Paper Plate Pumpkins
Paper plates are a staple for kids’ crafts, and with a splash of orange paint, they can become the cutest pumpkins. Have your child paint the plate, then add a construction paper stem and cut-out facial features for a jack-o’-lantern look. Use tape to hang them around the house or on the front door.
Kid-friendly tip: Instead of scissors, let younger children tear paper pieces for the faces—messy but fun!
Ghostly Lanterns
Transform empty mason jars into glowing ghost lanterns. Cover the jars with white tissue paper using glue, draw spooky faces with a marker, and drop a battery-powered tealight inside. When lit, they give off an eerie but kid-appropriate glow.
Safety note: Always stick to LED lights instead of candles for little ones.
Spooky Spider Webs
With nothing more than black yarn, you and your kids can weave spider webs on cardboard cutouts or across windows. Add a few plastic spiders, or better yet—make your own by gluing pom-poms together and attaching pipe-cleaner legs.
Pro tip: Let kids practice fine motor skills by threading the yarn themselves.
Friendly Bats
Cut bat shapes out of black construction paper and let your kids decorate them with googly eyes, glitter, or stickers. Hang them from the ceiling with string so they “fly” around the room.
Variation: Fold the wings to make them 3D for extra effect
Pumpkin Stress Balls
These squishy little pumpkins are both a decoration and a sensory toy. Fill orange balloons with flour or rice, tie them off, and draw jack-o’-lantern faces on them. They make great table decorations, and kids will love squeezing them.
Monster Door
Turn your front door into a giant Halloween monster! Use colorful paper, poster board, or sticky notes to create oversized eyes, teeth, and silly features. Kids can help cut, tape, and design the monster’s “look.”
Why they’ll love it: Every trick-or-treater who visits will be greeted by your child’s masterpiece.
Handmade Halloween decorations don’t have to be complicated to be special. With a few supplies—construction paper, glue, paint, and imagination—you can turn your home into a festive, spooky space that children will be proud of. More importantly, these projects give kids a sense of ownership and excitement about the holiday.
This Halloween, skip the store-bought decorations and make memories instead. After all, nothing is scarier than missing out on family fun!
