Pinterest Halloween Fun

For dramatic, theatrical types like me, Halloween is the BEST holiday. We get to dress up in crazy costumes and pretend to be other people (OK, we do that all year 'round, but when we do it at Halloween, people don't think we're crazy). We get to make all kinds of wild and crazy decorations and put them up everywhere. We get to be as creepy and wacky and eerie as we like. It's great!

And where else to go for fun and funny Halloween craft and costume and treat ideas than Pinterest? Here are a few of my favorite Halloween ideas, courtesy of Pinterest.

Paper Plate Eyeball

The only supplies you need for this craft are a paper plate, blue construction (or tissue) paper, black construction paper, a red marker, scissors, and some glue. Start by drawing red blood vessels from the edge of the plate to the center. Then tear up some blue paper into small squares and glue them in the center of the plate to form a large circle. Finally, cut a small circle from black paper and glue it in the center of the plate. Alternatively, you can cut a hole in the center of the plate instead and hang it on your front door so the peephole peeps through it. Spooky!

Paper Bats

If you want your bats to last, you can cut them out of lightweight black craft foam. But if you don't mind if they only last for a day or two, black construction paper works just fine. You can use the template in the link above to create a pattern, or simply freehand it, then cut out the bats, glue on a pair of googly eyes, use a paper punch to make a hole in their toes, and use fishing line or thread to hang them from tree branches all over your yard. The slightest breeze will make them dance eerily!

Spiral Ghosts

These cuties work equally well inside and out. You can make them from nearly any weight of paper, from copy paper to paper plates to lightweight poster board. Simply cut into a spiral and add a cheerful (or scary) ghost face, then hang from the ceiling for some more-cute-than-creepy decorations.

Hotdog Severed Fingers

These ghastly treats are so easy there isn't even a link for directions. Basically, heat up a hotdog, use a sharp knife to snip a fingernail shape at one end and some "knuckles" along the length, and place in a bun with plenty of bloody ketchup at the "severed" end.

Mummy Dogs

Even non-cooks can handle this fun Halloween treat: Start with a hotdog, a package of refrigerated crescent roll dough, and a sharp knife. Slice one end of the hotdog in half, about a third of the length, to form legs, then make small slices at each side to form arms. Next, unroll the crescent roll dough and slice it into long, thin pieces (a pizza cutter works even better than the sharp knife for this step). Wrap the dog, mummy-style, pulling the arms and legs away from the body and wrapping separately. Spray with a little non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. If you want to get really fancy, you can even make a face with bits of black olive for eyes and a grape wedge for a mouth.

Q-Tip Skeleton

Another craft that's so easy, no elaborate directions are needed: Grab a piece of black construction paper, a handful of Q-tips, a small piece of white paper, scissors, and some glue, and copy this photo to make a cool skeleton. You might even want to make a whole army of skeleton guys! (Insert "Thriller" theme music here.)

Light-up Cups

It might be a little tricky to find orange, green, and white plastic cups, but if you have luck finding any of them, these little guys make great decorations around the house, on the steps, or lining the walkway for your local Trick-or-Treaters! Turn each cup upside down and use a black sharpie to make the appropriate face - jack o'lantern for orange cups, Frankenstein's monster for green, and ghost or skull for white - then simply place over an LED candle (available in bulk at your local Dollar Store or Costco/Sam's Club/BJ's Wholesale).

Pretzel Pumpkins

I'm a huge fan of pretzels dipped in chocolate: white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate. Grab some orange candy melts from your local craft store, melt them in the microwave, then dip some bite-size pretzels, add a green M&M or green candy-coated sunflower seed for a stem, and let cool on waxed paper. Delicious treats for little goblins - and big ones!

PBJ Spiders

In the lunchbox or at a party, these PB&J spiders will be gobbled up by your local goblins. Use an ordinary drinking glass (or biscuit cutter, or circular cookie cutter) to cut a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into a neat circle, then stick in pretzel sticks as legs and a couple of chocolate bits for eyes. Quick and creepy!

Ghost Lanterns

If you plan ahead, you can collect a whole lineup of milk jugs. Use a sharpie to draw a funny, scary, or creepy face on each jug, then cut a hole in the bottom with a craft knife. Run a line of white Christmas lights along the line of jugs, Curling a foot or so inside each one. No handy connection to an electrical outlet? Pick up a bunch of cheap glow sticks at the dollar store and toss one in each jug.


What's YOUR favorite Halloween DIY?