7 Wickedly Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids

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Halloween is a time for fun, excitement and creativity. There are out-of-this-world costumes, trick-or-treating and, best of all, Halloween crafts for kids. One of the most promising ways to get into the season’s spirit is by making the decorations with your children. It’s also a great opportunity to discuss Halloween traditions and even sneak in some lessons on colors, shapes and teamwork.

Here are seven wickedly easy Halloween crafts for kids that will keep them entertained and excited for the spookiest night of the year. They’re simple enough for little hands and use materials you probably already have at home.

1. Cardboard Box Haunted Houses

Turn those old cardboard boxes into eerie haunted houses. This innovative craft helps you recycle those Amazon boxes piling up in the garage while creating a fun activity for kids to develop creatively, cognitively and physically. 

What You Need

• Cardboard boxes.
• Paint — Invest in Halloween colors like orange, black and gray.
• Glue.
• Scissors.
• Halloween-themed stickers or small decorations.

Instructions

Start by cutting the cardboard box into house shapes with pointed roofs. Trace and cut out windows and a door on one side of the box. Paint the exterior black or dark gray and let it dry. Help your child decorate with construction paper, markers, glue, cotton balls or stickers to add spooky details like bats, cobwebs, or ghosts. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild by creating multiple houses for a haunted village. Add battery-operated LED tea lights inside for a ghostly glow.

This project encourages imagination and can keep kids entertained for hours as they create stories about their haunted houses.

2. Pumpkin Painting

Skip the messy pumpkin carving this year and try painting instead. This craft is perfect for kids of all ages, especially younger ones who may not be ready to handle carving tools.

What You Need

• Small pumpkins — They can be real or plastic.
• Acrylic paints.
• Paintbrushes.
• Glitter, googly eyes, stickers and other decorations.

Instructions

1. If using farm-grown pumpkins, wash and dry them to remove any dirt.
2. Let your kids choose their favorite paint colors and make faces, patterns or abstract designs — whatever their creativity stirs up.
3. Add googly eyes, stickers, and other fun decorations once the paint is dry.
4. Let their imaginations run wild as they paint faces, patterns, or scenes on their pumpkins. For a nighttime surprise, use glow-in-the-dark paint.

3. Spooky Paper Plate Ghosts

Create a ghostly gang with this simple craft, perfect for toddlers, preschoolers and tweens. These paper plate ghosts are easy to make and can be strung together to create a festive garland.

What You Need

• Paper plates — White ones make the traditional ghosts.
• Black marker or paint.
• White crepe paper or tissue paper.
• String or yarn.
• Scissors.
• Glue.

Instructions

Guide your little ones to cut wavy edges around the paper plate to create a ghost shape. Using a black marker, draw or paint spooky or silly faces on the plates. The act of drawing or carving scary faces on pumpkins can be attributed to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain — the mother to modern day Halloween.

To make the ghost’s trailing body cut strips of white crepe paper or tissue paper and glue them to the bottom of the plate. Punch a small hole at the top of the plate and run a piece of string through it to hang your ghost.

4. Creepy Crawly Handprint Spiders

This craft is a fun way to preserve your child’s handprint while creating cute — or creepy — spider decorations.

What You Need

• Paint and construction paper.
• Googly eyes.
• Glue.
• Pipe cleaners.

Instructions

Paint your child’s hand with black paint — avoid the thumb. Show them how to press their hand onto the paper, fingers spread to make the spider’s legs. Then, repeat with the other hand, overlapping the palms to form the body. Once dry, add googly eyes to the body and use pipe cleaners for the legs.

You can make a whole colony of spiders and use them as wall decorations or as part of a Halloween-themed collage.

5. Candy Corn Garland

This colorful garland is a simple craft that doubles as cute Halloween decor.

What You Need

• Orange, yellow and white construction paper.
• Scissors.
• Glue.
• String or yarn.

Instructions

1. Cut triangle shapes from each color of paper.
2. Glue the colors together to form candy corn shapes — white on top, orange in the middle and yellow at the bottom.
3. Once dry, punch holes at the top of each candy corn.
4. Thread them onto string to create a colorful garland.

Hang the garland across windows, doorways or the mantel for a festive touch.

6. Mason Jar Mummies

Wondering what to do with all the empty jelly and salsa glass containers in your pantry? Transform those ordinary mason jars into spooky light-up mummies. They are perfect for lighting up the night and adding an eerie touch to your Halloween décor.

What You Need

• Clean mason jars.
• Gauze, medical tape or white fabric strips.
• Googly eyes.
• Glue.

Instructions

1. Wrap the mason jars with gauze or fabric strips, leaving some gaps for a mummified look.
2. Glue on googly eyes.
3. Place LED tea lights inside the jars to light them up.

Line these up along a walkway or use them as table centerpieces for Halloween-themed decor.

7. Edible Crafts

What’s better than a craft you can eat? These edible Halloween crafts for kids are as fun to make as they are to devour:

• Monster marshmallow pops: Dip marshmallows in colored chocolate and add candy eyes.
• Candy spiders: Use chocolate sandwich cookies, pretzel sticks and candy eyes to make edible spiders.
• Witch hat cookies: To make mini witch hats, attach chocolate kisses to round cookies with a dab of frosting.
• Banana ghosts: Peel bananas, cut them in half and add chocolate chip eyes.
• Apple monsters: Cut apples into halves and use peanut butter to stick marshmallow teeth and candy eyes.

Use these edible crafts as treats for a Halloween party or as a healthy snack after the crafting exercise.

Try These Halloween Crafts for Kids

With these seven easy Halloween crafts for kids, you can create a festive atmosphere. As you work on these projects, encourage your kids to put their own spin on each craft. By the time you’ve finished, your home will be transformed into a kid-friendly haunted house full of personal touches and happy memories. So gather your supplies, clear off the kitchen table, and get ready for some Halloween crafting fun.