DIY Halloween decorations: 5 Fun crafts to make with your kids

Halloween is the perfect time to spend time with your children, making creative and fun activities. Creating DIY Halloween decorations not only gives your home a spooky and festive atmosphere, but also allows you to share moments together as a family. In this article, discover five easy DIY decoration ideas you can make with your children to celebrate Halloween while stimulating their imagination and creativity.

1.Papier-mache ghosts

Paper- mache is an excellent material for making spooky ghosts. With a little glue, newspaper and white paint, you can create ghostly decorations to hang around the house or place on furniture.

Materials:

• Newspaper

• White glue

• Water

• White paint

• Black felt-tip pen for eyes and mouth

• Nylon thread for hanging the ghosts

Steps :

1. Mix the white glue with water to obtain a liquid consistency.

2. Tear the newspaper into small pieces and dip them into the mixture.

3. Form paper balls to create the ghost's head, and shape the body irregularly.

4. Leave to dry for 24 hours.

5. Once dry, paint the ghosts white.

6. Use a black felt-tip pen to draw the eyes and mouth.

7. Tie a nylon string around the top to hang your ghosts around the house.

Tips :

• You can vary the size of the ghosts to create a spooky army.

• Use phosphorescent paint for a glow-in-the-dark effect.

2: Bats in cardboard

Creating bats from cardboard is a simple, yet fun activity for children. These little creatures can be glued to walls, hung from ceilings or even used to create garlands.

Materials:

• Black cardboard or thick black paper

• Scissors

• Glue

• Self-adhesive moving eyes

• String for hanging

Steps :

1. Draw bat shapes on black cardboard.

2. Cut out carefully.

3. Glue movable eyes to each bat.

4. You can drill a small hole in the top to insert a string and hang them, or simply glue them to the walls.

Tips :

• Use glitter to give your bats a sparkling effect.

• Hang them in a garland in the hallway to surprise your guests.

3: Pumpkin lanterns in recycled cans

Recycling cans to create lanterns is both eco-friendly and fun. It's a perfect project for teaching your kids about the importance of recycling while decorating for Halloween.

Materials:

• Empty cans

• Orange paint

• Hammer and nails for drilling holes

• Small LED candles

• Brush

Steps :

1. Wash cans and remove all labels.

2. Paint them all orange.

3. Use a hammer and nail to drill face-shaped holes (eyes, nose, mouth).

4. Insert an LED candle inside to light the lantern.

Tips :

• Vary the facial expressions to create smiling, scary or amazed pumpkins.

• You can also hang them outside to brighten up your entrance.

4: Salt dough zombie hands

For a guaranteed scary effect, why not create zombie hands from salt dough? This DIY is perfect for children who like to play with malleable materials, and can be customized with realistic details.

Materials:

• Flour, salt and water for salt dough

• Green and red paint

• Brush

• Varnish to protect paint

Steps :

1. Prepare salt dough by mixing 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt and 1 cup water.

2. Model zombie hands, exaggerating the twisted fingers.

3. Bake hands at low temperature for 2-3 hours to harden.

4. Once cooled, paint them green and add detail with red paint to simulate wounds.

Tips :

• Add details like black nails or cracks for an even more realistic effect.

• Place these hands on the table to surprise your guests at Halloween dinner.

5: Spiders with pompons

Pompoms are a great activity for little ones. Creating pom-pom spiders is easy and can be transformed into a fun garland to decorate a room.

Materials:

• Black wool

• Small white beads for eyes

• Black thread for legs

• Scissors

Steps :

1. Make a large black pom-pom by wrapping wool around your fingers or a piece of cardboard.

2. Once the pom-pom is formed, cut a thread to create the legs.

3. Glue the beaded eyes to the pom-pom.

4. Repeat to make several spider garlands.

Tips :

• Add black glitter to make your spiders glow in the light.

• Use colored wool to make less scary spiders if your children are very young.

These five DIY decorations are perfect for a creative Halloween with your kids. They're simple to make, inexpensive, and allow you to decorate your home while stimulating the little ones' imagination. Feel free to adapt the colors and shapes to your children's preferences, and add extra details to make each creation unique. Halloween is above all a fun holiday, and these activities will help you celebrate it in a creative and playful way.