CRAFT MATERIALS:
Corrugated cardboard
Pencils or markers
Craft knife
Glue stick
Orange tissue paper
Painter’s or masking tape
Lamp

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Measure the inside of an appropriate window and cut corrugated cardboard to fit tightly. Draw a face on the cardboard, then cut out the pieces with a craft knife (a parent’s job).

2. On the interior side of the cardboard, use a glue stick to cover the openings with orange tissue paper.

3. Set the cardboard in the window and use painter’s or masking tape to hold it in place. Place a lamp near the window to light your house-o’-lantern.

Decorating can’t be easier than this…so why not start thinking up ideas for the holidays, that the kids can do.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Tear a sheet of black construction paper into about a dozen small rectangles that measure roughly 1¼ inch by ½ inch. Use a hole punch to add two eyes to each piece.

Step 2  Brush a portion of a plain, glass votive holder with Mod Podge, affix a paper rectangle, then paint more Mod Podge over it. Add the other pieces the same way, making sure the edges overlap.

3. When the candleholder is dry, use a tiny paintbrush and black paint to add little round pupils inside the eyes.

I found this little craft at Family Fun, which is a great source for crafts for kids.  But when I saw it I thought how this doesn’t necessarily have to be only for Halloween.  Using different colored construction paper you can adapt it to Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentines Day or any gift giving time.  You could even get different colored tissue papers glue them to the back of the construction paper and then proceed as usual.  Hint:   I  found that using marker for the “eyes” was easier than trying to paint little dots!

A friend found these earring and used 24 gauge round gold-filled wire that she curled on the end to form a wire coil head pin, then added the beads, and finished the top of the earrings by using the wire wrapped loop technique. Once the dangle part of the earrings were assembled, she just added a gold-filled ear hook.

I will admit though that I am not one to wear jewelry, but I did make several pairs of these and sold them at my yard sale this past summer.   The only difference was I made the candy corn, pumpkins, bats, even witches out of polymer clay.   I sold most of them so fast I didn’t have time to take pictures of them to show you…so stay tuned I will make more and post.

So have some fun and mix it up this Halloween season!

What You Need

* Green floral foam block
* 3/16-inch dowel
* Drill and drill bits
* 3-x-5-inch oval wood base
* Wood glue
* Celluclay instant papier-mache
* Resealable plastic bag
* Plastic modeling tools
* Toothpick
* Water-bottle lid
* Acrylic paints: gray, black, white, orange, neon green, lavender, and yellow
* Unused pencil eraser
* Matte-finish spray
* 26-gauge black wire

How to Make It

Create the Cat “Skeleton”

1. For the body, use a knife to whittle a teardrop shape from the floral foam that’s 4 inches tall, 1 1/2 inches thick, and 3 inches wide at the bottom, and that tapers to a point at the center top.
2. Also shape an oval head from foam that’s 2 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and 1 1/4 inches thick. From the dowel, cut two 5-inch lengths for the legs and one 2-inch length for the neck.
3. Drill two holes into but not through the base about 2 inches apart. Glue the leg dowels into the holes.
4. Push the wide end of the body onto the legs, leaving 3 1/2 inches between the base and the foam. Make sure that the body is straight.
5. Glue the body to the legs; allow the glue to dry.
6. Push the neck dowel into the top of the body; push the head onto the dowel.

Paper-Mache Cat
Enlarge Image

Sculpt the Papier-Mache

1. Mix the instant papier-mache with warm water, following the manufacturer’s instructions. It’s best to mix small batches of up to 1/2 cup of dry papier-mache and keep the mixture in a resealable plastic bag while you work.
2. Knead the mixture until it is a smooth, workable consistency. Keep a small bowl of water handy to moisten your fingers as you apply and smooth the mixture.
3. Use your hands to smooth a thin coat of mixture over the legs and body, applying it slightly heavier where the legs enter the body. Allow to dry overnight.
4. Apply a second very thin layer over the dried mixture, working to achieve a smooth transition from the body to the legs.
5. Roll two 1/2-inch balls of mixture for the feet. Set the balls on the base in front of the legs. Gently smooth the balls into the legs, forming the feet. Use a modeling tool to carve three toe lines in each foot.
6. Smooth a coat of mixture over the head, applying it a bit thicker on the neck and working to make smooth transitions between the body parts. Allow to dry overnight.
7. Form two small triangles for the ears and attach them to the head. Apply a fresh layer of mixture to the face. Use the rounded end of a modeling tool to create a big smile. Form a triangular nose with the blade end of the tool.
8. For the arms, roll two tubes long enough to reach from the shoulders to the upper legs. Attach them to the sides of the body, smoothing the edges.
9. Use a toothpick to make a hole between one of the arms and the body to accommodate a wire handle for the pumpkin bucket. Roll a thin snake for the tail and attach it to the back of the cat.
10. Smooth the edges into the body, but curl the end away from the body and form it into a point.
11. For the pumpkin, smooth a thin layer of the mixture over the exterior of the bottle lid. Use a toothpick to make holes through opposite sides of the pumpkin for the wire handle.
12. When the mixture is dry, gently twist the pumpkin to remove it from the lid and allow the interior to dry.
13. Allow the cat figure and the pumpkin to air-dry for several days to ensure that the inner layers are completely dry. Drying time will depend on the size of the project and the humidity.

Paint the Design

1. Using the photograph as a guide, paint the cat gray. Shade along the arms, tail, and between the toes with black. Let the paint dry.
2. Use white paint for the inside of the cat’s mouth, orange for the cat’s nose and lips and the pumpkin, yellow for the cat’s eyes and star buttons, and lavender for the interior of the ears.
3. When the paint is dry, use neon green to paint the cat’s irises; let dry.
4. Use black paint to dot the center of each eye, to add the teeth lines inside the mouth, and to outline the lips and star buttons.
5. Paint the base and the pumpkin’s facial features black.

Add the Final Touches

1. When the paint is dry, spray all surfaces with a coat of matte-finish spray; let dry.
2. Use black wire to form the pumpkin handle, threading it through the hole behind the arm.