Get ready to make this Halloween handmade with our round-up of the best Halloween crafts for kids.
You'll find fiendishly fun projects for papercrafting, junk modelling and sewing in this round-up, and we've selected a range of activities that will suit children of all ages – from toddlers to teens.
We're huge fans of crafting for the holidays. A season rarely goes by when we can't be found reaching for the glue sticks and craft box to make DIY decorations, and Halloween is one of our favourites.
With so many amazing Halloween crafts out there, we've rounded up some of the best Halloween crafts for kids for you to try at home.
Read on to discover monstrous makes, cheeky characters and pumpkins galore, or jump to the section you need using the links below:
Halloween crafts for toddlers
Have some creepy creative fun with your toddlers and preschoolers. These easy activities are ideal for the littlest crafters – with plenty of adult supervision, of course!
Don't forget to check out our crafts for toddlers for more mini makes to try at home.
1. Quick paint egg box bats
For the ultimate easy Halloween craft for kids, these quick egg box bat decorations are perfect for giving your home or classroom a spooky makeover. Fangtastic!
Try this bat craft for Halloween from Giggly.
2. Get messy with hand and foot printing
We found this very fun and very messy idea over at Aubree Originals for how to make foot print ghosts for Halloween cards, scrapbook pages and more.
So reach for the paints (and maybe lay down a sheet first to protect your floor) and get foot stomping!
3. Turn tissue paper into a spooky ghost
The beauty of this hauntingly good make is the simplicity of the supplies you need.
Grab some cardboard or paper, glue and a pen, then snip a few tissue paper strips for this really easy Halloween craft for kids from A Girl and a Glue Gun.
4. Make clay Halloween handprints
We've actually become a little obsessed with the website Non Toy Gifts since we discovered it while hunting for Halloween craft ideas for kids ourselves.
In this fun tutorial they show you how to make handprint Halloween keepsakes using air dry clay (buy it from Baker Ross).
Or you can try these with salt dough too – check out our how to make salt dough article to mix your own.
5. Frighteningly good papercraft ghost idea
Boo! Spooky Halloween crafts don't come much more fun than these Simple and Easy Paper Ghosts by I Heart Crafty Things.
6. Turn lolly sticks into cobwebs
Lolly sticks (find them at Hobbycraft) are one of our favourite supplies when it comes to Halloween crafts for preschoolers.
They're pretty versatile, but this idea to turn lolly sticks into cobwebs (with pipe cleaner spiders) is pure genius!
Make your own spider web decorations today over at Someone's Mum.
7. Boo! Make your own puffy ghosts
If you're searching for easy Halloween crafts for younger children, you'll have to look hard to beat the cute factor of these puffy ghosts from Thriving Home.
All you need to make them is some cotton wool, their free downloadable template and a couple of basic craft supplies like scissors and wool.
8. Upcycle paper plates into trick or treat baskets
If you're looking for easy Halloween crafts for kids, you can't really go wrong with some paper plates and a few pots of paint.
Turn paper plates into the cutest of trick or treating accessories with this easy DIY video from CBeebies.
9. Make a paper maché treat bowl
Get tearing up newspaper, dig out a balloon and paints and get crafting this cobweb treat bowl, to fill with creepy candy for your Halloween feast!
Find the instructions for how to make this in our paper maché ideas article.
For more papercraft goodness check out our papercrafts for kids section where we have loads of kid-friendly DIYs.
10. Simple spiderweb wreath
This is one of the simplest Halloween crafts in this round-up and it's a great one for younger children.
Grab some black card and string to whip up a fun spiderweb decoration with Sparkle and Splatter's YouTube video DIY.
A monster celebration
Host the perfect get-together for your little witches and wizards with our guide to Halloween party ideas for kids.
11. Make paper maché pumpkins
This is a great kids craft project as, like many of the projects in this round-up, you don't need many specialist art or craft supplies to make your own paper pumpkins.
They're inexpensive but very simple, plus kids get to get messy with paper maché and paints!
Head over to our full step-by-step guide on how to make paper maché pumpkins to find pictures and a video showing you how it's done.
12. Paper plate pumpkin mask
Another great craft idea for toddlers and mini makers! How about turning a paper plate into a pumpkin?
You can cut the shapes for them in advance and let them go at it with the PVA, or help them to cut out the different pumpkin accents with some child-friendly scissors!
Find out how to make a paper plate pumpkin mask over at My Kid Craft.
13. Easy Halloween paper chain
How cute are these Halloween paper chains? The tutorial includes instructions for a pumpkin, black cat and Frankenstein's monster, but you could add your own designs too. The kids will love coming up with their own creations.
Find out how to make them over at Artsy Momma, and discover more easy Halloween crafts for kids in our round-up of Halloween paper crafts.
14. Turn yoghurt cartons into mini monsters
If you've never stumbled across it before, Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails is a truly lovely blog of beautiful family crafts and activities.
We've loving their simple but fun recycled craft project to turn yogurt cups into Halloween monsters!
15. Make spider bowls for party food
Did someone say Halloween party? The food will be extra fun when it's served in these creepy crawly spider bowls!
Make paper plate spiders with straws for legs and googly eyes, using this Easy Spider Halloween Treat Bowl DIY from That's What Che Said.
16. Shrink spooky plastic charms
Shrink plastic is high on our list of favourite kids crafts, so we were pretty excited to find this Halloween shrink plastic kit from Amazon.
Simply colour them in and shrink them down to make keychains, zip pulls and much more.
17. Ceramic Pumpkin Tealight Holders
Decorate mini candle holders with freaky faces and spooky details with these cute pumpkin ceramic tealight holders from Baker Ross.
They're a perfect way to welcome trick or treaters – simply add your chosen designs using acrylic markers or paint.
18. Toilet roll witch craft
Take a disused loo roll, add a few basic craft supplies (including Halloween kids crafts staple – googly eyes) and what do you get? A wonderfully cheery witch of course!
Find out how to make one over at Fun Thrifty Mom.
19. Easy make Halloween wreaths
We really can't think of any occasion that isn't deserving of a DIY wreath, and Halloween wreaths are set to be a big trend in 2024.
Make your own using a cardboard ring, decorated with tissue paper and spooky shapes, or cheat and use a kit.
Baker Ross have these fun kits with loads of pre-cut shapes so they're perfect for young children as you can pass them a glue stick and leave them to craft to their heart's content!
- Buy now from Baker Ross (£6.95)
Bewitching Halloween wreaths
Give trick-or-treaters a chilling greeting at the door with our brilliant DIY Halloween wreath ideas.
20. Make healthy Halloween pizzas
Get creative with food and help your little monsters cook a healthy Halloween dinner by making spooky pizzas from scratch. They'll have fun arranging the toppings into spiders, bats and cobwebs! Discover more Halloween food ideas.
Find the recipe at BBC Good Food.
21. Day of the Dead Scratch Art decorations
Kids will love these fun scratch art skulls from Baker Ross.
Shop their pre-made Day of the Dead Scratch Art kits, or if you can't get your hands on the kit try a version of the technique at home with wax crayons.
Start by cutting shapes out of card, then colouring with two layers of wax crayons – a base layer of rainbow colours and a top layer of black. Scratch the top layer to reveal the pops of colour beneath.
- Buy now from Baker Ross (£4.95)
22. Easiest ever Halloween cupcakes
Kids of all ages will have fun decorating these cupcakes with icing and sweets to make spooky monsters and cute black cats.
BBC Good Food show you how to make the easiest ever Halloween cupcakes with their frightfully simple recipe.
23. Cut paper cobwebs
All you need is some paper and a pair of scissors for this simple spooky make.
Cindy Hopper, aka Skip to my Lou, has a great video tutorial on YouTube for how to make paper cobwebs to decorate your house this Halloween.
24. Halloween spider hat
Live Craft Eat have come up with the ultimate way to combine your craft stash with Halloween fancy dress – reach for a few sheets of black card to make this simple but effective spider hat.
Googly eyes at the front take this up into our top five best ever Halloween crafts for kids!
25. Rainbow tube paper bats
The only thing better than Halloween crafts? Rainbow Halloween crafts of course! Kids will love creating a whole colony of these colourful cardboard critters.
Thank you to the awesome Hello, Wonderful for bringing us this guide on how to make paper tube bats.
Creepy crafts
Find even more spooky activities for your littlest monsters in our guide to Halloween crafts for toddlers.
Halloween crafts for older kids
Keep your pre-teens busy with these Halloween crafts aimed at kids from ages 5-12. If they like these they might also enjoy our craft ideas for kids!
26. Frankenstein paper ball game
Red Ted Art are mixing up fun Halloween designs with a classic party game with this easy Halloween kids craft tutorial.
Follow their tutorial to make a paper cup Frankenstein game, complete with origami monsters and eyeballs.
27. Stir up your own potions!
We've yet to find a child who doesn't LOVE the prospect of mixing up a potion or two at Halloween.
With big imaginations you can easily try this DIY in your home or garden with a mixing bowl and some basic household supplies (food colouring, glitter, fizzy vitamins like Berocca, and so on).
But if you want to really go for it, or have older children who are Harry Potter fans, we've found these Halloween Potion Kits for budding witches and wizards from The Potion Lab on Etsy.
They come with a "frog froth potion" and contain a little cauldron plus labelled ingredients in glass bottles and jars with descriptions like "unicorn powder" and "dragon's blood". We're assuming they're not real…
- Buy now from Etsy (£28.99)
28. Paint Halloween rock magnets
So simple but so effective! Collect a few pebbles (flat ones work best) and get to work with paints to turn them into a spooky gang of magnets, from ghosts to pumpkins.
This Heart of Mine has the perfect DIY tutorial to show you how.
Little makes for little hands
Got the crafting bug? Find dozens of activities to try all year round in our guide to easy craft ideas for kids.
29. Make felt finger puppets
We knew there was a reason we'd hoarded those felt sheets and googly eyes all year round!
Mini makers will delight in crafting these Halloween finger puppets by One Creative Mommy – including the often under-represented Halloween Mummy alongside more popular designs like witches and ghosts.
30. Turn paper strips into paper bats
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective, and this is so true of this idea for turning paper strips into bat decorations.
Find out how to make a paper ball bat garland over at Easy Peasy and Fun.
31. Try resist painting for Halloween
You might have used the wax resist method to send secret spy messages when you were a kid. But by using watercolours and pastels rather than wax crayons and poster paint it becomes a sophisticated artistic technique too!
Discover how to create gorgeous spider's web paintings with help from Let's Lasso the Moon.
We have lots more painterly fun for you in our round-up of the best Halloween art projects.
32. Wind wool into Halloween pom poms
My children and me love this DIY for spooky pom poms from It's Always Autumn.
We've personally tested the spider, Frankenstein and pumpkin pom poms and can confirm they're a lot of fun to make!
33. Make your own witches' hats
You can't beat a classic trick or treat costume – hands up if you can remember making your own witches' hats out of paper when you were little?
We love this design from Cutesy Crafts, which uses a paper plate and a party hat to make things even easier! Attach them together, paint them black, then decorate with your favourite Halloween stickers.
34. Paint your own pumpkin
This cutest-of-cute make is just the craft project for magic-loving children of all ages. Younger kids will enjoy the messy play painting, while teens will enjoy precisely painting the segments of the gourd.
These ready-to-paint kits are available from Jade Pinnell Glass on Etsy.
- Buy now from Etsy
35. Egg carton Halloween crafts
You don't need expensive or specialist supplies to get crafting! Raid your recycling bin and make these fiendish figures for Halloween.
Find out how with this guide to egg carton Halloween crafts from The Best Ideas for Kids.
36. Haunted house paper theatre
Time for an interactive one! Help the kids make their very own Haunted House paper theatre with this DIY craft kit from papercraft pros Pukaca over on Etsy.
Look out for their Halloween finger puppets for more storytelling inspiration too.
- Buy now on Etsy (£15.16)
37. DIY costumes
Get the kids involved in making their own costumes this year. We have DIY costumes for butterflies, mushrooms, ghosts and much more – and many of them are no-sew, meaning the little ones can help out.
Find their favourite in our guide to fun Halloween costumes for kids.
38. Get gooey with homemade slime
Little ones will love creating their own monsters with this green eyeball slime!
They'll enjoy helping you to mix it up using just a few household ingredients, and the squishy, tactile slime will keep them entertained for hours.
Follow Gathered's tutorial to learn how to make fluffy slime.
39. Make cards with printable monsters
Print out your own ghoulish Halloween creatures with our set of spooky characters. Why not use them to make greetings cards for your loved ones this All Hallows Eve?
Download the free Halloween printables for instant fun!
Easy paper crafts for kids
Get yourself and the kids prepared for the season with these spook-tacular paper Halloween decorations.
Halloween crafts for teens
Our next set of Halloween crafts for kids is aimed at slightly older members of the family. These creepy, creative ideas will get even the grumpiest of teens involved in the Halloween fun!
With needle felting, origami and cross stitch to try, they might discover a new hobby too…
40. Make wooden skeleton puppets
We predict wood crafts are going to be a big trend in the months to come, and these cute Day of the Dead kits from Baker Ross are a fun way to get in on the action.
You get all the pre-cut skeleton bones, ready to paint and decorate with your craft stash. When they're done, it's time to put on a show!
- Buy now from Baker Ross (£4.95)
41. Learn to carve a pumpkin
Put the teens in charge of this year's jack o'lantern!
They can swot up on the basics of how to carve the perfect pumpkin (and find some great stencil designs to try) with our complete guide on how to carve a pumpkin for beginners.
42. Have fun with Halloween origami
Have a hoot making our adorable origami owl! It's really easy to fold, even for complete beginners. Why not make a whole parliament in your favourite Halloween papers?
Then find more of the best origami projects for fright night in our Halloween origami roundup.
43. Make a pumpkin pinata
They might be too old for trick or treating, but they're never too old for sweets! Turn a paper lampshade into a party favourite with this DIY spooky pumpkin pinata.
Find the tutorial by Kitiya Palaskas over at Envato Tuts+.
44. Hang up some Halloween bunting
Whip up this spooky bat bunting, complete with little pom poms and sparkling stars – perfect for decorating a teen's bedroom for Halloween.
Make your own with our DIY Halloween garland tutorial from Kirsty Hartley.
45. Get creative with face paint
Face paint is a quick and easy way to complete any Halloween look – and teens who love playing with makeup will have lots of fun learning to do their own.
We've got dozens of ideas for you to try, for ages ranging from toddler to adult, so the whole family can join in! Have a go with our Halloween face paint ideas.
46. Make your own chocolate apples
This is a really easy project to get young makers involved giving you a hand preparing for Halloween parties or Bonfire Night get-togethers. They're kinder to your teeth and safer to make than toffee apples too! See more Halloween treats to make.
Discover how to make chocolate apples with Baking Mad's simple recipe.
47. Embroider a spooky hoop
Older pre-teens and teenagers will enjoy having a go at this boo-tiful Halloween embroidery hoop. It’s the perfect quick stitch to get you in the mood for the spooky season.
Try our Halloween embroidery pattern by Lisa Neal today.
48. Make a pom pom banner
This is another great project if you've only got a few basic craft supplies to hand. Pom poms are so simple and fun to make!
Turn yarn and string into a DIY Halloween banner featuring ghosts, spiders and pumpkins.
49. Halloween tin can bowling
Raid your recycling for cans to upcycle into a fun Halloween party game! And when you've finished playing the game they make great desk tidies too.
Red Ted Art have this cute DIY for how to make a Halloween tin can bowling game.
50. Whip up an easy Halloween banner
The best Halloween crafts for kids are the ones where you already have all the supplies you need at home!
Grab a pair of scissors, a pencil, some paper and some ribbon or string. Then get these free letters from World of Printables to make your own trick or treat banner.
51. Fold origami bats
Unleash your inner goth and enjoy a spot of soothing paper folding with these origami heart bats by Go Origami.
Its clever heart shape means this bat can also be used as a dish – perfect for your trick or treat sweets.
52. Halloween cross stitch
If you have teens who enjoy a spot of stitching, treat them to this Trick or Treat cross stitch kit by Historical Sampler on Etsy.
It's also a great option if you have younger children who you'd like to introduce to stitching, as you can help them stitch a simple motif or two on easy binca fabric.
- Buy now from Etsy (from £9 for chart only)
53. Trick or treat bucket
If your teens are curious about learning how to use your sewing machine, get them to help you make a fang-tastic Halloween bucket with our tutorial from Kirsty Hartley.
All you need is felt, scraps of fabric and a few basic sewing supplies – plus some treats to put in the finished bucket!
54. Needle felt pumpkins
Another idea that we love for older kids and teenagers is this pumpkin needle felting kit by FudgeAndMabel on Etsy.
The kit contains everything you need to make an adorable pumpkin, and is ideal for needle felting beginners.
- Buy now on Etsy
55. Paint rocks to make mini monsters
It's a craft for the whole family! While some of the ideas in this round-up are better suited to a particular age group, there's no age limit on who will enjoy making these painted rock monsters.
Grab your paints, Sharpies and googly eyes, find the monster DIY over at Crafty Morning, and get stuck in…
56. Play with paper pumpkins
OK, so we've had cotton wool ghosts and toilet roll witches for toddlers, now it's time for some slightly more sophisticated fun – with origami decorations you'll want to display all season long.
Fold pretty patterned papers into these super sweet origami pumpkins with the tutorial from Gathering Beauty.
57. Try quilling cats!
The papercraft DIY we've always wanted in our lives is finally here – transform paper strips into black cats for a fun make that will hold the attention of older children.
Thank you Artsy Crafty Mom for bringing us this paper quilled black cats tutorial.
58. Pumpkin paper lanterns
Paper lanterns are a classic kids craft idea but we've never seen pumpkin ones before. Luckily First Palette have a tutorial to show you how to make your own paper pumpkin lanterns.
Why not hang them up as bunting or use them to decorate your Halloween table?
59. Bake Halloween cookies
This idea is a firm favourite in our house every year. Despite my best intentions to nudge my children towards classic Halloween designs, they always end up reaching for the hundreds and thousands, and creating a rainbow disco set of spooky cookie shapes. But we all love it.
There's a great recipe over on BBC Good Food for Halloween cookies.
You can make skeletons and mummies using a gingerbread man cutter, or pick up a set of spooky cookie cutters on Etsy.
60. Needle felt creepy creatures
Teenagers love the therapeutic nature of needle felting. It's a great de-stressor and just really fun to play around with!
We've found this bumper needle felting kit from Bergin and Bath, which includes everything you need to make woolly monsters, cats, sugar skulls and pumpkins. For a quick taster of the craft, you can also buy some of these as separate kits.
- Buy now from Not on The High Street
61. Summon a macrame ghost
Make your Halloween both sweet and spooky with this macrame ghost tutorial by Isabella Strambio.
It doesn't require lots of knots, so it's ideal for macrame newbies – perfect for getting teens into the craft.
Find the easy macrame ghost tutorial right here on Gathered.
Have a fang-tastic homemade Halloween!
Crafts are a great way to add a unique touch to your Halloween celebrations, and kids of all ages will love getting involved in preparing for spooky season.
Whether you're decorating the house, creating cards and gifts for friends, baking tasty treats, or just making memories, we hope you've discovered some creepy crafts to keep your little monsters entertained in our round-up.
Start crafting for Christmas with Gathered
Now you've done your Halloween crafting, it's time to get ready for Christmas! Plan your festive activities with our guide to the best Christmas crafts for kids.
