Halloween is an occasion that can be enjoyed by both adults and children. Most events and parties are for either children or grown ups. It rarely happens that all age groups can celebrate together. In this article we will focus on home made Halloween decorations and how to involve your children when making them.
Before we get started, it must be stressed that making Halloween decorations, costumes and accessories is not for everyone. If you do not enjoy using your creative talents then don’t do it. It will only result in stress and arguments, you are much better off visiting an online shop that sells Halloween party supplies and getting everything delivered direct to your door. The selection is fantastic and you will save both time and money.
No matter what type of decorations you decide to make there are certain “tools” and craft supplies you will need. Any house with children will probably have most of the items already but check before you tell the kids that they will be making Halloween decorations. Items that you will need include, safety scissors, glitter glue, Halloween confetti, water soluble markers, coloured card, pipe cleaners, assorted costume accessories such as wigs and face paints.
Once you have selected a Halloween party theme, for example scary spiders, you can then start thinking about specific designs. This is where the internet comes in handy. Just do a quick search for Halloween templates and you will get a huge selection of designs including spiders, bats and ghosts. It should take no more than half an hour.
Outdoor decorations are just as important as indoor versions at Halloween. Before you finalise the items you are going to make ensure that they are weatherproof if they are to be used outdoors. There is no point making decorations if they are going to dissolve in heavy rain.
After getting all the craft supplies ready and confirming the theme you will need some firm suggestions as to what to make. In our opinion, if you do nothing else then carve or decorate a pumpkin. Halloween would not be the same without a smiling / scary pumpkin in the window. If your children are young then decorating the pumpkin rather than carving it is definitely a better choice.
Before decorating the pumpkin make sure you select one that is nice and smooth. It will help when trying to draw a design on it. Don’t forget to cut the top off and scrape out the inside. When cleaning out the pumpkin leave about 1/2″ on the inside. You will need the pumpkin to remain rigid.
Pumpkins do not have to last a long time. They are usually prepared the week before Halloween and are left up for a few days after Halloween night. Even so it is a good idea to apply a base coat of orange paint. This is not so important if you are carving a face on the pumpkin but if you are drawing a design then having a well prepared and smooth surface will help make you design stand out.
By the time you have got a nice smooth pumpkin and applied a base coat you will be keen to get going on the actual design. The key to success is to keep it simple. Don’t go for an intricate design. Remember you just want the kids to have fun, it is not a master’s degree. You may want to trace the design onto the pumpkin yourself and then let the kids crack on with the colouring.
There is no end to the number and type of Halloween decorations you can make. Another idea that is relatively easy to do is candle decorating. Just as with decorating a pumpkin get a nice smooth pillar candle in either black or orange. The bigger the better. You can then follow the same system of tracing a design onto the candle using a template downloaded from the internet. It is then just a matter of colouring between the lines. For best effect you should dig down a few mm into the candle so the design will stand out.
Halloween is a fun time of year and all the activities associated with the occasion should reflect that. There should be no pressure on the kids, they should be given the freedom to decorate as they see fit. You may end up having to do ninety percent of the work yourself, particularly when very young children are involved, but once you plan for that there should be few surprises.
If you are not interested in arts and crafts then you will not be short of alternatives. Scene setters, pinatas, and costumes are just some of the Halloween party supplies that can be easily sourced online. Even if you go down the shop bought route don’t assume that the decorations will magically jump out of the box. You will still need time to get the most from them and make sure you have the scariest house in the neighborhood.
