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5 More Homemade Halloween Costumes Ideas for Kids

Pirate Costume

One of the hottest recent movies is “Pirates of the Caribbean.” With pirates growing in popularity, well, it makes sense that your son or daughter may wish to be a pirate for Halloween. These are not only fun costumes to make, but quite easy as well. So let’s make a homemade pirate’s costume!

Here’s is what is needed: A red bandana and thick red ribbon or large red scarf; old pair of black pants and a white shirt or blouse; an eye patch; hoop earrings – preferable clip-on; black and red eyeliner; cardboard and tin foil; fake bird and wire; and black and brown masking tape.

Fray the edges of the pants and shirt. Place the red bandana on the child’s head and then tie the red ribbon or scarf around the waist. Use some black eye liner to paint the face with a mustache. Use some red eyeliner to paint a scar on the face. Put on the earrings and the eye patch.

To make a sword (every pirate needs a sword), use cardboard and cut out the shape of a sword. Cover it with tin foil. Use black masking tape for the handle.

To make the pirate’s costume authentic to the movie, you can purchase a fake bird and use wire to attach it to the pirates shoulder or sleeve. The funkier the bird, the better.

Here’s another tip: If you wish to have the pirate wear a peg leg, you can simply tape one pant leg with brown masking tape all the way down to the tip of the shoe. Keep the toe part uncovered. Or if this is not suitable for your child, you can always spray paint the leg with brown spray, simulating a wooden peg leg.

Making a pirates costume allows you to be as creative as you wish. Add sparkles to the eye patch, find an old black hat in a thrift store, or instead of a sash, have the pirate wear a belt with a large buckle. There are so many ideas one can use to make a pirate costume for Halloween extra special. Have a happy Halloween…….. Argh!

Princess Costume

If you have a young daughter, odds are she will want to dress up as a princess for Halloween. While it may be easy to just go out and purchase a costume, it can be quite expensive in the long run. Making a homemade princess costume for Halloween can be not only affordable, but fun as well.

If you have a pretty pink or white dress, this can be the basis for the outfit. White leotards and a white body suit to wear under the dress are suggested. Adding glitter to the sleeves of the body suit would also be a great idea, not to mention the body suit and leotards would keep your child warm on Halloween. Once you have these basic items, the next thing which has to be addressed is whether your daughter will wear slippers or shoes. White shoes would be appropriate, or if you can find a pair of white slippers and garnish them with glitter; this would be awesome.

Depending on which princess your daughter has chosen, that is, one of the Disney characters such as Cinderella or Snow White, or perhaps a princess she read about in a book, the right accessories will accent the entire wardrobe to create the most enchanting princess of all.

While some princesses wear capes, others wear fur wraps. Whatever is chosen, it can easily be made with fabric. For example, a white cape can be adorned with gold lace around the edges, and a gold jeweled clasp can be utilized to close the front at the neck. A wrap made of fur can be purchased at a fabric store and cut to fit your daughter’s shoulders. You can attach both ends together with either a beautiful piece of jewelry, preferably one with a clasp.

What’s a princess without a tiara? This can easily be made with wire and ribbons. There are star wires available in different colors. Simply measure the child’s head and cut a piece of star wire and form it into a circle. Use the ribbon to wrap around the base of the wire utilizing one or several color ribbons. You can add additional wire to form a three-dimensional tiara as well.

80’s Punk Rocker Costume

Ah, the 80’s. What a time that was. If you have a son or daughter or who wishes to recreate that time in the form of a Halloween costume, here are some suggestions.

The items needed are make-up, make-up, and more make-up. In addition, jeans with holes in the knees, a funky shirt, some stick-on tattoos, boots, hair gel, and thick black watches or bands for the wrists.

Obviously, it’s all about the make-up and hair. The clothes are the accessories in this case. However, the shirt worn should reflect the 80’s. A punk rock band shirt or perhaps you can make really fantastic punk shirt using your creative talents, a white shirt and drawing logos from that time, or quotes and terms used during that period.

Let’s begin with the make-up. Heavy eye-liner, worn on the eye-lids and under the eyes, red lipstick, eye shadow; the more colorful the better, mascara, and thick eyebrows just about cover the facial part of this costume.

For the hair, there are two ways to set about making a punk hairstyle. Either purchase a pink or blue punk wig or use hair gel to spike the hair. The hair can also be styled into the Mohawk or the Tina Turner look. You can even spray on some color to the tips of the spiked hair as well.

A chain belt would be cool as well. A black leather jacket, if you have one, would definitely be appropriate to wear. There are some pictures of 80's punk rockers who wore spiked chokers and wristbands. Thick bangle bracelets were in as well as large psychedelic earrings.

Gloves can also be made to reflect the era by adding studs to them. Also, if you can find a pair of wild sunglasses, they would complete the entire outfit. One more item you may wish to add. No punk rocker is complete without a guitar. If you can find a cheap guitar with a shoulder strap, this would certainly enhance the look.

Witch Costume

“I’ll get you, my pretty!” These infamous words were spoken by the wicked witch in the beloved movie “The Wizard of Oz.” If your daughter wants to be the good witch, Glenda, on Halloween, or would like to portray the wicked witch, here are some ideas on how to make either homemade costume.

Let’s begin with the good witch. Basically all you need is a white dress, white leotards, white shoes, a tiara, and a wand. Add some make-up and glitter and you have all you need to re-create Glenda.

To make the wand, you can use two straws and put one inside the other. Wrap it in gold paper and purchase star wire at your craft store, and push it through the straw. Add glitter to the star as well. To make the tiara, you can also use star wire. Take the measurement of your child’s head and then make a circle out of the star wire to fit. Add gold ribbon to cover the base of the wire.

In addition, you may wish to add a flowing gold wrap around your daughter’s shoulders. Choose sheer fabric that has gold design.

If your child chooses to be the bad witch, well there is no end to the creativity you can utilize to make this costume. Depending upon whether your child wants to portray a scary witch, in which case you will have to paint some warts on her face. You can even paint your child’s face green, just like the witch in the “Wizard of Oz.” Or if she wants to be the wicked witch with a broom, a black cape and pointy black hat will be needed. An entirely black outfit would be recommended for any bad witch to wear.

Here’s another tip: If your child wants to be a witch from the Snow White movie, she can carry a basket of apples, with one a chunk of one apple cut out.

No matter which witch your child chooses to be on Halloween, making the costume will be as much fun as going out trick or treating.

Scarecrow Costume

Making a scarecrow costume for Halloween is not only fun, but you can allow the creative juices to flow endlessly. This is one easy homemade costume to make.

You’ll need blue jeans, preferably faded; a flannel shirt - size large; a straw hat; some fabric to make patches; rope; straw and make-up.

Now that you have the necessary items, you can begin.

Match some patches using fabric, and sew them onto the jeans in no particular pattern. Dress the intended scarecrow with the flannel shirt and jeans. Use the rope as a belt. Ensure the jeans are long enough so you can cuff them.

Now comes the fun part. Take the straw and place it in the sleeves of the shirt so they stick out; stuff them into the shirt as well ensuring the straw sticks out as well. You may want your child to wear a body suit so the straw won’t become too itchy. You can stuff the jeans with straw too.

Using eyeliner, you can draw stitches around the mouth, and use some red paint to make a triangular shaped nose.

The straw hat should look worn. So scrunch it up a bit before you place it on the scarecrow’s head. Put some straw in your child’s hair, and have some sticking out of the hat as well. You may even wish to make a pointed hat using cardboard and black felt. Then you can decorate the hat however you wish.

Another idea would be to purchase a fake black bird, which resembles a crow, and attach it to your child’s shoulder using wire. Poke the wire through the flannel shirt and twist it so it remains secure.

Scarecrow costumes are so much fun to make and utilizing all of the accessories mentioned herein, your child is sure to be a hit on Halloween.

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Visit ILoveHalloweenCostumes.com to learn more.

5 Homemade Halloween Costumes For Kids

Beautiful Butterfly

Butterflies are lovely to look at, but it is even more beautiful when your child decides to become one for Halloween. Here are some tips on how to make a homemade butterfly costume.

Before you begin this project, you may wish to take a trip to the library and check out the books on butterflies. Let your child choose one she particularly likes and follow the color scheme when making the costume.

Purchase sheer fabric in the color your child has chosen. Find fabric that has spots or designs which closely resemble a butterfly. Then cut the fabric in half. Since the body of the butterfly tends to be black, your child can wear a black turtleneck or body suit and leotards. Sew each piece of fabric down the back of the leotard and take the other ends and sew each piece to the sleeve of the turtleneck or body suit. When your child lifts her arms, the wings will show their brilliant color.

Use black eye-liner to place dots on the child’s face. Use pipe cleaners to make the antennae by taking long strips of construction paper and wrapping it around your child’s head to ensure a good fit. Attach the pipe cleaners to the construction paper with staples, then place cotton balls at the tip of each of the pipe cleaners. You can color the cotton balls with whatever color is dominant in the butterfly.

Another creative idea is to dress your child up in a warm solid color outfit, especially if it’s a cold Halloween day. Perhaps one that is similar to a jogging suit and has a stripe down the side of the pant legs. Make the wings by using cardboard to trace the design. Cut it out and then paint the wings a color that closely matches the outfit. Add glimmer or stickers to the wings as well. You can attach the wings by taking ribbon of the same color and wrapping it around the center part of the wings (where it curves inward), and then around the child. In this way, it won’t fall off the back.

Funny Clown

“Be a clown, be a clown, all the world loves a clown.” Just singing that song puts you in a happy mood, right? One of the most fun costumes to make at home for Halloween is the clown costume. It can be as wild and as imaginative as ever. Here are some suggestions.

Let your imagination run wild. Start with a white, red, or black sweat suit. Then go to town painting all different colors and shapes on it, from polka dots to triangles. With some make-up you can paint your child’s face in any way you wish. Draw triangles around the eyes, paint the nose red or find a red nose in a craft store, and use red lipstick to make a happy smile on the face of your child. If you can find an inexpensive clown wig, that would be great as well.

Another idea is to wear a menagerie of different clothing. Find an oversized shirt with loud stripes, plaid pants, and red suspenders. Add a funky oversized jacket, and you‘re good to go. For the shoes, you can find large-sized shoes that your child can fit into with his or her own shoes on.

If your child wishes to wear a hat, you can use a plain party hat and spray paint it with different colors and add polka dots to it or glimmer as well.

Here’s a tip: Add one or two balloons inside the jacket, and when your child goes trick or treating and someone asks for a trick, you child can open up the jacket and the balloons will pop out!

Oh, don’t forget the big bowtie! You can make it out of different color satin fabrics. Add a ruffled fabric to wear around the neck and you have the makings of the best clown in your neighborhood.

Not So Scary Ghost

Nothing exemplifies Halloween more than a ghost costume. It is probably the easiest to make and can be as simple or complex as you wish. Let’s take a look at two ideas for a ghost costume for Halloween.

Traditionally, one would cut out two holes in a white sheet, for the eyes, color the outer circle of the eyes black, and just wear it as is. However, this Casper the Friendly Ghost type costume would be a bit of a problem if the sheet fell off and the child couldn’t see where he or she was going. So, here is a suggestion.

Take a white sheet and cut a large enough hole so it can fit over the child’s head. Ensure that the bottom of the sheet is short enough so the child doesn’t trip over it. Since October is a cool month, wearing white pants and a white turtleneck top would be recommended. Oh, don’t forget white shoes or sneakers. Now that the costume itself is ready to go, here comes the fun part.

Use a non-chemical white powder makeup to paint the face. Use black make up and make a complete circle carefully around the eyes. The hair is next. There are two ways you can go with this. You can either purchase a white wig, or you can spray the hair with white spray. Voila! This ghost is a winner!

The second ghost costume can be made directly from the movie “A Christmas Carol.” How about dressing up as Marley? Using the same items as the first costume, the only difference is you will need a ball and chain to wrap around the costume.

You make a chain one using different colored pieces of construction paper. Cut the paper into strips, then take each strip and staple the ends together. Take another strip and put one end through the first and staple. If you decided to make the ball to go with the chain, you can take lots of newspaper and scrunch it up into a ball and spray paint it black. You can attach it to the chain with a piece of wire.

One more thing, instead of making the child’s hair completely white, you can use a shower cap with holes it in, and spray it white. This way, it will look a bit more authentic. Remember, Marley’s hair wasn’t all white. Also, Marley wasn’t too well kept, so you can make some holes in the white sheet and add a little black spray on the bottom as well.

Little Old Lady/Man

You know what’s so great about dressing up for Halloween? You can be just about anyone you want to be. Dressing up as a little old lady or little old man are no exceptions. These costumes are so easy to make. You just need the help of your parents to accessorize the look.

To dress up as a little old lady, one can utilize an old house dress, a pair of heavy knee-hi stockings, a white wig, glasses, sneakers, a really old-fashioned pocket book, and bobby pins.

Shorten the house dress to fit just below the knee. Then put on the knee-hi stockings and roll them down a bit. Sneakers or old shoes would be fine. If you can find a white wig, it would be perfect. If not, you can make the child’s hair gray using flour. The pocket book is perfect for show. The bobby pins are wonderful as you can make pin curls on your child’s head. If you have an old hat, add that to the mix as well. Finally, the eye glasses and voila, a little old lady has been made.

To dress up as a little old man, use dark pants, a dress shirt, vest, and a jacket. You’ll need a hat as well as a cane. Use flour on the hair for the graying effect. Brown shoes would be appropriate, as well as brown or black socks, depending upon the color of the suit. If you happen to have a pocket watch, you can add that accessory as well.

If you wish to add some additional accessories, you can always have the little old lady push a wagon – the kind used for grocery shopping. You may also want to have the little old man carry a newspaper under his arm as well.

Have fun creating these costumes. You certainly have enough to work with. Look at pictures of your parents or their parents. Perhaps you may want to dress up your kids in a different period such as the 30s or 40s. Either way, your entire family will have a great time.

Mummy-Mummy

Making a mummy costume for Halloween can be hilarious. However, if you want it to truly be a unique and authentic mummy costume, here are some ideas you can try.

There are several ways you can make the costume. Using strips from a white sheet and wrapping the mummy with them is one idea. You can adhere them using white medical tape. Leave the eyes, nose, and mouth uncovered, but use a light brown powder to cover the areas of skin exposed. You can use eyeliner to add under the eyes, like the Egyptians.

Another method you can use is to have your child wear a white body suit and leotards. Then add the strips of a white sheet and hold them in place with the medical tape. But if you want to add authenticity, you can cut the strips from the sheet the night before and soak them in brewed tea. This will give the entire mummy look an aged appearance. In addition, you may want to fray some of the strips so that the mummy will look quite old as well.

In addition, if you have ever seen any of the Discovery Channel programs on recent mummy finds in Egypt, you will notice that while most of the mummies are covered, there are portions of their bodies which are exposed. Well, you can take some brown magic marker and outline a few ribs, or the upper and bottom row of teeth. In addition, you can use black magic marker to give the appearance that certain body parts are missing, giving the illusion there are holes in the body.

Mummies have been around for thousands of years, and making a homemade mummy costume can be as unique and authentic to the real mummies found today. The main thing is to have a great time creating it.

Recommended:

Would you like to quickly make creative Halloween costumes that you and your children will be proud of -- for a fraction of the price of store-bought? Susanne Myers has co-authored a book to show you how -- no sewing involved. Visit ILoveHalloweenCostumes.com to learn more.

7 Fun Halloween Games for Kids

Part of the fun of Halloween is playing silly games. When planning the games, it’s best to keep the costumes in mind and plan things that will work around them. Games should be simple with easy to follow rules.

Bobbing for Apples – A classic Halloween party game has always been bobbing for apples, however some kids don’t like putting their face in the water or don’t want to mess up the make up that took a long time to perfect. One variation of this game is to tie the stems of the apples to varied lengths of string and then hang them up. Then the people have to put their hands behind their back and try to take a bite out of the apple. You can also play the game using marshmallows.

Mummy Wrap Up – Divide guests into small groups. Provide them each with a roll or two of toilet paper and see who can use the tissue paper to wrap up one of their teammates the fastest. The first one to complete their mummy using the entire roll wins.

Jack-o-Lantern Faces – Hang a picture of a jack-o-lantern on the wall and have matching face pieces cut out of black paper for the eyes, nose and mouth. Place sticky-tack on the back of the pieces. Blindfold each player when it is their turn and play the same as pin the tail on the donkey except players put the eyes, nose and mouth on the pumpkin face. Younger children can do just the mouth, while older children and adults can do the entire face for more of a challenge.

Ghost Hunters – Cut out several paper ghosts and divide the players into two groups. Have one team hide the ghosts around the room. The other team has to hunt down the ghosts. Play continues until all ghosts are found. The team that hunts the most ghosts wins.

Ghost Bowling – Collect ten empty one or two liter soda pop bottles (use the larger bottles for younger guests). Paint the bottles white and decorate with silly ghost faces. Use a small playground size ball as the bowling ball. If you can find orange ones, decorating them as jack-o-lanterns can add to the fun.

Upset the Candy Dish – Place chairs in a circle, facing in, having one less than the number of players. Whisper in each child’s ear the name of a favorite Trick or Treat candy. They will become this piece of candy in the candy dish. Have one person stand in the middle of the circle to be “it”. The child in the middle will call one or two types of candy. If the candy name that’s called is matches the one the children are, they should stand up and try to move to another empty seat. Occasionally, the child who is “it” calls out, “Upset the candy dish.” and all the players need to move to a new seat. If any of the candy kids can’t find a seat they then become “it.”

Pirates’ Treasure – Fill two small buckets with sand and place inside a larger washtub or box. Bury treasure in the buckets such as small prizes or candy. Each player receives a plastic spoon to dig for their treasure. Divide players into two teams. Position players around their designated bucket and tell them when to start. They dig in their treasure “chests” until every piece is found. The first team to find all their treasure wins.

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7 Tips for Telling Spooky Halloween Stories

Campers seem to love them. Passing on spooky stories while the embers burn bright on a cool fall night is something we look forward to with excitement. Storytelling has also been the most popular way to pass on folklore down through the ages.

Storytelling on Halloween can be also be entertaining and fun for many children. Movies are okay, but when the details are left to the kids imagination, the story takes on a new life. Here are some tips to get everyone scared stiff with your story this Halloween.

1. Choose an appropriate venue. If you own a fire pit, let the storytelling begin outside. Cooler weather may mean you have to provide some blankets but that adds to the atmosphere. Inside the house, choose a quiet location big enough for everyone to sit in a circle. Instead of a fire, use a battery operated lantern or candle.

2. Turn off the lights. You can’t tell a good ghost story with the lights on. Outdoors, wait until the sun is completely down to start your tale.

3. Know the story. It can be read from a book or spoken from memory but get it right. A botched ghost story is like mangling a good joke by revealing the punch line. A good storyteller practices his craft so that his listeners won’t be disappointed.

4. Have an accomplice. Someone has to emphasize your high points with some creative theatrics. The theatrical help doesn’t need to be loud or overstated. A few noises or whispers that could be the wind or the trash can falling over are perfect to make the story more real.

5. Dress the part. No one will be frightened by someone in Bermuda shorts and a polo shirt. A dark cloak, some makeup, and a few well hidden props add to your fierceness. Some storytellers use a flashlight under their chin as the only source of light. This is a classic trick, but more light allows for listeners to catch a glimpse of your tricks as they unfold.

6. Choose a story that mixes fact with fiction. If you want to get people to believe you, adding a bit of fact will get the listeners thinking about the validity of the story. Also, choosing a story situation that could come true will put your story over the top.

7. Choose stories that are age appropriate. If you have really young children, then a really scary or spooky story may not be a good idea.

Here are a few suggestions:

Childrens Halloween Stories Ages 4-8

Childrens Halloween Stories Ages 9-12


Do you have a flare for the dramatic? If you do, consider telling a spooky story during Halloween this year.

Homemade Halloween Beaded Jewelry

Dressing up in full costume on Halloween is lots of fun. But don't forget that the perfect costume isn't complete without the right accessories! Why not make some beaded jewelry to finish the look?

Beaded Halloween Jewelry for Beginners

There are plenty of simple beaded jewelry pieces that do not require a great deal of skill. You can whip these up in no time, and they can add lots of punch to your costume (or even an everyday outfit). You don't even have to go by a pattern if you don't want to. Here's what you'll need to make a simple beaded bracelet:

* Elastic thread
* Medium sized beads
* Scissors

Cut a piece of elastic about 10 inches long. Tie a knot in one end large enough to prevent the beads from falling off. Then add beads as you like, either randomly or in a pattern that you like. Once you've added enough beads to make the bracelet the right size for your wrist, tie the ends together and cut off the excess string.

You can find lots of Halloween themed beads at your local craft store or online. Bat, ghost, and skull beads are great for making fun Halloween bracelets. You can also use this technique to make beaded necklaces. Just decide how long you want your necklace to be, and use a piece of elastic that is 2 to 4 inches longer than that.

More Advanced Techniques

You can also make some nice Halloween pieces by doing bead weaving. This is often done on a loom, but it can be done by hand as well. It can produce a flat, fabric-like piece, or a three-dimensional piece. Bead weaving requires certain stitches and knots, but it's not that difficult to learn.

Bead weaving is a general term that encompasses a number of beading techniques. Some more specific types of bead weaving include beadpoint, bead embroidery, bead crochet, and needleweaving. All of these can be used to create great Halloween jewelry. Bead weaving is great for making spider earrings and pendants.

Another beading technique is wire wrapping. This involves placing beads on jewelry wire and bending the wire into decorative shapes. Certain tools are required, including a flush cutter, round nose pliers, and bent nose pliers. There are also other tools that are used to do certain techniques and to make wire wrapping easier.

Wire wrapping is great for making bracelets, earrings and pendants. You can use all sorts of fun Halloween beads to make a bold and unique piece. Why not make a matching set?

Beaded jewelry can add some splash to any Halloween costume. It's also great for wearing anywhere you want to show your Halloween spirit but can't wear a costume. You don't have to be an expert to create nice pieces. All you need is some elastic thread, beads and your imagination to get started.


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The Great Pumpkin: Fact or Fiction?

Image by debaird via FlickrWe have heard of the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus, but what about the Great Pumpkin? The only one rumored to have seen him has no corroborating witness to validate the claim. Does he really exist?

This issue needs to be resolved once and for all. It started with Charles Schultz and a little boy named Linus, but it has taken on a life of its own. Now, all kids want to know the origins of the Great Pumpkin.

According to Linus, the Great Pumpkin visits all of the pumpkin patches around the world. He appears to the one who has the best pumpkin patch in his opinion. The kids waiting for him will receive candy and treats for their efforts.

First of all, kids don’t grow pumpkins. They may have started off by planting the seeds, but most of the day to day work is done by the adults. So, why do the kids get all the fun?

The Great Pumpkin was thought up by Peanuts creator Charles Schultz. One of his most memorable characters, Linus Van Pelt, tries to convince all of his friends that they should wait in a creepy old pumpkin patch instead of going door to door for their treats.

Of course, they ignore him except for Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally. She is so love-struck that she can’t see the pumpkin poo for the starts in her eyes. But, even she has her limits. Year after year, she is left with no candy and itchy arms from spending the night in the pumpkin patch. I wonder if her parents knew where she was.

Many parents have endeavored to solve their kid’s curiosity with a little Great Pumpkin action of their own. Instead of waking up to the horror that their kids have snuck off to sit in a pumpkin patch all night, they have used the Great Pumpkin idea to start their own holiday traditions.

Kids who donate part of their candy haul for a good cause will get a visit from the Great Pumpkin. He will take the donated candy and leave a toy or some cash in its place. Hey, no one can eat all that candy and they get good stuff out of the deal.

There are other ways for the Great Pumpkin to manifest himself during the fall months. Maybe the Great Pumpkin actually takes over for the Tooth Fairy so she can go on vacation for a few months. Who knows? I guess we’ll all find out this fall if Linus was right.

Quick and Easy Homemade Halloween Trick or Treat Bags

Before Halloween arrives, kids (and many adults) put a lot of thought into putting together the perfect Halloween costume, complete with mask or face paint, wigs, and accessories. The thought of the trick or treat bag usually comes second.

Here are some tips for making a quick and easy homemade Halloween trick or treat bag that is sure to be a hit.

* Sew up a simple trick or treat bad by using some Halloween-themed fabric. You can whip one up in no time with a sewing machine, or they can easily be sewn by hand if you don't have one.

* Find a plain, solid-colored canvas tote bag to dress up. You can decorate it to your liking by sewing or gluing on embellishments, or by using fabric paint.

* A plain brown paper shopping bag, or an inexpensive gift bag can be decorated simply with markers, crayons, paint or more elaborately with embellishments and glue. Trace a Halloween coloring page onto the bag and let your children paint or color the picture.

* Try a bucket instead of a bag. Look in the toy aisle at the store for a beach or sand box bucket. They are very easy to embellish.

* Match up your trick or treat bag and your Halloween costume. This applies not only to color, but also to the theme of the bag. If it's to go with a witch costume, for example, you could make a black cat face on it, a broom, a full moon, etc...

* To add a nice spooky touch and increase safety when trick or treating, add some glow in the dark accents. Some options include fabric paint, foam decals and stickers.

Here are 4 Halloween trick or treat bag ideas to help you get you started:

* Jack-o-lantern bag -

1 orange gift bag
Black construction paper
Glue
Cut three triangles out of black construction paper for the eyes and nose, and cut out a smiling mouth. Glue them on for a quick and whimsical trick or treat tote.

* Princess bag -

1 Pink gift bag or canvas tote bag
Stick-on or glue on gems
Glitter glue
Satin ribbon
For girls who are getting all dolled up for Halloween, a bag fit for royalty is in order. You can make one in short order by putting stick-on gems (or using a Bedazzler) on a pink canvas tote bag. Add glitter glue for accents. Use satin ribbon to make some pretty bows to stitch on.

* Spider web fabric bag -

Halloween themed spiderweb fabric
Needle and Thread
Glow in the dark paint
Glow in the dark spiders
Find some fabric with a spider web pattern to use to sew a tote bag. Paint over the web pattern with glow in the dark fabric paint, and embellish with plastic glow in the dark spiders.

* Monster bag -

Plain grocery bag or gift bag
Construction paper
Wiggley eyes
Paint or markers
Glue
Decorate a plain grocery or gift bag to look like Frankenstein, Dracula, or another favorite villain. Use construction paper, markers, googly eyes, and whatever else strikes your fancy.

All it takes is a little imagination and a few supplies to make a homemade Halloween trick or treating bag that your children (or you yourself) will love!
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Halloween Themed Party Foods

When it comes to Halloween Themed Party Foods, the world is your oyster. It's relatively simple to turn anything you might serve into a creepy, crawly Halloween treat.

Here are a few simple ideas:

Rice Cereal Halloween Treats

The regular, run of the mill rice cereal treat can be turned into a sweet and unique Halloween treat by adding a few drops of orange food coloring (or a combination of red and yellow) into the marshmallow/butter mixture as it melts. When you cut the treats into squares, add one candy corn to the top of each square.

Marshmallow Haystacks

Here's a great variation to the rice cereal treat recipe. Replace the rice cereal with corn flake cereal. Follow the instructions combining the cereal, melted marshmallow and butter mixture. Mold the cereal mixture into the shape of haystacks. Add an orange candy corn pumpkin to the top of each haystack.

Candy Corn Ice Cream Sundae

Into one cup of partially thawed vanilla ice cream, mix in one tablespoon of candy corn (coarsely chopped) and one tablespoon of dry roasted peanuts (coarsely chopped). Scoop into ice cream bowl. Freeze until firm. When ready to serve, drizzle caramel ice cream topping over the ice cream mixture, a dollop of whipped cream and some additional candy corn and peanuts.

Halloween Napoleons

Thaw one sheet of frozen puffed pastry. Divide the puff pastry into three equal sections and bake according to package directions. Crush enough Oreo cookies to make 1-½ cups. Set aside.

Prepare one package of vanilla pudding only add a few drops of orange (or combination of red and yellow) food coloring. Set pudding aside. Whip one small carton of whipping cream until stiff. While whipping, add two teaspoons vanilla and one teaspoon sugar.

To build the napoleon, lay one sheet of baked puff pastry on serving tray. Spread ½ of the pudding mixture on the puff pastry. Sprinkle 1/3 of the crushed cookies on top of the pudding. Spoon dollops of whipped cream on top of the cookies and follow by a second layer of puff pastry. Continue layering pudding, cookies and whipped cream.

Once the third and last layer of puff pastry is set on top, spoon three small dollops of whipped cream (do not spread) and top with some additional crushed Oreos. Slice and serve.

A Fun Halloween Breakfast

Breakfast is many times an overlooked meal when celebrating the holidays. The simple addition of orange food coloring (or a combination of red and yellow) into a glass of milk will give your kids a surprise on Halloween morning.

For some spooktacular Halloween pancakes, melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe container. When melting chocolate, melt at 30-second intervals and stir each time. Pour or spoon melted chocolate into a heavy-duty plastic zip top bag. Press all the chocolate into one corner of the bag and with a scissor, cut a tiny corner off the edge of the bag. Make pancakes and with the melted chocolate, pipe a jack-o-lantern face on the pancakes.

Recommended: 
New! Halloween Recipes Ebook. Over 50 Recipes With Photos.
Plus 3 Bonus Ebooks - Halloween Crafts, Halloween Drawing and Halloween Printable Games!

Homemade Paper Mache Halloween Masks

By: Susanne Myers

Do you need a fun mask for your child to go with a great costume? Or maybe you want to start with a mask and build the rest of the costume around it. You and your child can have a lot of fun making a paper mache mask from scratch.

You’ll need just a few things to make just about any mask you can imagine. Those items include balloons, newspaper, wallpaper glue and some acrylic paint. A pair of sharp scissors comes in handy to cut out eyes and mouth. Wear old clothing, or put an apron on both you and your child. Making the mask can get a bit messy.

Cover your work area in plenty of newspaper to protect it from glue and paint. Next, cut several newspapers into strips. Blow up a balloon so it is slightly larger than your child’s head. Now dip a newspaper strip completely in the glue and stick it on the balloon. Continue doing this back and forth until you have the entire balloon covered in several layers of newspaper. Work out any wrinkles as you go along. The more layers of newspaper you have, the sturdier the mask will be.

Finally add any features specific to the mask you are making. For example, if you are making a frog mask, sculpt two ball shapes at the top of the mask that you can later paint as eyes. If you are making a cat, dog, or monkey mask, form the snout and of course don’t forget about ears. The only limit is your imagination.

Allow the mask to dry completely, preferably over night. Once it is completely hardened, start cutting into the mask to pop the balloon. Cut a large enough opening so your child can get his or her head inside the mask, then cut eye and mouth openings. For younger children, you may prefer to cut the back of the mask out completely, and, instead, wrap a piece of ribbon or yarn around the back of the head to secure the mask to allow better air-passage.

Paint the mask in a solid color and allow it to dry completely. Then add details like eyes, nose and lips in different colors. Once that coat of paint is completely dry, it is ready to wear. For a longer lasting and shiny mask, cover the mask in several layers of hodge podge before using it.

Author Resource -> Would you like to quickly make creative Halloween costumes that you and your children will be proud of -- for a fraction of the price of store-bought? Susanne Myers has co-authored a book to show you how -- no sewing involved. Visit ILoveHalloweenCostumes.com to learn more.

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Halloween and Religion

So what is the big deal between Halloween and religion? Will one night of candy fun corrupt the soul?

This is unlikely, but let us take a look at this ongoing topic of debate.

For many, many years, Halloween has been synonymous with witchcraft and evil. Satan’s one night of the year to claim souls for Hell has been the belief of the church and pious individuals. Those who practice dark arts would have us buy into that belief to keep the Christian world dazed and confused.

Let’s set the record straight. Knowledge is power, especially in this instance. Halloween began as a pagan festival of nature where people tried to appease the dead to prevent their intrusion into the world of the living.

But, we all know about superstitions. There was no distinction between the spirits so folks assumed precautions in case the spirits were bad. Unfortunately, it is the stories about bad spirits that have survived and given the celebration of Halloween a bad name.

In an effort to scare people, tales of the undead have been immortalized in books like Frankenstein and Dracula. Movies brought us Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and the Scream guy. People love to be scared, but so much of the fiction has been confused with fact that Christians have been led to believe that the practice of Halloween is evil for their children.

Basically, children know what we tell them. The truth is always best. There are people who practice earth religions like Wicca and those who profess to be Satanists. They derive their greatest influence and media coverage on this night. Even those groups have been made gorier than they actually are through film and books.

Our children will learn that the practice of dressing up and receiving candy is not evil from the knowledge that we obtain. Spirits are not roaming the streets looking to take over their bodies or mess with their minds. In fact, for little ones, it is essential that we not expose them to the scarier side because they could be traumatized by it and fear the fun side of Halloween.

Christians have nothing to fear from Halloween as long as the truth is told. While there are groups who practice magic (the jury is still out) and contact with the dead, they don’t have exclusive rights on Halloween. They practice their crafts all year round and not just this one night of the year.

Halloween History

It’s almost that time again. Things are about to go bump in the night.

Spook masters would have you believe that the dead actually walk the earth on that day, but Halloween is as much a matter of shadows and mirrors as the horror movies we watch. For anyone interested, here is a history of the modern day holiday known as Halloween.

First of all, it was called All Hallows Eve. We are not speaking of Sleepy Hollow. Hallow means holy, like in The Lord’s Prayer for all the Sunday schoolers out there.

Early pagan religions, specifically the Celts, would celebrate different phases of the earth. One such festival was Samhain. It is pronounced “saw-in” and it was a festival that commemorated the lives of the dead. There was nothing wrong with this, except that they didn’t discriminate between the “good” dead and the “bad” dead. People remembered all of the dead. The date that this festival fell on was October 31^st.

Isn’t sounding too scary so far is it? Well, you must remember that early pagan religions were prone to superstition as in the Middle Ages. They were afraid of spirits and the thought of them returning to the human world frightened them.

As history goes, during this time, priests of the religion would contact these spirits to divine the future of the harvest as this was also harvest season. People’s livelihood depended on those crops and they were afraid that the spirits would curse them and destroy the crops.

The church decided to combat such superstition by adding a bit of Christianity to the occasion. They moved the celebration of All Saints Day from March 13^th to November 1^st. People would hopefully be less scared and more into the Christian celebration than the pagan one.

Everyone didn’t change their long held beliefs however. People would cover their faces with masks when they went out at night in hopes that any roaming spirits would recognize them as fellow travelers and suspend their mischief. They also used large carved turnips with candles inside as lanterns.

All Hallows Eve became Halloween in modern times.

Instead of walking through the veil between this world and the next, kids dress in a variety of costumes to scare each other silly and get a bit of candy in the process. The only spirits around on Halloween are the ones we create on the movie set. Watch out!