77 Easy Halloween Kids' Crafts
From handmade decorations to DIY party favors and creative ideas for pumpkins, we have 80+ easy Halloween kids' craft ideas to keep your little ghouls and ghosties busy.
Halloween: The Kid-Craftiest Time of the Year
Kids love crafting most days of the year but Halloween crafts are that special mix of fantasy and fall fun. From classic Halloween crafts like carving a pumpkin to creating a one-of-a-kind costume or magicking up tasty treats for a Halloween party for their friends, kids love getting creative to celebrate the scary season. Keep reading for our best Halloween craft ideas that you can do both with and for your little monsters. If pumpkin carving is first on your list of to-dos, check out our best free printable templates, below.
Turn Cardboard Boxes Into Costumes
Upcycle your way to DIY Halloween costumes your kids will both love wearing and helping you craft. Get ready to raid your recycling bin; our quick video and step-by-step instructions, below, will help you turn cardboard shipping boxes into creative and seriously cute costumes.
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Wrap a Witch Hand Around Some Florals
Have the kids decorate all your flower arrangements this Halloween. To make these witch hands, roll out air-dry clay onto a flat surface. Press a small hand-shaped cookie cutter into the clay. While the clay is still malleable, wrap the hand around a small vase or beaker and allow it to dry. If the air-dry clay does not stick to the vase when it’s dry, use a small amount of craft glue to adhere it to the jar. Air-dry clay comes in several colors, but you can also paint it after it dries adding fun touches like painted fingernails.
Upcycle a Box Into a Fun Game
Entertain trick-or-treaters or Halloween partygoers of all ages with this DIY game of chance. Felt jack-o'-lantern flaps (instead of paper that would tear) and an open back make it easy to reload the game with candy and small toys to keep the fun going. Construct your own with our step-by-step instructions, below.
Put on a Halloween Puppet Show
The creative possibilities of a brown paper lunch bag are never-ending, and the fun does not stop for Halloween. Hand over a stack of colorful paper, scissors and glue sticks to your kids and let the monster madness unfurl. Use the bottom fold as a mouth. When the puppets are made you can easily convert an old box into a puppet theater or make one from our step-by-step, below.
Get an Assist in Boo-ing the Neighbors
Boo-ing friends and neighbors is a fun Halloween tradition that's part trick and all treat. Let your littles help shop for, then assemble boo baskets that are customized to each recipient. Check out our 15 creative boo-ing ideas and print out our free (and fa-boo-lous!) printable tags and signs, below.
Head Out on a Scavenger Hunt
Looking to scare away boredom this Halloween? Download and print our free neighborhood scavenger hunt that kids of all ages will enjoy. Then, head outdoors on foot to find as many of the items as possible within a set time limit. You can even offer small prizes to the child who finds most of the items — or just reward them with bragging rights. Get our free printable scavenger hunt sheets, below.
Cover the Front Door in Bats
Our free bat template, scissors and black card stock are all you need to give your front door a batty transformation. You can keep it simple and just add a few flapping paper bats or really make Halloween magic and first cover the door in purple bulletin board paper and add a glowing city skyline.
Scare Up a Creepy Cookie-Cuterie
Homemade chocolate cookie bones + a generous heaping of both sweet and salty snacks = a Halloween snack board that's fun to assemble with a little assist from the kiddos. Perfect for parties, keep extra candy and salty treats on-hand so you can restock the board mid-party.
DIY a Spider's Web Crown
White pipe cleaners, a toy spider and a headband come together to make this scary-cute headgear. Older kids should have no problem twisting the pipe cleaners into a web and attaching a spider or two. When they're done with their creation, let them know they can tell everyone that they're a "web" designer.
Paint Beaded Necklaces
This fun and easy-to-make necklace is the perfect accessory for your next monster mash. Kids will love adding their own spooky spin to plain craft-store wooden beads. Paint markers work great for creating wee witches and pumpkins. Younger kids can enjoy making something more abstract like black, white and orange polka dots on the beads. When they are completely dry, string the beads on faux-suede cording and wear.
Craft a Piñata Together
Halloween swings into action with this candy corn piñata. Kids of all ages will love taking a shot at this treat-filled craft, and because you and the kiddos make it yourselves, you get complete control over what goes inside.
Turn a Peaceful Plant Into a Man-Eating Monster
Kids will love helping you craft these monstrous-looking tentacles that look kinda cute, but don’t be fooled. They’ve only got one thing in mind ... dinner.
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Pom-Pom Monsters
Yarn pompoms are easy to make and even easier to turn petrifying for a fun Halloween spin. No pompom maker, no problem. Cut a rectangular piece of cardboard about the size of a cell phone. Wrap with yarn lengthwise at least 150 times. Slide the yarn bundle off of the cardboard. Use a piece of yarn to tie the bundle in the center. At the same spot where you tied the center use another piece of yarn to attach plastic vampire fangs. Trim the looped ends of the yarn bundle and fluff the pompom. Add adhesive-backed googly eyes and even a felt tongue.
Turn Pretzels Into Yummy Skeletons
Made out of marshmallows and white chocolate-dipped pretzels, these gooey and crunchy characters are as fun to craft as they are to gobble up.
Stencil a Canvas Treat Bag
Trick-or-treating is serious business to kids. Use one of our three free printable templates to help them turn an inexpensive canvas tote bag into a cute carryall to contain their candy haul.
Make String Lights From Paper Towel Rolls
Let kids illuminate the Halloween party by making festive covers for standard string lights. The covers are crafted from paper towel or toilet paper rolls that are covered in Halloween tissue paper with decoupage medium and then topped with pom-poms. Have the kids craft the cover and you attach them to the string lights.
Turn the Porch Planter Into a Monter
Give your entryway a not-too-scary Halloween update with this easy-to-craft blooming beastie. The kids will love helping you select the foam colors and deciding whether to make a friendly or not-so-friendly mum-ster.
Craft Paper Crowns
Although you probably treat your kids like royalty every day, help them display their regal nature with these easy-to-craft paper crowns. Just print one of our free templates, then embellish it however you'd like. Perfect as party favors, these crafty goodies also make great costume accessories or gifts for your favorite trick-or-treaters.
Haunted House Treat Bags
The kiddos will love helping with this party favor craft that decorates gift bags to look like individual haunted houses. To make your own, simply fold over and seal the tops of treat or toy-filled paper bags, then add fringed streamers on the "roof" and stickers to depict windows and doors.
Paint Simple Silhouettes
Looking for a fun, entertaining activity for all? Set up a craft station stocked with art projects that kids big and small can enjoy. These DIY farmhouse-inspired cat and pumpkin silhouettes are easy to make and guests will love that they get to take their chic creations home. Get the step-by-step instructions at the link below.
Foil Monsters
Create these fun decorations with a trip to the kitchen pantry and old cardboard canisters (oatmeal, breadcrumbs, grits, etc.). Draw a simple Halloween-themed face on the cardboard canister (vampire, witch, werewolf, etc.). Then go over your drawing with a hot glue gun so you have a raised outline of the face on the cardboard. While the glue is cooling, cut a piece of foil the size of the canister. Use a paintbrush to apply craft glue to the canister taking care to get around all the edges of the canister. Place the foil onto the canister while the glue is still wet making sure the shiny side is facing out. The foil should fit snugly around all the edges of your raised glue-gun design. Have the kids use a pencil eraser to burnish the foil around the glue design. When the glue has dried, trim any extra foil and color in your creature with permanent markers.
Glitter a Goodie Bag
Give plain muslin bags a trendy custom touch with one of our free printable patterns, below. These little sacks are just the right size to give out as party favors, take to the kids at school or use to surprise your favorite trick-or-treaters.
Kid's Craft: Witchy Plastic Bottle Light
You may have not known this, but a green two-liter plastic bottle can easily be transformed into a Halloween witch night light. The witch’s facial features and a hat are made from craft felt, while yarn is used to give her a full head of hair. A battery-operated light illuminates the witch and to help her stand up straight, the bottle is supported by a terra cotta flowerpot.
Decorate the Drink Station
Get the kids excited about the Halloween party by having them help decorate the beverage tub. You can create the tub's features — eyes, nose, wings, etc. — then have the kids help place and glue them onto the tub.
Create Treat Bags With Character
Have the kids decorate goodie bags for your trunk-or-treat or party. Start with craft- or dollar-store paper treat bags then add a playful personality with googly eyes and a bit of colorful 'hair'. To secure the treat bag, fold over the bag's top, make a hole through the folded layers with a hole punch or awl, then tie it off with a bit of rickrack or ribbon.
Have Kids Pumpkin-ize Your Family
Kids will love raiding the produce bin (and your family members' closets) to give fresh pumpkins a personality. Add a carrot or parsnip nose, craft-foam eyelashes or mustache and a drawn-on smile, plus accessories like glasses, a tie, hat or headphones to complete the look.
Monster Planter
Take a stroll through the garden department to get Halloween inspiration, lots of plants — especially air plants — have a spooky vibe in the right setting. Use multi-surface craft paint on the inside of a glass hanging planter. When the paint is dry embellish with items like pom-pom spots, googly eyes, fun fur hair, sparkly pipe cleaner lips and of course white felt monster teeth. Depending on the type of plant you use add a small bit of soil and rocks inside the planter. Style the plant so that it looks like is blooming out of the monster’s mouth.
DIY Halloween Headbands
In just a few minutes, kids can transform an ordinary headband into one of these cute costume accessories.
Go With a Classic Carmel Apple
What's tastier and more seasonal than a fall apple covered in ooey-gooey caramel? And, hey, this is one Halloween sweet that actually sneaks in some fruit. Yummy, fun to make and (kinda) healthy? Win-win-win!
Halloween Crayon Candles
Who among us does not have a random assortment of broken crayons? Take that wax to the next level by making colorful Halloween-themed candles. Each candle has a terrazzo-style effect with colored wax and broken crayons. Kids ask your parents for help with this project and always be careful when lighting candles.
Let Them Eat ... Broomsticks
Our free printable, below, is the perfect finishing touch for these easy-to-craft broomsticks that are just as much fun for kids to craft as they are to eat.
Make a Treat Bag Out of an Upcycled Sock and a Bottle
Finally, a use for all those socks that have long since lost their mate. Help your kids make this bottle/sock bag to hold all their Halloween goodies. Start by cutting off the top of a plastic bottle and cut off the toe of the lone sock. On one end of the sock create a channel for a drawstring by folding the sock over about 1” and gluing. Cut two small slits in the folded fabric about 1” apart so you can insert a drawstring (we used ribbon). Apply craft glue to the body of the plastic bottle. Pull the sock over the bottle with the drawstring channel at the top. When all the glue has dried, attach a safety pin to the drawstring and feed it through the channel. Remove the safety pin and the Halloween bottle bag is ready for action.
Turn Porch Plants Into Monsters
Hanging Boston ferns are a front porch staple that are easy to transform into hovering aliens in time for Halloween. Kids will love adding the easy-to-craft eyeballs and tentacles — or coming up with their own out-of-this-world ideas for deep-space denizens. Our tutorial, below, will help you inexpensively magic up a googly-eyed alien in a flash.
Craft Supersized Spiders
Head to the craft store for foam spheres, paint and pipe cleaners, then get ready to assemble a bunch of these giant — but friendly-looking — spiders. Kids will enjoy customizing their faces and can help you make a larger-than-life web, too, by just wrapping yarn around fallen tree limbs.
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Carve a Jack-O'-Lanterns
Make pumpkin carving a yearly family tradition with one of our carving stencils. Just download your favorite pattern, size it to your pumpkin, print it out, and then attach it to your pumpkin and get carving. Tip: Instead of cutting off the pumpkin's top, cut off the bottom to make cleaning it out much easier and create a flat surface for the carved pumpkin to sit on.
Make Some Batty Branches
Send the kiddos out to gather fallen twigs and small branches while you print out our free bat template. Paint branches white, cut out a bunch o' bats, then just glue them on. Get even more free Halloween printables, below.
Turn Faux Pumpkins Into Candy Buckets
Faux pumpkins aren't just great for decking out your front porch, they also make cute candy containers for your favorite trick-or-treaters. Just cut off the top, have your child add their name and let them help you select paint for the pumpkin's interior and ribbon to use as a handle.
Send a Message With a Teal Pumpkin
Did you know that teal pumpkins symbolize you're giving away allergy-friendly treats? Let the neighborhood know with these easy embroidery hoop wreaths fashioned to look like a friendly pack of pumpkins. Have the kids help make the jack-o'-lantern using black felt and craft glue.
String a Gumball Necklace
All you need to make this candy-corn-colored necklace are gumballs, ribbon and a few tools. Use a skewer to puncture each gumball, one side at a time. Thread ribbon through a large needle and slide through gumballs, tying a knot between each as you go. Add a ribbon bow for an extra finishing touch.
Craft Bat Straw Shooters
Sometimes the best entertainment is the kind you can make yourself. Roll a small piece of paper around a paper straw to create a tube. Make sure the paper is not too tight or too loose. Seal one end shut with tape. Cut out a bat shape from cardstock and attach the tube tape-side pointing up to the back with more tape. Inset the paper straw into the tube and blow. See who can get their bat to go the highest or furthest to turn it into a fun Halloween game.
Turn Vases Into Terrifying Terrariums
DIY terrariums are easy to make, affordable and offer endless ways to create spooky scenes. Pick up wooden bases and glass cylinders or fishbowls at your local dollar store. Fill with twigs, preserved moss and leaves topped with plastic insects, snakes or faux birds.
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