Allow your children to have fun this Halloween with a selection of easy-to-make Halloween decorations the whole family will enjoy. Pick up a few inexpensive craft supplies, clear off a work space and get ready to have a fantastic holiday!
1. Hanging Ghosts
Decorate your home or yard with a few of these frightfully fun creatures that are super easy to make. All you’ll need to make these ghosts are a sheet of packing foam, pencil, paper and scissors.
Draw several ghost figures on paper; have your kids select the best ones to use as patterns to cut out the figures from the packing foam. Use the scissors to cut out eyes and a mouth, as well. Make as few or as many as you want and use string to hang them from trees or your porch, tape them to your windows, or hang a few from an overhead light fixture in your home.
2. Cardboard Felt Cutouts
I used to make these decorations all the time when I was a kid and they are super simple. You’ll need a selection of felt in Halloween colors (think orange, black, gold, and white) cardboard for backing, scissors, and a pencil.
Have your kids draw a variety of Halloween shapes on paper such as pumpkins, ghosts, black cats and witches. Use the drawings as patterns and cut each shape out of felt. Make sure to cut out details, such as the Jack O’ Lantern’s eyes, nose and mouth.
Glue a piece of cardboard that has been cut the same shape as your Halloween figure to the back of the felt decoration. Use fishing line to hang a few creatures outside your home or tape them up in windows for a spooky effect.
3. Styrofoam Bats
Your kids will love creating an army of spooky bats to decorate your home for Halloween! You’ll need two styrofoam balls to make the body and head of the bat (make sure the head is smaller). Multiply this by the number of bats you plan to make.
You’ll also need glue, googly eyes, black spray paint and black packing foam to make the ears and wings.
Spray paint each ball black. Glue each Styrofoam ball together to form the body of the bat. Cut out tiny ears to place on top of the head and wings to glue on each side of the body. Tell your kids to be creative with different wing shapes!
For the finishing touch, glue on a pair of googly eyes and use them as centerpiece decorations or anywhere else that needs a spooky touch.
4. Egg Carton Spiders
This is a fun Halloween decoration to make. I can remember making dozens of these for an elementary school party back when I was a kid! You’ll need one egg carton, a standard hole punch, pipe cleaners, duct tape, paint and a small pair of stick on eyes.
Cut out each cup from the egg carton and paint black. Once the cups have dried, punch four holes in each side of the cup to use as the openings for their legs. Cut black pipe cleaners in half and insert them into each hole to use as legs. To secure the legs on the inside, use a short piece of duct tape. Shape the legs however you’d like!
Finally, add the tiny stick on eyes for a frightfully fun finish. These spiders are great as hanging decorations or simply scattered around a table or mantelpiece.
These homemade Halloween decorations are fun for kids to make, but the whole family can enjoy these super simple craft ideas too! If you plan on decorating your home for Halloween this year, consider whipping up a batch or two of egg carton spiders or felt cutouts for a spooky good time this year!
