Monsters, goblins, ghouls — oh my! When it comes to Halloween, making decorations is just as fun as the actual holiday, whether you’re looking for a way to get in the spooky spirit or do a creative craft with the whole family. This year, bring out your inner crafter and have fun with different types of decorations to make your home Halloween-ready. Kalli Rae Sternberg, owner of KalliRaes Creative Studios in Solon, says there’s plenty of ways to have fun with Halloween at home while not breaking the bank.
“You have most of these ingredients in your house, so you don’t need to venture out and buy everything,” she says. “It just gives the kids a sense of normalcy and keeps people entertained.” She shares with us some fun crafts and DIYs to make your home feel a little spookier for the season.
Pumpkin spice slime
While slime may be scary to some parents, Sternberg says it’s a great activity to keep kids entertained, along with learning a new project. But Sternberg puts a pumpkin-inspired twist to the gooey craft by recommending her slime recipe. Combine 1 cup of glue, 1/2 cup of shaving cream, a few squirts of neon orange food coloring, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of contact lens solution and a few drops of pumpkin spice essential oil. “They’re entertained, it takes 15 minutes to fully make it, and then they could play with it for an hour,” Sternberg says.
Canvas paintings
Every haunted house needs some spooky paintings to set the mood. Sternberg suggests creating block canvases that come together to make one big masterpiece, whether it be a spooky character, a pumpkin or maybe a witch’s cat. Get four 4-by-4-inch square canvases and give each family member a section to draw. Give one person the eye of the Frankenstein monster to paint, while the other gets his mouth. Then, put each piece together to bring the design to life. “It’s a nice time-consuming activity where kids could see their spooky monsters come to life and hang them up,” Sternberg says.
Spooky snow globes
Snow globes aren’t just for Christmas. Grab some old mason jars and fill them with baby oil or distilled water and add a bit of sparkle by mixing in black and orange glitter. For an extra spooky look, add fake eyeballs and swirl the jar around for a snow globe effect. “It’s a sensory activity. I think it’s fun for the little ones because everyone has fun playing with glitter,” Sternberg says. “It’s something you could put in your bedroom or keep with you if you’re into the spooky eyeballs year-round.”
