Halloween is the perfect time of year to get creative, connect with your kids, and bring a little spooky magic into your home. The best part? It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to craft something memorable.
From ghoulish decorations to sweet treats and playful costumes, simple DIY projects can become the main attraction for your Halloween festivities. Get ready to roll up your sleeves, grab some family time, and try these hands-on Halloween ideas that’ll delight kids of all ages.
Crafting Spooky Home Decorations
Transforming your home into a haunted masterpiece is one of the best ways to get into the Halloween spirit, and the easiest way to do it is with handmade decorations. Gather up some crafting supplies and get ready to turn your living room into a DIY spooky workshop.
Kids love making, and it’s as simple as crumpling tissues. Use small balls of tissue paper for the ghost’s head and wrap another tissue over it. Secure the “neck” with string or a twist tie and use markers to draw on a spooky or silly face. String the ghosts together to create an eerie garland you can hang anywhere.
Paper plate pumpkins are another hit with little ones. Paint paper plates bright orange, then glue on green pipe cleaners for stems and construction paper cutouts for silly or scary faces. Hang them in windows or line them up on a mantel for a cheerful seasonal decoration.
DIY spiderwebs made from white yarn are both easy and fun. All you need are sticks or popsicle sticks, yarn, and a little patience. Tie the sticks together to create the web’s frame, then wind the yarn in a crisscross pattern to form a web. Bonus points if you glue on a plastic spider for authenticity!
For a three-dimensional scare-factor, try making floating balloon ghosts. Pick up a few white balloons, drape them with cheesecloth, and add googly eyes. Hang them from the ceiling with invisible string, and voila! Your kids will love strolling under these spooky visitors.
Finally, don’t forget clings for windows. Cut out spooky silhouettes, such as bats, cats, or witches, from black construction paper. Tape them to the windows, and when the evening light shines, your house will look positively haunted!
Halloween Treats That Double as Craft Time
Edible crafts are a two-for-one special. They’re fun to make, sweet to eat, and a treat for everyone involved. Plus, no kid will say no to a Halloween project they can snack on.
Start with monster marshmallow pops. Spear marshmallows on sticks, coat them in colorful melted chocolate, then add candy eyes and sprinkles. Kids can use their creativity to make friendly or ferocious creatures with just a few extras from the candy aisle.
Sugar cookie decorating is another classic that’s always a win. Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters, like ghosts, bats, or witches’ hats, and invite your kids to go wild with icing, sprinkles, and edible glitter. Baking the cookies ahead of time can keep younger kids focused on decorating.
Edible spiderwebs are an easy and surprisingly elegant project. Drizzle melted chocolate in a web pattern onto parchment paper, and before it solidifies, top with tiny candy spiders (or pretzel pieces if you prefer less sugar). The webs are great for parties or as spooky cupcake toppers.
Pretzel witch brooms are a bite-sized project perfect for little hands. Use pretzel sticks for the broom handles and fruit leather cut into strips for the bristles. Secure the “bristles” with a small licorice string or a dab of melted chocolate to hold it all together.
For something surprisingly creepy and easy, make gelatin “worm” cups. Follow the instructions on a gelatin box, then mix it with straws that have been stretched and placed upright in a cup. Once the gelatin sets, squeeze the straws to release eerily realistic worms! Serve them over crushed chocolate cookies for a spooky dessert experience.
Creating DIY Costumes That Steal the Show
Nothing beats the charm of a homemade Halloween costume, especially when kids can help design and create their spooky or silly outfit. The trick is keeping it simple while letting their personality shine.
A kid-friendly cape is always a crowd favorite. Choose some lightweight black fabric and give it a scalloped hem for a bat-like vibe. Attach ribbons to tie it around the neck, and voila! Instant bat, vampire, or magician. Your little one can decorate it with glitter or glow-in-the-dark stars to make it extra special.
Mummy costumes are all about the wrapping. Grab inexpensive rolls of gauze or white fabric strips, and loosely wrap your child from head to toe. Use face paint to add dark eyes or spooky “undead” scars. Bonus? No sewing required!
Turn cardboard boxes into DIY robots, Minecraft characters, or dice costumes. A little spray paint and some duct tape can bring these creations to life. The box doubles as the highlight of the costume and a built-in game opportunity while trick-or-treating.
For an eco-friendly option, a tree costume can be as whimsical or spooky as your child wants. Dress them in green sweats and attach fake leaves, vines, and maybe even a few felt birds or bats. A cardboard cutout tree trunk hat completes the look.
Classic ghost costumes can be adorable if you elevate them from the standard sheet. Add layers of tulle over a white dress or pants to give the ghost a shimmery, ethereal glow, and decorate with dangling "chains" made from silver craft paper for a hauntingly beautiful effect.
Getting Crafty with Outdoor Decorations
Your yard can be the star of Halloween night with a few creative DIY outdoor decorations the whole family can enjoy making. These crafts are simple enough for kids to help but make a big impression.
Start with spooky garden signs. Use old wooden boards or foam boards if you have them handy, and paint them with eerie phrases like “Beware,” “Haunted Cemetery,” or “Witch Crossing.” Stick them into the ground with wooden stakes to create a haunted front yard atmosphere.
DIY ghosts can inhabit your trees or porch. Stuff white garbage bags or old pillowcases with newspaper, tie them off to create a head, and use black marker for facial features. String or hang them from branches for a hovering, spectral effect.
Milk jug jack-o'-lanterns are a clever way to get use out of recyclables. Wash out old milk jugs, draw spooky or silly faces on one side, and insert LED tea lights inside. Line them along your driveway or yard for glowing, eco-friendly decorations.
Cobwebs might seem standard, but add a DIY twist by layering them in bushes or along fences with handmade clothespin spiders. Use black pipe cleaners for legs and googly eyes for a cute twist on creatures most people fear!
Finally, make a bubbling cauldron. Use an old bucket or plastic planter painted black, stuff it with green fairy lights or mist makers for fog effects, and glue plastic eyeballs or foam "bubbles" on top. Place it on your porch for an enchanting entryway to your haunted abode.
Fun Activities That Double as Decorations
What if the things you make could also turn into games or activities? These Halloween crafts offer interactive fun long after they’ve been built.
Painted pumpkin bowling is easy to set up and endlessly entertaining. Use craft pumpkins (lightweight and durable), paint them in Halloween designs, and add some plastic bowling pins. Line them up and see who has the best aim!
Spider ring toss is another classic. Use large plastic or plywood spiders and attach them to a base. Kids can toss glow-in-the-dark rings onto the spiders’ legs for a fun twist on carnival-style games.
Decorate mini pumpkins with glitter, paints, or other embellishments and turn them into a tic-tac-toe game. Draw or tape a tic-tac-toe grid on foam board, and have your kids duke it out pumpkin-style.
Create a Halloween scavenger hunt. Use decorated jars, toy skeleton bones, or mini lanterns as the hidden treasures. Kids can paint or decorate the items themselves before you hide them around the yard or house.
Finally, try making a DIY trick-or-treat station with your kids. Turn cardboard boxes into mini haunted houses or monster mouths, and fill them with candy for guests. Kids will enjoy helping to refill the stash, all while soaking up the Halloween charm.
Halloween brings out the fun, silly, and creative sides of everyone, especially kids. Whether it’s crafting decorations, whipping up tasty goodies, designing standout costumes, or building outdoor displays, these DIY projects add an extra layer of joy to the season.
