Halloween crafts for kids can be cute, cheap and completely free of scares. Here are 15 ideas using toilet paper rolls, paper plates, yarn and jars you already have at home, designed for children ages 3 to 8. In many countries Halloween falls on October 31, so there is time to make one craft every weekend and still end up with a fully decorated house.

Basic supplies: toilet paper rolls, paper plates, colored or printer paper, white glue, safety scissors, washable paint, markers, yarn, googly eyes, masking tape and gauze or toilet paper. You barely need to buy anything: start saving rolls, glass jars and small boxes today.

Toilet paper roll crafts

Toilet paper roll bat: paint the roll black and glue on two paper wings folded like an accordion. Googly eyes and a smile drawn in white marker make the bat friendly instead of spooky.
Toilet paper roll mummy: wrap gauze or strips of toilet paper around the roll, holding them with dots of glue. Leave a gap for the eyes and draw a big happy smile.
Little ghost roll: paint the roll white and draw big eyes and a round little mouth saying “oooh”. Glue strips of crepe paper to the bottom so it looks like it is floating.
Pumpkin roll: paint it orange and glue a brown paper stem and a green leaf on top. Your child picks the face: happy, sleepy or giggling.

Paper plate and paper crafts

Paper plate black cat: paint a paper plate black and add two triangle ears and yarn whiskers. Big green eyes and pink cheeks turn it into a cartoon kitty.
Smiling paper plate pumpkin: your child paints the plate orange with a sponge or their hands, then glues on eyes, nose and mouth cut from black paper. If an adult cuts two eye holes and adds an elastic band, it becomes a play mask.
Web with a yarn spider: an adult punches small holes around the rim of a paper plate with the center cut out, and your child threads yarn back and forth to make a web. Glue a black yarn pompom with googly eyes and paper legs in the middle: the cuddliest spider on the block.
Puppy in a ghost costume: draw or print a little husky, cut it out and cover it with a white tissue that has two eye holes. That is Pigúiça, the husky from the Dogavios book, ready for Halloween, and your child can invent costumes for other animals too.

A gentle, no scare Halloween

Not every child enjoys Halloween, and that is fine. For little ones, the rule is simple: no blood, no realistic skulls, no frightening masks. Every character smiles, has rosy cheeks and big eyes. Tell them the ghost is shy, the bat just wants friends and the mummy wrapped up because it felt cold. When the monster is funny, fear turns into giggles. For more ideas in the same spirit, see our no scare Halloween activities.

Decorations for the house

Jar lantern: glue small pieces of orange tissue paper onto a clean glass jar using white glue mixed with water, then add a pumpkin face cut from black paper. Put only an LED candle inside: it glows beautifully and nobody gets burned.
Handprint ghost garland: trace your child's hand on white paper, cut it out and turn it upside down so the fingers become the bottom of the ghost. Hang several on a string across the bedroom door.
Bat mobile: cut bats from black paper, give them smiling eyes and hang them at different heights from a clothes hanger or a dry branch. They sway in the breeze and make the room feel playful.
Window ghosts: cut ghosts from parchment paper, draw faces with a black marker and tape them to the glass. By day the light shines through them and at night they seem to wave at everyone walking by.

If the jar lantern is a hit, learn how to make a paper lantern for kids too, which works for other celebrations all year.

Crafts to play with afterwards

Paper bag puppet: use the folded bottom of a lunch bag as the mouth and turn it into a cat, a pumpkin or a ghost. Then set up a puppet show behind the couch.
Ghost bowling: paint six toilet paper rolls or small plastic bottles white, draw faces on them and knock them down with a rolled up sock. Whoever knocks down the most picks the bedtime story.
Halloween memory game: draw pairs of pumpkins, cats, bats and ghosts on cardboard squares. Your child illustrates their own cards and practices focus while playing.

On low energy days, print some free coloring pages and use them as a base: your child colors, cuts and glues them onto a roll or a plate, and the craft is done in 15 minutes.

Safety first

A few rules apply to every idea. No real candles: always use LED candles in lanterns and pumpkins. Children should only use safety scissors. Hot glue stays with the adult, because it really burns. Real pumpkins are carved by adults only; kids can draw the face with a marker and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Googly eyes and pompoms are small, so stay close to younger children who still put things in their mouths.

Frequently asked questions

What age can kids start doing Halloween crafts?

From about age 3, with an adult preparing the pieces. Younger kids paint, glue and scrunch paper; by 5 or 6 they can cut with safety scissors and put together ideas like the roll bat and the memory game on their own.

How can I make Halloween crafts without spending money?

Use things headed for the trash: toilet paper rolls, glass jars, cereal boxes, paper bags and leftover yarn. Washable paint and white glue go a long way, and old magazine pages become hair, wings and witch hats.

What if my child is scared of Halloween?

Start with the cutest ideas, like the smiling pumpkin and the paper plate cat, and let your child choose each character's face. Never force a costume or a scary game. Over time, they will see that Halloween can simply be a party of colors and laughter.

Halloween crafts for kids: 15 cute ideas, no scares

Your next adventure could be a moment together.