Halloween Crafts

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Pumpkin Carving

Carving a pumpkin is a fun, easy, and traditional decoration for Halloween. In addition to lighting up the night with an eerie Jack O'Lantern, you can even bake the seeds to make a healthy snack! The main supplies you'll need to carve a pumpkin are easy to get: some newspaper, to protect your carving surface, a sturdy knife  with a long blade or a pumpkin carving knife,  paper  and a pen  or pencil  to draw a stencil,  a large nail,  and of course, a pumpkin. Simply cut a hole around the stem that is large enough to put your hand or a spoon through and remove everything until you have scraped it down to a 1 inch wall. When cutting the hole, angle the knife so that you create a ledge for the top to sit on. Once the pumpkin is cleaned out draw a design with big, easy-to-see features for the face on a piece of paper. Once you are happy with the design, either copy the design to the pumpkin or line up the paper on the pumpkin where there is a good surface and use the nail to make holes that trace the design outline. Then you can take your carving knife and cut along the holes and punch out the pieces you don't want. Carve on an angle so that it will be easy to pop out the pieces from the inside. Finish the Jack O'Lantern with a votive candle inside and put the top on. Voilà! Now you can enjoy the rest of the festivities.  For more help, check out our guide on How to Carve a Pumpkin.

Note that a safe alternative to carving, which is a great activity for kids is painting a pumpkin. Washable poster paint  will work for this project. Simply clean off the pumpkin(s), set up a work space covered in newspapers, deck the kids in some smocks, give them the paint, some brushes,  and let their imaginations run wild! You don't have to paint a face on the pumpkin if you don't want to. Instead you can draw other Halloween scenes such as a haunted house, a witch, ghost, bat, or black cat.

For more information about carving, please visit the following Web sites: Lowes, Pumpkin Masters (cool patterns), You Grow Girl Jack O'Planner, HGTV (printable stencils), and Pumpkin Carving 101.

Costume Making

There are as many costume possibilities as there are things in this world. You simply can't sum it up in just a paragraph. However, there are many resources on the Web where you can find directions and patterns for creating any costume imaginable. Some sites even recommend costumes that don't require that you know how to sew.

You might also want to visit the Kids Dress Up Guide.

Trick or Treat Bags

Trick or Treat bags  come in all shapes, colors, sizes, and designs. They can also be made of all sorts of materials. Here are just a few of the options:

Face Painting

Painting your face as part of a Halloween costume is a great way to give it the finishing touch. Follow these links to see how-tos, get ideas, and learn about supplies you'll need.

  • Face Painting Designs: Learn the basics of how to paint, see galleries full of ideas, and color photo instructions on making a tiger, butterfly, witch, spider, and more.
  • About.com: Tips and how-tos on face and body painting.
  • Michael's Arts and Crafts Store: Many original and classic face painting ideas and instructions.
  • PBS Kids: Dog, clown, and Jack O'Lantern instructions.
  • Gitsy The Clown: Ideas for non-traditional face painting, but no instructions.

Haunted House

Creating a haunted house takes time, creativity, and a bunch of different tools and supplies. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish (or have time for). These links have useful tips and ideas for constructing the haunted house of your dreams!

  • eHow: A simple beginners guide to how to set up a haunt.
  • About.com: A basic guide for setting the mood, making props, and how to keep everyone safe throughout the haunt experience.
  • HauntedHouse.com : A resource index of things that might be helpful for creating a haunted house from safety to building plans.
  • Do it Yourself: Quite a helpful resource that will guide you through planning your haunted house.
  • X10.com: One way of setting up a haunted house, starting with the graveyard.
  • Geocities: Some helpful hints about lighting and acting in a haunted house.

Craft Kits for Halloween

There are several kits manufactured with Halloween in mind. The following suggestions are perfectly suited for kids and make a good project for the weekend of or before Halloween, as well as gifts for kids. You might also want to visit the Halloween Gift Guide.

Pumpkin Carving Kit 

Graveyard Garden 

Sugar Skull Kit 

Sequin Pumpkin Craft Kit 

Halloween Bag Craft Kit 

Pumpkin Bead Pin Craft Kit 

Tissue Paper Halloween Craft Kit 

Unfinished Wood Pumpkin Candle Boxes 

Haunted House Door Hanger Craft Kit 

Ghost Windsock Craft Kit 

Craft Books

There are many Halloween craft books available that are helpful for creating spooky crafts. Some to try are:

External Links