Crafts & DIY

18 Halloween Crafts Kids Will Love

Here are 18 Halloween crafts kids will love to help make. Some are for preschoolers and some are for older kids to help with Mom or Dad. Get the kids involved this Spooky season making all kids of crafts, decorations and more.

Popsicle Stick and Yarn Spiderweb Craft for Kids

Craft by Buggy and Buddy

Buggy and Buddy created a fun and easy Halloween craft for kids that encourages fine motor skills practice and turns out really cute. The spider webs are made with popsicle sticks and yarn so it’s an super inexpensive Halloween craft for kids for the home or classroom.

Paper Plate and Cupcake Liner Halloween Wreath

Craft by Fun a Day.com

This Happy Halloween pumpkin wreath gives kids the joy of painting and added a jack-o-lantern face to cupcake liners. If you can’t find orange cupcake liners the kids can paint them with orange paint. A trick is to add some water to the paint to make it thinner.

Preschool Halloween Craft: A Family Pumpkin Mummies

Craft by Hands on as We Grow

This preschool craft will sure to delight your little ones. You just need some real or fake pumpkins, gauge and googly eyes to make your family of mummy pumpkins.

Haunted House Scratch Art

Craft by The Inspiration Edit

Are you looking for a super fun Halloween Art Project for kids? This Scratch Art haunted house is the coolest! It’s a great art activity that lets kids be as creative as they want to be. And the more that they scratch, the more that they’ll be able to create something really unique and fun at the same time.

Spider Web Weaving Craft

Craft from My Green Toddler

This spider web craft is really easy, even for very young children. It’s perfect for when you’re learning about nature, mini beasts or getting ready for Halloween.

Easy Halloween Pencil Stamp Art

Craft from Lil Tigers

Let’s design spooky ghosts or flying bats with help of a pencil eraser and paint. It is super easy and fun.

Mummy Wrapping Craft

Craft by Taming Little Monsters

Make a mummy craft for kids that promote fine motor skills. Preschoolers and kindergartners will love creating their own yarn wrapped mummies.

DIY Spider Painted Rocks

Craft by Dollar Crafter

The spooky season is here and that means it’s time to plan your Halloween festivities. Here we have a fun project for all of our crafters out there that you can do with your kids: DIY spider painted rocks! Grab some rocks, black paint, googly eyes and pipe cleaners and you have a simple kids DIY Halloween craft.

Halloween Popsicle Stick Pumpkins

Craft by Honey and Lime

Whether you choose to use these as home décor, give them as gifts, or just love to make fun projects, this Jack-O-Lantern craft is a good one for kids to try. To make this DIY Halloween pumpkin popsicle sticks craft, all you need are a few items that you more than likely already have at home.

Spooky Flower Halloween Paper Eyeballs

Craft from Taming Little Monsters

This craft let’s you turn egg cartons into spooky Halloween eyeballs using paint, black straws and googly eyes. Super simple but very “eye” catching.

Kids Halloween Handprint Spiders

Craft by Craft Bits

This kids craft project takes your little ones handprint and turns it into a Hand print Halloween spiders for art projects, Halloween decorations or cards.

Zombie Paper Plate Craft for Kids

Craft by Simple Everyday Mom

This Zombie Halloween paper plate craft is not only super easy to make but it’s also lots of fun to make. It comes with a free printable template that kids will be able to easily follow.

Popsicle Stick Witch Hat Craft

Craft by Hunny I’m Home DIY

This Halloween, get creative with your little ones and make this adorable witch hat popsicle stick Halloween craft. Popsicle sticks are one of our favorite craft supplies because there’s just so many ways you can use them to create something fun.

Paper Plate Frankenstein Halloween Mask

Craft by Red Ted Art

Grab the Free Frankenstein Mask Template, paper plats, scissors, pencil, paint, glue bun, bum chenille or pipe cleaners, wine cork and a few other craft supplies to make the most clever Frankenstein Mask ever!

Easy Mummy DIY Halloween Wreath

Craft by Craftidly

Make this fun Mummy Wreath in minutes using Dollar Store supplies. This wreath is fun and simple enough for older kids to help with. Hot glue the skeleton hands, eyes, and spider on. Cut the excess ribbon ends and hot glue to the back of the wreath. That’s it! Just add ribbon or string to hang.

Toilet Roll Spooky Tree Halloween Craft for Kids

Craft by Taming Little Monsters

Halloween Toilet Paper Roll Bat Craft

Craft by Two Pink Peonies

Monster Windsocks Craft

Craft by Crafts by Amanda

How to Make Balloon Flip Flops

Here’s a fun craft project kids love to make in the summer, Water Balloon Flip Flops. You can buy flip flops cheap at the dollar store. We bought the most colorful ones we could find. You will also find cheap flip flops at Michaels and ACMoore crafts stores.

Level of Difficulty:

Easy

Supplies Needed:

cheap flip flops
120 water balloons

Water Balloon Flip Flops are easy to put together. I would say this is a beginner kids craft project.

Instructions:

1. Begin at one end of a flip flop strap, tie a water balloon onto the strap to make a knot. Make sure the knot is facing outward.

2. Continue tying water balloons onto the strap until the entire strap is covered. Make sure to place push each balloon tight to the previous one after it is tied onto the flip flop strap.

Play around with different colors to create the look you want to achieve.

Helpful Tips:

Remove all of the water balloons from the bag and have the kids stretch each of the out. This will make them easier to tie onto the flip flops. Some water balloons are small so stretching them makes them longer.

Use larger balloons for smaller children as small hands may not be able to tie water balloons because they are quite small.

Quick and Easy Summer Craft Projects

Here are some quick and easy craft projects you can make with your kids this Summer using ordinary household items.

How to Make Pinwheels

Pinwheels are a lot of fun. When the wind blows, the pinwheel goes round and round and kids really enjoy watching them. Make your own from colorful construction paper. It’s quick and easy!

You will need:

construction paper
12″ ruler
scissors
single hole punch
plastic drinking straws
metal brads

Instructions for Making a Pinwheel:

1. Cut a 6-inch square out of any color construction paper you have. Fold the paper in half, diagonally. Fold it again diagonally and then open it out flat. Before you fold the paper you might want to decorate it with stickers or markers.

2. Cut along each folded line up toward the center of the square, stopping 1/2-inch before reaching the center of the square.

3. Punch a hole in the top corner of each triangle.

4. Punch a hole 1/2-inch down from the top of the straw.

5. Put the brad through the corners of the triangles. Then put the brad through the center of the square and then through the straw. Fold the edges of the brad over to secure it.

How to Make Paper Streamers

Why buy expensive paper streamers to decorate for a party when you can make them for free at home by using scrap pieces of construction paper or even regular print paper. Let the kids make paper streamers to decorate you next Summer picnic or birthday party.

Supplies Needed:

You just need several sheets of 8-1/2 x 11″ paper to get started.

Paper Streamer Instructions:

Cut one of the sheets of paper in half the long way.

Then fold the paper over crosswise as shown.

Cut slits every 1/4″ to 1/2″ wide – one starting from the bottom and then next starting from the top. Do this all of the way across the paper.

Then open it up and you will see the cool design it makes.

Then tape or staple the ends together and keep making them until your streamer is a long as you need it. Use your homemade paper streamers to decorate you next Summer picnic or birthday party.

How to Make Finger Paints

Here’s a simple recipe for making your own finger paints at home. Kids love playing in paint and finger paints are washable and won’t stain fabrics. Finger painting is a lot of fun for kids too and older children can help make the recipe.

Finger Paint Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox in the orange box)
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp sugar
2 cups cold water
food coloring
dishwashing liquid
white shelf paper

Homemade Finger Paint Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup warm water, stirring occasionally so it won’t gum up. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine cornstarch and sugar. Gradually add water and cook slowly over low heat, stirring until well blended.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add softened gelatin. Divide the mixture into separate containers for each color.

4. For each color first add a drop of two of liquid detergent and then add food coloring a drop at a time until you have the shade you want.

Store your homemade finger paints up to six weeks in the refrigerator.

How to Make Homemade Bubble Solution

Kids love blowing bubbles in the summertime but spending money on commercial bubble solution can get expensive unless you find it at the Dollar store. Making your own bubbles solution could be cheaper and if not, at least it is a fun project you can let the kids help with.

This recipe uses Joy dishwashing liquid, probably because it is the best for bubbles, but you can also use Dawn, Ivory, and Palmolive.

The key secret ingredient for more colorful and thick bubbles is Glycerin. This is available at most pharmacies but it can be a expensive. You might also want to try Karo Syrup which is available at grocery stores and is cheaper but can be a bit sticky.

Bubble Solution Recipe

9 parts water
1 part dish washing liquid
1/2 part Glycerin
Plastic container with lid

Mix all ingredients in a plastic container. Replace lid when you are not using them.

Bubble Activities:

Giant Bubble Maker
Save your coffee cans. Cut off the tops and bottoms. Hammer the edges smooth. Dip the cans in a pan of the bubble solution and wave it through the air.

Bubble Contest
Have a bubble contest for the biggest bubble, smallest bubble, and the bubble that floats the highest.

How to Make Flour and Salt Dough

This four and salt dough recipe is used in many crafts and commonly used to make Christmas ornaments. Use your imagination and you can decorate your kids decorate their projects with paints, glitter and other craft objects. This dough recipe is perfect for Summer camp projects too.

This kind of dough is safe if the kids accidentally eat some of it.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1-1/2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients well.

2. Roll out on a counter and cut shapes with cookie cutters.

3. Put the shapes on a cookie sheet so you can bake them.

4. Bake the completed designs in a 350 degree oven for at least 1 hour.

5. Paint and when dry dip in polyurethane, shellac, or use clear nail polish or Decoupage on them to seal the finish. An adult might want to do this step.

Make Dough Beads: You can also make beads for necklaces out of this. Just use a dowel rod or similar item to pock a hole in the center before baking. Then, once they are decorated the kids can string them on a rope to make a necklace or bracelet.

Now you have lots of fun, and easy, Summer craft projects to make at home with your kids using everyday household items.

How to Dye Easter Eggs And Keep Them From Cracking

It’s that time once again to dye eggs for Easter and here are a few tips to help keep them from cracking and make them easy to dye. Did you know that Americans dye and decorate more than 180 million eggs during the Easter season each year. First, you must gather your supplies to dye Easter Eggs. You will need fresh eggs, Distilled white vinegar, food coloring or Paas color tabs, saucepan, water, spoons, and small dishes or cups. Distilled white vinegar is easily found in most grocery, big box, and drug stores around the country and is very affordable at around $1.34 for a 16-ounce bottle.

How to Dye Hard Boiled Eggs for Easter

You can also prepare hard-cooked eggs in the oven instead of boiling them.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Place uncooked eggs into muffin tins.

3. Cook for 30 minutes.

4. While the eggs are cooking, fill a large bowl with cold water.

5. When the eggs are done, remove them using a pot holder and transfer the eggs, one at a time, to the cold water in the bowl. Be careful because the eggs will be very hot.

6. Wait 10 minutes and remove the eggs from the water.

Eggs cooked in the oven will have brown spots on the egg shells where the eggs were in contact with the hot metal from the muffin tin. The discoloration may fade in the water but it may also leave marks on white eggs.

Tips for Preventing Cracked Hard-Boiled Eggs

To help make your Easter egg colors vivid and bright, add one Paas color tablet or 3 drops of food coloring and three tablespoons of Distilled White vinegar to a mixing cup. Once the tablet has dissolved (no waiting for food coloring), add 1/2 cup of water and gently stir.

To help keep hard-boiled eggs from cracking, add two tablespoons of Heinz Distilled white vinegar per quart of water before placing the eggs in the pot to cook. By adding vinegar the shells will also peel off faster and easier when you are ready to eat them after egg hunting is over.

Do not over cook the eggs.

Quickly cool the eggs after cooking by running them under cold water.

Wait until the boiled eggs have cooled and refrigerate eggs in their shells until they are ready to use.

Tip Source: Heinz Vinegar.

How to Make Hummingbird Nectar (Step by Step)

Hummingbirds are some of the smallest birds in the world. Flapping their tiny wings burns up calories fast so to maintain their momentum, hummingbirds need to eat a lot. And what do they like to eat? Nectar of course. If you don’t have a lot of nectar in your yard you may not attract hummingbirds so you can make your own hummingbird nectar with two simple ingredients – sugar and water!

Why do Hummingbirds need to feed so often?

These fast flying birds consume half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10 to 15 minutes. They will probably visit from 1,000 to 2,000 flowers per day just to get enough nectar. With this DIY nectar recipe, you can help hardworking hummingbirds get the nutrients they need.

How often should I change hummingbird nectar?

Hummingbirds like fresh nectar. If you make your own hummingbird nectar and put it in a feeder, you will want to change it at least once a week, every few days if it is very hot. Hummingbird nectar can turn sour. If the nectar becomes sour they hummingbirds won’t drink it. You will know it is sour from the smell but also by seeing what the hummingbirds do when they come to your feeder. If they come but won’t drink the nectar is probably sour. Rinse out your hummingbird feeder well with a bottle brush but do not use any form of cleanser or detergent.

Video: Mike Fernandez/Audubon. Footage: Camilla Cerea/Audubon

Hummingbird Nectar Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup white sugar
Bowl
Spoon

Important! you should never use red dye here as it is not necessary to attract hummingbirds and the chemicals could prove to be harmful to the birds.

How to Make Hummingbird Nectar:

1. Mix sugar and boiling water until sugar is dissolved.

2. Cool. Add a bit of ice if you want to speed the cooling process along.

3. Fill your hummingbird feeder.

4. Hang up your feeder outside and wait for the hummingbirds to arrive.

A quicker way to make hummingbird feeder nectar is to microwave a cup of water, stir in the sugar, add a couple of ice cubes and wait about 5 minutes.

It’s so simple to make your own hummingbird nectar at home that you not only save money because you aren’t buying the pre-made mix, you can make it easily with just sugar and water.