78 Easy and Fun Halloween Crafts for Kids to DIY This Spooky Season
From toilet paper spiders to paper plate ghosts, browse simple projects for kids of all ages.
There's more to Halloween than just trick-or-treating. It's a spooky, imaginative day where kids (and adults!) can show off their favorite costumes while decking out their homes in eerie yet fun All Hallows' Eve decorations. But when it comes to keeping little ones entertained before the candy search kicks off, consider adding the below Halloween crafts to the mix.
We have a creative range of family-oriented crafts for toddlers, kindergartners and ghouls and gals of all ages. Think painted pumpkins, paper plate spiders, skeleton garlands and googly-eyed veggie monsters. Some of these DIYs even double as decor (bleach pen napkins and spider-webbed placemats are just a few fun examples). Other crafts on the list make for cool Halloween games — ever played pumpkin tic-tac-toe? Even better, many of the crafts are budget-friendly and can be made with basic craft supplies like craft sticks, pool noodles, pipe cleaners and construction paper. And did we mention they're incredibly easy to make with adult supervision?
As you browse through these creative DIYs, we hope they delight the Halloween-loving crafter in you too! You might even want to try your hands at these Halloween crafts for adults or recreate a homemade Halloween costume with a friend.
Bleach Pen Napkins
Watch kids draw spiderweb designs on the front of cloth napkins. Choose any color that'll make the designs pop. After letting the design dry for two hours, you'll see it turn completely white. Make sure to rinse and dry the napkins before displaying them on your table.
Puff Paint Spider Web Glasses
Any kid would surely have fun decorating their plastic or glass tumblers with spiderweb patterns. Use puff paint to add texture and vibrancy to any Halloween-themed cup. It'll especially make any colorful drinks pop.
Webbed Placemats
Give your table an even spookier upgrade with these DIY placemats made out of puff paint and parchment paper. Make a web shape on the parchment paper using puff paint. Let it dry overnight before peeling the paper off the back. When placed under a clear plate, the design will really stand out.
Outdoor Halloween Lanterns
We share all the steps to making a variety of eerie lanterns kids can help DIY for the backyard or porch. You can create splatter-paint pumpkin lanterns with acrylic paint, mummy shroud lanterns with cheesecloth and creepy crawler lanterns with bug clip art.
3D Puff Painted Pumpkins
Here's a carve-free pumpkin craft where the kids can draw designs on their jack-o'-lanterns. Trace the lines with puff paint and once the paint dries, cover the stem with masking tape and use matte spray paint or chalk paint for a 3D look.
Skull Lanterns
After DIYing, you'll want to keep these skull lanterns up all spooky season long! Cut the adorable faces out of black paper then Mod Podge them onto white paper lanterns. This will really put your kids' drawing skills to the test.
Skeleton Pumpkin
This skeleton will scare away any monster that tries stealing candy from your doorstep! Stack two pumpkins on top of each other. Spray paint both of the pumpkins white and use black paint for the eyes and bones.
Spa Pumpkin
A pumpkin wearing a face mask and shower cap? We hope your kids get a kick out of this look after decorating their jack-o'-lantern in a colorful mask, cucumbers and spa attire.
Cobweb Wreath
Kiddos will love making this mini wreath. All it takes is stretching a faux cobweb over a 12" embroidery hoop. Help them trim any extra web off the back and add little spider figurines to the front for a creepier effect.
Black Bat Pumpkin
Paint the pumpkin a vibrant neon hue, like this eye-catching pink, before decorating it with black paper bats. Keep your new "batty" display inside or under a covered porch so the bats last throughout the holiday season.
Face Mask Pumpkins
For these stylish masked pumpkins, grab a sleeping mask and a few straight pins to keep the straps in place.
Pumpkin Suncatchers
Dress up the windows in your kids' bedroom with these adorable smiley-faced pumpkin suncatchers. Use wax paper and crayons for the design or make use of any tissue paper and contact paper to recreate the craft.
Paper Halloween Luminaries
The kids can take turns drawing silly and scary monster faces on their cylinders. Place tea lights into glass jars before putting paper luminaries over them to create an eerie glow.
Newspaper Hat
The kids can use your newspapers to make pirate hats. They'll need black paint and a pirate template (which you can find in this eco-conscious craft book).
Halloween Treat Cups
Every Halloween party needs candy, especially a treat box like this to take home. Use pipe cleaners for the handles and draw spooky faces on the front of the cups.
Bat Bottle Cap Magnets
They're small, cute and easy to make using black bottle caps. Other materials needed include black cardstock, googly eyes, magnets and a white paint marker.
DIY Trick-or-Treat Bag
Here's another goodie bag idea they can recreate using their own pillowcase. Just grab some paint and get to decorating and drawing spiderwebs, pumpkins, skeletons and more!
Paper Plate Ghost
This ghost is simple to make, especially since it only requires markers to draw the facial features and paper plates for the body.
Craft Witch and Black Cat
You'll never see a wicked witch without their beloved black cat. DIY the duo using craft sticks and pipe cleaners. Consider adding a magnet to the back to turn them into fridge magnets.
Halloween Terrarium
Store this spooky decoration to reuse year after year. Fill a large glass jar with a miniature haunted house. Then get creative using moss, pebbles and Halloween-themed figurines and tombstones.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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