75+ Easy Halloween Crafts For Kids

Halloween is the perfect time for kids to get creative with spooky and fun crafts.

These projects use simple, affordable supplies and are designed to be kid-friendly (with adult supervision for cutting or hot glue where needed). 

From paper and cardboard to pipe cleaners and felt, you can build a mountain of fun crafts with minimal material and some imagination.

Let’s get crafting!

Paper Crafts

Paper crafts are a great starting point for Halloween fun.

All you need is some paper, scissors, and glue to create ghosts, bats, pumpkins, and more. 

These crafts are inexpensive and easy to set up, making them perfect for home or classroom.

Kids can practice cutting, folding, and drawing while making spooky decorations.

Paper Jack-o’-Lantern Cutout

Turn a sheet of paper into a classic jack-o’-lantern decoration. This flat pumpkin craft is perfect for hanging on the fridge or wall.

Kids can design funny or spooky faces for their paper pumpkins.

Supplies:

• Orange construction paper (or white paper colored orange)
  
• Green construction paper (for the stem)
  
• Black paper or black marker (for the face)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue stick

Directions:

1. Draw a large pumpkin shape on the orange paper and cut it out. Also cut a small green rectangle or stem shape for the top.
   
2. Cut out eyes, a nose, and a mouth from black paper (triangles, circles, or toothy grin shapes). If you don’t have black paper, use a marker to draw the face instead.
   
3. Glue the green stem to the top of the pumpkin.
   
4. Glue on the black paper eyes, nose, and mouth to create a jack-o’-lantern face. Press the pieces down firmly.
   
5. Let the glue dry. Your paper jack-o’-lantern is ready to tape up on a door or window for a splash of Halloween color!
   

Paper Ghost Cutouts

Create a friendly (or spooky) ghost out of paper. Kids can make a whole family of paper ghosts to decorate the house.

This craft is super simple and great for young crafters practicing their cutting skills.

Supplies:

• White construction paper or cardstock
  
• Black marker (or black paper and glue)
  
• Pencil
  
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Use a pencil to draw the outline of a ghost on the white paper. Think of a ghost shape like an upside-down letter “U” with a wavy bottom.
   
2. Cut out the ghost shape carefully with scissors. Younger kids may need help with the curvy cutting.
   
3. Draw two oval eyes and a round mouth on the ghost using a black marker. (Alternatively, cut eyes and a mouth from black paper and glue them on.)
   
4. For a friendly ghost, draw the mouth as a smile. For a spookier ghost, make an “O” shape for a surprised look.
   
5. Make more paper ghosts in different sizes if you like. You can tape them to the walls or string them with thread to hang as a ghostly garland.

Paper Bats Garland

Fill your space with a colony of paper bats! This garland involves cutting out multiple bat shapes and stringing them together.

Kids will practice folding and cutting identical shapes, creating a fun Halloween banner to hang up high.

Supplies:

• Black construction paper
  
• Pencil and white crayon (for tracing templates)
  
• Scissors
  
• String or yarn
  
• Tape

Directions:

1. Cut a strip of black paper about 2–3 inches tall and as long as the paper (to make multiple bats at once). Fold the strip accordion-style into equal sections (each section will be one bat).
   
2. On the top layer, draw half of a bat shape (wing and half the body) against the folded edge. The bat’s wingtips and bottom of the body should touch the folded edges so that the bats will connect.
   
3. Keeping the paper folded, cut out the bat shape (through all layers) without cutting the folds on the wing tips. Unfold to reveal a chain of bats holding wings.
   
4. If you want individual bats instead of a connected chain, simply cut out single bat shapes (you can make a bat template and trace it multiple times).
   
5. Tape the paper bats along a piece of string or yarn, spacing them out evenly.
   
6. Hang your bat garland across a window, doorframe, or wall. The bats will appear to “fly” in a row, adding an on-point seasonal touch to your decor.

Handprint Spider

This creepy-cute spider is made from your child’s handprints!

It’s an excellent craft for little ones because handprint crafts are a favorite among little ones and each spider will be unique.

The child’s palms form the spider’s body, and the fingers are the legs. Hang the finished spiders on a web drawn on paper for a fun display.

Supplies:

• Black construction paper (or paint and white paper)
  
• Pencil or white crayon (for tracing)
  
• Scissors
  
• Googly eyes (optional)
  
• Glue

Directions:

1. Place your child’s hand on the black paper with fingers spread apart. Trace the hand outline with a pencil or white crayon. Do the same with the other hand.
   
2. Cut out both hand shapes. These will be the spider’s halves. If using paint instead, paint the child’s hands black and stamp them onto white paper, with palms overlapping – but for less mess, using black paper cutouts is easier.
   
3. Overlap the two hand shapes at the palms and glue them together. The fingers (eight in total from both hands) stick out like spider legs. Adjust the angle of the hands so the legs are spaced out.
   
4. Glue on two googly eyes on the palm area (or simply draw eyes with a marker). You can add a smile or fangs as desired.
   
5. Let the glue dry. Now you have a handprint spider ready to display! For extra fun, draw a spider web on paper and glue or tape your spider onto it.

Footprint Ghost

Turn a footprint into a “BOO!”-tiful ghost keepsake. Kids will love this craft because it’s a little messy and tickles their feet!

The result is an adorable ghost shape made from their own footprint – a fun memory to keep and compare as they grow.

(Be sure to have wipes or a wash basin handy for cleanup.)

Supplies:

• Black or dark-colored construction paper
  
• White washable paint
  
• Shallow tray or paper plate (for paint)
  
• Paintbrush (optional)
  
• Googly eyes or black marker
  
• Paper towels or wipes (for cleanup)

Directions:

1. Pour some white washable paint into a tray. Have your child step into the paint with a bare foot (or paint the bottom of their foot using a brush for more even coverage). Make sure the foot is fully coated but not dripping.
   
2. Help your child step firmly onto the black construction paper, then lift their foot straight up. A white footprint should be left on the paper. This will be the ghost’s body – the toes area will be the ghost’s head, and the heel is the bottom.
   
3. Allow the paint footprint to dry completely.
   
4. Once dry, turn the footprint so the toes point upward (that’s the ghost’s head). Glue on two googly eyes near the toes area. Alternatively, draw eyes and a round mouth with black marker to give your ghost a face.
   
5. Optional: Write “BOO!” or your child’s name and the date next to the ghost to commemorate the craft.
   
6. Your footprint ghost is done. This makes a great decoration or a page in a memory book – “dip those feet in paint and create a Halloween masterpiece!”.
   

Handprint Witch

Ready for some hocus pocus handprint fun? This craft uses a painted handprint to form the witch’s face and hair.

By adding a paper hat and facial features, the handprint transforms into a wickedly cute witch.

Each witch will have its own personality depending on the handprint!

Supplies:

• Light green paint (washable)
  
• White or light-colored cardstock (as the background)
  
• Black construction paper (for hat)
  
• Purple or black paint (for hat details, or use paper)
  
• Googly eyes (or stickers/marker)
  
• Paintbrush and shallow dish for paint
  
• Glue and scissors

Directions:

1. Pour some green paint into a dish. Have your child press their palm and fingers into the paint to coat the hand.
   
2. Help them press their hand onto the cardstock with fingers spread out. The handprint fingers will become the witch’s hair or wild strands, and the palm is her face. Let the paint dry.
   
3. While it dries, cut out a witch’s hat from black paper – a simple triangle with a strip for the brim. Cut a small buckle or band from purple paper (or you can paint a stripe on the hat).
   
4. Once the handprint is dry, glue the paper hat on top of the witch’s head (the top of the palm area). The fingers should stick out from under the hat like hair.
   
5. Glue on googly eyes on the palm (face) area. Draw a nose and a crooked smile with marker (a wart on the nose for extra giggles!).
   
6. Optionally, draw or paint on a small mouth and add any other details (maybe a tiny paper broom or a drawn black cat beside her).
   
7. Your handprint witch is ready to cast some fun Halloween spells. This quick craft makes for a silly decoration and a great fine-motor activity.

Halloween Paper Chain Garland

Remember making paper chains in school?

This classic craft gets a Halloween twist by turning the chains into bats, cats, or pumpkin shapes connected in a row.

It’s an easy, low-mess activity and a great way to practice folding and cutting.

Hang the finished chain in a doorway or along a mantle for a festive touch.

Supplies:

• Construction paper in Halloween colors (black, orange, gray, etc.)
  
• Templates of simple shapes (bat, cat, pumpkin) – optional
  
• Pencil
  
• Scissors
  
• Markers (for adding details)

Directions:

1. Cut strips of paper about 2–3 inches tall and the full length of your construction paper. Choose colors based on the shape (black for bats or cats, orange for pumpkins, etc.).
   
2. Decide on a shape for your chain (for example, a bat). You can draw it freehand or use a simple template. The key is that the wings or sides of the shape must touch the edges of the paper strip when folded so the chain links together.
   
3. Fold the paper strip accordion-style into equal sections, the width of the shape. For instance, if your bat template is 4 inches wide, make each fold 4 inches.
   
4. Trace the shape onto the folded strip, making sure the part that touches the fold (like bat wings or pumpkin sides) extends to the edges of the folded paper. The template might indicate which parts shouldn’t be cut (often shown as solid lines on templates).
   
5. Cut out the shape through all layers of folded paper but do not cut the small parts on the fold that keep the shapes connected. For example, leave the wing tips uncut on the folds so the bats stay joined.
   
6. Carefully unfold the strip – you’ll have a chain of paper shapes holding hands (or wings)! Draw on any details (bat eyes, pumpkin faces, cat whiskers) with markers.
   
7. Repeat with different shapes and colors if desired. Tape your chains up as a Halloween garland. Kids will love the reveal when they unfold their paper chain and see a whole crew of spooky friends joined together.
   

Paper Pumpkin Lantern

This craft makes a cute 3D paper lantern that looks like a jack-o’-lantern.

By cutting and folding a piece of paper, you create a cylindrical lantern that can stand on a table.

(You will not use real candles – for safety, just use them as a decoration or place an LED tea light if supervised.)

It’s a fun way to practice careful cutting and get a pumpkin that won’t rot!

Supplies:

• Orange construction paper
  
• Green construction paper (for handle, optional)
  
• Black paper or marker
  
• Scissors
  
• Stapler or tape
  
• Ruler and pencil

Directions:

1. Take an orange construction paper and cut a strip off one short end about 1 inch wide (set this aside for later as a handle). Then fold the remaining large piece of paper in half lengthwise (bringing the two longer sides together).
   
2. From the folded side, measure and draw lines starting 1 inch from the top of the fold, and stopping 1 inch from the open edges. Space the lines about an inch apart across the paper. These will be cutting lines.
   
3. Cut along the drawn lines, starting at the folded edge and stopping before you reach the end (do not cut all the way through to the edge). When you unfold the paper, it should have slits across the middle, but still be one piece at the top and bottom.
   
4. Draw or cut out a jack-o’-lantern face: two eyes, a nose, and a mouth from black paper (or draw them on what will be the outside of the lantern). If cutting from paper, glue the face shapes onto the orange paper. Position them between the slits so they will show nicely.
   
5. Now form the lantern shape: bend the paper into a tube by bringing the two short ends together (the slits will bulge outwards). Overlap the ends and either tape or staple them at the top and bottom. Now the slits open to create the lantern’s “ribs.”
   
6. Take the orange strip you set aside and staple or tape it to the top of the lantern as a handle (like a bucket handle).
   
7. Cut a thin strip of green paper and curl it (wrap around a pencil) to make a curlicue vine, and glue or tape it near the top as a leafy detail (optional).
   
8. Your paper pumpkin lantern is complete. Set it on a table or hang it by the handle. It makes a great centerpiece – you can even place an electric tea light inside for a gentle glow (with supervision).
   

Paper Bag Monster Puppet

Reuse a brown paper lunch bag to create a goofy monster puppet!

Paper bag puppets are a classic craft that let kids use their imagination in decorating and then enjoy some pretend play.

Each monster can be different – friendly, scary, silly – and kids can put on a little puppet show afterward.

Supplies:

• Paper lunch bag (brown or white)
  
• Paint, markers, or colored paper scraps
  
• Glue
  
• Scissors
  
• Googly eyes, pom-poms, pipe cleaners (any fun embellishments, optional)

Directions:

1. Lay the paper bag flat with the flap (bottom of the bag) facing up – this flap will be the monster’s face/mouth.
   
2. Decide on your monster’s base color. If you want to paint the bag, do that first (paint the entire outside of the bag a color like green, purple, or leave it brown for a fuzzy monster). Let it dry before moving on. Alternatively, you can cover the bag with colored paper or just color it with markers.
   
3. Create the monster’s face on the flap: glue on googly eyes (one, two, or five – monsters can be wacky!). Add a pom-pom or paper nose if desired. For the mouth, you can draw it on the flap or cut a strip of paper with teeth to glue under the flap so that the teeth stick out. When you put your hand in the bag, the flap will lift and look like a moving mouth.
   
4. Add hair or horns: Cut construction paper into shapes (zigzag fringe for hair, triangles for horns) and glue them to the top of the bag. You can also use pieces of yarn as hair or pipe cleaners as curly antennae – glue or tape them inside the bag’s top so they stick out.
   
5. Decorate the monster’s body (the lower part of the bag) with polka dots, stripes, or stickers. Glue on more pom-poms or draw scales – whatever your child likes. Monsters can be as crazy as imagination allows!
   
6. Once all glue is dry, put your hand inside the bag and use your fingers to lift the flap like a puppet mouth. Now you have a paper bag monster puppet ready to play. Make different monsters and have them talk to each other for a fun activity that combines crafting and storytelling.
   

Haunted House Silhouette Collage

Create a spooky haunted house scene using cut paper shapes and a bit of imagination.

This collage uses black paper to make a silhouette of a haunted house at night with “lights” in the windows from tissue paper.

It looks impressive on a window or hung against light, almost like Halloween stained glass.

Supplies:

• Black construction paper or cardstock
  
• Yellow or orange tissue paper (for window light)
  
• Scissors
  
• Pencil
  
• Glue stick
  
• White crayon or chalk (for optional details)

Directions:

1. Take the black paper and draw the outline of a haunted house. Keep it simple – maybe a tall house with a pointed roof, a chimney, and add a few rectangle windows. Also draw a moon or some bats in the sky if you’d like. (Older kids can design more intricate houses with crooked windows and a fence.)
   
2. Carefully cut out the entire outline of the haunted house as one piece. Then, cut out the window shapes from the black house shape – you can poke the scissors in the middle of each drawn window to start the cut, and then cut out the rectangle. Now you have window holes in your house silhouette.
   
3. Cut small pieces of yellow or orange tissue paper, slightly larger than your window holes. Glue the tissue to the back of the house silhouette, covering each window hole. This creates the appearance of glowing windows when you look from the front side. Trim any tissue that sticks out beyond the window frames.
   
4. Glue the finished house silhouette onto another sheet of paper (white or a different color) or simply hang it as-is in a window. If you glue it to another paper, you can create a whole scene: glue a yellow paper circle for a moon behind the house, add paper bats, or glue on dried autumn leaves as spooky trees around the yard for a mixed-media effect.
   
5. Use a white crayon or chalk to add details on the black paper, like outlines of bricks, spider webs in the corner, or a ghostly figure in one window.
   
6. Let everything dry. Hang up your haunted house collage where light can shine through the tissue windows. The house will look dark and haunted with the windows eerily aglow – a perfect kid-made Halloween decoration.

Paper Plate Crafts

Paper plates aren’t just for snacks; they make fantastic craft materials, too!

Paper plate crafts are sturdy and easy for little hands to hold while decorating.

With some paint, paper, and imagination, a simple plate can turn into a mask, a creature, or a piece of décor.

These Halloween paper plate crafts are so easy and inexpensive that you might already have everything you need at home.

Kids will love painting, cutting, and assembling their cute (or creepy) plate creations.

Paper Plate Black Cat

Meow! Transform a plain paper plate into a spooky black cat face.

By painting the plate and adding ears and whiskers, you’ll have an adorable Halloween cat decoration in no time.

It’s simple enough for toddlers and fun for older kids too.

Supplies:

• Paper plate (dessert size or standard)
  
• Black paint (washable acrylic or tempera) and brush
  
• Black construction paper
  
• Pink construction paper (for inner ears and nose)
  
• Large googly eyes
  
• Black pipe cleaner (for whiskers, optional) or black yarn
  
• Glue and scissors
  

Directions:

1. Paint the entire paper plate black and let it dry completely. You may need a couple of coats to get good coveragemadetobeamomma.com. (If you don’t have paint, you could also color the plate with crayons/markers, but paint gives the best look.)
   
2. While the plate dries, make the cat’s ears. From black paper, cut out two large triangular ears. Then cut two smaller pink triangles to fit inside as the inner ear. Glue the pink triangles onto the black triangles.
   
3. Cut out a small pink oval or triangle for the cat’s nose.
   
4. Once the plate is dry, assemble your cat face: Glue the ears to the top edge of the plate (you can attach them on the front or tape them to the back so they peek over the edge).
   
5. Glue two big googly eyes onto the plate about a third of the way down from the top, spaced apart.
   
6. Glue the pink nose in the center of the plate, below the eyes.
   
7. For whiskers, cut the pipe cleaner into six short pieces. Glue three pieces on each side of the nose, or tape them down for a quicker hold. If you don’t have pipe cleaners, draw whiskers with white or silver crayon/marker, or glue pieces of black yarn.
   
8. Let all the glue dry. Your paper plate black cat is finished and looking cute and mischievous! You can hang it on the wall or attach a craft stick to the bottom to hold it like a mask (just for play, since it’s not a full face mask).

Paper Plate Spider

Spiders can be cute, too! This craft turns a paper plate into a big, friendly (or spooky) spider.

With pipe cleaner legs and googly eyes, your spider will be ready to crawl into Halloween.

Kids will enjoy bending the legs and seeing their spider come to life.

Supplies:

• Paper plate
  
• Black or purple paint (for the spider’s body)
  
• 4 black pipe cleaners (for 8 legs)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Black marker (for mouth)
  
• Tape or glue
  
• Hole punch (optional)

Directions:

1. Paint the paper plate a spooky color for your spider. Common choices are black or purple – one kid might even want a purple spider like in one version of this craft. Paint the entire plate and let it dry (apply a second coat if needed).
   
2. Meanwhile, prepare the spider legs. Take 4 pipe cleaners and cut them in half, giving you 8 pieces (since spiders have 8 legs). Bend each piece in the middle to form an L-shape – this makes it look like the spider has knees.
   
3. Once the plate is dry, turn it over to the back. Evenly space the 8 pipe cleaner legs around the plate, four on each side. Attach them by taping one end of each pipe cleaner to the back of the plate (use strong tape, or punch a small hole and stick the pipe cleaner through, twisting it to secure). Attach four on each side with the legs facing downward so it looks like the spider is standing.
   
4. Flip the plate back to the front. Glue on two googly eyes at the top center of the plate. You can add more eyes if you want – some spiders have a lot of eyes!
   
5. Use a black marker to draw a smiley mouth or some fangs below the eyes.
   
6. Let any glue dry. Now you have a paper plate spider. You can hang it by poking a small hole at the top and tying a string, or simply tape it to a wall. It’s a not-so-scary spider that makes a great decoration or prop for singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”.
   

Paper Plate Frankenstein

Create an adorable version of Frankenstein’s monster with a paper plate! This craft is all about that famous green face and the big, goofy features. By trimming the plate and adding construction paper pieces, you’ll assemble Frankie’s face in a way that’s so simple to make. It’s a perfect craft for kids who love monsters but not the truly scary kind.

Supplies:

• Paper plate
  
• Green paint (for the face)
  
• Black construction paper (for hair and eyebrows)
  
• Gray construction paper (for bolt shapes)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Black marker
  
• Scissors and glue

Directions:

1. First, give your paper plate a flat top: cut a straight line across the top of the plate (about an inch or two from the edge) to create a flat forehead for Frankenstein.
   
2. Paint the plate green and let it dry completely. You now have the shape of Frankenstein’s head. (Cutting the top off before painting makes it easier to add the hair later.)
   
3. While the paint dries, make the hair and bolts. From black paper, cut a piece for the hair that is as long as the plate’s top width. One side should be straight (this will line up with the flat top of the plate) and the other side cut in a jagged zigzag to look like spiky hair. Also cut two thick black rectangles or L-shapes for the eyebrows.
   
4. From gray paper, cut two small rectangular “bolt” shapes. These will be glued on the sides of Frankenstein’s neck (plate) to look like the iconic neck bolts.
   
5. Once the plate is dry, glue the black paper hair to the flat top of Frankenstein’s head. The straight edge of the hair aligns with the cut edge of the plate, and the jagged part looks like a funny spiky haircut.
   
6. Glue on the googly eyes below the hairline on the green plate. Leave a little space between them.
   
7. Use the black marker to draw a stitch-mark (a small line with cross-hatches) on the forehead or cheek. Also, draw a simple nose (just a little line or two) and a mouth. Frankenstein can have a flat line mouth or a slight smile – your choice. Add a scar or stitch on the cheek for extra detail.
   
8. Glue the gray “bolts” to the back of the plate, one on each lower side (so that a bit sticks out to the side, looking like it’s attached to the neck).
   
9. Glue the black eyebrows above the eyes to give him a goofy or menacing expression. Angle them inward for a mean look or raise one for a silly quizzical look.
   
10. Let everything dry. Your paper plate Frankenstein is ready! This adorable monster can be taped to a wall or door. It’s alive! – or at least it’ll bring your Halloween décor to life.
    

Paper Plate Witch

Double, double, toil and trouble – make a witch face on a plate without much trouble!

This craft turns a plate into a witch’s face, complete with a pointy hat and maybe even some yarn hair.

Kids can customize their witch to be friendly or spooky. It’s a wonderful way to mix painting, cutting, and gluing skills.

Supplies:

• Paper plate
  
• Green paint (or choose your witch’s skin color)
  
• Black construction paper (for hat)
  
• Purple construction paper (for hat band, optional)
  
• Yarn or paper strips (for hair, optional)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Black and red markers (for facial details)
  
• Glue, scissors

Directions:

1. Paint the paper plate green (or any color you want your witch’s face to be – some like a classic green witch, others might do gray or purple). Let the plate dry completely.
   
2. While it dries, make the witch’s hat. Cut a large triangle from black paper for the pointed hat. Also cut a long narrow rectangle from black paper for the brim (wide enough to span the plate’s width). If you have purple or another color, cut a thin strip to decorate the hat as a band and maybe a buckle from yellow. Glue the band and buckle onto the triangle part of the hat.
   
3. Once the plate is dry, glue the black hat brim near the top of the plate (this will look like the brim sitting on her forehead). Then glue the triangular hat above it, slightly overlapping, so it looks like a complete witch hat. The triangle can extend beyond the plate – that’s fine.
   
4. For hair, cut yarn into strands (about 6 inches long) or cut paper into thin strips. Orange yarn makes great witch hair! Glue or tape strands to the sides of the plate (under the brim) so they hang down as hair. You can also tape some to the back of the plate so they spill out from under the hat. This step is optional – a bald witch with just a hat works too, and is easier for younger kids.
   
5. Glue on two googly eyes to the face below the hat brim. Draw a nose with a black marker – a witch’s nose can be long and warty, so feel free to draw a crooked nose and add a black dot for a wart.
   
6. Draw a mouth – maybe a sly smile or a little frown – with a marker. You can also draw in teeth (perhaps one tooth sticking out) with a white crayon or marker on top of the black drawn mouth. Add rosy cheeks with a bit of red crayon or marker if you like a friendly witch.
   
7. Let all the glue dry. Now you have a paper plate which is ready to hang up. She looks great on a door or wall, and isn’t too scary for little ones (unless you give her a really mean expression!). The best part is that each child’s witch will have its own unique face and personality.
   

Paper Plate Ghost Windsock

Make a friendly ghost that dances in the breeze!

This windsock-style ghost is created from a paper plate and streamers (or strips of crepe paper or even tissue paper) that flutter as the ghost “flies.”

It’s a fantastic outdoor decoration to hang on a porch, or indoors by a fan.

And it’s super simple – these are great to hang outside and see blowing in the wind.

Supplies:

• White paper plate
  
• White crepe paper streamers (or white tissue paper/cut white garbage bag strips)
  
• Black paper or black marker
  
• String or ribbon (for hanging)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue or tape
  
• Hole punch (optional)

Directions:

1. First, create the ghost’s face on the paper plate. If you have black construction paper, cut out two big round eyes and an oval or mouth shape. Glue them onto the plate. If using a marker, simply draw two eyes and a mouth (you can make the mouth say “Oooo!” like a surprised ghost). Position them in the upper half of the plate, as the bottom will have streamers.
   
2. Turn the plate over. Attach long strips of white crepe paper or material to the bottom edge of the plate. Cut 5–8 strips about 1–2 inches wide and roughly 2 feet long (they can be various lengths). Use glue or tape to secure one end of each strip around the bottom rim on the back of the plate. These are the ghost’s trailing “tail.” These strips will blow in the breeze, making your ghost come alive.
   
3. If using glue, let it dry. Reinforce with tape if needed so the streamers don’t fall off when swinging around.
   
4. Punch two holes at the top of the plate (opposite the streamers). Tie a piece of string or ribbon through the holes to make a hanger loop. If you don’t have a hole punch, you can tape the string to the back of the plate securely.
   
5. Your paper plate ghost windsock is ready! Hang it on a porch, tree branch, or in front of a window. The white streamers will wave and flutter, and the ghost will appear to float. It’s a not-too-spooky decoration that kids are proud to show off.

Paper Plate Vampire

Create a fang-tastic vampire face using a paper plate! This craft uses half a plate for the vampire’s collar, giving it a cool 3D look.

With a little paint and some clever cutting, you’ll have Count Plate-ula ready to greet trick-or-treaters.

Kids will get to practice painting and arranging face features with this one.

Supplies:

• 2 paper plates (one for face, one for collar – or you can use a single plate if cutting)
  
• Light skin-tone or gray paint (for face)
  
• Black paint or paper (for hair)
  
• Red paint or paper (for collar)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• White paper (for fangs)
  
• Black marker
  
• Scissors, glue

Directions:

1. Paint one paper plate a pale skin tone or a vampiric gray (you can mix a tiny bit of black into white paint to get gray). This will be the vampire’s face. Let it dry.
   
2. While it dries, take the second paper plate and cut it in half. Paint both halves red – these will form the high collar of the vampire’s cape. Let them dry. (If you only have one plate, you can cut the lower sides off of it for collars, but using a second plate makes it easier.)
   
3. From black paper (or using black paint on the dried face plate), create the vampire’s hair. Typically, vampires have a peaked widow’s peak hairline. You can paint the top third of the face plate black in a pointed shape (a triangle down the middle for the widow’s peak). Or cut a piece of black paper that covers the top arc of the plate in that shape and glue it on as the hair.
   
4. Glue on googly eyes for the vampire. Draw thick eyebrows above them with a black marker for a dramatic look.
   
5. Cut two small triangles from white paper to make fangs. They should be about half an inch tall. Draw a tiny line of red (a drop of “blood”) on each fang if you want to be extra spooky.
   
6. Draw a mouth on the plate with the black marker – a smirk or open mouth. Glue the two fangs onto the mouth (pointing down from the upper lip area). Now your vampire has his signature teeth!
   
7. Once the red collar pieces are dry, attach them to the back of the face plate. Glue or tape one half-plate to each side of the face plate, positioned at a slight outward angle so they look like the flared collar of Dracula’s cape behind his head. The flat cut sides should be upward, and the curved edges downward, like shoulders.
   
8. Let all the glue dry. Your paper plate vampire face is complete. He’s cuter than scary and makes a great wall decoration. You could even attach a popsicle stick and hold him up as a mask for pretend play (just hold, don’t tie it). Don’t be surprised if this vampire becomes a favorite – he doesn’t bite…much!
   

Paper Plate Halloween Wreath

This craft uses a paper plate as the base for a festive Halloween wreath.

By cutting out the center of the plate, you get a ring that kids can decorate with leaves, paper pumpkins, ghosts, or any Halloween shapes they like.

It’s a wonderful craft after a nature walk (where you might collect leaves) or as a general collage activity.

Collect leaves on the way and then make a pretty autumnal wreath or spook-ify it with Halloween icons!

Supplies:

• Paper plate
  
• Orange and black construction paper (for pumpkins, bats, etc.)
  
• Fall leaves (real or fake) – optional
  
• Markers or crayons
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue

Directions:

1. Cut out the center of the paper plate, leaving just the rim. Easiest way: fold the plate gently in half (don’t crease too hard) and make a slit in the middle, then cut out the center circle. Now you have a ring-shaped base for your wreath.
   
2. Decide on a theme for your wreath – it can be general Halloween (mix of pumpkins, bats, ghosts), or just autumn leaves, or a mix. Young kids might just do random collage style.
   
3. If using leaves, glue the fall leaves around the plate ring first as a background. Overlap them and cover the plate so it looks like a ring of foliage. If you don’t have real leaves, you can cut leaf shapes from colored paper or use fake leaves from a craft store.
   
4. From orange paper, cut a few small pumpkin shapes. Draw little faces on them to make jack-o’-lanterns. From black paper, cut out bat or cat silhouettes, or even tiny spiders. From a white paper, cut tiny ghost shapes. (You can keep these shapes simple – even triangles and circles can represent eyes, etc.)
   
5. Glue your paper pumpkins, bats, ghosts, and other cutouts onto the wreath ring. Spread them out or cluster them, whatever looks nice to you. For example, glue two pumpkin cutouts at the bottom, a bat flying on the side, a ghost at the top, etc. If you made the base with leaves, tuck the paper shapes among the leaves.
   
6. Add drawn details with markers if needed (like a spiderweb drawn with silver marker in one area of the ring, or outlines on leaves). You can also sprinkle on some glitter glue for sparkle if you want a magical touch.
   
7. Let it all dry. Punch a hole at the top of the wreath and tie a loop of string for hanging. Now your paper plate Halloween wreath is ready to hang on the door or wall. It’s a great way to display a bunch of Halloween symbols in one craft, and kids love seeing something they made hung up like real décor.

Paper Plate Spiderweb

This craft turns a paper plate into a spiderweb that kids can weave themselves.

It’s a less-messy way to create a web and is fantastic for fine motor practice.

By punching holes around the plate and threading yarn, children will make a web pattern in the middle.

Add a paper spider and you’ve got a fun decoration or prop for “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

Supplies:

• Paper plate
  
• Hole punch
  
• White yarn (or black yarn for a night spiderweb)
  
• Black construction paper (for a spider)
  
• Googly eyes (optional for spider)
  
• Tape and scissors
  
• Pencil

Directions:

1. Using a pencil, mark dots about 1 inch apart all around the rim of the paper plate. These are where you will punch holes. Now use a hole punch to make holes at those marked spots around the plate’s edge.
   
2. Next, cut out the center of the paper plate (similar to the wreath craft above). You can poke a starting hole and cut the middle out so you’re left with just the outer rim with holes. This rim is the frame of your spiderweb.
   
3. Cut a long piece of yarn (a few yards long to start; you can always tie more on if needed). Tape one end of the yarn to the back of the plate rim to secure it.
   
4. Now start weaving the web: Thread the other end of the yarn in and out of the holes in a random criss-cross pattern. Go across the plate opening to another hole, then back up through a different hole... pretend you’re the spider spinning! You can go through each hole multiple times to create a layered web. There’s no wrong way to do it, as long as the yarn goes across the opening and catches different holes.
   
5. Continue until you’re happy with how the web looks. It should have a nice criss-cross pattern in the middle of the plate opening. When done, secure the yarn by taping the end to the back of the plate. Cut off any excess yarn.
   
6. Now make a spider for your web. Cut a small circle (about 1 inch wide) from black construction paper for the spider’s body. Cut 8 thin strips for legs, or use short pieces of black pipe cleaner. Glue the legs to the circle (4 on each side). Add two googly eyes or draw eyes on your spider.
   
7. Glue or tape the paper spider onto the web you wove. You can put it in the center as if it’s waiting, or on the side like it’s crawling up.
   
8. Your paper plate spiderweb is ready! Kids will love how this craft lets them “sew” a web. Hang it up or prop it in a window.
9. The web looks fantastic, and it’s impressive to see what little hands can create by threading yarn through holes.
   

Paper Plate Mask

Another simple idea with endless possibilities – turn a paper plate into a Halloween mask!

This craft is essentially letting kids design a costume mask using a plate as the base.

They can make it super scary or silly, and use whatever they have at home to decorate.

Popular plate masks include skulls, pumpkins, animals (black cat or bat), or monsters. It’s a great creative exercise.

Supplies:

• Paper plate
  
• Scissors (and a craft knife for adult use on eyes, if available)
  
• Paint, markers, or crayons
  
• Construction paper scraps, stickers, etc. (for decorating)
  
• Elastic string or ribbon (to wear the mask) or a craft stick (to hold it)
  
• Hole punch (if using elastic)

Directions:

1. Decide what kind of mask you want to make. For example, a skull, a jack-o’-lantern, a cat, a bat, or a generic monster face. Once decided, base coat the plate if needed (paint it white for a skull, orange for a pumpkin, etc.) and let it dry. If you’re making an animal like a cat or bat, you might cut the plate into a shape (like pointy ears at the top).
   
2. Adults should help cut out the eye holes. Hold the plate up to the child’s face to mark roughly where the eyes should go (make sure to space correctly). Use scissors or a craft knife (adult only) to cut two eye holes in the plate. Make them large enough for good visibility.
   
3. Now decorate the mask! Draw and color or paint on the features. If it’s a skull, draw the nose socket (upside-down heart shape) and teeth. If it’s a pumpkin, draw a jack-o’-lantern face. For a cat, paint it black and add paper ears; for a bat, do the same with bat ears and maybe little fangs drawn near the mouth. Kids can glue on yarn for hair or fur, feathers for flair, or any embellishments they like. They can use whatever they have at home to create a super scary or silly mask.
   
4. Once the mask is decorated and everything is dry, attach a way to wear or hold it. If using an elastic cord, punch a hole on each side of the plate, at about ear level. Tie the elastic through the holes, measuring to fit the child’s head (be careful not to make it too tight). Alternatively, tape a popsicle stick or unsharpened pencil to one side of the mask as a handle so the child can hold it up to their face.
   
5. Now the paper plate mask is ready! The child can wear it for playtime. These are not durable for heavy use, but they’re fantastic for a quick costume accessory or just imaginary play. Each mask will be one-of-a-kind, and kids love showing off the character they created.

Cardboard & Recycled Cardboard Crafts

Don’t toss those empty rolls and boxes – turn them into Halloween crafts!

Cardboard crafts are awesome for repurposing materials like toilet paper tubes, cereal boxes, and egg cartons into creative decorations.

Toilet roll Halloween crafts are a creative opportunity to teach a valuable lesson on repurposing and recycling while making cute monsters and creatures.

These crafts are sturdy and often 3D, which kids adore.

From classic toilet paper roll characters to egg carton critters, here are fun ways to craft with cardboard.

Toilet Paper Roll Bat

Give those empty toilet paper tubes a second life as flapping bats!

This is a Halloween favorite. By painting a cardboard tube and adding wings, you get a bat that can “fly” around the house.

It’s an easy craft and a great way to talk about recycling while crafting.
Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll (cardboard tube)
  
• Black paint (or black construction paper to wrap)
  
• Black construction paper (for wings)
  
• Googly eyes or white/yellow paper (for eyes)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue (and tape, optional)

Directions:

1. Paint the outside of the toilet paper roll tube black and let it dry. (If you prefer not to paint, you can wrap the roll in black paper and secure with glue or tape.) Painting and cutting are always fun skills to work on with kids, and this bat lets them do both.
   
2. Gently press the top of the tube on two sides and make two inward folds to create pointed bat ear shapes. Basically, you are pushing the top edge down in two spots opposite each other so that it creases and forms two points (this makes the tube’s top look like bat ears). This step is optional, but it gives the bat a cute ear effect.
   
3. Cut bat wings from black construction paper. You can draw one wing (like a curved wing shape with scallops on the bottom) and cut out two copies, or fold the paper and cut two at once. Make sure the flat end of each wing has a little extra tab to attach to the tube.
   
4. Glue the wings to the sides of the painted tube. If the glue is taking too long to dry, you can tape them from the inside of the tube as well. Now it looks like a bat's body with wings spread.
   
5. Glue on two googly eyes near the top (just below the “ears”). If you don’t have googly eyes, cut two small circles of white paper and draw black pupils on them, then glue those.
   
6. Optional: draw or glue a small paper smile or fangs. A tiny triangle of white paper makes excellent fangs – glue it on the rim or just inside the tube so it looks like the bat has teeth.
   
7. Let everything set. Now you have a toilet paper roll bat that can stand on its little tube feet or be picked up and flown around by a kid’s hand. It’s a fun decoration for day or night and a neat way to talk about nocturnal creatures. Make a whole colony of bats if you have lots of tubes! (Hang them with a string to create flying bats in the classroom or bedroom.)
   

Toilet Paper Roll Mummy

Wrap up a TP tube to create a miniature mummy friend.

This is a simple and slightly silly craft that even toddlers can help with (by wrapping the “bandages”).

Using a cardboard tube and some paper or cloth strips, you’ll have a mummy that’s cuter than creepy.
Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll (empty cardboard tube)
  
• White crepe paper streamers or white toilet paper strips (or gauze bandage)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Glue or tape
  
• Black paint or marker (optional, for base color)

Directions:

1. If your tube is brown and you worry the gaps might show, you can paint the tube white or light gray first and let it dry (this step is optional). Otherwise, proceed with the wrapping.
   
2. Take the white crepe paper streamers (the kind used for party decorations) or even a few lengths of toilet paper, and start wrapping the tube. Begin at one end of the tube; tape the end of the streamer to the inside of the tube to secure it, then wrap around and around the tube, moving up and down to criss-cross and cover the whole tube like a mummy’s bandages. The uneven, criss-cross wrapping gives that authentic mummy look. Loosely wrap until it looks like bandages all over.
   
3. Don’t wrap too tightly; you want some texture and maybe a few loose ends for effect. When the whole tube is covered (leave a little gap for eyes somewhere), tape or glue the end of the strip down on the back or tuck it under a previous layer.
   
4. Glue two googly eyes onto the wrapped tube. It’s fun to position them peeking out between “bandages” – you can even separate a couple of the wraps slightly and nestle the eyes in there, gluing them to the cardboard underneath.
   
5. If you like, draw a little surprised “O” mouth with a black marker (on the white wrap). Many mummies are just eyes, but a mouth can be cute.
   
6. That’s it! Your toilet paper roll mummy is ready to shuffle around. It stands up on its own and makes a great addition to a tabletop display. This craft is all wrapped up quickly and is fantastic for preschoolers.
   

Toilet Paper Roll Frankenstein

Create a miniature Frankenstein’s monster using a toilet paper roll as the base.

This craft involves painting the tube green and adding Frankenstein’s distinct features, like his hair, bolts, and stitched forehead.

It’s an excellent companion to the larger paper plate Frankenstein, and kids love having a monster they can carry around.

Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll
  
• Green paint
  
• Black paper or paint (for hair)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Black marker
  
• Gray paper or foil (for bolts)
  
• Scissors and glue

Directions:

1. Paint the toilet paper roll tube green and let it dry. This will be Frankenstein’s head and body (since in the classic look, he’s mostly a head on small body).
   
2. Cut a strip of black construction paper long enough to wrap around the top of the tube. Cut one long edge of this strip in a zigzag pattern to make Frank’s jagged hairline. (Alternatively, you can paint the top part of the tube black to create hair, but paper gives a nice even edge.) Glue or tape the black paper around the top of the tube so the zigzag edge sticks up like spiky hair. Now the tube has hair!
   
3. Glue on two googly eyes below the hairline on the green tube.
   
4. Using the black marker, draw a nose (just a little L-shaped dash or a couple of dots for nostrils) and a mouth. Frankenstein’s monster often has a flat line mouth or a slight frown. Draw a stitched scar on the forehead or cheek – just a line with little crossing lines. You can add more “stitches” on the arms or face for effect.
   
5. To make the iconic neck bolts, cut two small rectangles from gray paper or use tiny pieces of aluminum foil rolled into bolt shapes. Glue one on each side of the tube, near the bottom. These are the bolts on Frankenstein’s neck. If they don’t want to stick with glue, a piece of tape can secure them from the inside of the tube.
   
6. Optionally, you can cut tiny rectangles of black paper and glue just above the eyes as bushy eyebrows to give him some character.
   
7. Let the glue dry. Now you have a toilet paper roll Frankenstein. He’s silly and not too scary. Kids might make a whole set of monsters this way. These tube monsters are excellent for engaging fine motor skills (painting, cutting, gluing) while creating something new.
   

Toilet Paper Roll Black Cat

Turn a cardboard tube into a purr-fect little black cat.

This craft is similar to the bat and Frankenstein tubes, but makes a feline friend.

With a bit of cutting and adding a tail, a simple roll becomes a cute Halloween kitty.

Each cat can be customized with different colored eyes or poses.

Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll
  
• Black paint (or black paper to wrap)
  
• Black construction paper
  
• Pink construction paper (for nose and ears)
  
• Googly eyes or yellow paper for eyes
  
• Scissors and glue

Directions:

1. Paint the tube black all over and let it dry (or wrap it in black construction paper and glue it down).
   
2. At one end of the tube, create cat ears by making two small ½-inch cuts across from each other (about ¼ of the tube’s circumference each) and then pressing the tube between those cuts so that two points form (similar to how we did for the bat ears). Essentially, indent the top on two sides to form ear points. This gives a hint of ear shape on the tube itself. If this is tricky, you can skip and just add paper ears in the next step.
   
3. From black construction paper, cut out two triangular ears (if you didn’t already create ear points on the tube or want more defined ears). Also, cut a long, thin strip for the tail. Curl the tail strip around a pencil to give it a slight curve or spiral (a twirly tail is fun). From pink paper, cut two smaller triangles to fit inside the black ears, and a small oval for the nose.
   
4. Glue the pink inner triangles onto the black ear triangles. Then glue the ears onto the top of the tube (or to the inside of the tube at the top) so they stick up. If you already bent ear points from the tube itself, you can just add a bit of pink onto those or leave as is.
   
5. Glue on two eyes. You can use googly eyes or cut two small yellow circles or almond shapes (cat’s eyes) from paper and draw black slits on them for pupils, then glue those on for a more cat-like look.
   
6. Glue the pink oval nose onto the middle of the tube under the eyes. Draw a little cat's mouth (two curves) coming down from the nose with a black marker. Also, draw some whiskers with a silver pen or white crayon, or glue on a few short, thin strips of paper as whiskers.
   
7. Finally, glue or tape the curled black paper tail to the back lower part of the tube. You can tape one end inside the tube so that the tail extends out and curls.
   
8. Let everything dry. Your toilet paper roll black cat is finished. It looks adorable and is a great re-use craft (from trash to treasure). Each cat can be as unique as your child – try making different colors or expressions. Trim a piece of the tube to make a twirly tail for the cat... and there you have a cute Halloween!
   

Toilet Paper Roll Ghost

Another toilet roll transformation: a spooky ghost! This might be the simplest of the tube crafts since ghosts are basically white and a face.

But we can add some flair by cutting the bottom to have trailing “ghostly tails” or adding tissue for a flowing effect.

It’s quick, easy, and perfect if you have lots of tubes to use up.

Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll
  
• White paint (or wrap in white paper)
  
• Black marker or black paper (for face)
  
• White tissue paper or crepe streamers (optional for extra tail)
  
• Scissors, glue

Directions:

1. Paint the cardboard tube entirely white and let it dry. If you prefer not to paint, you can wrap it with white paper and glue it. But paint gives that solid ghostly look.
   
2. Once dry, decide if you want to fringe the bottom. You can cut small slits all around one end of the tube to create “strips” that you can then bend outward slightly or even tear a little to look tattered. This gives the ghost a wispy bottom. (This is optional; you can also glue some long strips of white tissue or crepe paper inside the bottom to hang down as a trailing ghost tail.)
   
3. Using a black marker, draw two oval eyes and an oval mouth on the tube near the top. Give the eyes a slight droopy shape for a friendly ghost, or big, round eyes for a surprised “BOO” ghost. The mouth can be a little “O” shape. If you prefer, cut out eyes and a mouth from black paper and glue them on.
   
4. If you want arms, you could cut two white paper arms (kind of blob-shaped since ghosts have flowing arms) and glue them to the sides of the tube. But many toilet roll ghosts don’t need arms – up to you.
   
5. If you added tissue paper strips for a tail, ensure they’re glued inside one end and are long enough to flutter. If you fringed the tube itself, maybe gently bend out alternating flaps for a raggedy look.
   
6. That’s it! Your toilet paper roll ghost is ready to haunt (lightly). This is an easy craft for even very young kids – they can paint the tube and stick on eyes. Make a bunch and have a little ghost family. You might even put them on a string to hang or set them up along a table.
   

Toilet Paper Roll Witch

Create a miniature witch from a cardboard roll – complete with a pointy hat and broom.

This craft has a few parts, so it’s great for slightly older kids who enjoy a tiny bit of assembly.

The result is a cute witch that can stand on its own.

Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll
  
• Green paint (or green paper)
  
• Black construction paper (for hat and dress)
  
• Purple or orange paper (for hat band and details)
  
• Yarn (for hair) – green, purple, or any color
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Black marker
  
• Scissors, glue, tape

Directions:

1. Paint the tube green (for the witch’s face) and let it dry. Alternatively, wrap the tube in green paper and glue it.
   
2. Make the witch’s hat by cutting a circle of black paper about 3 inches in diameter (brim) and a separate black cone (a triangle you roll into a cone). To form the cone, cut a quarter of a circle (like a pie slice shape) out of black paper and shape it into a cone, gluing the edge. Tape or glue the cone to the center of the brim circle. You now have a tiny witch hat. Add a strip of purple or orange paper around the base of the cone as a hat band. Set aside.
   
3. Cut a strip of black paper long enough to wrap around the tube for the witch’s dress/cloak, about half the height of the tube tall. You can cut a little zigzag or fringe at the bottom of this strip to look like a tattered dress hem. Glue or tape this around the bottom half of the tube (this gives the appearance that she’s wearing a black outfit).
   
4. For hair, cut yarn into strands about 4 inches long. Use any color you like – traditional witches might have black hair, but neon green or purple can be fun. Glue a bunch of yarn strands just inside the top of the tube or on the back of the head area so that they hang down. You don’t need to cover the whole head since the hat will sit on top, but make sure some hair sticks out from under the hat on the sides.
   
5. Glue on googly eyes on the green face area of the tube. Draw a nose (maybe a long witchy nose with a wart – a black marker dot can be a wart). Draw a smiling or frowning mouth. Add a little line on the cheek or under eye for a wrinkle if you want an old witch.
   
6. Place the hat on top of the tube. You can tape it from the inside of the hat to the tube to secure it, or glue it on the yarn/hair. Tilt it at a slight angle for a jaunty look.
   
7. Optionally, make a tiny broom: take a short twig or just a toothpick or craft stick as a handle, and cut thin strips of paper or yarn and glue around one end for bristles. The witch can hold it or it can just be placed next to her. (Attach it with a dab of glue to her “side” if you want it fixed in place.)
   
8. Your toilet paper roll witch is done. She’s adorable and ready to cast spells alongside your other toilet roll creatures. This craft uses a lot of simple shapes and assembly – kids practice painting, cutting, wrapping, and gluing, ending up with a fun toy. Hocus pocus! You have a mini witch.
   

Toilet Paper Roll Monster

Let your imagination run wild by making a one-of-a-kind monster from a TP roll.

This craft has no “right way” – the idea is to use a cardboard tube as the monster’s body and decorate it with any features you can think of.

Three eyes? Sure. Seven legs made of straws? Go for it.

It’s a great creative exercise, and no two monsters will be the same.

Here’s a simple approach for a basic silly monster to get you started.

Supplies:

• Toilet paper roll
  
• Paint (any color you like)
  
• Construction paper in various colors
  
• Googly eyes (multiple sizes if possible)
  
• Pipe cleaners or straws (for arms/legs, optional)
  
• Pom-poms, stickers, glitter (optional embellishments)
  
• Scissors, glue, tape

Directions:

1. Paint the tube in your monster’s base color and let it dry. You could also wrap it in colored paper. Maybe your monster is blue, green, or neon orange – any color works.
   
2. Decide on the number of eyes. Glue on googly eyes directly to the tube. You could do one big cyclops eye, two normal eyes, or five all around the head! If you have different sizes of eyes, mix and match for a goofy look. If no googly eyes, cut circles from paper and draw pupils to make eyes.
   
3. Add a mouth. Cut a strip of paper into a mouth shape (could be a smile, or big, sharp teeth, etc.). An easy way: cut a small rectangle of white paper and then cut a zigzag on one long side to make teeth. Glue that on as an open mouth with teeth. Or draw a mouth with a marker – maybe with a long tongue hanging out (cut from red paper).
   
4. Give your monster some hair or horns. You can cut horns from paper (triangles or curved horn shapes) and glue them to the top, or use half a pipe cleaner poked through to make curly horns. For hair, glue some pom-poms on top or fringe-cut some paper and tape it inside the top of the tube, like we did with yarn for the witch. Wild colors encouraged!
   
5. Arms and legs: Totally optional, but you can poke two holes (one on each side) for arms. Insert a half pipe cleaner in each to make bendy arms, or even stick lollipop sticks as rigid arms. Glue a small paper hand or claw at the end if you want. For legs, you can leave the monster legless (tube monsters stand well) or glue on paper legs/feet at the bottom. Your monster could even have eight legs like a spider – cut skinny strips of paper and glue them around the base.
   
6. Decorate the body with spots, stripes, or fur. Cut small shapes from different colored paper and glue them on as polka dots or stripes. Stickers work too. Add glitter glue for a sparkly monster, or draw patterns with markers.
   
7. Basically, have fun and be creative. Once all parts are attached and dry, your toilet paper roll monster is complete! Maybe give it a funny name. Kids will often create a whole backstory for their unique monster. Display these proudly – they show off your child’s creativity and resourcefulness in using recycled materials.

Egg Carton Spiders

Don’t throw out that empty egg carton! The cups of a cardboard egg carton make perfect little spider bodies.

By adding pipe cleaner legs, you can create a whole family of spiders that are great for decorating tabletops or hanging from webs.

This is a classic Halloween craft for young kids – simple, inexpensive, and it results in adorably creepy spiders.

Supplies:

• Cardboard egg carton (an empty dozen carton)
  
• Black paint (or any color for silly spiders)
  
• Black pipe cleaners (4 per spider)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue (and a thumbtack or sharp pencil for poking holes)
  

Directions:

1. Cut out individual cups from the egg carton. You might need an adult to help cut them apart with strong scissors. Each section (cup) will be one spider’s body. Trim the edges of each cup so it’s neat and somewhat even (doesn’t have to be perfect).
   
2. Paint the outside of each egg carton cup black and let it dry. You can also do different colors for fun – maybe a purple spider or an orange spider. (If the carton is styrofoam, use markers instead of paint, or cover with paper, as paint might not stick well. But cardboard works best.)
   
3. Once the paint is dry, use a thumbtack or sharpened pencil to poke 4 small holes on each side of the cup (a total of 8 holes, 4 on each side). These are for the spider’s legs. Space them out along the bottom edge of the cup’s sides.
   
4. Take black pipe cleaners and cut them in half (if using standard length) or into quarters if you want shorter legs. Each spider needs 4 pipe cleaner pieces (because each piece will become two legs, one on each side).
   
5. Push a pipe cleaner piece through one hole and out the corresponding hole on the opposite side of the cup. This makes two legs at once – one end sticking out on each side. Center the pipe cleaner so the legs on both sides are equal length, then bend each sticking-out end downward to form an “L” shape (the bend looks like the knee of the spider’s leg). Do this for all 4 pipe cleaners, filling all the leg holes. Now your spider should have 8 legs (4 on each side). Adjust the legs as needed so the spider stands or looks how you like. You can bend the feet or make the spider crouch.
   
6. Glue on two googly eyes on the front of the spider’s body (the egg cup). You can use small or large eyes, or even multiple eyes if you want a more realistic spider (some spiders have lots of eyes!). If no googly eyes, use white paint or paper dots and draw black pupils.
   
7. Let everything dry or set. Now you have an egg carton spider. These spiders are lightweight and fun. You can place them on fake spiderwebs for decoration or tie a string on top and hang them so they dangle. They’re not too scary and perfect for preschool crafters. Plus, this craft shows how to recycle materials into something totally new – turning an egg carton into a creepy crawly friend.
   

Egg Carton Bats

Similar to the spiders, a section of an egg carton can become a cute little bat.

With a bit of clever cutting, you’ll use three connected cups to form a bat with wings.

It’s a neat little decoration that can be painted and hung up. Kids will love making a bat that looks ready to take flight with outstretched wings.

Supplies:

• Cardboard egg carton
  
• Black paint
  
• Black construction paper (optional, for ears)
  
• Googly eyes or white paint (for eyes)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue
  
• Thread or string for hanging (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut out a section of the egg carton that includes 3 cups in a row (in the 12-count carton, cut the middle row of 3, or any 3 connected cups). Trim off the excess cardboard so you have three cups attached side by side in a strip. The middle cup will be the bat’s body, and the two side cups are the wings.
   
2. Trim the two end cups so they resemble wings: you can cut a scallop or a zigzag on the bottom edge of those end cups to look like the curved edge of bat wings. Essentially, round them a bit and maybe cut out a small triangle section to imply wing shape. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – once painted, it’ll give the impression of wings.
   
3. Paint this whole triple-cup piece black, inside and out. Let it dry thoroughly. Now it already looks a bit like a bat with wings spread (the cups kind of give dimension).
   
4. Take black construction paper and cut two small triangles for ears. Glue these to the top of the middle cup (the bat’s head) – you may have to hold them in place a moment for the glue to set, or cut a small slit in the cup and insert the base of the triangle with a dab of glue.
   
5. Glue on two googly eyes on the front of the middle cup (below the ears). If no googly eyes, you can dot on eyes with white paint or use a white marker. A tiny dot of black in the center of each will make them stand out.
   
6. Draw or paint a small mouth or fangs on the bat if desired. A couple of white triangles on the edge of the cup make cute fangs.
   
7. Once everything is dry and secure, you can hang your egg carton bat. Poke a small hole in the top of the middle cup, tie a thread through it, and suspend the bat from a ceiling, doorway, or mobile. It will look like a little bat hovering in mid-flight. These also sit nicely on a table or along a shelf. Making a bat’s wings from colorful fall leaves or other materials could be an alternative, but the carton shape itself works great for a quick bat craft.
   

Egg Carton Mini Pumpkins

Egg cartons can also yield tiny “pumpkins” that are perfect for a Halloween or fall display.

By using individual cups as pumpkin shapes and painting them orange, you get mini pumpkins that kids can decorate with faces or use as table decor.

They’re like mini Jack-o’-lanterns that won’t rot!

Supplies:

• Cardboard egg carton
  
• Orange paint
  
• Green pipe cleaner or green paper (for stem/vine)
  
• Black marker or paint (for faces, optional)
  
• Scissors
  
• Toothpick or skewer (to poke a hole, optional)

Directions:

1. Cut out individual cups from the egg carton for each mini pumpkin you want to make. Trim the edges to be relatively even (they can be a bit wavy like a pumpkin’s natural grooves).
   
2. Paint the outside of each cup orange. It may need two coats if the carton color shows through. Let them dry completely. Now they already look like little hollow pumpkins.
   
3. If you want to add a stem, use a green pipe cleaner. Poke a small hole in the center of the top of the carton cup (you might use a toothpick or sharp pencil to start the hole). Insert one end of a short piece of green pipe cleaner into the hole and fold it inside the cup to secure (you can tape it inside). The bit sticking out should look like a short pumpkin stem. You can even curl it a little to mimic a vine. If you don’t have pipe cleaners, a small rolled bit of green paper glued on top works too.
   
4. Now you have plain pumpkins. You can leave them as is for a fall harvest look, or turn them into Jack-o’-lanterns. To do that, take a black marker or a bit of black paint and draw faces on one side of each orange cup. Triangles for eyes and nose, and a toothy grin or circle for mouth – whatever jack-o’-lantern face the child likes. Since the cups are small, the faces will be small and cute.
   
5. Let any marker or paint set. Your egg carton mini pumpkins are done! Arrange them on some fake fall leaves as a centerpiece, or line them up on a windowsill. If you made faces, they look like a bunch of tiny jack-o’-lanterns ready to celebrate. This craft is quick and satisfying – it’s fun to see a normally mundane item become a pumpkin patch crafted by your kids.

Cardboard Tombstones

RIP to boring crafts, turn a piece of cardboard into mini graveyard tombstones!

Using some recycled cardboard (from a cereal box or shipping box), kids can cut out tombstone shapes and decorate them.

Stick them in the yard for a mini graveyard scene (if weather permits) or use them indoors for a spooky atmosphere.

They’re easy to make and customize with funny names or sayings (like “Boo” or “R.I.P.”).

Supplies:

• Cardboard (from a box or thick cardstock)
  
• Gray paint (or black and white to mix)
  
• Scissors
  
• Black marker
  
• Optional: wooden popsicle sticks or skewers (to stake them into the ground or a base)
  
• Optional: moss or green paint (for a weathered look)

Directions:

1. Cut out tombstone shapes from cardboard. These can be simple rectangles with a rounded top, or crosses, or fancier arch shapes. Keep them about 4–6 inches tall if you want a small graveyard craft, or bigger if you have more cardboard and ambition. A cereal box cardboard works fine for smaller ones (easier for kids to cut), whereas shipping cardboard is sturdier for larger tombstones.
   
2. Paint the tombstones gray. Mix a little black and white paint to get a nice tombstone gray if you don’t have gray ready. Paint both sides if they’ll be seen, but at least the front. While the gray is still wet, you can dab a tiny bit of green or black here and there to give a mottled, aged stone effect. Let dry.
   
3. With a black marker, write funny or classic tombstone messages. For example: “R.I.P.” at the top, or “Boo!” or silly names like “Al B. Back” or “Ima Goner” – whatever is age-appropriate and fun. Or keep it simple with “RIP” and some crosses or skull drawings. Kids might draw a spider or bat on it too.
   
4. If you have some fake moss (from a craft store or floral section) or even dried grass, glue a bit around the base or on a corner of the tombstone to make it look old and overgrown. This is optional but gives a neat effect. You can also sponge a bit of darker paint around edges to age it.
   
5. To display, you can tape or glue a popsicle stick to the back bottom as a stake and stick it into the ground of a potted plant or yard (if the ground is soft) to simulate a graveyard. Or make a base: plasticine or a piece of styrofoam to stick them in for a tabletop graveyard. Indoors, they can just be leaned against something or hot glued to a base.
   
6. Now you have cardboard tombstones! Arrange a few together and you’ve got a mini graveyard scene. This craft is a great way to use cardboard and get creative with writing and humor for older kids, while younger ones just enjoy painting and a spooky outcome.

Cardboard Haunted House

Build your own haunted house from an old cereal box or any cardboard box.

This craft can be as simple or elaborate as you like.

Essentially, you’ll cut out the silhouette of a house with windows and doors, then decorate it.

It stands up on its own if you use the box’s folds, making it a cool 3D decoration or playset.

It’s like creating a mini dollhouse for ghosts!

Supplies:

• Empty cereal box or similar cardboard box (thin cardboard)
  
• Black paint (or black paper to cover)
  
• Yellow tissue paper or construction paper (for windows)
  
• Scissors and craft knife (adult help for cutting windows)
  
• Glue or tape
  
• Markers or stickers for details

Directions:

1. Open your cereal box completely so it lies flat, with the printed side down (inside facing you). You’ll use the large rectangular panels to form the front and back of the house. If it’s a small cereal box, it might just be one house front. If larger, you could make a foldable 3D house. For simplicity, we’ll do a single façade.
   
2. Draw a haunted house outline on the cardboard. Include a roof (pointy or maybe multiple roof peaks for a spooky look) and maybe a chimney. Use the whole length of the box panel to make it tall. Draw some window shapes and a door on the house. Make some windows crooked or arched for character.
   
3. Carefully cut out the house shape. Also, cut out the windows and door – an adult can use a craft knife for clean cuts, or you can simply paint them on later instead of cutting. If cutting: remove the entire window sections (to leave holes) and either cut the door out on three sides so it can swing open like a flap, or remove it entirely as a hole if you plan something behind it.
   
4. Paint the entire house front black (or dark gray) on the front side. Alternatively, cover it with black paper by gluing it on. If you cut windows/doors, avoid getting paint in the openings too much. Let dry.
   
5. Cut pieces of yellow tissue or paper slightly larger than each window hole. Tape or glue these to the back of the house, covering the windows, to look like the house is lit inside. If the door was cut out and removed, leave it open or tape one side so it can still hinge. If you left a door flap, you can glue tissue behind it or leave it dark for a gaping entrance.
   
6. Now add details: Draw crooked boards, spider webs, cracks, or a ghost peeking out of a window. You might draw a doorknob or “KEEP OUT” sign on the door. If you have Halloween stickers (like bats or ghosts), stick them on. You could cut out a paper ghost or cat and glue it peeking from a window. Get creative making it spooky or even silly.
   
7. To help it stand, you can use the remaining box pieces: cut out a strip of cardboard, fold it into an L shape, and tape one side to the back of the house and the other flat on the table as a stand (like a picture frame easel back). If you made a 3D shape using the whole box, you can fold it into a house shape that stands on its own (this is more complex).
   
8. Your cardboard haunted house is done. It looks great as a backdrop for small toys or just as a decoration on a shelf. Kids might even want to shine a flashlight behind it in a dark room to see the windows glow, its an instant spooky atmosphere! This craft really lets them take the lead on design, and it uses up that old cereal box in a fun way.

Cardboard Halloween Mask

Make a durable Halloween mask out of cardboard, perfect for dress-up play.

While paper plate masks are quick, a cardboard mask lasts longer and can be more detailed.

Kids can create a skull, pumpkin, or any creature mask. They’ll decorate the cardboard and then proudly wear their custom costume piece

(Remember, this is a craft mask, not intended for full vision impairment use in public without supervision.)

Supplies:

• Cardboard from a shipping box or poster board
  
• Pencil and scissors (adult help for cutting eye holes)
  
• Paint or markers
  
• Elastic string or ribbon
  
• Hole punch or sharp pencil (for string holes)

Directions:

1. Draw the outline of your mask on the cardboard. It should be larger than the child’s face (to cover it). Popular choices: a pumpkin shape (circle with a stem), a skull (circle with slight jaw shape), or an animal like a cat or bat (include ears). For simplicity, let’s say we make a jack-o’-lantern mask.
   
2. Mark where the eye holes should go by holding it up to the child’s face and marking roughly at their eyes. Draw two eye holes (they can be triangles if doing a jack-o’-lantern for example, or ovals). Also mark a mouth if you want a hole for the mouth (jack-o’-lantern might have a mouth shape cut out). If doing a skull, you’d cut out larger eye sockets and maybe a nose hole. If it’s an animal, you might not cut a mouth, just eyes and maybe whisker holes for breathing if it covers nose/mouth.
   
3. Cut out the mask shape and the eye holes (and other holes). Use scissors carefully or a craft knife (adult does this). Sand or smooth any rough edges if needed with a bit of sandpaper or just by rubbing another piece of cardboard on it.
   
4. Now decorate the mask. Paint it orange if it’s a pumpkin. Once dry, you can paint on or draw a jack-o’-lantern face around the eye holes (which might double as the eyes of the pumpkin) and mouth. Add details like green around the stem, some curved lines for pumpkin grooves, etc. For a skull, paint it white and add black around the eye holes to enlarge them, paint a triangular nose, and teeth on the mouth area. For a cat, paint it black, add a pink nose (but leave eyes as cutouts), whiskers drawn on, etc. Use markers for fine details if needed. Kids can use whatever they have – paint, crayons, stickers – to create a super scary or silly mask.
   
5. Let everything dry completely if painted.
   
6. Punch a hole on each side near the ear area. Tie a length of elastic string through the holes. Make sure the elastic is measured to fit snugly but comfortably around the child’s head. (If you don’t have elastic, you can use ribbon to tie the mask on, one ribbon through each hole that you tie behind the head.)
   
7. Try on the cardboard mask! Adjust as necessary (for comfort or vision). Now the child has a piece of costume they made themselves. They should be supervised while wearing it, especially if it covers the eyes at all; ensure they can see well out of the eye holes. Mostly these are great for photo ops or brief wear since they are a bit stiff. But kids love role-playing with something sturdy they created. Display it on the wall when not in use – it’s art and costume in one!
   

Cardboard Monster Face Craft

Let’s make a big, goofy monster face out of cardboard that you can hang up as a decoration.

This is like creating your own monster head, it could be friendly or scary. Use a piece of cardboard as your canvas and add eyes, horns, etc.

This is a great group craft too, where each child designs a monster and you end up with a whole monster gallery.

Supplies:

• Cardboard (cut a rectangle or any shape, around letter paper size or larger)
  
• Construction paper scraps or paint
  
• Egg carton pieces or bottle caps (for eyes, optional 3D elements)
  
• Glue, scissors
  
• Markers
  
• Pipe cleaners or straws (for antennas, etc., optional)

Directions:

1. Start with a flat piece of cardboard as the background for the face. Decide on the general shape of your monster’s face – is it round, oval, blob-shaped? You can cut the cardboard to a shape or leave it rectangular.
   
2. If you want, paint the cardboard a base color for your monster’s skin (e.g., green, blue, purple) and let it dry. Or cover it with construction paper. Alternatively, you can leave the cardboard brown and just decorate on top of it for a rustic monster look.
   
3. Now add features. For eyes, you have lots of options: draw big eyes with markers or paint; cut out circles of paper and glue them; or for a fun 3D touch, use egg carton cups (each cup painted white can be an eyeball – draw a black pupil inside) or bottle caps with paper pupils inside. Glue your eyes onto the board. Give your monster as many eyes as you want and place them in funny arrangements (one in the middle, three in a row, etc.). Monsters can have any number of eyes, which makes this craft extra fun!
   
4. Make a nose and mouth. You can cut a large goofy grin out of paper and glue it on, or draw a mouth with big teeth. For teeth, cutting triangles of white paper and gluing along the top of the mouth gives a great effect of sharp teeth. Maybe your monster has lips – cut those from red paper. Noses can be as simple as a triangle or oval of paper, or a bottle cap, or even a pom-pom. Glue them on.
   
5. Add extra features: perhaps your monster has horns (cut from cardstock or foam and glued on top), or ears. Maybe crazy hair – glue down some yarn or paper strips for hair. If you have pipe cleaners, stick them through the cardboard or tape them on to make wiggly antennas or tentacles coming off the face. Spots or stripes can be added with paper cut-outs or paint. Encourage creativity: one monster might have droopy ears and one horn, another has 4 eyes and spikes on its chin.
   
6. Use markers to outline or add detail, like dots on the cheeks, eyebrows above the eyes (a unibrow?), or stitches and warts. There’s no wrong way to decorate a monster.
   
7. Let all glue dry. Attach a string to the top of the cardboard (tape or punch holes) for hanging, if desired. Now display your cardboard monster face. It’s a fantastic decoration for Halloween and a conversation piece. Plus, it’s made from recycled materials and imagination! Each monster face will be totally unique and show the child’s personality.

Pipe Cleaner Crafts

Pipe cleaners are one of the most versatile craft supplies – bendy, fuzzy, and fun!

They’re cheap, easy to find, and bend into just about any shape your kids can dream up.

For Halloween, that means we can twist them into spiders, skeletons, pumpkins, and more. The best part?

Pipe cleaner crafts require very little else – maybe some beads or googly eyes – and they’re virtually mess-free.

These crafts are great for all ages: little ones practice fine motor skills, twisting, and older kids can get quite detailed.

Here are some spooky and silly pipe cleaner crafts to try.

Pipe Cleaner BOO Sign

Make a colorful “BOO” sign out of nothing but pipe cleaners!

This craft lets kids practice forming letters by twisting pipe cleaners together.

You’ll end up with a lightweight decoration you can hang on a door or wall, perfect for adding some not-too-spooky flair.

Supplies:

• Pipe cleaners (choose 3–4 colors you like; e.g., orange, purple, black for Halloween)
  
• String or ribbon (if you want to hang it)
  
• Scissors (optional, for trimming)
  

Directions:

1. Decide what colors you want each letter to be. You might use orange for B, black for O’s, or even make each letter multicolored by twisting two colors together.
   
2. To make the letter B: Take 2–3 pipe cleaners and twist them together to form one thick pipe cleaner (this makes the letter sturdier and more visible). Bend this into the shape of a capital “B”. It might help to first make a straight spine and then form two loops for the bumps of the B. Adjust until it looks right.
   
3. For the first O: Again, twist 2 pipe cleaners together if you want a thicker line. Form a circle about the same height as the B. Overlap the ends and twist them to close the circle. Shape it nicely round (or a little oval, that’s fine too).
   
4. Make the second O the same way. Try to keep it similar in size to the first O. If you have different colors, maybe alternate colors (like black first O, purple second O, etc.).
   
5. Now attach the letters: Spell “BOO”. Attach the O’s to the B by twisting a small end of the pipe cleaner from the B around the O, or use an extra small piece of pipe cleaner as a connector between each letter (just wrap it around both). Ensure they are connected firmly so the word is one piece.
   
6. Once connected, check if it’s balanced. If you plan to hang it, find the top center (maybe the top of the B and second O) and tie a piece of string there as a hanger.
   Your pipe cleaner “BOO” sign is ready to display! It’s colorful, fuzzy, and clearly shouts “BOO.” You can hang it on a doorknob, wall, or in a window.

Your pipe cleaner “BOO” sign is ready to display! It’s colorful, fuzzy, and clearly shouts “BOO.” You can hang it on a doorknob, wall, or in a window.

Pipe Cleaner Skeleton

Bend and twist pipe cleaners to create a mini skeleton figure.

Kids will love twisting pipe cleaners into a spooky skeleton shape that they can pose or hang as a decoration.

It’s almost like making a stick figure person out of pipe cleaners, with a Halloween twist.

Supplies:

• White pipe cleaners (around 5-6) or you can use black for a silhouette skeleton
  
• Black marker (for drawing face)
  
• String (to hang as a decoration, optional)
  

Directions:

1. Take one pipe cleaner and create the torso and head: Find the midpoint of the pipe cleaner and twist it to create a small loop (this will be the skull). Below the loop, there will be two long ends, twist those together a few times just under the loop to form a “neck” and the upper spine. This combined section below the head will be the torso.
   
2. Form the arms: Take a second pipe cleaner and cut it in half (or use a whole one if you want long arms). Twist the middle of that half around the “neck” or top of torso so that the two halves stick out as arms from the sides. Bend the ends of each arm to make a little hand or just leave them as is. If too long, you can fold the excess back. Now the figure has arms attached to the torso.
   
3. Form the spine and legs: Continue with the first pipe cleaner (torso one) – after the arms, twist it down a bit more to secure the arms in place, then split the two ends to form legs. If your initial pipe cleaner isn’t long enough for good legs, twist a new pipe cleaner onto it at the base of torso to add length. Bend each leg end to form feet.
   
4. You now have a basic stick figure: head loop, arms, torso, legs. To add a bit more skeletal look, you can add another short pipe cleaner across the middle as “ribs” – take a small piece, lay it across the torso and twist the ends around to secure (forming an equals sign = shape through the torso).
   
5. For the skull: You can leave the loop as is or shape it a bit more round. Take a black marker and draw two eyes and maybe a tiny triangle nose on the loop (the pipe cleaner fuzz will take marker enough to show a dot). Draw a little series of vertical dashes for the mouth (to look like teeth). It’s a cartoony face, but it works.
   
6. Adjust the limbs and body – bend the elbows, knees if you want. The pipe cleaner skeleton can be posed gently. If you make a few, you can string them together into a garland or hang individually.
   

Your pipe cleaner skeleton is complete! Kids can make a “whole crew” of them and even string them into a garland for an easy decoration.

It’s a fantastic low-mess craft that really captures Halloween spirit.

Pipe Cleaner Spiderweb

Craft a delicate spiderweb using just pipe cleaners, no web fluid needed! This web can be made flat and hung in a window or on a wall.

Adding a little spider on it completes the scene. This is a very flexible craft, your web can be as simple or complex as you like.

Supplies:

• White or silver pipe cleaners (about 6 or more for a larger web)
  
• Black pipe cleaner (1 for the spider)
  
• Small pom-pom or bead (for spider body, optional)
  
• Googly eyes (optional, for spider)
  
• Thread (if hanging the web)
  

Directions:

1. Make a plus (+) sign with two pipe cleaners: lay one over the other, crossing at the center. Twist them together once at the crossing point to secure. Then add a third pipe cleaner crossing them (like an X over the +, to make a star shape of six spokes). Twist the third one onto the others at the center as well. If you want an even more filled web, you can add one more diagonal, but 6 spokes is usually enough. Spread them out somewhat evenly, these are the web’s radial supports.
   
2. Now, take another pipe cleaner (or two twisted together if you want a thicker web line) to form the spiral web. Start near the center: loop the pipe cleaner around one spoke near the center, then move to the next spoke, wrap around it, then to the next, wrapping as you go, working in a spiral outward. Since pipe cleaners may not be long enough to go all the way out, when you run out, twist on a new one and keep going.
   
3. Continue weaving the pipe cleaner around each successive spoke, spiraling outward. The gaps between where you attach it on each spoke will naturally widen as you go outward. Keep the tension so the web holds shape but not so tight it pulls the spokes together too much.
   
4. When you reach near the ends of the spokes, secure the end of your spiral by twisting it on a spoke. If any spokes are too long or sticking out, you can bend them or trim them. You should now see a spiderweb pattern. Gently adjust the spacing if needed by nudging the loops.
   
5. To make a spider, take a black pipe cleaner and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Twist them together at their center points; now you have 8 legs sticking out (like we did for the pipe cleaner spider craft below but smaller). If you have a small pom-pom or bead, glue it at the center as the spider’s body (with the legs extending). Glue on googly eyes on the body or just leave as is. Bend the legs to look spidery.
   
6. Attach the spider to the web: you can just hook it by bending one leg around a web strand, or use a bit of thread or another small piece of pipe cleaner to tie it on.

Now you have a pipe cleaner spiderweb complete with spider. Hang it up by tying a thread to one of the outer points of the web.

It looks great in a window or on a wall, and it’s super lightweight. Who would guess it started with a few simple twists of pipe cleaners?

Pipe Cleaner Spider

Make a classic Halloween spider using pipe cleaners for legs and a fuzzy pom-pom or balled pipe cleaner for the body.

This craft is quick and gives kids a creepy crawly friend to play with or decorate the house. Nothing says Halloween like a creepy crawly spider!

Supplies:

• 4 black pipe cleaners (for 8 legs)
  
• 1 large black pom-pom (for body) or a black foam ball or even crumpled foil covered with black fabric
  
• Googly eyes (optional)
  
• Glue (hot glue works best for pom-pom, with adult help)
  

Directions:

1. Take the 4 pipe cleaners and line them up evenly. Hold them together and twist right in the center a couple of times so they all bind together at that middle point. Now you have a bundle that, when spread out, gives 8 legs (4 on each side).
   
2. Spread the pipe cleaner legs out: 4 to the left, 4 to the right, like an 8-legged starburst. Bend each leg at the “knee” (about halfway down each leg) to form an L-shape. Then bend a small tip at the end of each as a foot. Now the spider legs should allow it to stand or at least look articulated.
   
3. Take your big pom-pom – this will be the spider’s body. If the pom-pom is very large, it can be the entire body. If you have a slightly smaller pom-pom, you could use two.
   
4. Apply glue to the center of the legs (where you twisted them) and press the pom-pom onto it. Alternatively, you can tie the pom-pom on with a piece of thread or even use another short pipe cleaner to lash it onto the leg bundle by wrapping around.
   
5. Once the body is attached and glue is dry, flip your spider upright (pom on top, legs down). Glue on a couple of googly eyes on the pom-pom. If you want, add more eyes – spiders often have multiple eyes. If you have no googly eyes, use tiny bits of white paper or just leave it to imagination.
   

Your pipe cleaner spider is ready! Because of the pipe cleaner construction, you can gently adjust the legs so it stands or even clings to things.

Let your kids scatter their spiders around the house, on tables, in fake webs, or peeking from a shelf.

Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkin

Combine pipe cleaners and beads to make cute mini pumpkins.

This is a fantastic fine motor activity for young kids, threading beads on a pipe cleaner, and the result is a plump little 3D pumpkin that can be used as decor or even strung into a garland.

Supplies:

• Orange pipe cleaners (2 per pumpkin)
  
• Orange pony beads (a handful per pumpkin)
  
• Green pipe cleaner (⅓ of one for a stem/vine)
  
• Scissors (to cut pipe cleaner if needed)
  

Directions:

1. Take one orange pipe cleaner and fold it in half. Open it back up slightly, at the bent midpoint, twist it once or twice to create a small loop. This loop will serve as a stop so beads don’t fall off the other end, and it will also be the bottom of the pumpkin.
   
2. Thread orange beads onto both ends of the pipe cleaner. Fill each side with beads – leave about ½ inch of pipe cleaner uncovered at each end. (You’ll likely fit maybe 8-10 beads on each side depending on pipe cleaner length and bead size.) The beads will meet at the bottom loop and eventually at the top when we form the circle.
   
3. Now bring the two beaded ends together and twist them together tightly near the ends of the beads, forming a ring full of beads. Essentially, you’ve made a beaded circle or oval (it might look more like a peanut shape initially). This is the pumpkin’s body – a ring of beads.
   
4. To give the pumpkin a 3D shape, take the second orange pipe cleaner. Twist one end of it around the twisted part of the ring (the top) to anchor it, then stretch it to the opposite side (the bottom loop) and push it through the center of the pumpkin to the bottom. Loop it around the bottom loop to anchor there, then come back up through the center to the top again. Do this a couple of times around, bending the pipe cleaner each time through to form the ribs. cut or twist off excess.
   
5. For the stem, cut a small piece of green pipe cleaner (about 2 inches). Stick it through the top of the pumpkin (through that original twisted area) so it’s halfway through. Twist it onto itself so it’s secured. Then curl the top part of it around a pencil or finger to make a curly vine or bend it to look like a stem.

Now you have a beaded pipe cleaner pumpkin.

Make a bunch and place them in a bowl for a centerpiece, or string them on yarn to make a pumpkin garland.

They also make nice little “fidget” toys to handle because of the texture of beads.

Pipe Cleaner Witch’s Broomstick

Whip up a mini witch broomstick with just a few twists.

This craft is simple but yields a charming little broom that could accompany a small witch figure or be used as a decoration on its own. Turn pipe cleaners into mini broomsticks with just a few twists!

Supplies:

• Brown pipe cleaner (or a natural twig, see step 5 for alternative)
  
• Tan or yellow pipe cleaners (2 for bristles)
  
• Scissors
  

Directions:

1. Take one tan (light brown or yellow) pipe cleaner and cut it in half. These will become the bristles. Take another and also cut in half (depending on how full you want the broom). Align all these short pieces together. So you have 4 shorter pipe cleaners in a bundle, hold them together by their middles.
   
2. Now, take the brown pipe cleaner (full length). This will be the broomstick handle. Lay the bundle of bristle pieces across one end of the brown pipe cleaner, about an inch from the end of the brown. Wrap that inch of brown around the middle of the bundle tightly and start twisting to secure the bristles onto the “stick.” Essentially you’re tying the bristles onto the handle by coiling the handle around them a couple of times.
   
3. Fold the bristles downward so they cluster at one end of the brown handle (like how a real broom’s bristles fan out from the stick at one end). Now use the remaining length of the brown pipe cleaner to wrap around the top of the bristles (where they meet the stick) a few more times, binding them firmly. This looks like the cord that ties real broom straw. It also secures everything.
   
4. After a few wraps, if you have extra length of brown remaining, just straighten it out upward, that’s the rest of the broom handle. Trim the bristles ends if needed to even them out.
   

You have a mini pipe cleaner witch’s broomstick!

You can make these for mini witch figurines or even use a bunch as cupcake toppers or place settings for a party.

These make a great stand-alone craft or the perfect prop for tiny Halloween figurines.

Straw-Bead Pumpkin (Pipe Cleaner and Straw Craft)

This craft combines pipe cleaners and cut pieces of drinking straws to create textured little pumpkins.

It’s similar to the beaded pumpkin, but using pieces of straw as beads.

The varying texture makes a cool sensory element, and threading straws onto pipe cleaners is a fantastic fine motor challenge for preschoolers.

Supplies:

• Orange plastic drinking straw (or several)
  
• Green pipe cleaner
  
• Scissors
  

Directions:

1. Cut the orange straw into several small pieces (like beads). Each piece can be about ½ inch long. If you have multiple straws, cut them all. These will simulate the ribs of a pumpkin when strung together. (You can also use orange pony beads if no straws, but let’s assume straws for this craft.)
   
2. Take a green pipe cleaner. This will form both the structure of the pumpkin and the stem. String the orange straw pieces onto the pipe cleaner one by one. Stop when you have about 1.5 inches of pipe cleaner left unthreaded at each end (so don’t fill it completely from end to end; leave a bit on both ends). The pipe cleaner might hold 10-15 pieces depending on length.
   
3. Now bend the pipe cleaner into a circle and twist the two ends together tightly to close the loop (the straw pieces will form a ring). You should have a circular loop of pipe cleaner completely covered with straw segments, with perhaps a tiny bit of green showing at the twist.
   
4. Take the loose ends of the pipe cleaner (which are now twisted together as one stub) and curl it upward, this will be the stem. Spiral it or just stick it straight up a half inch then curl the tip, like a vine. You can even wrap it around a pencil for a perfect coil.
   

You now have a straw-bead pumpkin. The straw pieces give it a fun, chunky texture.

These pumpkins are small and great to practice color matching and fine motor skills for little ones while making a cute decoration.

Make a patch of them in various sizes by using longer or shorter pipe cleaners.

Pipe Cleaner Spider Threading Game

This is part craft, part activity.

You’ll create a simple “web” and spider, and then it becomes a little game where kids weave the spider through the web matching colors.

It’s a sneaky way to practice color recognition and fine motor skills while keeping the Halloween theme.

We’ll craft the pieces needed and explain the game.

Supplies:

• Paper plate or foam board (for web base)
  
• Hole punch
  
• Pipe cleaners: one black (spider), and several others in different colors (web threads)
  
• Pony beads in colors matching the web threads
  
• Googly eyes (optional, for spider)
  
• Marker
  

Directions:

1. Prepare the base: Take a paper plate (or piece of foam board, or even sturdy cardboard) and punch a series of holes randomly around it. This will be the frame through which pipe cleaners can be threaded to form a web game. Ensure the holes are big enough for pipe cleaners to go through.
   
2. Create the “web” threads: Choose a few pipe cleaner colors (say red, orange, green, purple). These will eventually be threaded through the holes back and forth. For now, set them aside.
   
3. Make the spider: Take a black pipe cleaner and cut it into four equal pieces (like we did for the previous spider craft). Twist them together at the center so you have 8 legs (4 on each side). Bend the legs so it can stand or so they look spidery. You can glue on a googly eye or two on the center if you want to distinguish a head.
   
4. Make a set of 4 pipe cleaners with different colored beads on each (like red pipe cleaner with red beads, blue with blue beads, etc.). Insert all four into random holes across the plate so they criss-cross. Now the “web” has multi-colored strands (red, blue, etc.). The goal for the child is to take the spider and move it along the strands following color prompts (maybe an adult or another player calls out a color and the child has to move the spider to that color strand and along it). This way they practice identifying the colors and physically threading the spider under/over to that location. This is speculative, but let’s present it as an activity.
   

Now your child can play a spider threading color matching game: call out a color, and they grab the spider and move it along that colored pipe cleaner strand of the web.

Then call out another, and they have to navigate the spider through the web to that next color.

This craft-activity keeps little ones engaged and practicing fine motor skills and color recognition.

Felt Crafts

Soft, fuzzy felt is fantastic for making Halloween crafts that are a bit more tactile.

Even if you don’t sew, many of these can be done with glue (felt usually sticks well with white glue or fabric glue).

These kid-friendly felt projects include puppets, magnets, ornaments, and more, simple projects like felt ghost puppets, pumpkin magnets, or bat ornaments are perfect for little hands.

Felt Ghost Finger Puppet

Make a not-so-spooky ghost that can dance on your fingertip!

This felt finger puppet is very easy, just two pieces of felt glued or stitched together.

Felt ghost puppets are simple to sew or glue and so cute.

Kids can put on a mini ghost puppet show after making them.

Supplies:

• White felt sheet
  
• Black felt scrap (or black fabric paint/marker)
  
• Pencil or chalk (for tracing)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue (fabric glue or hot glue) – or needle & thread if sewing
  
• Optional: googly eyes
  

Directions:

1. Create a ghost template: on paper, draw a ghost shape that’s about 2 inches wide and 3 inches tall, with a rounded top and wavy bottom (basically like the classic bed-sheet ghost shape). Use a finger as a size guide.
   
2. Cut out the paper template and use it to trace two ghost shapes onto the white felt. Use pencil or light chalk so it’s visible. Cut out the two felt ghosts. These will be front and back of the puppet.
   
3. Align the two felt pieces. If you are gluing, run a thin line of glue around the edges, leaving the bottom (the flat or wavy bottom of ghost) unglued – that’s where the finger goes in. Press the edges together and let the glue dry. In a few minutes, you’ll have a little ghost “pocket.”
   
4. Turn your ghost so the nicer side is front. Cut two small circles from black felt (or use googly eyes) for the ghost’s eyes, and a small oval or circle for the mouth (if you want an “O” shaped boo mouth or a smile). Glue these onto the front of the ghost. Alternatively, use black fabric paint or a permanent marker to draw the face.

Now slip your finger into the bottom, your felt ghost finger puppet is ready to haunt! It’s adorably small and perfect for pretend play.

These simple felt ghost puppets are perfect for little hands to create and play with.

Felt Jack-o’-Lantern Magnet

Kids can craft their own mini jack-o’-lantern that sticks to the fridge!

This felt pumpkin magnet is easy to make with just cutting and gluing, no sewing needed.

It’s an easy DIY felt craft that yields a cute decoration kids can be proud of.

Supplies:

• Orange felt
  
• Green felt (small piece for stem)
  
• Black felt (small scraps for facial features)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue
  
• Small magnet strip or button magnet (available at craft stores)
  

Directions:

1. From orange felt, cut out a pumpkin shape. It can be a circle or oval about 3 inches wide. For more pumpkin realism, cut a slight ridge or two (like an indented top or segments), but a simple oval works.
   
2. Cut a small rectangle or stem shape from green felt and glue it to the top of the pumpkin shape (this is the pumpkin’s stem).
   
3. From black felt, cut out jack-o’-lantern face pieces: two triangles or half-circles for eyes, maybe a triangle for the nose, and a mouth. The mouth could be a simple smile, or a zigzaggy creepy grin. If cutting small pieces is challenging, you can also use googly eyes and just cut a mouth from black. Or use black puffy paint to draw the face. But felt on felt gives a nice look.
   
4. Glue the black felt face pieces onto the orange pumpkin shape. Now you have a jack-o’-lantern face. Let it dry.
   
5. Flip the pumpkin over and attach the magnet on the back. If using a strip, cut a piece about 1 inch long. Many craft magnets have adhesive backs, if so, just stick it on. If not, use a good dot of strong glue (like hot glue or E6000) to attach the magnet. Press firmly and let it set according to glue instructions.
   

Once the magnet is secure, your felt jack-o’-lantern magnet is ready. Stick it on the refrigerator or any magnetic surface.

Kids will love that their art can decorate the kitchen.

Simple projects like felt pumpkin magnets are perfect for little handsand they turn out great!

Felt Bat Ornament

Create a cute bat that you can hang as an ornament or use in pretend play.

This felt bat is flat but with big wings, and a loop so you can dangle it from doorknobs, hooks, or even make a bat garland.

It’s another simple project perfect for little hands.

Supplies:

• Black felt
  
• Scrap of white felt (for fangs, optional)
  
• Googly eyes (or bits of white felt)
  
• Black thread or ribbon (to hang)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue
  

Directions:

1. Make a bat template (or draw directly on felt if confident): Draw a bat shape about 4 inches wide, include the wings spread out and little ears on the head if you like. Essentially, it will look like a flying bat silhouette. If needed, find a simple bat shape online to trace.
   
2. Cut the bat shape out of black felt. If you want it double-sided (so both sides look nice), cut two identical bat shapes.
   
3. Give the bat a face: glue on two googly eyes on the head area. If no googly eyes, use two tiny circles of white felt and dot with marker for pupils. Cut two small triangles from white felt for fangs and glue them on the bottom of the bat’s head (pointing down from the mouth area).
   
4. Cut a piece of black thread or a thin ribbon about 4-5 inches long. Fold it into a loop and glue the ends to the back of the bat (in the center of the wings or back of head) to create a hanging loop. If you made two felt bat pieces, sandwich the ends of the loop at the top between them and glue the two bat pieces together.
   

Now you have a felt bat ornament ready to hang!

Crafting fun felt ornaments like bats can add a festive touch to your Halloween décor, and kids love seeing their creations hanging around.

Felt Bat Mask

Turn a piece of felt into a wearable bat mask for dress-up.

Felt masks are fun and easy and comfortable to wear.

It’s a simple half-face mask that goes over the eyes and nose.

Kids can use it for imaginative play or as part of a costume.

Supplies:

• Stiff felt sheet (black), craft stores sell some felt that’s a bit stiffer, good for masks
  
• Elastic band (¼ inch wide works) ~ about 12 inches or enough to go around head
  
• Scissors
  
• Chalk or white pencil (for marking on black)
  
• Hole punch (optional, for neat holes)
  
• Purple or silver marker (for details, optional)
  

Directions:

1. On the felt, trace the shape of a bat mask. The mask should cover around the eyes and have bat ears on top. Essentially, draw a mask that has two eye holes (mark those too, roughly eye-distance apart), and in the middle top, add two big triangular bat ears. The mask shape in width should reach about the child’s temples or a bit further (to give room to attach elastic). A good approach is to fold the felt in half and draw half the mask (one eye hole and one ear) against the fold, then cut so it’s symmetric. If that’s complicated, draw full shape on paper first as a pattern, cut it out, then trace onto felt.
   
2. Cut out the mask shape from the felt, and cut out the eye holes. The eye holes can be oval or almond-shaped. It’s important they are big enough for the child to see comfortably. Use a sharp scissor or craft knife (adult) to get smooth eye openings.
   
3. Try the felt mask on the child’s face (just hold it) to check eye placement and that the nose has room. Trim if needed around the nose or eyes.
   
4. Attach the elastic: Either cut small slits on each side of the mask or punch a hole near each side (at mask edge, level with the eye holes). Tie the elastic band ends through these holes (knot it). The elastic should be measured to fit snugly around the child’s head.
   

Now you have a felt bat mask!

Felt masks are soft and durable, and easy to wear, this bat will let them flutter around pretending to be a friendly (or spooky) bat.

This craft can spark lots of imaginative play, and it’s a great accessory for a quick costume.

Felt Pumpkin Face Board

This is more of a DIY activity board than a single craft, but it’s a fantastic idea.

Essentially, you’ll create a large felt pumpkin and a variety of felt eyes, noses, and mouths.

Because felt sticks to felt, the pieces can be rearranged endlessly – like a Mr. Potato Head pumpkin!

Supplies:

• Large sheet of orange felt (or a piece of orange fabric, roughly pumpkin sized – could also use foam board covered in felt)
  
• Assorted felt colors: black, white, yellow (for eyes, mouths, etc.)
  
• Scissors
  
• (Optional) a flat board or wall space to attach the pumpkin base
  

Directions:

1. Decide on the size of your felt board pumpkin. Ideally, it’s big, like at least as tall as a toddler (2-3 feet). Cut out a big pumpkin shape from the orange felt. Include a stem shape at the top if you want (that could be green felt added on). Alternatively, cut a big circle or oval for simplicity.
   
2. If you have a cork board or foam board, you can glue this pumpkin onto it to have a firm surface to hang on a wall. Or you can simply tape the pumpkin felt to a wall at kid height (felt is floppy though, so board backing is nice).
   
3. Now the fun part: cut out various face components from different felt colors. Suggestions:
   
   • Eyes: Cut pairs of different shapes – large circles, smaller circles, ovals, half-circles, cat-like pointed eyes, etc. Use white, yellow, or even black (for hollow eyes). You can layer (white circle with smaller black circle pupil). Make a goofy eye with a droopy eyelid, etc. The more variety the better.
     
   • Noses: Triangle (classic jack-o’-lantern nose), circles, ovals, maybe a witch nose (long).
     
   • Mouths: Definitely do a big toothy grin (a long piece of black with triangles “teeth” along one edge). Also a round “O” mouth (surprised). A frown, a smile, maybe a zigzag scary mouth.
     
   • Extras: Eyebrows (thin black felt strips), a mustache for a funny pumpkin, maybe a felt tear drop (for a crying pumpkin) since the kids apparently loved making the pumpkin cry in that reference. Also you could do different shapes of teeth (white felt) that can be placed into mouths or used standalone for a silly face.
     
4. Organize all the face pieces and demonstrate to the child how felt sticks to felt. They can place the eyes, nose, mouth on the pumpkin and they’ll stay (no glue needed). Then they can remove and reposition as they please.
   

Now you have a felt pumpkin face board for creative play.

Kids will spend time making the pumpkin look happy, then angry, then adding a mustache or moving the eyes around.

It’s an excellent quiet activity and can be reused every year. You can store the felt pieces in a zip bag when not in use.

Felt Monster Finger Puppet

Similar to the ghost, but let’s make a monster!

A monster puppet lets kids go wild with colors and shapes, maybe it has one eye or three, maybe horns or funny ears.

Supplies:

• Felt (choose a color for the monster’s body – e.g., blue or green)
  
• Scraps of other felt (white, black, etc., for details)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue or needle & thread
  
• Googly eye (or felt to make an eye)
  

Directions:

1. Cut two pieces of felt in the shape of your monster’s body, basically an oval or blob shape about the size of a finger (maybe 2 inches tall, 1.5 inches wide). At the top, you might give it two little points for horns or ears (cut little triangular protrusions on the shape).
   
2. Decide features: Let’s say one big cyclops eye. Cut a white circle of felt for the eye and a smaller black circle for the pupil. Glue the black onto the white to complete the eye. Also cut a mouth (maybe a smile or a frown) out of black or red.
   
3. Take one body piece (this will be the front) and glue the eye onto it (in the center of head area). Glue on the mouth (and any tongue or teeth). Let pieces dry a bit so they don’t slide.
   
4. Once the front is decorated and dry, align it with the back piece. Glue or sew around the edges, leaving the bottom open for the finger. Let it dry completely before use.
   

Now slip a finger in and your felt monster finger puppet is ready to play.

The monster might have a goofy grin or a scary face, depending on what the child wanted.

These adorable creations can make great gifts or decorations, but most of all, they’re fun toys the kids made themselves.

Finger puppet shows, here we come!

Popsicle Stick Crafts

Popsicle sticks are a classic craft material, sturdy, easy to glue or paint, and cheap.

These easy Halloween popsicle stick crafts are so fun to make with cheap supplies you probably already have at home.

Let’s explore some spooky-cute ideas: mummies, monsters, pumpkins and more!

Popsicle Stick Mummy

Wrap up a popsicle stick to make a mini mummy decoration.

This simple craft uses just one or a few sticks and some white wrap to achieve a classic mummy look.

It’s quick and so fun that it might “wrap up” your crafting session on a high note.

Supplies:

• 4 or 5 jumbo popsicle sticks (or regular size, but jumbo makes it easier)
  
• White paint
  
• White pipe cleaners (3-4) or strips of white fabric or gauze
  
• Googly eyes (2)
  
• Glue
  
• Tape
  

Directions:

1. To create a nice flat surface (mummy body), line up 4 popsicle sticks side by side. Take an extra popsicle stick and cut it into two short pieces (or use cardstock strips) and glue one across the top and one across the bottom on the back of the 4 sticks to hold them together (essentially making a panel). Alternatively, you can use a piece of tape across the back. Now you have a panel of sticks that will be the mummy’s body. (You can also buy wide flat craft stick panels, but DIY is fine.)
   
2. Paint the front of the sticks white and let it dry. This is the base color of the mummy under the bandages (so any gaps won’t show wood). You could even do a light gray or off-white for an aged look.
   
3. Once dry, start wrapping the white pipe cleaners around the popsicle stick panel. Start at one end, secure the pipe cleaner by tucking the end behind or taping it on the back, then wrap across the mummy diagonally, criss-crossing as you go. You might use 2-3 pipe cleaners to cover the whole length. Loosely wrap until it looks like bandages all over. If you have white gauze or thin fabric strips, you can glue an end and then wrap those similarly.
   
4. Leave a little gap unwrapped somewhere for the eyes to peek through. Glue two googly eyes onto the white stick background in that gap. They should look like they are between bandage layers.
   
5. If you want a hanging mummy ornament, tie a string to the top or glue a loop on the back. Otherwise, it’s a little plaque or figure.
   

Your popsicle stick mummy is done, quick, right? The white pipe cleaners give a nice 3D texture like wrapped cloth.

Display your mummy standing against a wall or lying in a Halloween centerpiece. You can even make a few for a “mummy family.”

Popsicle Stick Frankenstein

Paint a set of sticks to look like Frankenstein’s monster’s face, a fun, flat decoration that’s easy for kids.

You’ll again make a popsicle stick panel as with the mummy (or reuse that technique).

Supplies:

• 4-5 popsicle sticks (plus 2 short pieces for support)
  
• Green paint and black paint
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Black marker
  
• Gray paper or foam (for bolts)
  
• Glue
  

Directions:

1. Create a popsicle stick panel as in the mummy craft: line up 4 sticks, glue a small stick piece across the back top and bottom to hold them together. If you have a tongue depressor or jumbo sticks, 4 is enough for a face. For small sticks, you might use 5 or 6.
   
2. Cut the top of the panel straight across (if using whole sticks, you can actually trim them once assembled, or you can leave them with rounded tops, either is fine. But a flat top works well for Frank’s flat head).
   
3. Paint the entire front of the panel green (that iconic monster skin). Let it dry. Then paint the top edge (about ¼ of the way down from top) black for hair. It doesn’t have to be perfect, even a simple straight fringe will do. Let that dry.
   
4. Glue on two googly eyes below the hairline (with a bit of space between them). Draw the rest of the face with a black marker: add a stitched scar on the forehead, two little lines for eyebrows above the eyes (optional), a simple nose (like an “L” or just two nostril dots), and a mouth. Don’t forget the signature bolts on the neck: cut two small rectangles from gray paper or foam. Glue one to each side at the bottom of the face (half on the stick, half sticking out). These are Frankenstein’s neck bolts.
   
5. Once everything is dry and glued, your popsicle stick Frankenstein is ready. You can prop him up on a shelf or fridge (attach a magnet). They’ll love this one, and it pairs great with the mummy and other stick pals.
   

Popsicle Stick Jack-o’-Lantern

Make an adorable pumpkin face out of popsicle sticks. This craft is very similar to Frankenstein, but we’ll do a pumpkin.

It’s a great way to decorate without carving real pumpkins, and kids can design the face themselves.

Supplies:

• 4-5 popsicle sticks for panel
  
• Orange paint
  
• Black construction paper (for eyes, nose, mouth)
  
• Brown construction paper (for stem)
  
• Green pipe cleaner or ribbon (for vine)
  
• Glue, scissors
  

Directions:

1. Create the popsicle stick panel (as in previous crafts): align sticks and secure with cross-pieces on back.
   
2. Paint the front of the panel orange and let it dry fully. You can paint the back too if desired, but not necessary.
   
3. While drying, cut out facial features from black paper: two triangle eyes, maybe a triangle nose, and a jack-o’-lantern mouth (which can be a big toothy grin cut from black paper). Alternatively, use black foam or felt for a 3D look. Also cut a small rectangle or stem shape from brown paper for the pumpkin’s stem.
   
4. Once paint is dry, glue the black eyes, nose, and mouth onto the orange sticks. It should look like a classic jack-o’-lantern face. Glue the brown stem at the top center, sticking up.
   
5. Take a green pipe cleaner, cut it in half. Curl one half around a pencil to make a curlicue vine. Glue one end of it near the stem (you can even poke it between sticks if there’s a gap and glue from behind).
   

Now you have a popsicle stick

jack-o’-lantern. It really is the cutest jack-o’-lantern in the patch, and no worries about it rotting after Halloween!

You can attach a magnet or string if you want to display it in different ways (e.g., hang on wall or fridge).

This craft is simple but yields a bright, cheerful pumpkin that kids love.

Popsicle Stick Vampire Bat

Craft a spooky-cute bat using popsicle sticks and paper wings.

This one uses a popsicle stick frame for the body, giving it a solid base, and then you attach wings and ears.

Supplies:

• 4 popsicle sticks (for body frame)
  
• Black paint
  
• Black construction paper (for wings and ears)
  
• Large googly eyes (2)
  
• White paper (small bit for fangs)
  
• Glue, scissors
  

Directions:

1. Take 4 popsicle sticks and form them into a square (well, a slightly long rectangle), basically a popsicle stick pallet panel. Instead of laying flat, here we make a shape: Glue 2 sticks vertically parallel, spaced a stick’s width apart. Then glue the other 2 sticks horizontally across them, one near the top and one near the bottom, forming a solid frame (it will look like a square with open middle). You can also just tape this shape for ease. This is the bat’s body base.
   
2. Paint the 4 sticks black on the front (and back if desired). Let dry. This is the bat’s body.
   
3. Cut bat wings from black construction paper. You can draw one large wing that extends on both sides of the body to glue behind, or two separate wings to glue one on each side. Each wing shape looks like a semicircle with the top edge straight (where it meets body) and the bottom edge scalloped in 2-3 curves (classic bat wing shape). Make sure the wing’s straight edge is as tall as the stick panel so it can attach well. Cut two small black triangles for ears as well.
   
4. Glue the wings to the back of the popsicle stick panel, one on each side so they stick out like the bat is spread-winged. Glue the two triangles at the top of the front for ears (you can also glue them behind the top stick so they peek over).
   
5. On the front of the bat, glue two googly eyes near the top (below the ears). Cut tiny white fangs from paper (two small triangles) and glue them at the top of where the bat’s mouth would be.
   

The popsicle stick vampire bat is finished! You can glue a loop on back to hang it, or just prop it up.

Kids might even want to fly it around like a toy. The sticks make it sturdy enough for play (within reason).

Popsicle Stick Googly-Eyed Monster

Make a silly monster with tons of eyes using popsicle sticks and a lot of googly eyes.

This is a super kid-friendly craft because they can go crazy with eye placement.

Supplies:

• 4-5 popsicle sticks for panel
  
• Purple paint (or any “monster” color you like)
  
• Assorted googly eyes (different sizes ideally)
  
• Black construction paper (for mouth)
  
• Glue, scissors
  

Directions:

1. Make the popsicle stick flat panel (use 4 or 5 sticks side by side glued to backing sticks).
   
2. Paint the panel a bright monster color like purple. Let it dry.
   
3. Cut a mouth from black paper, maybe a simple horizontal oval or a grin shape. Also you can cut small white teeth to glue on the mouth if you want teeth. Glue the mouth towards the bottom of the panel.
   
4. Now the fun: Glue a bunch of googly eyes all around the top area of the panel. Get 8-10 different sized googly eyes and glue them randomly at the top of the painted popsicle sticks. They can overlap or be crooked, the more haphazard, the more “monstrous.” There’s no wrong way, one big eye and many small, or all medium, etc. (If you run out of googly eyes, you could draw some or use sticker eyes or make from paper.)
   

Your popsicle stick googly-eyed monster is done! It’s definitely an EEK kind of monster but in a good way.

These monsters are great because each child’s will look so different depending on the eyes and mouth they give it.

It’s an easy craft with a lot of personality.

Yarn & String Crafts

Yarn isn’t just for knitting, it’s great for Halloween crafts, too!

You can wrap it, weave it, or make pom-poms.

These yarn projects are inexpensive and fun, and they add a cozy touch to your Halloween décor.

Yarn Ghost Pom Pom

Float some friendly ghosts made of yarn! This craft involves making a yarn pom-pom (or tassel) and turning it into a ghost with googly eyes.

Yarn ghosts are a perfect easy Halloween craft project for kids and adults.

Supplies:

• White yarn
  
• A piece of cardboard (roughly 3-4 inches wide) or just your hand
  
• Black felt or paper (for eyes/mouth) or googly eyes
  
• String (for hanging, optional)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue
  

Directions:

1. Wrap white yarn around a piece of cardboard about 50 times (for a nice fluffy ghost). If no cardboard, you can wrap around your hand (fingers), just not too tight.
   
2. Carefully slide the yarn bundle off the cardboard (or your hand), keeping its loop shape. Tie a separate piece of yarn around the middle of this bundle tightly and knot it. Now cut all the loops on each end of the bundle. You’ll end up with something that looks like a tassel or shaggy pom.
   
3. To shape it like a ghost, hold it by the tied middle and fold it so the tied part is now the top of the ghost’s head and all the yarn strands hang down. Tie another piece of yarn a bit down from the top to form a “neck”, about ⅓ from top. This makes a ghost shape (head and body). Alternatively, you could have just tied at the top to make a tassel ghost from the start (which is another method: make a tassel by tying at one end of loops). Trim the bottom of the yarn strands to make them fairly even. You can leave it a bit uneven for a wispy effect. Fluff out the strands so the ghost body is full.
   
4. Cut two small oval or bean shapes from black felt for the ghost’s eyes (and a small circle for mouth if desired). Glue them onto the yarn ghost’s “face” (the head part). If using googly eyes, glue those on instead.
   
5. If you want to hang the ghost, use the yarn tied at the top of its head (leave it long for that reason or attach a thread). Otherwise, your ghost can just sit as is or be played with.
   

Done! You have a yarn ghost pom-pom.

These look great hanging from the ceiling or a doorway (use clear thread and they really look like they’re floating).

You can also make a big batch quickly since wrapping yarn is easy, soon you’ll have an entire boo crew.

Yarn Pumpkin Pom Pom

Just like the ghost, but orange!

This craft makes cute little yarn pumpkins (essentially pom-poms) that you can use as decorations in a bowl or string as garland.

Supplies:

• Orange yarn
  
• Green pipe cleaner (for stem/vine)
  
• Cardboard piece or pom-pom maker (optional)
  
• Scissors
  

Directions:

1. Make an orange yarn pom-pom. The classic method: wrap orange yarn around a piece of cardboard or your four fingers many times (say 50-100 wraps, the more the fuller). Slide it off carefully, tie a piece of yarn tightly around the middle of the bundle (double knot). Then cut open all the loops on both sides of the tie. Trim it to make it round and neat.
   
2. Now you have an orange fluff ball. To make it look more like a pumpkin, you could leave it as is (a spherical pumpkin) or lightly shape it by tying another piece of yarn around its equator loosely to create a slight pumpkin squat shape (this is optional and tricky, might just keep it ball shaped).
   
3. Take a green pipe cleaner and cut a short piece (~2 inches). Stick it through the center of the pom-pom (where the tied yarn is) leaving about an inch sticking out the top. Twist it once around the yarn tie to secure if possible. Curl the end of the green pipe cleaner around a pencil or finger to create a curly vine coming off the stem.
   

That’s it! You have a yarn pumpkin pom-pom.

These are soft and not messy, great for kids to make.

Put a few in a row on a mantle or string them with a needle and thread to form a garland.

Yarn Pom Pom Spider

Combine yarn and pipe cleaners to create a fuzzy spider that’s more cute than creepy.

Pom-pom spiders are an adorable twist on the usual pipe cleaner spiders, adding fluffiness to the creepiness.

Supplies:

• Black yarn
  
• 2 black pipe cleaners (for 8 legs)
  
• Googly eyes (optional)
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue
  

Directions:

1. Make a medium-sized pom-pom with black yarn. Use the same method: wrap black yarn around cardboard or fingers 50 times, tie around middle, cut loops, fluff out, trim to round shape. You now have a ball which will be the spider’s body. You can make a smaller one similarly if you want a head, but one pom-pom is enough.
   
2. Take 2 black pipe cleaners and cut them in half, and then in half again, resulting in 8 pieces (legs). If the pom is large, you might not need to cut (maybe use full length for long-legged spider, but usually half-length suffices for a small pom).
   
3. Now attach legs: The simplest way is to take each pipe cleaner piece and push it through the pom-pom near the middle, going straight through from one side out the opposite (the yarn strands will grip it somewhat). Do that for four pieces, roughly evenly spaced around, so 8 ends stick out (4 pipe cleaners making 8 legs). Then bend each leg downward like an L shape (so the spider can “stand”). Trim if some legs are too long or uneven.
   
4. Glue on googly eyes to the front of the pom-pom. 2 eyes are standard, but you could glue 8 tiny googly eyes to be more spidery (spiders have many eyes). The googly eyes on a fuzzy ball look very cute and silly.
   
5. Place your yarn pom-pom spider on a table and arrange the legs so it balances. Now you have a soft spider friend. Hang it from a web or let it crawl around your Halloween display. Making pom-poms might get addictive, soon you’ll have a “tangled web” of these spiders.
   

Yarn Spider Web Hoop

Turn yarn into an eerie spider web using an embroidery hoop or a make-shift frame.

This is like making a dreamcatcher but spookier.

This spiderweb craft starts with a few simple twists and turns but ends up looking impressively spooky.

Supplies:

• Embroidery hoop (or a sturdy wire ring or even a paper plate with center cut out)
  
• White or black yarn (white for classic web, black for silhouette web)
  
• Tape (optional)
  
• Plastic spider or pipe cleaner spider (to add on)
  

Directions:

1. If using an embroidery hoop, you already have a ring. If not, you can cut the center out of a sturdy paper plate to get a ring, or bend a wire hanger into a loop. You just need a circular frame.
   
2. Tie one end of the yarn onto the hoop securely (or tape it). Now start making the web: Stretch the yarn straight across the hoop and loop/tie it on the opposite side. Then bring it across to another point on the hoop, making a criss-cross. Essentially, create a star of yarn across the circle by looping it around the hoop at various points. The exact number of spokes isn’t critical, but have at least 5 or 6 radiating lines if possible.
   
3. Once you have those radial spokes, begin the spiral webbing: Take the yarn and start weaving it in a spiral, going around the circle. At each spoke, wrap the yarn once around it and then continue to the next, moving inwards as you circle around. The tension should be taut but not so tight it pulls the frame significantly. Keep going until you reach near the center.
   
4. When near the center, you might tie off the yarn to one of the spokes or just weave it through and trim it. You’ve now got a web! The yarn at intersections might slide, but you can secure with a dab of glue at joints if needed to hold shape.
   
5. Attach a fake spider onto the web, either a plastic one or a little one you made from pipe cleaners earlier. You can just set it on or glue it. Or tie a piece of thread to it and have it dangle from the web.
   

Your yarn spider web hoop is complete. Hang the hoop from a thread or nail.

It looks fantastic in a window or corner, and it’s all just yarn arranged cleverly.

It’s similar to making a string art or a dreamcatcher, but very free-form.

Yarn Wrapped Mummy Figure

Take a gingerbread-man shape and wrap it like a mummy with yarn. This is a fun craft that results in a keepsake mummy that stands out.

You’ll cut a mummy shape from cardboard and then kids will wrap, wrap, wrap!

Supplies:

• Cardboard (cereal box or corrugated)
  
• Black paint or marker
  
• White yarn
  
• Googly eyes (or paper eyes)
  
• Scissors
  
• Tape
  

Directions:

1. Draw a simple person or mummy outline on cardboard. Think gingerbread man silhouette (round head, arms out, legs). Doesn’t need details because it will be wrapped. About 5-6 inches tall is a good size. Cut out the cardboard mummy shape.
   
2. If your cardboard is light (like cereal box white), paint one side black (or dark gray). This will be the under-color that peeks through between yarn wraps. Let it dry.
   
3. Once dry, glue or stick two googly eyes on the head. Because you’ll wrap yarn, you might want to glue them after wrapping near the end if easier, but you can also let them get partially covered for effect, up to you. Alternatively, you can attach them on top of finished wrap later with hot glue for security.
   
4. Take the end of white yarn and tape it to the back of the cardboard figure’s leg or somewhere to start. Now begin wrapping the yarn all around the mummy figure. Go in various directions, around the torso, then up diagonally, then across arms, etc. There’s no wrong way; just aim to cover most of the cardboard. Wrap the head too, but maybe criss-cross in a way that the eyes still peek out (move yarn aside or over/under them if they’re already attached, or plan to attach eyes on top later).
   
5. Keep wrapping until the whole mummy is covered in yarn “bandages” to your satisfaction. When done, cut the yarn and tape or glue the end to the back. If any sections want to slip, you can secure with a tiny dot of glue on back too.
   

Your yarn wrapped mummy is ready to haunt! It stands out as a crafty little decoration, perhaps hung on a wall or sat on a shelf.

Kids will have worked those fine motor muscles wrapping and have a cool mummy to show for it.

Yarn Wrapped Candy Corn

This craft turns cardboard triangles into large candy corn decorations by wrapping them with yarn.

It’s a very kid-friendly craft. The result is a soft, non-edible candy corn that’s cute to display.

Supplies:

• Cardboard
  
• Orange, yellow, and white yarn
  
• Scissors
  
• Tape
  

Directions:

1. Cut a triangle out of cardboard about 6 inches tall and 4-5 inches wide at the base. Round off the corners a little bit. If doing multiple, cut more triangles.
   
2. Mark the triangle into three sections horizontally: the wide bottom section (yellow), middle (orange), tip (white). You can eyeball or measure and mark.
   
3. Take yellow yarn and tape one end to the back of the triangle near the bottom. Start wrapping around the cardboard, covering the bottom section. Wrap neatly side by side or criss-cross, just fill that area mostly. It’s okay if some cardboard peeks at edges, you can tuck yarn or cover at slight angles. Once you reach near the line to orange section, secure the yellow yarn (tape the end to back or just hold it and later overlap with orange). Cut it.
   
4. Tape one end of orange yarn to the back. Wrap the orange yarn around the middle section of the triangle. Cover that area thoroughly. When done with orange section, tape end on back and cut.
   
5. Do the same with white yarn for the top section (the point). Wrap to cover the tip area completely in white. Tape end on back.
   

Now you have a yarn wrapped candy corn decoration. No sugar rush needed! It’s a easy and fun Halloween craft.

You can make different sizes (tiny ones as fridge magnets even).

Each of these yarn crafts combines tactile fun with Halloween themes.

prove that string isn’t just for spiders, though we certainly used it for webs, too.

Stock up on yarn this fall, and let kids twist, wrap, and tie their way into the Halloween spirit!

Tissue Paper & Coffee Filter Crafts

Tissue paper and coffee filters are fantastic for creating ghostly, translucent effects perfect for Halloween.

These materials are cheap and easy for little hands to work with (tearing tissue into bits is oddly satisfying!).

Let’s explore a few kid-friendly ideas: ghosts, suncatchers, and more.

Coffee Filter Ghost

This classic craft is probably the simplest ghost you can make and it’s so quick you can create a whole boo-tiful bunch in minutes.

These coffee filter ghosts are super easy to make (perfect for all crafting levels) and wicked cheap.

Supplies:

• Round white coffee filters (1 per ghost)
  
• Tissues or cotton balls (to stuff head)
  
• White thread or thin ribbon
  
• Black marker
  
• Scissors (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Take one coffee filter and lay it flat. Place a balled-up tissue or 1-2 cotton balls in the center. This will form the ghost’s head.
   
2. Gather the coffee filter around the stuffing, forming a “head” about the size of a ping-pong ball, and the rest of the filter drapes down as the ghost body.
   
3. Tie a piece of white thread around the base of the head to secure it. Not super tight (you don’t want to rip the paper), just snug. You can also use a small white twist-tie or a bit of ribbon. This creates the ghost’s neck.
   
4. Use the black marker to draw two round eyes on the ghost’s face. And maybe a little oval for a mouth (like it’s saying “Oooo!”). The marker might bleed a tiny bit on the filter, but that’s okay, just one dot in each spot will spread into a nice round eye typically.
   
5. If you want to hang the ghost, use the thread you tied to also be the hanger (leave one end long) or poke a little hole on top of head and thread another string. Otherwise, these ghosts are super light and can even just sit on a surface (the filter flares out enough for a base sometimes).
   

Make more! It takes 2-4 minutes per coffee filter ghost, so you can have a dozen done in no time.

Hang them as a garland or from the ceiling at varying heights for a spooky hallway.

These coffee filter ghosts are classic, quick, and great for all crafting levels.

Tissue Paper Pumpkin Sun-Catcher

Create a stained-glass effect pumpkin to stick on your window and catch the autumn sun.

This is a lovely way to decorate without actual carving. Using torn tissue paper gives that mottled look of a glowing jack-o’-lantern.

Supplies:

• Black construction paper
  
• Orange tissue paper
  
• Clear contact paper (or wax paper + glue stick)
  
• Green tissue or paper (for stem, optional)
  
• Scissors
  
• Marker
  

Directions:

1. Fold a piece of black construction paper in half. Draw half of a pumpkin shape along the fold (like a big circle with a stem shape at top) and draw a face. Cut out the pumpkin shape, then unfold, you’ll have a pumpkin outline (hollow in the middle) with a jack-o’-lantern face cut out.
2. If this is tricky, you can just cut a full pumpkin silhouette (no face) as one frame, and cut face pieces separately to add later, but one piece is easier for assembly. Save the black face cut-outs if you want to re-use them on another.
   
3. Take a piece of clear contact paper a bit larger than the pumpkin. Peel the backing and lay it sticky side up on table. Carefully place your black pumpkin frame onto the sticky contact (so that the frame sticks to it). Now the holes (eyes, etc.) are sticky in those gaps. If you don’t have contact paper, you can do this with wax paper: lay wax paper down and have kids glue tissue bits onto it inside the drawn pumpkin area, but contact is easier like a sticker.
   
4. Tear orange tissue paper into small pieces (like 1-2 inch bits). They don’t have to be uniform. Now stick these tissue pieces onto the contact paper within the pumpkin outline, covering all the open areas. It’s fine if pieces go over the black outline; you can trim later. Press them down flat. The sticky contact holds them; no glue needed. Try to mostly use orange for the pumpkin body, maybe a few yellow bits to give lighter glow somewhere if desired.
   
5. Tear a few small green tissue bits and place at the stem area for a green stem (or you can have pre-cut a tiny green construction paper stem and stuck it, but tissue works too).
   
6. Once all sticky areas are covered with tissue, you can seal it: either put another piece of contact paper on top (sticky side to tissue side, sandwiching it), or if using wax paper method, maybe glue another wax paper on, but contact works best for a nice finish. Cut around the outside of the pumpkin shape to trim off excess contact paper/tissue beyond the black outline.
   

Now you have a tissue paper pumpkin sun-catcher that you can tape to a window.

Light will shine through the orange tissue making it look like a glowing pumpkin with a dark face. It’s a beautiful, not-scary decoration.

Tissue Paper Bat Sun-Catcher

Similar concept to the pumpkin, but for a bat or any spooky shape (ghost, spider, etc.).

Supplies:

• Black construction paper
  
• Purple tissue paper (or any color, maybe black tissue but that won’t show light well, so purple or even orange for fun)
  
• Clear contact paper
  
• Scissors
  
• Pencil
  

Directions:

1. Fold black construction paper in half. Draw half of a bat (one wing and half body) along the fold. Cut it out to get a symmetrical bat with the center body and two wings. Now, to make it an outline, cut out the interior leaving a roughly ½-inch border all around.
   
2. Lay contact paper sticky side up. Place the black bat outline on it and press so it sticks.
   
3. Cover the bat shape interior with pieces of tissue paper. Purple would look great. Kids can scrunch little pieces slightly or lay flat. Overlap to cover fully. If your bat has separate wing sections, ensure those are covered up to edges of outline.
   
4. Optionally stick a few spooky accents: maybe little yellow tissue bits as eyes in the head section, or just leave eyes as open holes if you cut them. Probably simpler: cut two tiny eye holes in black before, so they’ll be see-through or you could later glue black or googly eyes on front. But for sun-catcher, holes are fine.
   
5. Cover with second contact sheet or not, then trim around bat shape. If your outline was separate, careful that all tissue is stuck down so when trimming, nothing falls out.
   

Hang your tissue paper bat sun-catcher in the window. Purple light will shine through its wings. Spooky and cool.

This can be done with any shape: witch hat, ghost (with white tissue), etc. It’s essentially stained glass technique with kids.

Tissue Paper Monster Collage

This is more of a traditional collage: ripping and gluing tissue to create a monster.

For example, make a Frankenstein face collage. Kids love the sensory fun of tissue and glue.

Supplies:

• Construction paper or cardstock (as base)
  
• Tissue paper in various colors (green for Frankenstein skin, black for hair, etc.)
  
• Glue (diluted a bit with water or use mod podge)
  
• Brush
  
• Googly eyes or paper cut eyes
  

Directions:

1. Take a piece of light-colored construction paper (or any thick paper). Draw a simple outline of what monster you want. Let’s do Frankenstein’s monster head: draw a large U shape for head with flat top for hair line, maybe little bolts on side of neck. Could also do a generic monster shape.
   
2. Tear green tissue paper into pieces (if doing Frank). Paint some glue onto the head area of your drawing, stick tissue bits down. Overlap them until all skin area is covered. They can go a bit over the lines (we’ll cover edges with background or cut out later). Brush more glue over top to smooth if needed (like decoupage).
   
3. Tear black tissue for hair. Glue along the top flat part for hair. It’s okay if it feathered down in jagged points. Also add black or gray for bolts on sides.
   
4. For facial features: you can use tissue too (maybe tear small black bits for nose, mouth, eyebrows). Or glue on googly eyes. Tissue might be too imprecise for eyes, so googly or cut white circles might be better; but you can certainly layer small tissue bits to form eyes and then pupils. Up to the child’s precision.
   
5. Let dry. If it’s really messy beyond outline, you can cut out the monster head and then glue it on a fresh paper or just trim edges.
   

Now you have a tissue paper monster collage, it’s an abstract, colorful version of a monster.

Tissue gives a cool texture, almost like a painting. Hang it up as a window art (though opaque) or on the fridge.

Coffee Filter Bat (Flying Bat Craft)

One more quick one: use a coffee filter as bat wings!

Supplies:

• Round coffee filter
  
• Black paint or marker (or food coloring)
  
• Clothespin
  
• Black paper scraps
  
• Glue, scissors
  

Directions:

1. Flatten a coffee filter. Color it entirely black or dark gray. You can do this by diluting black paint or food coloring and soaking or just coloring with marker.
   
2. Fold the coffee filter in half, then in half again (to quarters). Cut a scallop along the curved edge (like making a snowflake but just one cut) to create bat wing scallops. Open it up, it will be a circle with scalloped edge. Cut the circle in half along the original fold, now you have two mirror-image semi-circles: these are bat wings.
   
3. Take a wooden clothespin, paint it black if desired or leave it if you don’t mind plain. This is the bat’s body. Glue on two googly eyes at the top of the clothespin on one side. Cut two little black paper triangles and glue to top as ears.
   
4. Clip the clothespin onto the straight side of the coffee filter half. One wing on each side of the clothespin. Now it looks like a bat with large wings spread.
   

You have a coffee filter bat, easy peasy. The wings even flutter a bit if you wave it.

You can hang it by the pin or set it on a branch (clipped onto something).

Household Items & Recycled Crafts

Halloween creativity doesn’t need fancy supplies, often, everyday household items and recyclables can be turned into spooky crafts.

Using recycled materials is budget-friendly and teaches kids about reusing.

These crafts are perfect for when you look around the house for inspiration.

Cotton Ball Ghost

What’s fluffier than a ghost? A ghost made of cotton balls! This is a super simple craft that even toddlers can help with.

You create a ghost shape and let kids glue cotton all over it for a fuzzy, puffy ghost.

Supplies:

• White cardstock or cardboard
  
• Cotton balls (a handful)
  
• Black paper or googly eyes
  
• Glue
  
• Scissors
  

Directions:

1. Draw a ghost shape on your cardstock, kind of like an oval with a wavy bottom. Make it as big as you want your ghost to be. Cut out the ghost shape. (Alternatively, you can skip the cut-out and just draw a ghost on a paper and glue within the lines.)
   
2. Put glue all over the ghost shape. If using white school glue, spread it with a brush or finger. You can do section by section if glue dries too fast.
   
3. Stick cotton balls onto the ghost, covering it completely in fluffy white. For a less bumpy texture, you can stretch the cotton balls a bit to flatten/fluff them up larger and then apply, which can cover more area. Fill the ghost so none of the base shows (or as much as possible). It becomes a 3D puffy ghost.
   
4. Glue on two black paper ovals as eyes (or use googly eyes). Add a black oval mouth (like “Oooo!” shape) if you want. On cotton, sometimes paper eyes might need extra glue or use googly with a good dot of glue.
   

Let dry. Now you have a cotton ball ghost that is soft and cute. It’s just three supplies: cotton balls, glue, and paper!

You can tape a loop of thread to the back and hang it, or just tape the ghost to a door or wall.

Q-Tip Skeleton

Build a skeleton out of Q-tips! This is a classic “bone” craft because the cotton swabs look like little bones.

It’s a bit like assembling a puzzle of the human (well, cartoon human) skeleton.

It’s a fun way to create a skeleton shape and learn about bones in a simple form.

Supplies:

• Black construction paper (for background)
  
• Q-tips (cotton swabs) – about 10-15
  
• Glue
  
• White paper (for skull)
  
• Scissors
  
• (Optional) small white beans or pasta (for joints or teeth)
  

Directions:

1. Cut out a skull shape from white paper. Simplest: a circle or oval for the head, maybe with a little jaw. Draw or dot two eyes, a nose, and a toothy grin if you like. You can freehand a skull or find a small template to trace. Make it maybe 1-2 inches big.
   
2. Glue the skull near the top of the black paper. That’s the skeleton’s head on the background.
   
3. Now take Q-tips to form the skeleton body. Use one Q-tip as the spine: glue it vertically under the skull (touching it or you can tuck one end slightly under skull). Then a few Q-tips across as ribs: you can cut some Q-tips in half to make shorter ribs. Glue maybe 3-4 on each side of the spine, angled downward like a ribcage.
   
4. For arms: use full Q-tips for upper arm and lower arm on each side. You can cut one in half to serve as the “hands” or use smaller pieces or even mini marshmallows for hands. For a more complete look, take one Q-tip for each upper arm (glue at top rib area angled out), one for each forearm (glue coming down from end of upper arm).
   
5. Legs: similar, glue one Q-tip for each thigh (starting around bottom of spine or last rib area), and one for each lower leg. You might cut another in half for feet, or leave it as just extended lower leg to foot.
   
6. Let all glue dry. If you want detail, you can use tiny pasta (like ditalini) or beads as joints: glue at shoulders, elbows, knees. But not necessary.
   

Now your Q-tip skeleton is complete. It looks bright white against black paper, a great effect.

You can label the bones if doing it as an anatomical lesson, or just admire your “Mr. Bones” décor.

Paper Cup Witch

Turn a paper cup into a witch figurine with a pointy hat. Paper cup provides the body (and dress), you add a head and hat on top.

This is a fun 3D craft that kids can later use as a little toy or decoration.

Supplies:

• Paper cup (preferably green or you can paint it)
  
• Green paint (if cup is not green)
  
• Black construction paper (for hat)
  
• Black felt or paper (for hair)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Marker
  
• Glue, scissors
  

Directions:

1. If your paper cup isn’t already green, paint it green and let dry. That cup, upside down, will be the witch’s body and face on one side.
2. Turn the cup upside down (rim on bottom, base on top). Choose an area on the side to be the face. Glue two googly eyes there. Draw a crooked nose or cut one from green paper and glue it on (you can even make it 3D by rolling a tiny cone of paper). Draw a mouth (maybe a smile or warty chin). Add a wart (black marker dot or peppercorn stuck on!).
   
3. For hair: cut a few thin strips of black (or gray) paper or yarn pieces. Glue them around the upper edge of the cup (near where the hat brim will sit) on the face side, hanging down. So she has stringy hair coming from under the hat.
   
4. Witch’s hat: from black construction paper, cut a circle about the size of the cup’s base, that’s the brim. Then cut a large black triangle or a cone shape for the pointed part. Easiest: actually cut a semicircle and shape it into a cone, glue the seam – you get a little pointy hat that is 3D. Glue the cone to the brim circle (either on top or through a slit).
   
5. Glue the hat onto the top of the cup (which is actually the cup’s bottom, now at top). If brim is wide, it will stick out around. Angle it a bit for character if you like.
   

Now you have a paper cup witch. She stands on her own (cup base).

You can make a small broom for her from a toothpick and some yarn, glue it to side.

Or give her a tiny felt cape. Great for a kid-made Halloween centerpiece or just as a toy.

Paper Cup Monster

Similar concept as the witch but with monsters. Honestly, any paper cup can become a monster by adding eyes and teeth.

Supplies:

• Paper cup
  
• Paint or colored paper (if cup isn’t already a fun color)
  
• Googly eye (jumbo one if possible)
  
• White paper (for teeth)
  
• Pipe cleaners or paper strips (for arms, antennae)
  
• Glue, scissors, tape
  
• Marker
  

Directions:

1. Color the cup in a monster color (maybe bright blue or neon green) if it’s plain. Paint or wrap with paper. Let dry if painted. Cup can be upright or upside down depending on design. Let’s keep it upright for variety, the rim is top.
   
2. Glue one large googly eye towards the top half of cup (if one-eyed monster). Or do multiple eyes (glue 3-4 smaller googlies randomly).
   
3. Below the eye(s), either draw a big mouth or cut one out of black paper and glue it. For a more 3D effect, you can actually cut a mouth hole in the cup.
   
4. Cut triangles from white paper and glue along top of mouth as sharp teeth. Or use foam triangles, etc.
   
5. Poke two holes (or use tape) on sides of cup and insert pipe cleaners or strips of paper as arms. Shape the pipe cleaners to wave or give them three-fingered “hands” by bending the end. Could also be many tentacle arms. Up to child.
   
6. Poke two holes on top and insert pipe cleaner antennae with pom-poms on ends or extra googly eyes at tips (like eye stalks!).
   
7. Add any other decoration: spots (polka dot stickers or drawn), maybe a tail out the back (tape a strip of paper there).
   

Now you have a paper cup monster, fun, goofy, and made from a cup.

The nice thing: these cups are often just tossed after parties, so giving them a second life as monsters is great recycling.

And kids get a kick out of designing their own creature with whatever features they imagine.

Plastic Cup Ghost Luminary

Turn a clear plastic cup into a mini ghost lantern. Very simple and safe to do. Use a little LED tea light inside to glow.

Supplies:

• Clear plastic cup (or white frosted cup)
  
• Black marker or electrical tape (for face)
  
• LED tea light (flameless candle)
  

Directions:

1. Clean a plastic cup if reused. On one side, draw a ghost face with a permanent black marker: two ovals for eyes and a “O” for mouth (like the classic Halloween ghost). If marker might rub off, use pieces of black tape or adhesive vinyl cut into eye/mouth shapes and stick them on.
   
2. That’s it for the ghost exterior. Now place an LED tea light underneath the cup and turn it on. The cup will glow and the face will silhouette, making it look like a lit ghost.
   
3. Optionally, you can drape a bit of white gauze or cheesecloth on top of the cup to give a wispy ghost look, but ensure the face still shows through a hole in the cloth.
   

These plastic cup ghost luminaries are great for lining a walkway or as a nightlight. They reuse old party cups creatively too.

Mason Jar Mummy Lantern

Wrap a mason jar like a mummy to create a spooky lantern you can actually put a candle (or LED) in.

Set the scene for Halloween dinner with these mason jars turned mummies.

Supplies:

• Empty jar (mason jar or any clear jar)
  
• Gauze bandage or strips of white cloth
  
• Googly eyes (2)
  
• Tea light (real or LED)
  
• Glue (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Make sure jar is clean and dry. Take a roll of gauze (or cut an old white t-shirt or cheesecloth into long strips).
   
2. Apply a bit of glue on the starting end of gauze to stick it to the glass (somewhere near bottom or just hold with hand). Then start wrapping the gauze around the jar, going up and down criss-crossing until the whole jar is covered. You don’t have to glue except maybe at end; the layers often stay put by friction, but a dab of glue or tape at end helps secure it. Cover completely but you can leave a little gap somewhere for eyes (or just place eyes on top of the gauze).
   
3. Stick two googly eyes onto the wrapped jar. If the gauze is too loose, glue them onto the gauze. Tuck them under a layer slightly as if peeking.
   
4. Pop in a candle or LED and light it. The light will glow through the gauze giving an eerie mummy effect.
   

That’s your mummy jar lantern! Very quick and sets a spooky mood. You can do the same to multiple small jars for a whole mummy family.

Sock Puppet Monster

Grab an old sock and some odds and ends to make a funny monster puppet.

It’s a timeless craft, basically decorate a sock with eyes and whatever to create a creature. Perfect for leftover socks without pairs.

Supplies:

• Clean sock (any color)
  
• Google eyes or buttons
  
• Felt or fabric scraps (for mouth, spots, etc.)
  
• Yarn (for hair, optional)
  
• Hot glue (for permanent hold) or needle & thread
  

Directions:

1. Put your hand in the sock to decide placement: your fingers will go to the toe as the head/mouth area. You might want to cut a felt oval to place inside under the toes to serve as a stiff mouth (optional).
   
2. Glue two (or more) large googly eyes on the top of the sock near the toe area (the “face”). Or sew on buttons as eyes. They can be mismatched for wacky look.
   
3. Glue or sew a piece of red felt under the toe area inside the sock as a tongue or mouth lining (only if you want when puppet talks you see a mouth). This is optional; you can also just leave it sock-colored.
   
4. Add other features: yarn or faux fur on top of head for hair (glue a bunch on). Spots or polka dots of felt on its “body” (the sock). Maybe glue pom-poms down the front. Add felt fangs on the mouth edge. There’s no wrong way, it’s a monster! Could have six eyes and three horns if you like.
   
5. Let everything dry if glued. Put your hand in and bring it to life!
   

Your sock puppet monster is complete. Hello, new friend! Kids can put on a show with their creations.

This craft fosters creativity because each monster can be so different based on available materials.

Nature Crafts

Finally, bring the outdoors into your Halloween crafting.

Autumn is a perfect time to gather fallen leaves and pinecones, and kids enjoy the process of collecting their supplies outside.

It’s a great way to combine a nature walk with craft time.

Pinecone Bat

Turn a pinecone into a little hanging bat decoration. The pinecone is the bat’s body, and you add paper wings.

It’s an adorable nature craft that also involves a neighborhood stroll to find the pinecones!

Supplies:

• A pinecone (opened, dry one)
  
• Black paint (optional, to paint pinecone)
  
• Black construction paper or felt (for wings and ears)
  
• Googly eyes
  
• Glue
  
• String (to hang, optional)
  

Directions:

1. If you want a completely black bat, paint the pinecone black and let it dry. But you can also leave it brown for a more rustic bat.
   
2. Cut out bat wings from black paper or felt. Each wing looks like a semi-circle with scalloped bottom (like earlier craft). Make sure the size suits the pinecone (the pinecone is body, wings should be proportionate). Also cut two small triangles for ears.
   
3. Glue the wings to the back of the pinecone (the side opposite where you’ll put the face). You can tuck the wing edge into the pinecone scales or glue it on the bottom side so the wings stick out sides. Use generous glue (hot glue works best for fast hold on the pinecone’s uneven surface). Glue ears on top of the pinecone (small end) you might wedge them between scales or glue to a scale tip so they poke up.
   
4. On the front of the pinecone, glue two googly eyes near the top (maybe on the second row of scales from the top). If the surface is too bumpy, you can glue eyes onto a bit of felt or paper first then glue that to even it out.
   
5. If you want a little mouth, cut a tiny piece of red felt or paper and glue under eyes as a mouth, maybe with two white fang dots drawn on. That’s optional, bats often don’t need visible mouth for crafts.
   
6. Attach a string on top for hanging: tie around the top section of pinecone or hot glue a loop to the back.
   

Now you have a pinecone bat to hang in your home or a tree outside. It’s delightful how a natural pinecone becomes a creature.

Kids might want to make several and create a bat colony mobile.

Leaf Ghosts

Leaves can look ghostly if you paint them white!

This craft is basically painting fallen leaves and adding faces, making mini “ghost leaves” you can hang or scatter as décor.

Supplies:

• Large dried leaves (the broader the better; e.g., sycamore, maple)
  
• White paint
  
• Black marker or black paint
  
• String (for hanging, optional)
  

Directions:

1. Go on a leaf hunt and find some big, relatively flat leaves. Dry ones are fine, as long as not super brittle. If flexible green ones, you might press them a day in a book so they flatten a bit.
   
2. Paint one side of each leaf completely white. Let them dry fully. The leaf now looks like a ghostly silhouette, but with perhaps interesting shape.
   
3. Use a black marker or a tiny paintbrush with black paint to draw a ghost face on the leaf: two round eyes and an O mouth. Position it somewhere on the leaf that makes sense (like the broad part). Each leaf can have a different spooky or silly expression if you want.
   
4. Optionally, poke a small hole at the top of the leaf (careful, could tear) and tie a thread to hang it. Or simply tape these leaf ghosts to a window or wall. They are thin and light, so even a glue stick might attach them to paper or window.
   

Now you have leaf ghosts, a very minimal but charming craft. They almost look like natural ghost “specimens.”

Painted Rock Monsters

Collect some smooth stones and turn them into little monster buddies with paint.

This is a fun one for those who like painting on a different canvas. Each rock’s shape might inspire a type of monster.

Supplies:

• Rocks (washed and dried)
  
• Acrylic paints (various bright colors)
  
• Brushes
  
• Googly eyes or paint for eyes
  
• Clear sealant (optional, if putting outside)
  

Directions:

1. Gather some rocks of manageable size (2-4 inches). Flattish ones are easier to paint on.
   
2. Decide monster designs or just paint base colors first and add details after. For example, paint one rock green, one purple, one orange, etc., as base coat. Let dry.
   
3. Add features with other colors or googly eyes: maybe your green rock gets black hair painted on top and bolts on side to be Frankenstein. Purple rock gets polka dots and one big eyeball (cyclops). Orange rock gets multiple eyes of different sizes. Paint on mouths, sharp teeth, goofy smiles, frowns. Use your imagination or have kids each design a “pet monster” rock. They can also glue googly eyes instead of painting eyes for a 3D look. There’s no wrong way, any silly face on a bright colored rock basically becomes a “monster” or friendly creature.
   
4. If you intend these to live in the garden or be handled a lot, once acrylic is fully dry, apply a coat of clear sealant or Mod Podge to protect the paint. Especially if googly eyes are glued, seal around them.
   

Now you have a set of painted rock monsters.

Display them on a shelf, use them as paperweights, or hide them around the yard for a Halloween surprise hunt!

Kids love showing off these because each is unique.

Pinecone Spider

Use another pinecone plus some sticks or pipe cleaners to create a creepy crawly spider.

We did pipe cleaner spiders earlier, but here the pinecone acts as the body for a larger, perhaps outdoor decoration.

Supplies:

• Pinecone (medium-large)
  
• 4 twigs or pipe cleaners (for 8 legs)
  
• Black paint (optional)
  
• Glue (if using twigs, maybe hot glue)
  
• Googly eyes or acorn caps (for eyes)
  

Directions:

1. If you want the pinecone spider to be black, paint the pinecone and twigs black and let dry. If you like a rustic brown spider, skip painting.
   
2. Take 4 twigs that are somewhat evenly sized. Break/cut them so that each twig = two spider legs (so 8 pieces in total). If pipe cleaners, cut 4 in half for 8.
   
3. Determine top vs bottom of pinecone (flatter side usually bottom). Glue or wedge one end of each leg into the sides of the pinecone, 4 on each side. With twigs, a strong glue in a crevice might hold, or you could wrap wire around to hold them. Pipe cleaners you can poke between scales and twist to secure. Bend legs appropriately: pipe cleaners easily bend down then at “knee.” Twigs, you get what shape you find or break. Aim to have the spider able to stand on its 8 legs. Adjust lengths if needed by trimming.
   
4. Attach eyes: glue on two googly eyes on the front end of pinecone (with glue). If you want a natural look, use two small acorn caps or other seeds as eyes. Could also do 8 little mustard seeds if realistic, but that may be too subtle. Big googly eyes make it cartoony-cute.
   

Now your pinecone spider is done. It's a bit more rustic and camouflaged than the bright yarn ones.

These would look great on a porch or as part of an outdoor display (maybe on fake webbing).

Twig Spider Web (Nature Web)

Make a spider web using just found sticks and yarn (similar to popsicle stick web but using real twigs for a more witchy look).

Supplies:

• 3 or 4 straight-ish sticks
  
• Yarn or natural twine
  
• Hot glue or string to tie sticks
  

Directions:

1. Form a star shape with the sticks (if 3 sticks, a six-point star; if 4, an eight-point). You might hot glue the sticks where they intersect to hold them, or use thinner string to lash them together X-fashion.
   
2. Take yarn (white, black, or brown for rustic) and weave around the sticks like we did in popsicle web craft. Since these are uneven, the web will be irregular (which looks authentic). Tie one end to a stick near center, then go around in a spiral, wrapping around each stick as you go.
   
3. Tie off when you reach a suitable size.
   
4. Optional: add hot glue here and there to make “dew drops” or to secure junctions.
   

You now have a twig spider web, very Blair Witch chic!

It's not quite as perfect as yarn and hoop, but it has a spooky, forest vibe which is great for an outdoor decoration.

You can stick a pinecone spider or pipe cleaner spider on it to complete the look.

Painted Acorn Pumpkins

We touched on painting acorns as mini pumpkins earlier conceptually, let’s flesh it out as final one: small acorns can be painted orange to look like tiny pumpkins!

Supplies:

• Acorns (with caps ideally)
  
• Orange acrylic paint
  
• Green paint or permanent marker
  
• Black fine-tip marker (optional, for faces)
  
• Sealer (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Clean acorns (wipe with damp cloth). If any have little holes, there might be worms, avoid those.
   
2. Paint the bottom part of acorn (the nut) orange. Try not to paint the cap, leave it natural or if it falls off, glue it back after painting nut. Several coats might be needed for good color. Let dry.
   
3. Use a toothpick or fine brush to dab a bit of green paint onto the acorn cap stem (if present) or top of acorn to represent a pumpkin stem. If caps removed, you could paint them green or brown and glue on top again.
   
4. (Optional) Draw tiny jack-o’-lantern faces on the orange acorns with a black pen or marker. This is if you want them to be mini jack-o’-lanterns. Or leave plain to look like mini pumpkins.
   
5. Seal with a matte or gloss sealer if you want them shiny and preserved.
   

These painted acorn pumpkins are adorable scattered on a table or in a bowl. .

They are indeed such an adorable autumn decoration as the reference implied.

Hallowen Crafts

Each of these crafts above shows that with a bit of imagination, almost anything can become a Halloween craft.

From paper and cardboard to pipe cleaners, felt, sticks, and stones – the possibilities are endless.

This Halloween, try out some of these craft ideas with your children, students, or just for yourself.

Not only will you create festive decorations and toys, but you’ll also make memories in the process.

Happy crafting and Happy Halloween!

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