Give Halloween an autumnal twist this year by combining warming shades of mustard, deep red and pink tones
Whether you go all out in a spooktacular fashion for the 31st, or just like the idea of painting a few pumpkins to pop in your window, I have created some fun and modern crafts with a twist on the traditional colours and styles.
My autumnal tree makes a wonderful centrepiece for a spooky feast, or positioned in the entrance hall for trick or treaters to admire. And why not paint pumpkins pink for a change, and make party hats for cats? It’s Halloween, but not as you know it!
For even more creative ideas and gorgeous craft kits, ideal for beginners...then head over to my fabulous store OH HELLO MAKER - you'll get 10% off your first order too!
AUTUMN TREE
You Will Need
Coloured card in a selection of autumnal colours (mustard, yellow, deep red, orange, pale pink, bright pink)
Tracing paper and pencil
Small scissors or craft knife
Cotton thread (or thin ribbon/twine)
Sticky tape
Twigs
Jug or pot
1 Print or copy off the two leaves (at the bottom of the page) and use these to create templates from thin card.
2 Use the templates to draw round onto the different coloured card, then cut out carefully.
3 Cut 15cm lengths of cotton thread, loop them over and attach on one side of the leaf with sticky tape.
TIP - You can, at this point, attach another leaf shape to sandwich the thread inside and hide the sticky tape.
4 Place a selection of twigs or a branch into a jug (or use an artificial twig tree), then adorn with the autumnal leaves.
CAKE DECORATIONS
You Will Need
Coloured card in autumnal colours, plus black and white
Tracing paper and a pencil
Two 20cm sticks (we used dowel)
Thin ribbon
Hot glue gun (or PVA glue)
Cocktail sticks
Black pen
White pen (you could you a correction pen or white paint)
Cakes!
CAKE TOPPER
1 Print and trace off (or copy) the small leaf, BOO, ghost and cat templates (at the bottom of the page).
Use these to cut five leaves, two ghosts, a cat and ‘BOO’ from coloured card, using our picture as a guide.
NOTE: Don’t worry if you’re finding cutting fiddly, just adapt what I have done, so the ‘BOO’ doesn’t need the central bits cutting out, and the leaves can be a stylised version.
2 Cut a 20cm length of thin ribbon. Apply a little glue to the very top of the ‘BOO’ letters on the back, then press them lightly onto the centre of the ribbon and leave to dry. Then glue the ends of the ribbon to two pieces of dowel (you could use paper straws or bamboo sticks).
3 Once dry, glue on the leaves to cover the join, adding others as if they are tumbling down.
4 Use a black pen to draw the ghost’s eyes and mouth. Cut a small pink triangle for the cat’s nose, stick in place. Add eyes, mouth and whiskers to the cat with a white pen.
5 Attach cocktail sticks to the back of the ghosts and cat. Then arrange on top of your cake, as if the ghosts are chasing the poor cat!
CUPCAKE PICS
1 Trace off the ghost, cat face, pumpkin and small ‘BOO’ templates from below. Use these to cut out from a selection of coloured card.
Ghost - Use a black pen to draw the ghost’s eyes and mouth.
Cat Face - cut a small pink triangle for the nose, stick in place. Use a white pen to draw the eyes, mouth and whiskers. Once the white pen has dried, add the black slit pupils to the eyes.
Pumpkin - Cut a small piece of green card and stick to the top. Add features with a black pen.
BOO - If cutting the inside out of the letters is tricky, don’t worry, just leave the letters whole, they will still read fine.
2 Attach a cocktail stick onto the back of characters with a small piece of tape, or a little glue.
3 Push the sticks into cupcakes, arranging them how you wish.
PAINTED PUMPKINS
You Will Need
A selection of pumpkins, real or artificial
Paints (deep red, pink, pale pink, orange, mustard and white)
Paintbrushes - wide and small
Large Boo Pumpkin
Draw a pencil line around the whole pumpkin, roughly halfway down. Use a small paintbrush to carefully paint pale pink just above to give you a neat crisp line, all the way around. Use a larger paintbrush to paint the rest of the top half. Once dry, lightly draw the word ‘BOO’ so it sits on the central line. Paint this deep red with a small paintbrush, then paint the rest of the lower half of the pumpkin, leave to dry.
Face Pumpkins
First paint your pumpkin and leave to dry. Use white paint to draw on typical pumpkin characteristics; triangle eyes and noses, toothy grins or open mouths etc. You might have to do two coats if you are painting over a dark colour.
To make a mini party hat
Draw around a glass onto a piece of coloured card. Cut out, fold in half, then cut along the fold line so you have two semi circles. Curl the paper round to form a cone, then glue the part which overlaps (use a mini peg to hold it in place while it dries). Finally glue on a mini pompom and place on your pumpkin.
Cat Pumpkin
Paint the whole pumpkin pale pink, leave to dry. Paint a brighter pink nose, white eyes and mouth and some black dots either side of the nose and nostrils. When the eyes are dry, add the black slit pupils. Cut six thin strips of black paper, glue three together at one end, then glue either side of the cat’s nose. Finally add a party hat, as for the ‘Face Pumpkins’ using a saucer to draw around and adding a larger pompom.
Stars Pumpkin
Paint your pumpkin, then once dry use a pencil to lightly draw stars all around the edges. Fill the stars in with white or pale pink paint. Add a few little dots of paint with the tip of the paintbrush.
HALLOWEEN GARLAND
You Will Need
Coloured card in black, white, orange and a selection of autumnal colours
Access to a photocopier for enlarging
Tracing paper and pencil
Scissors or craft knife
Black ribbon
Glue
1 Enlarge the HAPPY HALLOWEEN templates (below) so each letter measures roughly 12 x 4cm. Trace off onto black card and cut out.
Alternatively, use our photograph as a guide to draw your own letters.
2 Trace and cut out two large pumpkins, two large ghosts, two large cat faces, four large leaves and six small leaves.
3 Decorate the pumpkins, ghosts and cats as for the cupcake picks (above).
4 Unravel a long length of ribbon, then place HAPPY in the centre and add leaves and characters either side before cutting. Once you are happy with the arrangement, cut the ribbon so there is excess either side for hanging up.
5 Apply a little glue to the back of the HAPPY letters, along the top, then position and stick in place on the ribbon. Do the same for the Halloween characters and leaves.
6 Repeat with the HALLOWEEN letters on a second length of ribbon. Leave to dry, before hanging the garlands up on the wall or in the window.
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