Crafting is a quintessential Halloween activity, whether you're sewing a creative trick-or-treat bag, dreaming up DIY costume ideas or turning your humble abode into a haunted house with handmade seasonal decor. But between all the googly eyes, construction paper, black cats and ghosts, it can be tough to track down the best Halloween crafts for kids and grown-ups alike. That's where we come in! If you're searching for Halloween craft ideas to jump-start the season, you'll undoubtedly find something to appreciate in our roundup of ehow's best Halloween DIYs.
We'll walk you through some of our best-loved Halloween projects from throughout the years, from paper crafts to delightfully dreadful designs that will enchant kids of all ages (and grown-ups too!). There's one thing all of our favorite Halloween crafts have in common: They'll help you embrace the fun and frights of a sweet season.
Video of the Day
Video of the Day
In no particular order, we present our favorite Halloween crafts.
We'll start with a lighthearted yet fantastically festive option: DIY "twisty candles" complete with hot-glued googly eyes for a fun snake-inspired touch. You can create these candles in colors of your choice, whether you opt for traditional Halloween hues or try something brighter. Add them to a Halloween party table display or give your everyday home decor a (literal) glow-up.
Decorating a front porch bench or swapping out your usual couch throws with something to match the Halloween vibes? Our easy DIY spider pillow is a must-try, made with nothing more than black felt, white chalk, thread and basic sewing supplies. This is a fantastic project for older kids who want to try their hands at textile crafts (and who aren't afraid of spiders!). Sew on pompoms for a more textured look.
Embrace your inner witch or warlock with our tutorial for DIY Halloween potion bottle pendants, which even includes a free printable template for labels. Use jewelry-making supplies and mini bottles to create containers for "poison," "pickled eyeballs" and other creepy concoctions. If you ask us, the best Halloween decoration is a wearable one!
And now for something on the lighter side! If you prefer your fun Halloween crafts with a dash of whimsy, you'll love these decoupage pumpkins made with toile tissue paper. They're more intricate than traditional jack-o'-lanterns (and not carved), but they'll still make an eye-catching addition to your front porch this year. We recommend using faux pumpkins for this project to help the tissue paper stay in place (and preserve your work for future years!).
Get in the Halloween spirit with a decorating idea that will make guests squirm (in the best way possible) at your next Halloween party: a creepy DIY ice bucket! No, it's certainly not a cute Halloween craft, but it's perfect for those who don't mind their beverage tables with a side of (faux) gore. Fake eyeballs, bones, organs, worms, bugs and more creepy items complete the vibe.
You might love eating candy corn (we completely agree), but have you ever considered using it to decorate your home? OK, OK—these homemade candy corn candles aren't made with actual candy corn, but they do look pretty darn close to oversize candy pieces. You'll make molds from tin cans or Mason jars before mixing melted white pillar candles with wax dye or crayons. So fun!
The arrival of chilly weather around Halloween means it's the perfect time to take a hot, soothing bath. Why not add a seasonal touch to your self-care routine by making our DIY creepy bath bombs? Using ingredients like cornstarch, Epsom salts, coconut oil and cake pop molds, you'll create fizzy bath bombs shaped like skeletons and ghosts.
If you're planning to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters this year, let them know you're open for business with a festive (and slightly frightening) Halloween wreath. Our tutorial uses faux flowers, plastic spiders, ping-pong ball "eyes," hot glue and other simple crafting supplies to create a black and purple Halloween wreath. Talk about a conversation piece!
Don't let your green thumb fade just because the warmer months are over! With our cute and crafty pumpkin concrete planter tutorial, you can give your indoor plants, mums or succulents a fun seasonal twist. This particular project isn't necessarily kid-friendly, as it calls for working with concrete, but it's a rewarding choice for older crafters. To involve the whole family, have kids paint or add handprints to completed planters before displaying!
Black cats are an undeniable symbol of the Halloween season—and we think they're downright beautiful. Take a cue from cats' mysterious nature and create your own embroidered cat-eye cardigan using a thrifted or long-forgotten sweater, card stock, yarn and embroidery needles. The result? A perfect outfit for those who want to dress up for the holiday but aren't into traditional Halloween costumes.
The Addams Family is a cultural fixture, and the release of Netflix's Wednesday has only added to the fictional fam's popularity. Traditional pumpkin crafts and jack-o'-lanterns are fantastic, but you'll be the talk of the neighborhood if you add your very own homemade version of Cousin Itt to your front porch. This DIY Halloween decoration is so much simpler than it looks, calling for only a few materials. Easy peasy!
12. Galaxy Pumpkins
Look to the skies for inspiration when you create these gorgeous galaxy pumpkins, which provide an unconventional twist on a Halloween classic. Start with black pumpkins (either real ones painted black or faux selections, much like our decoupage pumpkins above) and then use glitter, metallic paints and acrylic paints to create an intergalactic-inspired piece that will set your fall decor apart.
Need an inventive theme for your October get-together? Check out our collection of mad scientist lab party inspo for ideas that are creepy in the best way possible. Using simple and easy-to-find materials, you'll create everything from a "head" in a specimen jar to ice cubes shaped like eyeballs. Your inner mad scientist will thank you!
You've heard of advent calendars for the Christmas season, but have you considered using one for Halloween? If you're a full-blown Halloween fanatic, the holiday can't come soon enough—and our treat-filled Halloween countdown calendar will help you (or your kids) count down the 13 days leading up to October 31. Delicious anticipation!
Frankenstein himself would find something to love in our curated collection of easy Halloween crafts. As you prepare to carve pumpkins, pass out candy and embrace the most eerily enchanting season of them all, we hope you keep creativity at the forefront.