[H/T] CafeMom: As soon as mega bags of candy arrive in the stores and scary masks are just begging to be tried on to scare younger siblings, Halloween season has officially arrived.
While the holiday is a great excuse to let the imagination soar when it comes to picking a fantastic costume, it’s also the perfect time of year to make some spooktacular arts and crafts with the little ones who are super excited for Halloween.
But when it comes to trying new projects with younger kids, we all know how easily things can go from fun, organized chaos to a paint-splattered disaster zone that will take the whole afternoon to clean up (and make us regret we even tried something crafty in the first place).
Luckily, it is possible to create awesome paint-free Halloween crafts with kids. These projects are fun enough to get the whole family into the holiday spirit, but have easy-to-find components that are simple to put together and won’t leave the craft table looking as if was ransacked by a bunch of zombies.
Because as much as we like spending time doing things with our kids, we’d rather spend our fall afternoon sipping a PSL than scrubbing paint off the floor after making messy handprint jack-o-lanterns.
These paint-free crafts keep the mess to a minimum, and are also awesome projects for toddlers or little kids at the age where they want to do things by themselves.
No paint means kids with an independent spirit can take on more of the steps, which means less arguing and more fun all around. There are cotton ball ghosts, fall leaf pumpkins, masking tape mummies, and more to inspire kids and help decorate the house for Halloween. Pick one (or more!) to try. Happy haunting!
Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Lantern
This cute toilet paper roll pumpkin lantern takes just a few minutes to put together and gives kids a great opportunity to practice their cutting skills.
Masking Tape Mummy
This spooky masking tape mummy is a great Halloween craft to keep kids busy and happy while dinner’s being prepped or there’s an important phone call to be made.
Paper Cup Ghost
A paper cup, some streamers, construction paper, and some googly eyes are all it takes to make this no-mess paper cup ghost that can haunt the house until Halloween.
Spider Web Plates
Who says crafting without paint has to be boring? These mixed media spider web plates are involved enough to spark the imagination of kids of all ages, but clean up won’t take longer than doing the craft itself (we hate when that happens).
Halloween Paper Chain Countdown
For kids who just can’t wait for the night when it’s time to storm the neighborhood in costume, requesting free candy, making this paper chain Halloween countdown calendar will help them know exactly how many days are left until the ultimate sugar high.
Clothespin Button Bat
These super fun clothespin button bats let kids practice their fine motor skills and can serve as toys or perch on light fixtures and shelves.
Frankenstein Sensory Bottle
This Frankenstein sensory bottle will thrill kids for hours. The peace and quiet will be amazing, but more awesome is that everything needed to put this green guy together (glitter, corn syrup, food coloring, construction paper, glue, an empty plastic bottle) is probably already in the house.
Spooky Woods
Put those treasures the kids collect on their latest nature walk to good use and let them design their own spooky woods landscape using sticks, glue, and googly eyes.
Toilet Paper Roll Mummy
Raid the bathroom for an empty toilet paper roll and some first aid gauze, grab a black crayon and some googly eyes and say hello to this adorable toilet paper roll mummy. They’re so cute, it’s impossible to make only one.
Cotton Puff Ghosts
A clever twist on the snowman craft we all know and love, this friendly cotton puff ghost will happily haunt the halls until Halloween. All out of cotton balls? Try using marshmallows or small pieces of tissue paper.
Monster Hand
Perfect for kids who love to giggle at all things gross, this monster hand craft uses scrapbook paper and dried beans to let them create a warty, bumpy version of their own arm to show off to admiring friends at the bus stop.
Leaf Jack-O-Lantern
Making this leaf jack-o-lantern provides the perfect excuse for getting outside for some fresh air. Just gather up some gorgeous orange leaves along the way and let kids use them to create the perfect backdrop for their pumpkin masterpiece.
Halloween Soap
Want a super simple Halloween craft that will make kids pumped for the upcoming holiday and help fight off those fall colds that are going around? Grab some clear hand soap (or hand sanitizer) and raid the dollar section for plastic spiders, bats and skulls to create this super easy Halloween hand soap that’s sure to have the whole house sudsing up before every meal.
Beaded Spider
Some pipe cleaners, a black pompom, googly eyes, and pony beads are all it takes to make this sweet and cuddly beaded Halloween spider. Perfect for a low-mess craft to do together before heading out for an afternoon of errands (plus this way there’s a new friend to take along for the ride).
Frankenstein Sun Catcher
Kids will love adding tissue paper to sticky contact paper to create this playful Frankenstein sun catcher that can great guests in the window all season long.
Pumpkin Stress Balls
The awesome thing about these pumpkin stress balls is that they can be filled with any small sensory item that’s hanging around: rice, unpopped popcorn kernels, buttons, playdough, small beads. They’re great for handing to kids who need a little help calming down (or for when mom or dad can use a little help finding their inner Zen).
Pine Cone Bat
Raid the backyard for some pine cones and grab some felt and googly eyes to help the kids make this precious pine cone bat that will happily hang out until Halloween, even if the kids beg to keep him until Christmas. It’s cute, so let’s be honest, it’s not going anywhere.
Tealight Clay Ghosts
MumInTheMadHouse/Pinterest Want a spooky nightlight the kids will adore? Grab some air-drying clay and battery-operated tealights to make these clay tealight ghosts that can watch over the mantle or make finding the bathroom at night a little easier. (If only it could help the boys aim…)
Paper Pumpkin
Kids will love making and decorating these paper pumpkins that give them a chance to practice their cutting skills. Parents will love how quick and easy the cleanup is.
Peekaboo Ghost
Basic kitchen supplies and a magic marker transform into this easy-to-make peekaboo ghost craft that will delight little kids with hours of pop-up action. Who needs Halloween candy when there’s this to play with?
Halloweenland!
Chicagoland’s Largest Selection of Costumes, Accessories and more!
We have Halloween costumes, and accessories for adults, kids, and even pets! We are your one-stop shop with the largest selection of unique adult and kids Halloween costumes, and accessories!
Chicagoland’s Largest Selection of Halloween Costumes, Accessories, and more!
