I'm in the first group and still SUPER excited for Halloween. I just finished Chuck's costume this past weekend, so he's ready to go. I'm not sure if he'll appreciate the idea of trick-or-treating (plus his allergies prevent him from eating a lot of the candy out there), but I think he'll enjoy seeing other kids in costumes and all the spooky decorations.
I'll upload some photos of his costume later on this week... but today I just wanted to share the last of my sugar skull crafts.
So, we already made DIY sugar skull candle holders and DIY sugar skull luminaries and Allison shared her lovely tutorial for DIY sugar skull shoes. Today's sugar skull crafts were designed with kids in mind. They're easy to make and the resulting products look great.
1. Sugar Skull Window Clings
Colorful and fun, these two skulls will float happily on your window.
Materials:
- Contact Paper (Buy the cheap stuff from the Dollar Store)
- Black paint pen (You could also use a Sharpie marker, but the lines won't be as dark.)
- Scissors
- Cellophane
- Tape
Directions
2. Cut your cellophane into little rectangles.
3. Peel off the back of your contact paper. Tape your contact paper to your working area (sticky side up.) Then, stick on your cellophane rectangles.
4. When you're satisfied with your design, place another piece of contact paper (sticky side down) on top of your design. Then, trim around your skull. Tada!
(Psst- Got extra contact paper? You can try your hand at making other DIY kids' sun-catcher crafts or your own DIY window clings.)
2. Borax Crystallized Sugar Skull Ornaments
This is a super fast way to grow crystals on kids' artwork. I love this craft because it's a nice mixture of art and science.
- Borax (found in the laundry aisle)
- Water
- Containers
- Spoon
- Coffee filters
- Sharpie markers
- Scissors
- Hole Puncher
- Ribbon
- Paper Towels
Directions:
1. Doodle a design with Sharpie marker onto a coffee filter. Cut it out. Hole punch your ornament. (I forgot to do this last part until step 2.)
2. Boil your water. Pour it into your empty container. (You don't need very much. You just need enough to cover your ornament.) Then, dissolve and mix in spoonfuls of Borax one at a time until the Borax no longer dissolves. Place your paper ornament onto the bottom of the container.
3. Wait a couple of hours and you should see crystals forming on your ornament. Pull it out and make sure your hole is still open. If it isn't, just poke it open with a pencil. Dry the ornament on a paper towel.
4. Initially your ornament will feel soft, but once it dries it will become stiff and hard. String your ribbon through it and and enjoy.
(Psst- You can also use this same technique to make DIY crystallized flowers.)
Happy sugar skull crafting!