Making holiday crafts and decor is always enjoyable, and Halloween provides the perfect opportunity for every member of the family to get involved in creating something wonderful.
With a little imagination, people of all ages can transform simple materials into unique Halloween creations.
When it comes to younger children, it’s important to keep materials and projects simple. Making something that kids can play with when they have finished crafting is fun, too. Paper puppets are a fantastic option. Start by drawing ghost, pumpkin and bat shapes onto a piece of cardstock. Colour, decorate and cut out the shapes. Then, use tape to attach coffee stir sticks (or popsicle sticks) to the backs.
Kids can also work on improving their fine motor skills by crafting. Draw a ghost on a sheet of cardstock and have kids cover the surface with glue, cotton balls, and a couple of googly eyes. Alternatively, you can draw a pumpkin on a piece of cardstock and have a child cover the surface with glue and torn up bits of orange construction paper
Tweens and teens can participate in Halloween crafting too, but they will require more sophisticated projects and materials. Older children may enjoy using their skills to create custom Halloween decor. A white door provides the perfect canvas for creating a shadowy Halloween scene. With a couple of pieces of inexpensive black Bristol board, it’s easy to transform a door into a spooky forest vignette containing a tree, a black cat, bats and a full moon. Simply draw the shapes on black Bristol board with a white crayon, cut out the pieces, and use painters’ tape to attach the design to a door.
Yarn is a fantastic material for older kids to work with, too. With a ball of white yarn, tweens and teens can easily create an adorable ghost garland. Cut a piece of cardboard about six inches wide and wrap yarn around the cardboard about 40 times. Then, tie a piece of yarn around one end of the wrapped yarn, and cut the other end with sharp scissors. Fluff the yarn to make a ghost shape, and use hot glue to attach googly eyes. Create several ghosts and hang them from a string to create a festive Halloween garland.
Adults can flex their creative muscles this Halloween too, and as a bonus, crafting is a great way to relieve stress. Holiday wreaths can be made using wreath forms wrapped in yarn and covered with inexpensive dollar store adornments. Consider wrapping a foam wreath form in orange yarn, adding plastic spiders with hot glue, and attaching a black ribbon for hanging.
The dollar store really is the best place to go for inexpensive supplies and inspiration. A few years ago, I bought a pool noodle that I transformed into a pair of witch’s legs. I cut the pool noodle in half, covered the pool noodles in dollar store tights, and added witch shoe “ornaments” to the top. I still love this cheap piece of whimsical decor.
Regardless of age, crafting is a wonderful creative outlet, and a fantastic way for families to spend time together. I hope you take some time to create something unique and fun for Oct. 31. Happy Halloween!
Gina Bell writes the East Coast Mommy column, which runs every second week. Follow her blog at www.EastCoastMommy.com or contact her at [email protected].