DIY Halloween Crafts
for You and Your Kids
Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Eve, is a time of magic and wonder for most children. At its heart, it’s a fun excuse for little ones to dress-up and prance around the neighborhood, collecting goodies and guessing who is under the ghoulish masks. But this wonderful holiday is about much more than just dressing up; it’s a perfect time to get messy with fun arts and crafts, too. From carving jack-o'-lanterns to decking out your home with spooky skeletons, there’s plenty of fun to go around. These DIY Halloween crafts are sure to keep your child excited and entertained.
Grocery Bag Ghosts
Make your very own ghosts to hang either inside or outdoors with this easy project that uses common household items. Gather a bed sheet, a roll of twine, googly eyes, a bit of fabric glue and several used, but clean, plastic grocery bags. Crib sheets work very well for small to medium-sized ghosts that are easy for small hands to hold and carry, whereas larger twin or double sheets will make larger, more attention-grabbing ghosts that are suitable for hanging outdoors. Have your little ones scrunch up the bags, while you lay the sheet out and gather it into a round section at the top; this will be the ghost’s head. Loosely tie the section off with twine, and then stuff the scrunched grocery bags inside. When you feel it’s plump enough, pull the twine tight and add the eyes onto the face. Customize this fun craft further by drawing on a mouth, or by using a dark-colored sheet instead.
Safer Jack-o’-lanterns
If you have very young children in the house, you know how important it is to childproof, even during Halloween. While kids of all ages can help with carving and scooping out jack-o’-lanterns, especially with a bit of help from mom or dad, it isn’t always wise to light them up with candles. Pets and little ones may knock them over in their haste and excitement; luckily, there are other more child-friendly options to use instead. Dropping a small Halloween flashlight or battery-operated tea lights will provide the glow you love, while being safe for kids of all ages to handle. Another option is to fill the center of the pumpkin with mini indoor LED lights in your child’s favorite color.
Wrapped Mummy Water Bottles
This project is really easy, and you can even remove the wrap afterward if you use a water-based glue. Gather one watter bottle for each child; this works better with white or clear water bottles, but you can use any color or pattern. You’ll also need gauze or thin white linen fabric cut into long strips. Gauze works especially well for this project, as it gives it that authentic mummy look. Finally, you’ll need a set of googly eyes for each mummy, and a water-based, removable fabric glue. Apply the glue to the entire exterior of the bottle, and then gently wrap the fabric around in a crisscross pattern from the bottom of the bottle to the top. Don’t seal it off just yet; use a little more glue to affix your eyes to the front of the bottle, and then wind the gauze back down over the bottle and just slightly over the corner of one eye. Glue it into place, and allow them to dry for at least 24 hours. Once Halloween is over, soak the bottles in hot water to remove the fabric and glue.
Customized Halloween Backpacks
This DIY craft is more than just fun, it’s functional, too. Instead of using treat bags or baskets when kids go trick or treating, let your kids create their own customized Halloween backpack instead. Start with a plain children's backpack in an easy-to-draw-on color like gray, orange or white. Next, use gel pens, markers, stickers, glue and glitter, or any other art supplies you have handy, to make them spooky and fit for your little one’s Halloween stash. Children can also make small ghosts from white fabric and, with a little help from mom or dad, attach them to the backpack using a safety pin. Small wall decor, like sparkly bats and cats, create the same cool and spooky effect.