Holidays are fun for a lot of reasons, and coming up with themed crafts for kids on these occasions is definitely one of them. Holiday crafts give kids something to do to keep them away from arguing and fighting each other and it allows parents to flex their DIY skills (or practice them at least). Memories are made when everyone's together doing crafts, and Halloween crafts are inarguably some of the best.
Why? Because that's when creativity can truly shine.
There are homemade costumes with endless inspiration to create, and pumpkins to spend time cleaning out and designing, whether they are hilarious or scary. Add to that the spooky decorations often used for the night where everyone is trick-or-treating, and there are a nearly infinite number of ideas to keep the kids busy and get ready for the holiday.
We know these crafts are fun, and nothing makes Halloween quite like going all in on the pumpkin scooping, but as parents, we aren't necessarily into the cleanup that activity requires. Yes, paint and glitter are incredible, but we don't want to sacrifice the state of our house (or sanity). Fear not, though, because there are many adorably cute and spooky Halloween crafts that are also mess-free so we can have a happy haunting.
Here are 18 cute, mess-free Halloween crafts kids — and their parents — will love creating.
Make a Halloween Lantern
We love a good craft that doesn't need any glitter or glue, and that's what makes this Halloween lantern so great (and it's adorable, too). This requires the child being old enough to use scissors safely, so if that's not the case, help will be needed from an older child or a parent to do those parts. This craft uses stamps and ink, which is so much more helpful for little kids than glitter.
BOO Scary Banner
Halloween decorations don't have to be scary; they can be extra cute with the same words as this BOO banner. Although this one calls for using a glue gun, it can be done with a glue stick or white glue if a child is old enough to use that and not make a big mess. This could also be modified with other words instead, as well as common haunting words such as "SCARY" or "SPOOKY" or "EERIE."
Spider Balloons
If there's no latex allergy for anyone in the house, create these spider balloons, which are adorable and don't require searching for obscure materials to complete. This does need black balloons in both the long and round sizes and googly eyes, which are always fun. These can be made extra-large or small, depending on the look that's desired.
Paper Spiders
If anyone has a latex allergy or if balloons are not easy to get, these paper spiders are adorable just like the balloon ones. The project requires black paper and scissors, and kids love to cut things out, so this would be an excellent craft. Although cutting is necessary, it doesn't require small pieces that will be more likely to create a mess.
Spider Web
Spider webs in real life are gross, and they're also one of those things we spend our time trying to clean up. However, they are a great craft idea and perfect for Halloween decorations. Some people may want to use cotton that's stretched, but that leads to too much mess. Instead, opt for spider webs made out of paper, and the mess will be minimal.
Trick-or-Treat Bag
If there isn't yet a designated Halloween bag for this year or more are needed, create this cute bag that can be easily made by kids. Construction paper, scissors, and glue are all that's needed for these treat bags. The ones in this video tutorial are colored like pumpkins, but there are so many other colors that would fit, such as black and purple for vampires.
Pumpkin Emoji Bookmark
Not all crafts have to be used as a decoration point for Halloween. It's fun to be in the spirit for the whole month, and that's why we love this pumpkin emoji bookmark. It's a simple craft that won't take the kids hours to finish, so it's perfect for young kids who have a smaller attention span. These can be adapted into witches or pumpkins of various colors.
Paper Vampire
Hello cutie, right? This paper vampire is a fun craft for kids between 5 and 12. The younger kids will need some help with the scissors to keep the mess down, but for the most part, it's large pieces of paper and glue. This adorable vampire is cute instead of scary (just look at his cape), so it's appropriate for the younger kids.
Movable Bat
Bats don't have to be scary, even though they only come out at night and remind people of mice with wings. It's perfect for spooky Halloween, but this is an adorable version for kids. With the big eyes and adorably goofy smile, this craft is easy for kids to customize and doesn't need anything that would lead to a giant mess.
Paper Pumpkin
A craft that only requires paper, glue, and a marker or two is ideal for parents who want something for their kids to do with their hands but don't have the time or desire to track down obscure craft items. This craft works well for kids who might be too young to use scissors but still want the credit of doing most of the mess-free craft themselves.
Paper Roll Monsters
We all have paper roll tubes in our bathroom and kitchen because the kids don't have the sense or care to throw them in the garbage when they run out. However, that comes in useful handy because this adorable Halloween craft calls for many of those. All that's needed are paper tubes and markers, some glue, and googly eyes if there's a desire to get fancier.
Mummy Mason Jar
These are probably the cutest mason jars we've ever seen, and making these at home is a perfect craft for young kids. They'll have fun wrapping up the jars, which only need to be secured with a little bit with glue or a hot glue gun. And any time there's an opportunity to use googly eyes on any sort of craft, it's a good day.
No-Carve Pumpkins
Halloween is known for being a time to celebrate and embrace scary things, but for some kids, being scared is not something they enjoy at all. If there's a child who struggles with this, being able to participate in Halloween crafts that don't emphasize that should be offered. This no-carve pumpkin is very Halloween-y without being scary, and it's fun to paint. Or, as shown in the video, attach tissue paper circles to the pumpkin instead.
Tic Tac Toe Halloween Game
Crafts are cool and all, but this craft is a little different in that it can be played with long after Halloween is done. It's a creative way to use paint and collect rocks, plus it will keep children busy for weeks afterward. These rocks are painted up as pumpkins for the Xs and ghosts for the Os, but there's room for creativity here with witches, vampires, black cats, or bats.
Craft Stick Monster
Although this particular craft isn't necessarily Halloween themed, kids can choose to paint spooky things in addition to the monsters to make it align even more closely. This is a fun way to spend some time for kids who love to paint carefully and with a brush (instead of finger painting, which is too messy). Using crafts sticks makes this project a little extra fun.
Milk Jug Ghosts
This craft is so simple and uses items that likely would just be recycled, turning them into a fun activity for kids. Turning milk jugs into ghosts is simple. Just need a dark marker and, using some creativity, create a ghostly face on each jug. These would be fun to keep out during Halloween as decoration, either inside or outside the home.
Felt Keychain
For an older child who can safely use a needle and thread, this craft is adorable for the season and will help them work on that skill. All that's needed is a black thread, a needle, white felt, and some patience to put in all the work. What they're left with are these adorable ghost keychains that would work well as little gifts or something to haunt up the house.
Rock Monsters
Another craft that's fun for kids who have the skill and patience to use brushes when they paint involves using rocks as the canvas instead of paper. Although these are monster-themed, kids can easily choose to paint Halloween themed characters such as bats, pumpkins, ghosts, and vampires after they have chosen the rocks they want to paint.
