Kids of all ages love Halloween crafts. October is a great time to let their big imaginations run wild creating spooky and fun projects. These craft projects will surely get their creative juices flowing.
Make trick-or-treat bags for a Halloween craft for kids
This Halloween craft is great for kids of all ages. It is fun, and the bag can be used to collect candy during trick-or-treating. You start with a large gift bag. Solid colors like black, orange, or green work the best. Have the kids draw shapes on construction paper. Cut the shapes out and glue them to the bag. Kids can make black cats, witches, monsters, bats, pumpkins, or any other Halloween item that their imagination can dream of. Use craft eyes, glitter, ribbon, or pipe cleaners to add the finishing touches.
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And make the holiday even more magical!
Make cute paper jack-o-lanterns
Young kids need simple projects that can be done quickly before they lose their attention span. This Halloween craft is ideal for kids three to six. Start this project by cutting large circles out of construction paper. Use as much of the paper as possible so that the orange circles are as large as you can make them. You need one orange circle per child. Next, use green construction paper to cut a 2 x 3 inch rectangle for each kid. Then, cut triangles of various sizes and shapes from black construction paper. You will need ten to fifteen black triangles per child.
Give the orange, green and black shapes to the kids along with some craft glue. Let the kids glue the black triangles onto the orange circles to make a face for their jack-o-lanterns. Top the pumpkin off with the green rectangle on top for the stem. Even the youngest crafters will be delighted with their creations.
Make tissue ghosts as a fun Halloween craft for kids
Tissue ghosts are another fun, quick Halloween craft for kids. All you need for this idea is a box of tissue and string. Each child will use two pieces of tissue. Take the first piece of tissue and roll it into a ball. Tuck the ball into the center of the second tissue. Wrap the outer piece of tissue around the ball and tie it with string to hold the ball inside. You’re done! You have a cute little ghost that can be tied to the ceiling with string. This little ghost will “fly” with the slightest breeze. If you want, you can draw a face on the ghosts with a felt pen.
Sew together a felt character
Print out a pumpkin or ghost shape on cardstock and trace it onto felt, twice. Embroider one piece of felt with a face and/or buttons. You can also have your kid color a face with a marker. Then sew the two pieces together and fill them with stuffing before sewing them up completely.
Create a model haunted house
This is a great Halloween craft for older kids who need a more challenging project. It is also a good group project. To make a model haunted house, start with a large cardboard box. A tall box works the best. This allows your house to have several floors. First, have the children use pencils to draw a door and several windows on the box. They should create a front of the house, and two sides with windows on all three sides. Encourage them to make windows of different shapes, as this will add interest to the project.
The next step is to cut out the doors and windows drawn by the children. The bottom and back of the box should be cut off as well. The best tool for this is a box cutter. An adult should do this part of the project for the children. When the pieces have been cut away, give the box back to the children to complete. Save the piece that came from the back of the box to use later.
For the next step, the children will create interesting scenes for the haunted house. Trace the shapes of the windows and doors onto white printer paper. Have the children draw witches, monsters, spiders, pumpkins, or ghosts in the squares with a pencil. Color the pictures with markers. Be sure to color the backgrounds too. For example, if the child has made a ghost, then it would be best to have a black or orange background for that picture. If the child has drawn a black cat, then perhaps a red or green background would be nice.
Once the pictures are ready, cut them out. Leave about an inch on each side. Use tape to attach the pictures to the inside of the box where the holes are. Now, each window and door should have a Halloween scene in it.
Finish the project by folding the leftover piece of cardboard from the back of the box in half. Place it on the top of the box to make a roof. Attach it with tape or glue. Allow the children to decorate the outside of the box. They can color the roof, add vines growing up the walls, or draw spiders on the walls. When they have finished, place the box over a small lamp or electric candle. The doors and windows will glow and the children will be amazed by how cool their project turned out.
Paint paper tubes
Gather up your toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes. Cut some construction paper and gather your markers. Paint the tubes and then decorate them to create fun Halloween characters.
Decorate tin cans to create a monster
Make some use out of those empty cans! Spray paint them a fun color (or three!) and use construction paper, googly eyes, and paint pens to decorate.
Use model clay or play dough to create Halloween creatures
Use my simple playdough recipe to create some fun Halloween creatures.
Simple Playdough Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups salt
- 4 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 cups room temperature water
- food coloring optional
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, add the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and oil together.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and food coloring/scent – make sure it is mixed well.
- Over medium heat, gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while stirring constantly.
- Continue stirring until everything is combined and you have a sticky dough-like consistency.
- Once you're happy with the consistency and a ball has formed, turn the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Let it cooly before handling, then knead the dough for about three minutes or until it is smooth and soft.
- (Optional) Once the dough is kneaded, you can add oatmeal, coffee grounds, and sand for textured playdough! Mix until desired color and texture are achieved.
- Store your playdough in an airtight container – it should keep for up to two months, but we've had it last for over a year, even with regular use! Now you and your little ones can get creative with playdough crafts! Have fun!
Use paper plates to make a spooky mummy or spider web
I love that this cute craft uses basic pantry items and is simple enough for nearly all ages. Grab a paper plate, some yarn (with an end wrapped in tape to create a “needle”), punch some holes, and start threading!
Crafts are a great way to spark the imagination of children. This Halloween, get the whole family into the spirit with these simple, fun craft ideas.
