These fun and easy Halloween crafts will keep kids busy for a couple of hours—and help decorate the house for the holiday!
Some parents are super crafty, DIY-types who love to make things with their hands. (They might even get teased for it.) Other parents are the complete opposite and have absolutely zero love for crafting. But either type of parent should try to find some time for doing Halloween crafts with their kids.
Why? Because Halloween crafts for kids do triple duty! They give children a fun, screen-free activity, they help build excitement for the spooky holiday (which many kids say they love even more than Christmas!), and they provide decor items with which you can decorate your home and get kids even more into the spirit. (Maybe not quite as much as bags full of candy or dressing up as a favourite character, but close.)
So, where to start? This roundup of kid-friendly Halloween crafts will give you some ideas. Some are pretty simple, requiring few supplies and nearly zero artistic talent. Others, admittedly, are a bit elaborate and are better suited to the more artsy parents among us. But all parents should be able to find something in this list of Halloween crafts for kids.
Choose something that works for you and for your kids' artistic abilities and developmental stage. Put on a Halloween playlist in the background and make an afternoon of it!
These lolli-ghosts make great loot for a Halloween party. Or even better, drill holes in a pumpkin and display them like a spooky bouquet. If you don’t have coffee filters, tissue paper and napkins work just as well.
Get the instructions: happinessishomemade.net
This cute ghost fam is a cinch to make and looks adorable on a mantle or shelf. It’s kind of nice that it gets away from cliché spooky Halloween decor, too. Tip: Make this craft even simpler by skipping the foam cone and ditching the feet.
Get the instructions: akailochiclife.com
Use cookie cutters to make Halloween shapes out of oven-bake clay, then attach to hair clips or pin backings. It’s a fun way to be festive without going full-costume. #minimumeffort.
Get the instructions here: handmadecharlotte.com
Done with your egg carton? Don’t throw it away! Add some black paint, googly eyes and a ribbon to suspend these flying creatures from the ceiling.
Get the instructions: craftsbycourtney.com
If you have some paper plates and paint lying around, this is a fun craft for kids to make on Hallow’s Eve!
Get the instructions: thepinterestedparent.com
Great for little hands, these look smashing in the window.
Get the instructions: smashedpeasandcarrots.com
If you’re the type of family that goes all out for Halloween, this is the craft for you. Turn coffee filters into spider webs the same way you make paper snowflakes. For larger webs, use garbage bags.
Get the instructions: artfulparent.com
Move over, jack-o’-lanterns! This Halloween is all about cute and friendly cheesecloth ghosts.
Get the instructions here.
What kid doesn’t love a good stamp or sticker? If you’re OK with a bit of cleanup, make this budget-friendly craft with your kid and maybe send a Halloween card off to grandma.
Get the instructions: frugalmomeh.com
This classic Halloween craft is easy and looks amazing lit up at night. You can skip the circle hole punch and just use stickers or cut your eyes out freehand if you’re feeling lazy. We won’t judge.
Get the instructions: modpodgerocks.com
What’s Halloween without a black cat? Or a craft without a toilet paper roll? It’s fun to recycle when you can make these adorable kitties with some paint and pipe cleaner.
Get the instructions: kidsactivitiesblog.com
Older kids with a bit more patience will love making these to give out to friends or to decorate notebooks.
Get the instructions here.
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Mandy is the co-founder and creative director at Hemme Custom in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can also be found in MSN Canada and Chatelaine.