Subject:
Halloween Craft
Grade:
All (with adult assistance for the young ones)
Age:
All (with adult assistance for the young ones)
Submitted by: Amanda Formaro, WebMom at FamilyCorner.com Magazine.
Many kids, particularly older ones, want to dress up in scary or
gruesome costumes. These are fun to create and leave plenty of room for
error. Be sure to use our face paint recipe, bruises and fake blood at
http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/facepaint.shtml
Mummy
white sweatsuit
white sheets or gauze
tea bags
Tear white sheets into long strips. Gauze will look the most realistic
but sheets work just as well. Wash and dry the pieces once or twice
using plenty of bleach. Afterward, soak the pieces in watered down tea
to stain slightly. Allow the strips to dry, then rub a little dirt on
them for the finishing touch. Children can wear white clothing
underneath their bandages. Give everything a dried out, dead look by
applying plenty of baby powder to the sheets. Wrap each body part
separately, secure the ends with white or clear medical tape. Apply
light-colored make-up where skin is showing. To give it a rotting
effect, smudge dark make-up around the eyes, mouth, along fingers, under
fingernails, and so on. Using make up and fake blood, a scars and a few
gash marks.
Witch
black sweatshirt
black skirt
cape or black material or shawl
witch's hat
broom
black shoes
white calf socks (dyeing green is optional)
red tape or craft paint
black lipstick
black nail polish
If weather is on the cold side, have child wear black or green tights
under outfit. A cape can be fashioned easily from black material or a
black sheet. Put socks on, then wrap red tape around from bottom to top,
to create a striped sock effect. Socks can be dyed green first if you
prefer. You may also use craft paint for the stripes, but tape is faster
and easier. Carry broom and wear witch's hat. Paint face green and add
dark smudges around eyes and mouth. Use black lipstick and nail polish
to finish the look. Adding a wart is optional!
Dracula
black satin or black material for cape
black suit coat or sweatshirt
white shirt
black pants
black shoes
red scarf or neckerchief (red material strip will work)
fake fangs
After child is dressed, tie red material around neck as a neckerchief.
Slick child's hair back, paint face white. Put teeth in then apply fake
blood around corners of mouth. Smudge dark circles around eyes.
Carefully tie cape around neck.
Devil
red sweatsuit (hood optional)
red satin or material cape (can be fashioned from sheet)
red or black shoes
plastic or cardboard pitchfork
plastic headband
horns cut from white posterboard
Make a pitchfork out of cardboard and spray paint red, or purchase a
plastic one. Glue horns on to headband. Tie on cape, paint face and
hands red. Use black paint to create a mustache and goatee, smudge dark
marks near cheek bones and eyes.
Frankenstein
old green coat
ripped shirt
black pants
large black boots
Slick hair upward with gel and hairspray. Black hair paint is a plus.
Paint face green and add scars and stitch marks. Walk with arms extended
and legs completely straight.
Note: If you can find a
cardboard cylinder that you can cut to fit your child's head, create the
flat head from Frankenstein by painting it black!
Pumpkin
orange, green or brown hooded sweatsuit
large orange pumpkin leaf bag
newspaper
silk leaves
Cut arm holes and head hole in the pumpkin bag. Have the child put the
bag on and stuff it with newspapers. Seal it at the bottom with tape.
Attach silk leaves around shoulders and neck.
For infants: Use an orange onesie and a piece of green felt. After child
is dressed, cut the green felt in a circle. Take another piece of felt
and make a small stem, glue it on top of the circle with a glue gun.
Attach a piece of elastic and put on baby as a hat.
Skeleton
black sweatpants
black turtleneck
bones, cut out of white contact paper
white gloves
To create the bones, draw out three or four ribs for each side of rib
cage, draw out simple limbs, no need to get extravagant. Apply to
clothing. Paint face white
and apply dark smudges around eyes, nose and mouth. If you don't have
gloves, paint hands white.
Variation: Add bones to sweatsuit using white felt or fabric paint.
Ghost
old white sheet
scissors
Probably the easiest costume on Earth! Simply cut holes for eyes and
arms and you are all set! To add a little whimsy, you can finish it off
with a top hat.
Road Kill
gray sweatsuit (hood optional)
white tape
old stuffed animal
Cut 2 inch pieces of white tape and run up shirt as the center of a
highway. Cut up stuffed animal and pin various parts to the shirt. Use
dirt or mud and fake blood to "decorate" the stuffed animal.
Grim Reaper
oversized black hooded sweatsuit
black material, enough to cover whole body
black shoes
scythe, made from cardboard and aluminum foil
Fashion a scythe from cardboard. Wrap the blade in aluminum foil. Paint
child's face white and smudge black around eyes, nose, and mouth. After
child is dressed, wrap black material around like a cape, but encompass
the whole body. Close with safety pins. Hood should have been oversized
so that much of the face will be hidden.
Copyright 2000, Amanda Formaro
Recommended Books:
Halloween Costumes
As with the other books in the Singer series, this one offers great step-by-step instructions and detailed color photos that are fairly easy to follow and yield very polished results.
Crafts for Halloween
by Kathy Ross, Sharon Lane Holm
Black cats, ghosts, and spiders come to life in a simple, illustrated guide to creating the perfect decorations for Halloween, designed so that even very young children can use readily available materials to master these holiday crafts.
Biography:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and
her husband live in southeastern Wisconsin. She is also the owner of
FamilyCorner.com Magazine. Subscribe to her free holiday newsletter,
Family Holidays, by sending any email message to
holidays-on@mail-list.com or by visiting her website at
http://familycorner.com
KinderArt® Lesson/Activity 