Fun Halloween Craft for the Kids

The ‘aye’s!’ have it on this — by now, we know what a craft pack-rat Grandma is! To you, it might be a toss-away, but to me, it has a ‘role’ in Grandma’s grand crafting scheme. Or, did I mean…‘roll?’
Here is a fun and functional way to give those used toilet paper rolls we’ve been stockpiling new lives as Halloween decorations.

Collect:
• Cardboard toilet paper rolls
• Orange, black, brown, and yellow construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue

• Clear tape
• Craft knife (the adult-supervision part)
• Glowsticks (one for each character)
• Pipe cleaners
 

We came up with a pumpkin, a black cat, and an owl as our Halloween characters. Choosing construction paper pieces appropriate for the color of each character, we cut them in half lengthwise, and wrapped them around each toilet paper roll, gluing and taping them into place. Next, Grandma cut two eyes into each roll (triangle pumpkin eyes, narrowed-pupil cat’s eyes, and rounded owlish eyes) using the knife.


Using scissors, my granddaughter cut accessories for each character (owl ear triangles and beak, cat crown and ears, and pumpkin top with green construction paper stem) and glued them into place on each roll.
We ran pipe cleaners through the bottom of the rolls to use as fasteners. Next, we cracked open glowsticks and taped one inside each roll.


Finally, as the wind howls and the dark of Halloween night is upon us, fasten each character into a bush outside your door! Boo!

Contributed by Kathy Bolger, Senior Graphic Designer, Today’s Woman magazine.