As soon as mega bags of candy arrive in the stores and scary masks are just begging to be tried on to scare younger siblings, Halloween season has officially arrived. That means it’s time for trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, and Halloween parties. While the holiday is a great excuse to let imaginations soar when it comes to picking a fantastic costume, it’s also the perfect time of year to make some spooktacular arts and crafts with the little ones who are super excited for Halloween. But when it comes to trying new projects with younger kids, we all know how easily things can go from fun, organized chaos to a paint-splattered disaster zone that will take the whole afternoon to clean up (and make us regret we even tried something crafty in the first place).
Luckily, it is possible to create awesome paint-free Halloween crafts with kids. These projects are fun enough to get the whole family into the holiday spirit, but have easy-to-find components that are simple to put together and won’t leave the craft area looking as if was ransacked by a bunch of zombies. Because as much as we like spending time doing things with our kids, we’d rather spend our fall afternoon sipping a PSL than scrubbing paint off the floor after making messy handprint jack-o-lanterns.
These easy Halloween crafts keep the mess to a minimum, and are also awesome projects for toddlers or little kids at the age where they want to do things by themselves. No paint means kids with an independent spirit can take on more of the steps, which means less arguing and more fun all around. There are cotton ball ghosts, fall leaf pumpkins, masking tape mummies, and more mess-free crafts to inspire kids and help decorate the house for Halloween. Pick one (or more!) to try. Happy haunting!
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Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Lantern
This cute toilet paper roll pumpkin lantern takes just a few minutes to put together with the help of a couple of standard supplies you probably already have around the house. It gives kids a great opportunity to practice their cutting skills (though little ones will still need a bit of supervision, of course!).
Masking Tape Mummy
Speaking of crafts you can do with supplies you probably already have — this spooky masking tape mummy is a simple Halloween craft to keep kids busy and happy. They can work on it while dinner’s being prepped or there’s an important phone call to be made. This is a great Halloween craft for toddlers who love playing with tape.
Paper Cup Ghost
A paper cup, some streamers, construction paper, and some googly eyes are all it takes to make this no-mess paper cup ghost that can haunt the house until Halloween. We love that he looks a bit more surprised than scary for our tiniest Halloween fans!
Spiderweb Plates
Who says crafting without paint has to be boring? These mixed media spiderweb plates will look spooky hanging in the windows. They are involved enough to spark the imagination of kids of all ages, but clean up won’t take longer than doing the craft itself. (We hate when that happens.)
Halloween Countdown Paper Chain
For kids who just can’t wait for the night when it’s time to storm the neighborhood in costume, requesting free candy, making this paper chain Halloween countdown calendar will help them count the days so they know exactly how long they have to wait for the ultimate sugar high. This fun twist on a classic paper chain makes it a great Halloween craft for preschoolers.
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Clothespin Button Bat
These super fun clothespin button bats let kids practice their fine motor skills and can serve as toys or perch on light fixtures and shelves. Best of all, this basic design means that there’s a lot of room left for creative kids to decorate their bats if they want something with a bit more pizazz!
Frankenstein Sensory Bottle
This Frankenstein sensory bottle will thrill kids for hours. The peace and quiet will be amazing, but more awesome is that everything needed to put this green guy together (glitter, corn syrup, food coloring, construction paper, glue, an empty plastic bottle) is probably already on hand or easy to find.
Spooky Woods
Put those treasures the kids collect on their latest nature walk to good use and let them design their own spooky woods landscape using sticks, glue, and googly eyes. And since this craft includes a trip outdoors to find supplies, this activity can keep them busy for quite a while. Everybody wins!
Toilet Paper Roll Mummy
Raid the bathroom for an empty toilet paper roll and some first aid gauze, grab a black crayon and some googly eyes, and say hello to this adorable toilet paper roll mummy. They’re so cute, it’s impossible to make only one, so start collecting those toilet paper rolls now!
Cotton Puff Ghosts
When it comes to easy Halloween crafts, this one is a classic. A clever twist on the snowman craft we all know and love, this friendly cotton puff ghost will happily haunt the halls until Halloween. All out of cotton balls? Try using marshmallows or small pieces of tissue paper, which should work just as well for this craft.
Monster Hand
Perfect for kids who love to giggle at all things gross, this monster hand craft uses scrapbook paper and dried beans to let them create a warty, bumpy version of their own arm to show off to admiring friends at the bus stop. The grosser the better!
Leaf Jack-O-Lantern
Making this leaf jack-o-lantern provides the perfect excuse for getting outside for some fresh air. Just gather up some gorgeous orange leaves along the way and let kids use them to create the perfect backdrop for their pumpkin masterpiece. If pumpkin carving feels too messy for this spooky season, this jack-o-lantern is a good alternative.
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Halloween Soap
Want a super simple Halloween craft that will make kids pumped for the upcoming holiday and help fight off those fall colds and viruses that are going around? Grab some clear hand soap (or hand sanitizer) and raid the dollar section for plastic spiders, bats, and skulls to create this super easy Halloween-themed hand soap that’s sure to have the whole house sudsing up before every meal.
Beaded Spider
Some pipe cleaners, a black pompom, googly eyes, and pony beads are all it takes to make this sweet and cuddly beaded Halloween spider. Perfect for a low-mess craft to do together before heading out for an afternoon of errands (plus this way there’s a new friend to take along for the ride).
Frankenstein Sun Catcher
Looking for another monster-themed Halloween project? Kids will love adding tissue paper to sticky contact paper to create this playful Frankenstein sun catcher that can greet guests in the window all season long, especially on sunny fall days leading up to the holiday.
Pumpkin Stress Balls
The awesome thing about these pumpkin stress balls is that they can be filled with any small sensory item that’s hanging around: rice, unpopped popcorn kernels, buttons, playdough, small beads. They’re great for handing to kids who need a little help calming down (or for when mom or dad can use a little help finding their inner Zen). They’re also at the top of our list of super cute Halloween crafts!
Pine Cone Bat
Raid the backyard or a nearby park for some pine cones and grab some felt and googly eyes to help the kids make this precious pine cone bat that will happily hang out until Halloween, even if the kids beg to keep him until Christmas. This DIY Halloween craft is adorable, so let’s be honest, it’s not going anywhere.
Tealight Clay Ghosts
Want a spooky nightlight the kids will adore? Grab some air-drying clay and battery-operated tealights to make these clay tealight ghosts that can watch over the mantle or make finding the bathroom at night a little easier. We might be bummed to put these away when Halloween’s over!
Paper Pumpkin
Here’s another easy Halloween paper craft that involves minimal supplies and minimal mess — which is just what we love to hear! Kids will have a blast making and decorating these paper pumpkins that give them a chance to practice their cutting skills. Parents will love how quick and easy the cleanup is.
Peekaboo Ghost
Have some extra Solo cups on hand? Basic kitchen supplies and a magic marker transform into this easy-to-make peekaboo ghost craft that will delight little kids with hours of pop-up action. Who needs Halloween candy when there’s this to play with?
A Puffy Ghost
This ghost is made with homemade puff paint — a mix of glue and shaving cream — that won’t stain like regular puff paint could, and it stays fluffy after it dries. While it’s still wet, kids can decorate with googly eyes, feathers, and anything else they want to add to their ghosts.
Rock Spiders
Parents of kids who love collecting rocks when they go outside, this one is for you! Paint and decorate rocks with regular paint or paint markers, and then add pipe cleaner legs and googly eyes to create these spooky (but friendly) bugs.
Milk Jug Ghosts
All it takes are some empty milk jugs and some markers to upcycle what would have been trash into ghosts. You might have to help your kids with stringing the lights into the jugs, but the end result is the perfect front porch decor.
Popsicle Stick Spiderwebs
Do your rock spiders need somewhere to live? These spider webs should do the trick! This is a great activity to practice motor skills, and stringing the yarn on the popsicle sticks can definitely take some time. (Make sure to get the kind with notches already in them to make this easier for the kids.)
More Toilet Paper Roll Critters
Ghosts and mummies aren’t the only Halloween-themed creatures you can create with toilet paper rolls! These owls are all dressed up in their costumes, and they’re too cute. Copy the outfits in this picture, or have the kids come up with costume ideas of their own.
Leaf Ghosts
Here’s another craft you can do with something found in nature — and it’s super simple to do. Now that all the leaves are falling, grab some favorites, paint them white (do this yourself to minimize cleanup), and add on some ghostly details with a black Sharpie. So easy!
Cotton Swab Skeleton
If you happen to have cotton swabs, glue, and black construction paper around the house, then you already have everything you need to make this craft happen. Depending on what your kids want to do, this skeleton can be in any position they choose.
