Tag Archives: halloween crafts

Simple and Affordable Homemade Halloween Decorations

With the economy in crisis you may be reconsidering how much money you plan to spend this Halloween. One way to stay in the spirit without going broke is to make your own Halloween decorations. With a little time, patience and help from your children you can create a haunted house fitting for any little ghoul or goblin that comes knocking for treats. HAUNTED WREATH Materials: Store bought wreath form Fake Spider Webbing 1 bag plastic Halloween decorations (you can but this at the Dollar Store it contains various plastic spiders, skeletons, bugs, ghosts, etc.) Directions: Stretch fake cobwebs over … Continue reading →

Fall Craft Projects: Fun with Pumpkin Seeds

Sure, you can salt, bake, and snack on pumpkin seeds from now until well after Halloween, but believe me there are much more constructive (and need I mention, FUN) things you can do with the pale flat seeds than pick them out of your teeth. Here are just a couple kid-friendly craft projects that come alive with help from the seasonal seeds: Pumpkin Seed Necklace Leave it to Martha Stewart to figure out a way to turn a seed into a piece of jewelry. Got pumpkin seeds? Then you have the foundation for a pretty necklace. Simply, scoop the seeds … Continue reading →

Simple Halloween Crafts: Fun with Paper Plates

When I was in second grade my older brother (by 11 months) was dared by a kid in the school cafeteria to eat a paper plate. My headstrong sibling didn’t blink twice and devoured about half the plate before a teacher saw what he was doing and took him to the infirmary. He survived and to this day we still laugh about the incident. Strange anecdote aside that’s not the type of “fun” with paper plates I have in mind for your children. With Halloween fast approaching and the economy in the dumpster I’ve been looking affordable ways to decorate … Continue reading →

Three Quick and Easy Ghost Craft Projects

Halloween ghosts are very easy to make. Here are three to occupy the kids or to brighten someone else’s day. Ghostly feet Take one small person’s foot and press into white washable paint. Press their feet onto black paper so that the heel is at the top of the paper. The round imprint of the heel is the ghost’s head. On top of the paint put googly eyes, or dots of black paint for eyes. The prints of little toes almost look like the ghosts are floating. These make great party invitations or Halloween cards for grandparents. Tissue paper ghosts … Continue reading →

Three Quick and Easy Spider Craft Projects

Here are three quick and easy spider crafts for fun and decoration. All three need a minimum of supplies. They don’t take much time to complete, and as a plus they aren’t very messy either! Black Widow Take one chocolate flavored tootsie pop. Leave the wrapper on the candy. Wrap four black pipe cleaners around the stick of the pop to make legs. And there you have a spider. It’s that easy. You can glue on googly eyes to the body of the spider (the tootsie pop) or press on tiny eye stickers, too. Ordinary pipe cleaners work fine, but … Continue reading →

A Frugal Decoration: Candy Corn Candle Holder

Creating inexpensive decorations for holiday time can not only be a fun family activity, but it’s a great way to use what you have, or only purchase cheap, inexpensive supplies. Several years ago, I made candy corn votive holders. I thought I would share so that you too can make these inexpensive, easy decorations to place around your home. I created these with my son when he was about three or four. He is twelve now and we’ve used them every year since. And now I see manufactured candle holders quite similar to these at the stores for quite a … Continue reading →

Frugal, Yet Festive Trick or Treat Bags

Trick or treating is what most kids wait for each October. Being able to go and ring a doorbell of a neighbor and receive a treat is a tradition no child wants to miss. But how do you hold all that candy? Is there a frugal way to create a trick or treat bag or bucket that can withstand the roughness of a child? There are a few frugal ways to create trick or treat bags that are not only practical, but loads of fun to make and really great to show off. Trick or Treat #1 Save your plastic … Continue reading →

The Art of Crafts – Family Time Well Spent

Yesterday, my daughter told me she was bored and wanted something to do. Now, most of you with four and five year olds probably recognize that I’m bored actually translates to play with me or spend time with me, I miss you. So with that in mind, I told her to go find her shoes and to change her clothes. We headed off to Michael’s on a quest for a project to do together. We wandered around the store for more than an hour, exploring our options and discussing what would interest her. We came around the corner to a … Continue reading →