DIY Halloween Decorating Crafts for Families

Halloween came to be through a mixture of Celtic, Roman Catholic and European traditions.

Halloween lost its former religious connections in the 19th century, becoming instead a holiday for spooky fun. The holiday lends itself to creating spooky lighting crafts that serve several purposes. A well-lit front yard is essential for the safety of trick-or-treaters and sets the mood for an evening of spooks and ghouls. Creating Halloween decorations is something the whole family can do together. Each family member can put his or her own spin on these crafts to create complementary pieces of Halloween art that can be used for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Empty, clean gallon milk jugs
• Black poster paint
• Craft knife
• Empty, clean half-gallon milk jugs
• Plastic googly eyes
• PVC glue
• White sheet to tear into strips
• White duct tape
• Battery operated votive candles

Instructions

Ghost Lights

1. Paint a ghost face on the front of each gallon milk jug using the black poster paint. Refer to pictures of ghosts for help in creating different expressions. Each face should take up the whole front of the jug.

2. Cut out a hole two to three inches in diameter in the back of the jug.

3. Place a lit battery-operated votive candle inside the jug through the hole in the back.

Mummy Lights

1. Glue two googly eyes to the front of each half-gallon milk jug, an inch or two down from the top.

2. Cut a hole two to three inches in diameter in the back of the jug using the craft knife.

3. Cut or tear the sheet into strips about 2 inches wide.

4. Wrap the jug with one layer of strips of the sheet, leaving the eyes exposed. Secure the strips at the beginning and end with white duct tape.

5. Gently move the sheet strip aside to insert a lit battery-operated votive into the jug through the hole in the back.

Tips & Warnings

• Line your sidewalk or driveway with alternating ghost and mummy lights, or display them on your front porch railing or stoop.

References

• History.com: Halloween

Resources

• Family Fun: Halloween Yard Crafts