70 Easy Halloween Crafts That Are Perfect for Toddlers and Kids
We even think that teens and adults will be determined to make the best toilet paper roll haunted house.
There are a lot of reasons to get crafty during the spookiest season of the year. From DIY costumes for kids to homemade decor, the days leading up to October 31 are some of the best weeks to embrace your artistic side. And if you are looking for some popular Halloween crafts to get the whole family in the Halloween spirit, there are more than enough DIY tutorials you can follow for preschooler-friendly paper plate creations, costume-worthy headbands for toddlers, and treat bags that are begging to be filled to the brim with the kids' favorite type of candy. These Halloween crafts for kids are budget-friendly ways to add some spooky pizazz to any costume, house, or front entrance.
Whether you are planning a playdate with the kids and their friends or a Halloween costume party, it might be a good idea to have one or more crafts set up to entertain the kiddos. The majority of these ideas are easy crafts all kids can complete, although some may be better for the older crowd and/or require some adult supervision. Regardless, these DIY ideas promise hours of fun from start to finish and won't set you back more than a few dollars — unless you go the extra mile and purchase some more advanced crafting equipment. But also, adults can have a lot of fun with the kids by making haunted houses, ghosts, and witches from regular household items you have on hand (toilet paper roll, for starters!).
So, find some inspiration with these easy Halloween crafts that require a dash of fun, a pinch of creativity, and, if we are being honest, a handful of googly eyes.
Halloween Toilet Paper Roll Characters
This Halloween project couldn't be easier. Just upcycle some toilet paper rolls and add paint, colorful paper, googly eyes, and other details to give your Halloween characters major personality as pumpkins, mummies, Frankenstein monsters, or vampires.
Get the Halloween Toilet Paper Roll Characters tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids.
Potato Stamp Ghosts
Cut off the bottom part of a potato to make a flat edge, then slice the potato to create a stamp. Dip in white paint, and press your ghost-shaped stamp onto black paper. Little fingerprints coated in in black paint make the perfect tools to add on the ghosts’ eyes and mouths.
Get the Potato Stamp Ghosts tutorial at My Mommy Style.
Hanging Bat
Hang these bats all around your house during the month of October for an easy and creepy look.
Get the Hanging Bat tutorial at Buggy and Buddy.
Jack-o-Lantern Paper Plate Craft
Turn an ordinary white paper plate into a jack-o'-lantern with orange and black markers or crayons. Punch a hole at the top to thread through a green pipe cleaner for your stem, and you’re all done!
Get Jack-o-Lantern Paper Plate Craft tutorial at The Simple Parent.
RELATED: 54 Easy Pumpkin Painting Ideas That Adults and Kids Will Love
Black Cat Notepad
If you are looking for a non-candy treat to hand out in the classroom, these Black Cat-themed notepads are the perfect festive surprise kids will not only use on the day-to-day, but also love toting around in their backpack thanks to the fun details.
Get the Black Cat Notepad tutorial at Crafting Cheerfully.
Footprint Bat Craft
Cover an ordinary paper plate with black tissue paper scraps to make the bat’s body. Coat little feet in black paint, stepping footprints onto white paper to serve as the wings.
Get the Footprint Bat Craft tutorial at A Night Owl Blog.
Halloween Slime Jars
First make the slime in the color (or colors!) of your choice — an easy project in itself that kids love to make. Then, decorate the jars as the finishing touch: Googly eyes, felt, and glue dots give your slime jars personality as ghosts, monsters, and jack-o'-lanterns.
Get the Halloween Slime Jars tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids.
Positive and Negative Space Paper Jack-O-Lantern Craft
You can't get simpler than this Halloween craft. But the spooky results are so aesthetically pleasing guests and trick-or-treaters will think it took hours to complete.
Get the Positive and Negative Space Paper Jack-O-Lantern Craft tutorial at Buggy and Buddy.
Black Cat Treat Bag
Carrying around old pillow cases on Halloween night to use as your treat bag is a quick solution when you are in a pinch. But if you are looking to upgrade your kid's Halloween accessory game this year, DIY this Black Cat bag that can match their costume.
Get the Black Cat Treat Bag tutorial at Crafting Cheerfully.
Witch Peg Dolls
Make peg doll versions of the iconic Sanderson sisters if Hocus Pocus is on repeat in your house during October.
Get the Witch Peg Dolls tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Pom-Pom Pals for Halloween
In just four steps you can DIY your very own pom poms out of yarn using these affordable pom pom makers.
Get the Pom-Pom Pals for Halloween tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Witch Paper Craft
Simple shapes form the building blocks for this witch paper craft, making it easy for little kids to handle. Fringed hair and a broom add texture, and a hand-drawn face adds personality,
Get the Witch Paper Craft tutorial at I Heart Crafy Things.
Keepsake Spider Handprint
When is an easy Halloween craft more than just an easy Halloween craft? When it’s also a keepsake to cherish forever as a reminder of the time when those hands were oh-so-little, of course! Use homemade play dough and plaster to create these spiders from your kiddo’s own handprints.
Get the Keepsake Spider Handprint tutorial at Fun at Home with Kids.
Pompom Spider Crafts
Arrange craft sticks like an asterisk, and glue to secure in place. Top with a black pom pom to serve as your spider’s body. Glue two googly eyes on each to finish the project, which would look adorable clustered on a mantle or holiday tabletop.
Get the Pompom Spider Crafts tutorial at My Home Based Life.
Free Printable Haunted House Craft
This may be the most economical Halloween craft on our list, but with some flashy inexpensive stickers, you can bring this haunted house up a notch.
Get the Free Printable Haunted House Craft tutorial at Made with Happy.
Haunted House Paper Plate Halloween Craft
If you already need to buy paper plates for your Halloween party, set aside a few for a haunting craft the kids can complete while you prepare for the gathering.
Get the Haunted House Paper Plate Halloween Craft tutorial at Made with Happy.
Halloween Stick Puppets
Start with ordinary craft sticks. Apply two coats of paint to each. Next, kids can transform their little puppets into spooky-cute Halloween creatures using markets, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes.
Get the Halloween Stick Puppets tutorial at Mommy Moment.
Gauze Mummy Craft
Cut mummy shapes out of black paper. Next, use glue to cover your mummy with strips of gauze. Finish with googly eyes and any other details to make whatever unique faces or accessories you can dream up.
Get the Gauze Mummy Craft tutorial at the Resourceful Mama.
Halloween Peg Dolls
While this craft has over a dozen steps to complete until your doll is dressed and ready to go, the end result is too adorable to resist. After all, you need some inhabitants for that haunted house.
Get the Halloween Peg Dolls tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Halloween Paper Finger Puppets
Although you will need to become a member ($9.99/month or $99/year) to gain access to all of Lia Griffith's SVG files and templates, the membership could be worth it if you and the kids tend to craft on rainy days and during the holidays. And just look at these adorable finger puppets!
Get the Halloween Paper Finger Puppets tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Alesandra is a digital travel and lifestyle journalist based in Los Angeles whose work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Prevention, Insider, Glamour, Shondaland, AFAR, Parents, TODAY and countless other online and print outlets. Alesandra has a masters degree in journalism with an emphasis on cultural reporting and criticism from NYU, and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. An avid traveler, she trots the globe with her husband and their twins.
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