Halloween is the perfect time of year for children to get involved in crafts. Halloween crafts for kids don’t have to be expensive and can be a great way to pass the time in the lead up to October 31. You can get the kids involved in crafts ahead of a Halloween party, as part of an Halloween activity on the day or just during the Halloween season. Here are some ideas for Halloween Kids Crafts that can help develop creativity, build motor skills, create special family memories and build family relationships. Remember kids love hearing their work is great and creative and it can really build their confidence to see their wonky designs in pride of place displayed in their home.
Paper Crafts
Useful materials: coloured paper or card, scissors, glue or sellotape, pens, pencils and paints
Start collecting: Junk such as toilet roll cardboard tubes, colourful pipe cleaners, googly eyes
Paper Bats
Bring a touch of spooky magic to your home with these easy DIY paper bats (https://kiyafries.com/diy-paper-bats-with-free-printable-templates/), made using free printable templates. Simply print, trace onto black card, cut out, and hang them on walls, lampshades, or even branches for a striking Halloween effect. This quick and affordable craft is perfect for kids and creates decorations that look like bats fluttering right through your house.
Toilet Roll Monsters
Start collecting toilet roll cardboard tubes now and use craft materials to make them into silly or scary monsters for Halloween. A key craft material for Halloween is googly eyes which can be bought cheaply from craft shops or high street shops like The Works. Gather fun craft materials such as colourful pipe cleaners for arms. Or if you don’t have these, use other pieces of junk. Cut out shapes from other pieces of cardboard to make all sorts of monster-like limbs. Use coloured pens, pencils or paint to add to your Halloween designs.
Paper Plate Pumpkins
Paper plates can be a fun and cost-effective way to make a Halloween-themed kids craft. The round shape is perfect for makeshift pumpkins. If you can get hold of orange paper plates, great! They don’t have to be pumpkins, paper plates can also be used to make fun, scary or silly Halloween faces. Again, Googly eyes of all different sizes can be fun. Collect wrappers and shiny materials or fabric scraps to add to your designs.
Halloween Party Decorations
Kids Halloween crafts could be to make Halloween party decorations or general decorations for your home. Here are some ideas.
Ghost garlands
White card is great for making ghost garlands. Cut out shapes and use felt tips to draw on eyes (or our favourite – googly ones). Use string, to make the garlands ready to hang. The strong can be attached by punching holes with a hole punch, stapling on, sticking or sellotaping. We find holepunching works best.
Spider webs
There are many different materials that work well for Halloween spider webs. String or wool is a really good options, but get creative with whatever materials you like. Some people have made them with lolly sticks. You could make spiders from cardboard, craft materials or stick toy spiders on. Another good option is paper spider webs, which can be made like paper snowflakes you may have made before at Christmas. To do this, fold the paper and then carefully cut out a design.
Halloween Lanterns
Start collecting jam jars now and these can be made into Halloween lanterns, with fairy lights inside or a tea light. One option is to cover the jam jars in orange tissue paper to make them like pumpkins, or you could use glass painting paint to create spooky designs. Again, you’ve got it, we’re going to mention googly eyes, they can be fun with Halloween lanterns or jam jar pumpkins.
Pumpkin Crafts
We appreciate carving a pumpkin may be challenging with kids but did you know it’s still possible to have a fun time decorating pumpkins, without carving?!
Other options for decorating pumpkins at Halloween include; painting (glow-in-the-dark paint is a fun option), using stickers and/or using fabric to collage onto them.
DIY Halloween Costumes
It makes sense to save money and use Halloween Kids Crafting as an opportunity to make your own Halloween costumes. Masks are a great option and can be held in place with elastic bands or string. Cut out shapes from white card or cardboard from your junk, including cereal boxes to make ghosts or monsters. If you’re feeling extra creative, try animal masks. Black cats or owls are great Halloween themes. Remember to cut holes for eyes, nose and mouth,
Paper and card can also be used for crowns, which can be decorated for Halloween. Old sheets and fabrics can be used to fashion ghost costumes or superhero capes. Cardboard, card and washed food containers can be transformed into wands and brooms. Another great option is using objects from nature such as sticks.
Other Halloween Kids Crafts Activity Ideas
- Decorate cakes and biscuits. Ideas include bats, spiders, monsters, witches and pumpkins. It’s amazing what you can do with icing
- Make trick-or-treat bags. Decorate bags ready for trick-or-treaters and you could also spend time filling them
- Use items from nature to make leaf ghosts, pinecone monsters or conker spiders
- Top hot chocolate with spooky toppings
- Decorate marshmallows with chocolate chip eyes
- Halloween drawing and colouring books
Top tips for stress-free crafting
- Clear enough space
- Allow enough time
- Lay all your craft materials out and share ideas
- Prepare the area – you may want to lay down a plastic tablecloth or newspaper to protect surfaces
- Wear craft-suitable clothes or use aprons to protect materials
- Keep things simple. No need for perfection
- Play a suitable playlist to create the mood you want
- Have fun
- Celebrate everything created
- Allow time for show and tell. Maybe have a play with the new creatures created
- Make space to hang or display crafts
- Leave time for everything to dry
- Consider giving extra crafts to friends and family as gifts
- Allow enough time to tidy up
