The moon is soon to be full this Halloween, and preparations are needed. For this Hallows Eve, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and spend some time with a pair of scissors and some crafting tools.
The first of these activities is to make a drippy, Gothic candle. This one is really easy. Just take any candle stand, preferably black, then put a tall candle, light it, and let the wax drip down the sides. For easy clean up and safety, try putting a towel or covering to protect the initial wax drips. This is such an elegant but cryptic piece of decor, not to mention the ambiance it creates with the candlelight warmth it exudes.
This next one is truly fun for anybody: candy wrapper collages. What you need is a bag full of candy and a crazy sweet tooth. Just start snacking and save the wrappers in a bag or box. After you’re out of your sugar-induced coma, take said wrappers and clean with a damp paper towel. When you’re done cleaning the chocolate off, map out a design on a piece of paper; some people like doing worded banners, while others enjoy a more creative project. Whatever it is you want to make, just cut out parts of the design, making sure the wrapper’s design is showing. This can be a perfect after trick-or-treating activity, or even decor for a Halloween party.
Another more musical craft is rattling ghosts. To do this, get any maracas. You can find these rattling instruments at any craft store or online vendors. Next, grab some tissue paper or thin white gauze, then wrap it around the head of the maraca and tie it with a rubber band at the neck of the rattler. Lastly, grab a sharpie and draw on a spooky ghost face on the gauze. When all is said and done, you will have an exciting new way to make sweet, creepy music.
A really easy one for littler kids is a Popsicle pumpkin. This one is super accessible, all you need is Popsicle sticks, markers, googly eyes, and pipe cleaner, which can all be found at any local dollar store. To start, line up 5 or 6 sticks next to each other, then place another stick going across all of them. If you’re happy with how it looks, then glue it to the back to hold all those in place. Next, flip it to the front and take an orange marker and color it in. When happy, stick two or more googly eyes and finally draw on a black mouth. To put the finishing touches on our pumpkin, grab a green pipe cleaner, twist it into itself, and glue or tape it onto the back of the pumpkin.
As our last craft, I feel it’s only appropriate to do a classic, paper plate mask. This one is right in the name. Grab any paper plate and cut out two eye holes. Then take markers, crayons, construction paper, felt, truly anything you want, and decorate your mask to whoever or whatever you want. Then, punch out two holes on the sides of the plate and take either twine or elastic and feed it through, then tie it together, and voila! Your mask is complete!
As Halloween comes near, just remember to stay safe and have fun. Hopefully, you’ll find these activities exciting and accessible to do.
