Throwing Halloween parties can be a blast, especially since it gives you an excuse to decorate the house with lots of creatures that go "bump in the night." A skeleton made from old milk jugs is one decoration that is both easy on the wallet and frightfully festive.
![Glow in the dark skeleton made from milk jugs.](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/ac278f31-802b-4862-93a0-93473ed67265.jpg)
Things You'll Need
Empty plastic milk jugs, 8
Marker
Scissors
Hole punch
String or fishing line
Hot glue gun
Glow-in-the-dark paint
Paintbrush
Tip
Before starting, make sure to thoroughly clean your milk jugs and let them dry completely. Remove the cap from each jug as well.
Step 1: Draw Bones on the Milk Jugs
Use a marker to draw each part of the bones on the milk jugs:
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- Head
- Torso/ribcage
- 2 shoulders
- 2 separate bones for each arm (4 total)
- 2 hands
- Hip/pelvis
- 2 separate bones for each leg (4 total)
- 2 feet
For the head and torso, you will use one whole jug for each of these body parts. Draw two eyes, a nose and teeth/mouth on the head. You will also need to draw a ribcage on the torso (three ribs per side).
![bones drawn on milk jugs](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/d869bdcd-67f4-4a09-bb1c-42dc43e7d269.jpg)
Tip
For the shoulders and feet, draw them around the handle portion of the milk jug to give them more of a 3-D effect. Use the bottom portion of a milk jug to form the hip/pelvis.
Step 2: Cut Out the Bones
Use scissors to puncture a hole into the milk jugs and then cut out the bones. When they are all cut out, lay them out on a table to make sure you have all of your pieces.
![Skeleton bones all laid out.](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/e2767ccc-e738-4ff5-9362-b37fb2daf8c2.jpg)
Step 3: Hole Punch Each Bone
Since you already have the bones laid out on a table, use the hole punch to punch holes into the points of the bones where you will connect them together with string or fishing line.
![holes punched into each bone](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/103ce7c3-e454-4ca6-80fd-811e891d23b1.jpg)
Step 4: String the Bones Together
Take your string or fishing line and start connecting the bones together to create the skeleton's body, tying a knot at the ends of each string. Use hot glue to connect the head to the torso. You will also need to hot glue the torso to the hip/pelvis.
![Milk jug skeleton all put together.](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/20203128-0430-4241-991f-3cf73757b1c4.jpg)
Step 5: Paint the Skeleton
Now that your skeleton is all put together, paint it with a few coats of glow-in-the-dark paint. Allow each coat to dry before painting the next coat. Be sure to paint in a well-ventilated area.
![milk jug skeleton painted with glow in the dark paint](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/5522e64f-7985-4a22-9774-3146cccadeb9.jpg)
Once the paint is completely dry, your spooky skeleton is ready to hang outside or in a dark corner to garner some scary reactions from guests or trick-or-treaters.
![skeleton made out of milk jugs hanging outside](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/45c472c5-a954-412d-a0bc-a30e633779d3.jpg)
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