessert.

Firstly, let the vanilla ice cream just melt slightly on the counter or in the fridge. You don’t have to have it out long before it’s ready. Scoop it out into the kitchen aid mixer or any stand mixer.

This method of mixing the ice cream can also be done with a hand mixer but it’s not as easy. Add in cranberry sauce then mix well. Make sure the cranberry sauce is well incorporated. Homemade cranberry sauce can be used as well.

Add in the dried cranberries and fold with a spatula. I don’t use the mixer at this point because it will break the dried cranberries. I just fold the cranberries into the ice cream mixture with the spatula.

Once folded into the ice cream. Place it all back into the container you had for the vanilla ice cream. Place it into the freeze for a few hours to overnight. I usually just made it ahead.

This is literally the perfect ice cream for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. The ice cream pairs well with buttermilk pie or any other mild in flavor pie. Lastly, the ice cream keeps for some time so it’s easy to make in advance.

So serve this up with some pie for a wonderful dessert this holiday season. Check out some other holiday recipes below.

Holiday Recipes:

• Cherry Pie Ice Cream
• Hot Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints
• Nutter Butter Turkeys

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Cranberry Ice Cream

Sweet and tart cranberry ice cream with dried cranberries.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword Cranberry, Holiday, Ice Cream, Thanksgiving

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 48 oz vanilla ice cream
• 14 oz whole cranberry sauce can
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

• Let the vanilla ice cream melt just slightly. Place in a bowl of a mixer. Add in cranberry sauce and mix well.
• Add in cranberries and fold into the ice cream with a spatula. Place the ice cream back into the container and freeze for a few hours overnight.

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These turkey legs treats are great for class parties, Thanksgiving, and Friendsgiving. Made pretty quickly other then the 30 minutes set time that is required. These can definitely be made a day in advance.

Firstly, we start with dipping the large pretzel rod. The large rods are best as they will hold the rice krispies better than basic pretzel sticks. Heat the white candy melts as directed on the bag.

Secondly, melt the marshmallows with butter in a large pan. Add in the cocoa on low heat stirring until the marshmallows are melted. The time here is not to over cook or put the heat too high.

Once they marshmallows have fully melted the pan can be removed from the heat. Measure out the rice krispies to be added. This is key to not let the marshmallows set to long.

Making The Turkey Leg

Stir in the rice krispies until the krispies are fully coated. Let them cool some so the krispies can be handled to form them around the pretzel rods. Form them into the same of a turkey leg on the pretzel rod end that is not coated.

Once the leg has been formed around the pretzel rod. Let it set up for about 30 minutes. This will help it cool and be ready for serving. I keep mine in a ziplock in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

I like to serve the turkey leg rice krispie treats up on a wood serving board. Sugared cranberries are a great addition to the board for a fun dessert board at Thanksgiving.

The turkey leg treats are fun to make with the kids. Jus let the rice krispie mixture cool more before handling. Check out a few other Thanksgiving recipes below.

Thanksgiving Recipes:

• Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Dip
• Nutter Butter Turkeys
• Scarecrow Nutter Butters

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Turkey Leg Rice Krispie Treats

Turkey legs made with rice krispie treats and pretzel rods.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword Holiday, Rice Krispie Treats, Thanksgiving, Turkey Legs

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Turkey Legs

Ingredients

• 5 cups rice krispies
• 10 oz marshmallows one bag
• 2 tablespoons Ghirardelli’s cocoa
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 pretzel rods
• 8 mini marshmallows
• 6 oz white candy melts

Instructions

• In a large pan, add in marshmallows, cocoa, and unsalted butter. Cook on low heat stirring until marshmallows are melted.
• Remove from heat and stir in rice krispies. Stir until the krispies are coated well.
• Melt the white candy melts as directed on the bag. Scoop white candy melts over the pretzel rods while rolling the rod to coat the half of the pretzel rod. Tap off excess.
• Form the rice krispie mix over the top of the pretzel rod to resemble a turkey leg. Place to marshmallows on the bottom of the leg with a little candy melts to stick.

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I use Good and Gather apple cider along with a silver rum. However, any rum of choice can be used in this apple cocktail. I prefer a Bacardi white rum or silver rum. Just compliments the flavor the best.

The only equipment needed for this is a short cocktail glass and a cocktail stirrer. While a short glass is preferable a larger glass can also be used.

Firstly, prepare the apple by cutting half into small pieces. Use the other half of the apple and cut into slices. These slices are what we will garnish with. The small apple pieces are for taste.

Secondly, place the bite size pieces of apple into the cocktail glass with ice. Pour in the rum. Add in the apple cider and give it a good stir. Top off with apple slices. Personally, I like to add in a dash of cinnamon.

Serving The Cocktail

Serve the cocktail with a small serving spoon. This allows the person drinking to scoop out the small bite size pieces of apple for munching as well.

This apple cider rum cocktail is the perfect apple cocktail for the holidays. If you do want to make it ahead just add a little lemon to the apples first. This will keep them longer without browning.

A great variation of this cocktail is to serve it warm. Just heat up the apple cider then add the apples and rum to a mug. Great warming cocktail for the holiday season.

Holiday Cocktails and Punches

• Grinch Christmas Punch
• Autumn Apple Rum Punch
• Toasty Campfire Cocktail

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Apple Cider Rum Cocktail

Apple cocktail with bite size apples and rum.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Apple Cider, Apple Cocktail, Halloween, Thanksgiving

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 oz rum
• 1 diced apple
• 1/2 cup Ice

Instructions

• Cut apple in half. Cut some slices for topping. Cut the rest of the apple in to pieces and place into the glass with ice.
• Pour in rum. Add in apple cider and give it a stir. Top off with the apple slices.

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Such an easy dessert snack to make for a Halloween party or Halloween sweet board. Charcuterie boards are all the rave these days. A sweet Halloween board is easy to make in place of the savory board.

Make this Halloween bark with some bloody ghost pretzels, vampire halloween pretzels, and monster popcorn balls. This will make the sweetest spooky board for your next Halloween gathering.

Making Candy Bark

Melt the white candy melts as directed on the package. Each package is a little different. I use sweet tooth fairy candy melts and use defrost setting on the microwave. I do this in increments of three at 1:30 seconds.

Melt the black candy melts and swirl the two together on a parchment lined pan. I like to use black and orange small pearl sprinkles as it gives a vintage look. However, use whatever Halloween candy sprinkles that suit your fancy.

While the candy bark is still wet drizzle with candy sprinkles, candy eyes, and candy corn. All of these are optional as you can top it will all kinds of goodies. Top with crushed Oreo cookies, Reese’s piece candies, or M&M’s.

Let the candy bark dry about 30 minutes then break into pieces. Serve on a candy board or by itself on a pretty spooky plate. Keep in a Ziplock bag until ready to serve.

This candy bark makes up in about 20 minutes with inactive time of 30 minutes. So it’s an easy treat to make last minute before a party. It’s no bake which is nice too. Check out more Halloween recipes below.

Halloween Recipes:

• Halloween Michael Myers Cocktail
• Jason Voorhees Bloody S’mores
• Hocus Pocus Book Of Spells S’mores Pops

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Vintage Halloween Candy Bark

Black and white candy bark with candy corn and Halloween sprinkles.

Course Desserts, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Candy Bark, Candy Melts, Halloween

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 6 oz black candy melts
• 6 oz white candy melts
• 1 tablespoon black and orange sprinkles
• 2 tablespoons candy corn
• 2 tablespoons candy eye sprinkles

Instructions

• Heat the candy melts as directed on the back of the bag as most brands vary. I usually heat mine on defrost mode for 1:30 and repeat this three times then stir well.
• Place parchment paper on a small baking sheet. Pour out half of the white candy melts and spread with the back of a spoon. Drizzle some black candy melts and swirl. Then drizzle more of each color with the spoon.
• Top with black and orange sprinkles, candy corn, and candy eyes.
• Let dry for about 30 minutes. Once hard break apart into medium pieces for serving.

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We made three different colors with candy melts. Black, orange, and purple however, other colors can be used like light green, dark green, and even blues.

While homemade rice krispie treats can be used we used the store bought version. This helps with time and the krispie treats work great right out of the box. Cuts down on the time to make and create.

Heat each color of candy melt as directed on the bag. Most do vary so it’s good to check the directions. I use sweet tooth fairy brand most so I just use defrost mode at 1:30 three times and stirring inbetween.

Dip the rice krispie treat right into the candy melts. Dip half way up the treat and then place on parchment paper. Before the candy melts dry add candy eye sprinkles.

Add the candy eyes in different formations to give different monster looks. This is so fun to make with kids to see how creative they become with the eye candies.

Add these monster treats to a sweet board for Halloween party serving. Add some cute vampire Halloween pretzels to the board as well. We have a few Hocus Pocus recipes that would go great with these two sweets to round out the board.

Simple Halloween treats are just fun to make. Easy and great for the whole family to be involved. I mean who doesn’t love monsters. Get the family together and decorate some rice krispie treats.

Halloween is such a fun time of the year. Great to get together and make Halloween treats. Check out a few more Halloween recipes below.

Halloween Recipes:

• Monster Popcorn Balls
• Bloody Ghost Pretzels
• Vampire Halloween Pretzels

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Monster Rice Krispie Treats

Rice krispie treats dipped in candy melts with candy eyes.

Course Desserts, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Desserts, Halloween, Rice Krispie Treats

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Servings 5 Treats

Ingredients

• 5 pieces indivdually wrapped rice krispy treats
• 6 oz black candy melts
• 6 oz purple candy melts
• 6 oz orange candy melts
• 7 pieces large candy eye sprinkles
• 16 pieces small candy eye sprinkles

Instructions

• Melt each color candy melt as directed. I do them on defrost for 1:30 second and repeat with strring until it is melted. You can also use a melting pot.
• Dip the rice krispy treats into the candy melts and place onto parchment paper.
• Place eyes in different patterns into the candy melt area before it dries. Let dry and serve!

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I just how adorable these monster balls are for a Halloween party. Easy to make and then place on platter. Everyone loves a vintage popcorn ball.

These also make fantastic for school Halloween parties, trunk or treat, or just giving them out on Halloween to friends and family.

First, place all the marshmallows in to a pot with the butter. On a low heat melt down the marshmallows. Use a green food gel to get the color to the monster green. I prefer food gel over food color as it’s more vibrant.

Use your largest bowl and keep turning the mixture over with a wooden spoon. You won’t be able to coat every piece of popcorn with the green mixture, but give it a good effort.

Using butter spray on your hands will make the popcorn stick less when forming the ball. Spraying the hands allows the forming of the ball so much easier. I wouldn’t skip this step as you’ll struggle with the stickiness.

Vampire Teeth Trick

I picked up my vampire teeth at Target. They had a great multipack with different colors which make it so fun with these popcorn balls. Just pick up a pack of the teeth but the trick is to cut them in order for them to stay in the ball.

Lastly, add on the candy eye sprinkles. Just place them to the monster popcorn ball before it dries. This allows them to stick well. Do this in twos or threes that is up to you.

We hope you have fun making this Halloween recipe. Check out a few more great Halloween treats to serve up on a platter.

Halloween Treats:

• Trick ‘R Treat Pumpkin Strawberries
• Bloody Ghost Pretzels
• Prosciutto Mozzarella Eyeballs

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Monster Popcorn Balls

Green popcorn balls with purple vampire teeth.

Course Halloween

Cuisine American

Keyword Appetizers, Halloween, Snacks

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 10 oz small marshmallows
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 drops neon green food gel
• 1 bag popped popcorn
• 4 pieces vampire teeth
• 1 can butter spray
• 12 pieces candy eye sprinkles

Instructions

• In a deep pan on low heat. Add in marshmallows and butter. Stir until butter is melted and marshmallows are now a thick melted texture.
• Add in neon green food gel. Mix well. Add in popcorn but careful to not add any kernels. Mix well until the popcorn is coated.
• Let the mix cool just slightly so you don't burn your hands rolling the balls. Lay out parchment paper. Spray hands with butter or olive oil spray to keep the balls from sticking to your hands.
• Roll into balls and set on the parchment paper. Cut the vampire or monster teeth at the bend. Pull open an area in the middle of the ball. Add the teeth and form the ball.
• Add on candy eye sprinkles. Place in the fridge for about 20 minutes to allow to form. Serve room temperature.

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These are a savory Halloween treat that’s great for all ages. Really awesome to put together on a charcuterie board in between other meats or salami roses. The Halloween eyeballs are easy to put together.

What I love is a easy Halloween eyeball appetizer. Spooky but fun and altogether easy to put together. Just take the prosciutto and ribbon it on to the plate.

Add the mozzarella ball with a small cut to the top. Place the green olive into the center to create the eyeball look. Prosciutto mozzarella eyeballs can be placed on a plate or onto a wood charcuterie board.

Halloween Charcuterie

Halloween eyeballs always make for a fun treat on Halloween night. Great for Halloween parties as well. The ease of putting them together on a board with witch fingers, mummy hot dogs, and bloody ghost pretzels makes for a spooky board.

It’s truly a 5 minutes Halloween recipe. Comes together in just minutes to make a scary display of savory meat, cheese, and salty green olives. This will be a winner for your horror party.

I use fresh mozzarella but if you cannot find it cream cheese can also be used as a substitute. We hope you enjoy this spooky appetizer at your next event.

Spooky Halloween Snacks

• Vampire Halloween Pretzels
• Hocus Pocus Book Of Spells S’mores Pops
• Spooky Spider Sandwiches

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Prosciutto Mozzarella Eyeballs

Prosciutto mozzarella eyeballs is a fun, spooky appetizer for a Halloween party.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Eyeballs, Halloween, Prosciutto

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 minute minute

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

• 7 slices prosciutto
• 7 balls mozzarella balls
• 7 pieces green olives

Instructions

• Place the prosciutto into a eye shape. Add the mozzarella ball to the center.
• With a knife add X into the mozzarella ball and place the olive into the center. Fill the plate for a better look.
• This also looks cool on a charcuterie board.

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