Crafts For Children

Paper Napkin Ghosts

1. Have children make paper ghosts from unfolded white paper napkins.  Help them place cotton balls in the center of the napkin.  Show them how to pull down the corners of the napkin over the cotton ball.  Tie a piece of white yarn around the "neck". Use markers to draw a face.  Tape a think piece of string from the top of the head and hang from the ceiling.

      Paper Bag Wig

2. Use large paper bag that fits over the child's head.  Cut a large rectangle from front section of bag for face.  Fringe bottom of bag. Curl fringe by rolling tight around a pencil.

Cheese Cloth Ghosts

Materials

Cheese cloth

2 cups white glue

16 oz. plastic cups

3. Dilute the white glue with 1/3 - ½ cups of water.  Let the children dip a piece of cheesecloth into the diluted glue.  Have the children drape the wet cheesecloth over the 16 oz. cups.  Let the "ghosts" dry for two days.  Carefully remove the cup from the hardened cheesecloth.  Let the children decorate their ghosts.  Hang the completed ghosts from the ceiling or on your outside porch.

3D Painted Cobwebs

4. Mix equal parts of flour, salt and water in large bowl.  Pour the mixture into squeeze bottles.  Give each child a black piece of construction paper.  Let the children squeeze the 3D paint onto the black paper.  When the "paint" dries, it will look like glittery cobwebs.

Balloon Jack-O-Lanterns

5. Blow up an orange balloon for each child.  Out of construction paper make face pieces to create a jack-o-lantern.  Apply pieces to the balloon with rubber cement.

Decorate Masks

6. Buy plastic half masks (found in dollar stores or party stores.  Usually you can get 12 in a pack).  Give each child a mask.  They then decorate the masks with stickers, feathers or gems found in craft stores.  Kids have great fun creating their own Halloween masks.

Pumpkin Painting

7. Buy several small fresh pumpkins.  Cut them in half.  Let the children dip the pumpkin halves into paint to make prints.