Whether you’re having a party at school, home Halloween party, or just want to create some cool decorations for your house, crafting some creepy projects is lots of fun and can help keep little goblins busy.  Try out some of these quick and easy favorites:

 

 

Black Magic Paintings

Use crayons to draw a colorful Halloween scene.  Be sure to press hard so that crayons make a heavy coating.  Now wash over the entire paper with black paint.  The paint will stick to non-colored sections but not over the crayon sections.

 

Using paint or markers, cover the entire surface of heavy paper with various colors.  Next, color over the entire paper with black crayon.  Be sure to press hard to create a thick coat of crayon.  Now use assorted instruments (toothpick, spoon, blunt rock) to draw a scene.  The black crayon will peel away and leave a colorful outline of your drawing.

 

Witch’s Hands

For this project you’ll need clear plastic gloves (disposable),  popped popcorn, candy corn, plastic spider rings, and twist ties.  To assemble, place one candy corn in the tip of each finger and fill entire glove with popcorn.  Tie off glove with twist tie.  Slide a ring onto a finger and your hand is complete.

 

Transparent Characters

Create a special see-through paint by mixing food coloring into white glue.  Now paint a picture of a pumpkin, ghost, cat or other Halloween character onto a sheet of wax paper.  Prior to it drying, cover the painting with another sheet of wax paper.  Once dry, trim around the painting and glue picture between two frames made of cardboard and hang or lean in front of a window.

 

Glue Ghosts

Have the child draw a ghost outline on a piece of waxed paper, and then have them fill in the outline with white school glue. Dry overnight, and then have the child add facial features. Place on a string and you have a spooky ghost necklace.

 

Easy Spiders

You’ll need half of a white Styrofoam ball, 8 black pipe cleaners, and 2 googly eyes per spider.  To prepare, cut the Styrofoam ball in half and bend the ends of the pipe cleaners at a 90 degree angle about two inches from each end.  Next, arrange the pipe cleaners so that they all meet in the center and give them a twist.  Spread the pipe cleaners out like a fan on two sides.  Place a dab of hot glue in the center of the legs and place the flat side of the Styrofoam ball on top.  Then glue on eyes for a finishing touch.

 

Spaghetti Webs

Have the children dip cooked spaghetti into white glue and arrange the pieces onto the waxed paper in the shape of a cobweb. When the spaghetti dries, carefully peel the "cobweb" off the waxed paper. Hang from the ceiling or attach several to a wire hanger to create a web mobile.

 

Cereal Box Tombstones

This simple project doubles as a recycling project!  Save assorted sized empty cereal boxes, paint with two or three coats of gray paint and allow to dry.  To give the tombstones a “stoney” look, use a sponge to dab on various shades of gray ranging from light to dark.  Once dry, use a marker to add names and dates such as:  Frankenstein lies here 1435 – 1499.  To help keep your tombstones upright, fill a Ziploc bag with sand and place inside.  You can display you tombstones around your house or place around your yard (but keep them out of the rain).

 

Creative Luminaries

Another great way to make good use of discarded materials is to recycle milk jugs.  Using a clean milk jug, cut out the face of a jack-o-lantern on the front (you may want to draw it with a pencil first).  Apply three coats of orange acrylic paint to the jug making sure it dries between coats and thoroughly for the last coat.  Now add detail to your jack-o-lantern using a black marker.  Detach the lid and, using a glue gun, attach a mini flashlight.  To illuminate your jack-o-lantern, simply turn on your flashlight and put the lid back on the jack-o-lantern. Make one for a cool porch decoration or several to light up your walkway!

  

Most of these projects are simple to do and require only a few basic supplies.  However, you can’t beat the ease and convenience of craft kits.  Complete with supplies and instructions, craft kits are perfect for groups such as birthday or class parties.  Visit Oriental Trading for a wide variety of kits in addition to a great assortment of other holiday items.