12 Cute and Easy DIY Halloween Crafts for Kids
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In many ways, Halloween kicks off the whirlwind winter holiday season, where fun is at its peak—especially if you have children. There are many ways for parents to create magic for their kids throughout these fun few months, but one of the best involves getting creative with crafts to do together. Halloween craft ideas combine the fun of DIYs with some seasonal spirit and, of course, quality time together to create some of the best memories. (Bonus: You’ll also end up with a cute keepsake or two!).
The best Halloween crafts for kids put ease and charm at the forefront, allowing children of all ages to hand-make themed creations that are playful, engaging, and just spooky enough. While carving and decorating pumpkins may get all the glory during October, there are plenty of other fun ways to bring the Halloween spirit into your home. From paper spider webs that double as decor to painted pumpkins you can use to decorate the porch, these easy Halloween craft ideas will engage ghouls and goblins of all ages.
Spackle Ghosts
You’ll Need:
- Black canvas
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Spackle
- Black paint
- Small paint brush
Directions: Cut a ghost shape out of your cardboard—this can essentially be a rectangle with a rounded top. Dip the cardboard into the spackle with the rounded side up, and then brush it onto your canvas. Repeat as many times as needed to fill in the canvas and clean up the sides of the canvas as you go. Let the spackle dry, and then use black paint and a small brush to dot on the eyes. Display it anywhere that needs a spooky boost!
Tissue Ghosts
You’ll Need:
- White tissue paper
- Orange ribbon
- Black marker or Sharpie
- Scissors
- Something to form the ghosts’ “body,” like a lollipop or cotton ball
Directions: Using something round as the foundation of your ghost (we recommend a lollipop like Tootsie Rolls for an extra treat!), cut out a few squares of white tissue paper or facial tissues like Kleenex and wrap them around the “head,” securing with an orange ribbon around the “neck” of the ghost. Use a black marker to make eyes and a mouth.
Paper Spiderwebs
You’ll Need:
- White printer paper
- Orange, black, or yellow construction paper
- Craft glue
- Scissors
- Pencil (optional)
Directions: Fold a white piece of paper diagonally, repeating the process several times to create a tightly folded triangle. Using scissors, cut out wiggly lines (similar to how you would make a paper snowflake) to create the “strands” of your web. Unfold your creation and glue it to a colorful piece of construction paper. You can even use a pencil and scissors to trace and cut out various other shapes to adorn your web, like spiders, ghosts, and more.
Monster Toilet Paper Rolls
You’ll Need:
- Cardboard rolls from toilet paper or paper towels
- Various colors of paint and paint brushes
- Various colors of construction paper
- Scissors
- Craft glue
Directions: Use various paint colors to color your toilet paper rolls, choosing shades like blue for monsters, black for vampires, and green for Frankenstein. Adorn the rolls with construction paper cutouts representing eyes, horns, wings, fangs, and more. The more imagination here, the better!
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Trick or Treat Bags
You’ll Need:
- Paper treat bags in orange, black, purple, or white
- Pipe cleaners
- Various colors of construction paper
- Scissors
- Craft glue
Directions: Using premade paper treat bags as a base, the kiddos can dream up whatever type of creepy critter they can make them into. Cut out various shapes from construction paper (like ears for a cat or a mouth for a jack-o-lantern), gluing them on to secure them in place. You can even add 3D design aspects, like pipe cleaner whiskers, to make the treat bag even more festive.
Foam Pumpkins
You’ll Need:
- Foam craft sheets in orange and black (or other desired colors)
- Orange baker’s twine
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Craft glue
Directions: Cut craft foam sheets into the shape of a pumpkin, bat, or any other Halloween-themed critter you’d like. Attach a pair of googly eyes to the foam shape using glue. (Alternatively, you could also cut a second foam sheet with cutouts for eyes, nose, and mouth as shown above and glue that onto your first foam sheet prior to attaching on the eyes for added contrast.) Make a hole at the top using the tip of your scissors or a hole puncher. Then, string through a strand of baker’s twine to tie up the design in a window, on the fridge, or on the door. Pro tip: If your kids are younger and you want to simplify this craft, you can often find pre-cut foam shapes to make assembly easier.
Black Cat Card
You’ll Need:
Directions: Fold a piece of orange cardstock in half. Then, cut that into a rectangle for your desired card size, making sure to keep the folded edge intact. From there, make your three cats out of black cardstock by cutting out small rectangles and trimming a “V” into one end to create a pair of ears. Glue your cats onto the orange card. Finish each with a twine bowtie and a pair of eyes, either made from leftover construction paper or by using small googly eyes.
Plastic Bottle Pencil Holder
You’ll Need:
- Recycled 16-ounce soda bottles
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brushes
- Scissors
Directions: Using a pair of scissors (adults, this is a job for you!), cut a clean soda bottle in half, leaving about 5 inches for the base of your pencil holder. Be sure to clean up any sharp edges either with sandpaper or the scissors, so your little ones don’t accidentally cut their fingers. Pour your desired color of paint into the bottle and slowly rotate it, allowing the paint to coat every surface. Allow the paint to dry (place the bottle upside down on paper towels so that excess paint drips off.) After it’s dried, paint a few finishing touches on the exterior, such as monster faces or words like “Boo!” and “Eek!”
Leaf Ghosts
You’ll Need:
- A few large leaves (time to break out your leaf rakes!)
- White paint
- Black marker or Sharpie
Directions: Collect a bag of fallen leaves from the yard. (In general, it’s best to find leaves that are freshly fallen for this, before they have a chance to dry and become brittle. Larger leaves, such as those from a maple tree, will give you the most surface area, but mixing shapes and sizes can be fun!) Paint each leaf with a coat of white acrylic paint, and let it dry before finishing the ghostly form with black marker eyes and mouth. Scatter them around your Halloween party tablescape or string on a piece of twine for a spooky garland along the mantle.
Pumpkin Plates
You’ll Need:
- Uncoated paper plates
- Orange craft paint
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Craft glue
- Green curling ribbon
Directions: Using an uncoated paper plate (uncoated will hold onto paint better), paint the entire surface a bright, pumpkin-orange color and let it dry. Use scissors to cut out two triangular eyes and a toothy grin from black construction paper, as well as a stem from brown construction paper. Glue them to your plate once the paint has dried. Finish with two pieces of green curling ribbon, glued to either side of the stem to act as “leaves.”
Painted Pumpkins
You’ll Need:
- Assorted acrylic paint colors, including black
- Foam brushes
- A selection of small pumpkins, like sugar pumpkins
Directions: Clean and dry a selection of small sugar pumpkins with dish soap, making sure there is no residual dirt or debris on the skin. With a foam brush, paint each pumpkin with your choice of acrylic paint—you may need two coats, depending on the color—and allow to dry before finishing with black paint for the eyes and mouth. (Optional: If you plan on keeping the pumpkins outdoors, you can seal your creation with a coat of clear acrylic sealer.)
Pumpkin Stencils
You’ll Need:
- A printer, ink, and paper
- Scissors or a razor blade
- Our free printable pumpkin carving stencils
Directions: Making carving a ghoulish gourd a much easier process by printing off one of our favorite free pumpkin carving stencils! Using scissors or a razor blade (parents, this is your job!), cut out the black shapes on the paper to create a carving template. Tape the template onto your pumpkin and trace the guide with a pencil or marker, which you can then follow using your carving knife. It’s a great way to achieve a frighteningly good jack-o-lantern!
Note: As with any pumpkin carving activity, parents should be present to supervise.
Halloween Ideas
We have everything you need, including decor, pumpkin stencils, and costume ideas. (For you and your pets!)
Get Spooky!
Alyssa Longobucco
Alyssa is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist with a background in interior, food, and lifestyle content. The recent recipient of an interior design certification, she has over a decade of experience in the digital and magazine industry helping readers digest design trends and providing actionable expert advice for creating a home and life they love.
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