Halloween Crafts For Children

When we think of Halloween, we usually think of costumes. Kids (and many adults) put a lot of thought into putting together the perfect one, complete with mask or face paint, wigs, and accessories. The trick or treat bag is often an afterthought.

But just as a great handbag is the perfect accent to any outfit, an awesome trick or treat bag can enhance any costume. Here are some tips for making an easy trick or treat bag that is sure to be a hit.

* Use some Halloween-themed fabric to sew a simple bag. You can whip one up in no time with a sewing machine, or they can easily be sewn by hand if you don't have one.
* Find a plain, solid-colored tote bag to dress up. You can decorate it to your liking by sewing or gluing on embellishments, or with fabric paint.
* Use a plain brown paper shopping bag, or an inexpensive gift bag. Either one can be decorated simply with markers, or more elaborately with embellishments and glue.
* Use a bucket instead of a bag. You can catch kids' beach buckets on sale at the end of the summer for cheap, and they're easy to embellish.
* Match the bag to the costume. This applies not only to color, but also to the theme of the bag. If it's to go with a dog costume, for example, you could make a dog face on it, or add some silver bone charms.
* Add some glow in the dark accents. Some options include fabric paint, foam decals and stickers. Not only do these add a nice spooky touch, they also increase safety when trick or treating at night.

Do you need some ideas to get you started? Here are a few simple ones:

* Jack-o-lantern bag - Buy an orange gift bag. Cut three triangles out of black construction paper for the eyes and nose, and cut out a smiling mouth. Glue them on for a quick and whimsical trick or treat tote.
* Princess bag - For girls who are getting all dolled up for Halloween, a bag fit for royalty is in order. You can make one in short order by putting stick-on gems (or using a Bedazzler) on a pink canvas tote bag. Use satin ribbon to make some pretty bows to stitch on.
* Spider web bag - Find some fabric with a spider web pattern to use to sew a tote bag. Paint over the web pattern with glow in the dark fabric paint, and embellish with plastic glow in the dark spiders.
* Monster bag - Decorate a plain grocery or gift bag to look like Frankenstein, Dracula, or another favorite villain. Use construction paper, markers, googly eyes, and whatever else strikes your fancy.

Halloween Pop-Up Cards

These make great Halloween greetings or party invitations. Here's what you'll need:

* Construction paper (orange and black are good colors)
* Glue
* Scissors
* Markers

1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half to make a card shape.
2. Make a 2 1/2 inch cut perpendicular to the fold, about 2 1/2 inches from the edge. Make another 2 1/2 inch cut 1/2 inch from that one, and make two more cuts 2 1/2 and 3 inches from the other side. This will leave two narrow flaps in the card.
3. Open the card and push the flaps up into the inside of it. Close the card and press with the flaps to the inside so that they are creased.
4. Cut two ghosts, spiders, or other scary items out of construction paper. Open the card and glue each one onto the front of one of the folded flaps.
5. Glue another piece of construction paper to the outside of your card, taking care not to glue where the flaps are. Let dry.
6. Using markers, write a message on the card.

Paper Plate Masks

These are great additions to Halloween costumes, or just for playing pretend. You'll need the following materials:

* Paper plate
* Elastic
* Scissors
* Hole Punch
* Markers
* Glue
* Sequins, pom-poms or other embellishments (optional)

1. Use markers to decorate the back side of a paper plate. Be sure to make the eyes big enough to see out of.
2. Cut out the eyes.
3. Add embellishments if desired.
4. Use the hole punch to make a hole in each side of the mask, taking care to keep them even.
5. Cut enough elastic to secure the mask to the wearer's head, plus a couple of extra inches. Thread each end through one of the holes you just made and tie it securely.

Ghost Wind Socks

These spooky decorations are perfect for the front porch! Here's what you'll need to make them:

* Small white poster board
* Black permanent marker
* Stapler
* Glue
* White crepe paper streamers
* String, yarn or twine

1. Draw a ghost face on the white poster board using the black marker.
2. Roll the poster board into a tube shape and staple the overlapping ends together securely.
3. Cut long strips out of the crepe streamers. Glue or staple them all around the bottom of the wind sock.
4. Cut a piece of string about 2 1/2 feet long and staple the ends to opposite sides of the top of the wind sock to hang.

Fun Craft of the Month Clubs

Dressing up in full costume on Halloween is lots of fun. But don't forget that the perfect costume isn't complete without the right accessories! Why not make some beaded jewelry to finish the look?

Beaded Halloween Jewelry for Beginners

There are plenty of simple beaded jewelry pieces that do not require a great deal of skill. You can whip these up in no time, and they can add lots of punch to your costume (or even an everyday outfit). You don't even have to go by a pattern if you don't want to. Here's what you'll need to make a simple beaded bracelet:

* Elastic thread
* Medium sized beads
* Scissors

Cut a piece of elastic about 10 inches long. Tie a knot in one end large enough to prevent the beads from falling off. Then add beads as you like, either randomly or in a pattern that you like. Once you've added enough beads to make the bracelet the right size for your wrist, tie the ends together and cut off the excess string.

You can find lots of Halloween themed beads at your local craft store or online. Bat, ghost, and skull beads are great for making fun Halloween bracelets. You can also use this technique to make beaded necklaces. Just decide how long you want your necklace to be, and use a piece of elastic that is 2 to 4 inches longer than that.

More Advanced Techniques

You can also make some nice Halloween pieces by doing bead weaving. This is often done on a loom, but it can be done by hand as well. It can produce a flat, fabric-like piece, or a three-dimensional piece. Bead weaving requires certain stitches and knots, but it's not that difficult to learn.

Bead weaving is a general term that encompasses a number of beading techniques. Some more specific types of bead weaving include beadpoint, bead embroidery, bead crochet, and needleweaving. All of these can be used to create great Halloween jewelry. Bead weaving is great for making spider earrings and pendants.

Another beading technique is wire wrapping. This involves placing beads on jewelry wire and bending the wire into decorative shapes. Certain tools are required, including a flush cutter, round nose pliers, and bent nose pliers. There are also other tools that are used to do certain techniques and to make wire wrapping easier.

Wire wrapping is great for making bracelets, earrings and pendants. You can use all sorts of fun Halloween beads to make a bold and unique piece. Why not make a matching set?

Beaded jewelry can add some splash to any Halloween costume. It's also great for wearing anywhere you want to show your Halloween spirit but can't wear a costume. You don't have to be an expert to create nice pieces. All you need is some elastic thread, beads and your imagination to get started.