Marise Saiki
This year’s fall season has officially begun! As leaves turn into the beautiful shades of autumn, it’s a perfect time to start handcrafting your Halloween decorations. Every year, the same traditional Halloween crafts—pumpkin carving, ghost decorations and paper bats—get repeated, so this season, let’s try some new ideas. Why not get a little more creative and fun? Here’s some inspiration for easy-to-do crafts that you can enjoy and share with friends.
1. Magic Potion Bottles
Remember those childhood witchy movies, in which every potion was purple or green, bubbling with mystery and magic? Let’s bring that magic spirit back by creating our own potions at home. To transform your home’s vibes into a mystical witch’s castle, make your own DIY potion bottles. First, fill a glass bottle with water colored by food dye as a base. Then, add glitter for that color-shifting effect. You can add decorative elements like charms, cotton balls or cellophane scraps inside the bottle for extra texture and a stronger magical effect. Finally, securely seal the glass bottle and make the outside look as decorative as possible. There you have it! Your own magic potion bottle to satisfy your witch fantasies.
2. Candy Corn Garland
Looking for a sweet and simple way to decorate your home for fall? Try making a Candy Corn Garland. It can be placed over windows, door frames, walls, and anywhere! Just be warned, it’s hard to finish the DIY process without eating half the supplies, so make sure you get more than you think, maybe 2-3 bags. Then, grab a sewing needle, clear fishing line or a strong thread, scissors and a hot glue gun for extra sturdiness. Cut a long piece of your thread or fishing line, thread the needle and tie a knot at the end. Carefully pierce the thickest part of each candy corn, the wide yellow base, and string them individually. Pro-tip: take time doing this; you want to avoid cracking the candy. String the candy corn along your thread, spacing them as you like—feel free to get creative by adding beads or charms between pieces to make it more festive! For extra durability, especially if the candy is brittle, add a small dab of hot glue where the thread enters and exits each piece. Tie off the ends and hang your garland proudly! Not only is it a nostalgic and colorful decoration, but it is also a great way to get into the fall spirit by unlocking the creativity you didn’t know you had! Just try not to eat the whole bag before you finish crafting!
3. Halloween Stress Balls
A Halloween Stress Ball is the perfect fall craft for school. Now that we’re well into the swing of school, with tests and homework piling up, it’s important for students and teachers alike to find simple ways to de-stress throughout the day. This DIY craft, whether a pumpkin, ghost or spooky eyeball, brings a little Halloween magic to your desk and helps you unwind. To make your own, start by gathering a few balloons (orange, black, white, green or any spooky color you like), a funnel and a filler. You can put almost anything into the balloon as the filler, so choose a texture that works best for you! My favorites are flour, cornstarch, Orbeez, slime or even playdough! Next, stretch the balloon and insert the funnel into the balloon’s opening. Then, carefully pour your filler into the funnel. Once the balloon is full and firm enough to squeeze, tie a tight knot at the top. For extra durability, you can double-layer the stress ball by cutting the neck off a second balloon and sliding it over the first one. Finally, use a marker to draw a fun Halloween spooky face, like jack-o’-lanterns, ghosts, mummies or monsters. And just like that, you have your own Halloween-themed stress ball to use anytime you need to loosen up!