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These Mess-Free Halloween Crafts Are Way Less Stressful Than Jack-O-Lanterns
Whether you're crafting costumes, carving pumpkins, or creating spooky decor, Halloween is the ultimate time to get in touch with your DIY side. Crafting with little ones, however... that can be an adventure for only the bravest of parents. Luckily, there are plenty of Halloween crafts you can do with your children that don't involve sharp carving knives, permanently-staining paints, and glitter (shudder). In fact, these 10 mess-free Halloween crafts for kids are perfect to get your family (and your home) into the spooky holiday spirit, and your house won't require a deep clean afterwards.
There's a craft on this list for everyone, whether your child is already a crafty Martha Stewart in the making or they still require adult supervision and help every step of the way. And, of course, there's always potential for mess if you aren't involved for the entire process. Make crafting time a family affair! Put on a scary movie, spoil everyone with some Halloween candy (just try to save a little for the trick-or-treaters), and get to work! These crafts will make perfect additions to your household Halloween decor. Pro-tip: When you're done crafting, put the date on everything. Each year, when you pull these relics out of storage, you can reminisce about crafting with your babies who won't be babies anymore!
1Pumpkin Luminaries
Do you have any empty pasta sauce or baby food jars? Turn them into something beautiful! These Halloween luminaries made from recycled glass jars, created by Creative Green Living, will look amazing (and spooky!) when it gets dark.
2Spider Balloons
These spider balloons are the perfect front porch decor to welcome trick-or-treaters. Even better? You only need a few supplies! Delia Creates provides a simple tutorial for these spider balloons, as well as a few tips for decorating with these.
3Boo Banner
This "boo banner" craft from A Beautiful Mess is perfect for an older child with mastery of their letters. Let them pick out their favorite (short) Halloween words, and get creating!
4Pumpkin Light Necklaces
These light-up pumpkin necklaces by Handmade Charlotte are the perfect trick-or-treating accessories, and their step-by-step tutorial is extremely thorough. Plus, thanks to their glow, these little pumpkins will help keep your child safe if they're out past sunset on Halloween.
5Furry Trick-Or-Treating Bags
I used to gather my sugary Halloween loot in a plastic grocery bag... but these furry, googly eye bags are way more fun. Your kids will love crafting their own trick-or-treat bags with this tutorial from Whimsy Love.
6Confetti Pumpkins
Carving pumpkins is a messy process, and painting pumpkins can be just as bad. Instead, let your kiddos decorate their pumpkins with Washi tape! These cute confetti pumpkins by Homey Oh My are adorable, mess-free, and suitable for any age.
7Watercolor Wooden Pumpkins
Yes, paint isn't necessarily mess-free. However, these painted wooden pumpkins by Rosyscription were created by her toddler using washable paint – and they managed to keep the mess to a minimum. Lay down some newspaper and strap on a bib, and you'll be good to go.
8Halloween Sugar Drawings
I absolutely love these Halloween sugar drawings from Mod Podge Rocks, and how much fun the process is to create them. Parents (or older siblings) will create the design, and your little ones can reveal it with their paints. The step-by-step guide on Mod Podge Rocks is super thorough, for anyone who's never done sugar drawings before.
9Creepy Eyes Pumpkin
This cat eye pumpkin is downright creepy, with no carving required. Paper & Stitch created this one using cat eyes, but any googly eyes will work, and your kids will love going crazy sticking eyes all over their chosen pumpkins! Not only is it considerably less messy than carving, it'll definitely stand out in a sea of jack-o'-lanterns!
10Rock Monsters
It's always nice when you can craft outside, and these oil pastel "rock monsters" from Pink Stripey Socks are the ideal outdoor Halloween craft. Have your kids hunt for their favorite rocks, and then let them get creative creating their spooky faces!
11DohVinci Jack-O'-Lantern
DohVinci, a brainchild from the makers of Play-Doh, is a drawing compound that is based on the same compound as Play-Doh, but it's much softer and more flexible. Load the DohVinci into your DohVinci styler, and aim, squeeze, and draw to create textured designs. DohVinci sticks to a variety of different surfaces... including pumpkins! Give your kids DohVinci to decorate and design their own colorful pumpkins to show off in your home. And best of all, at least for Mom, DohVinci is easy to clean up! You can purchase DohVinci at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
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