Halloween crafts are a great way to keep children engaged throughout October. They encourage creativity, provide opportunities for hands-on learning, and can help families explore the stories, symbols, and traditions that make this season so fascinating.
Around the world, people celebrate Halloween and other autumn holidays in many different ways. Crafting is a fun way to introduce some of these traditions while creating decorations and keepsakes children can proudly display at home.
Discover 10 Halloween crafts for kids inspired by cultural traditions, folklore, and seasonal celebrations from around the world.
1. Samhain Lanterns: Ireland & Scotland
Many modern-day Halloween traditions can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Celebrated at the transition from harvest season to the darker months of winter, people believed that on Samhain the boundary between the physical and spirit worlds became especially thin. Making lanterns is a great way to introduce children to one of Halloween’s oldest influences.
To create a Samhain-inspired lantern, decorate a paper lantern or mason jar with autumn leaves, spirals, harvest symbols, or traditional Celtic knot designs. Then, place a battery-powered tea light inside for a warm glow.
For families who want to learn more about the origins of the holiday, our blog post From Samhain to Trick-or-Treating: Where Halloween Traditions Came From is a great place to start!
2. Sugar Skull Coloring Art: Mexico
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a distinct Mexican tradition of remembrance that takes place around the same time of year as Halloween. Families honor and remember loved ones through gatherings, offerings, music, food, and symbolic decorations.
Children can create colorful paper sugar skull designs using markers, paint, gemstones, flowers, and decorative patterns while learning more about the holiday. Before children begin crafting, discuss the artistic traditions of Día de los Muertos and emphasize its unique cultural significance.
3. Jack-o’-Lantern Paper Crafts: Ireland
Before pumpkins became closely associated with Halloween in North America, people in Ireland carved lanterns from turnips, potatoes, and beets. These lanterns are closely linked to the folktale of Stingy Jack, from which the jack-o’-lantern gets its name.
Have children cut lantern shapes from orange construction paper and decorate them with funny, scary, or silly faces. As they craft, consider reading the tale of Stingy Jack and talking about how Irish traditions helped shape one of Halloween’s most famous symbols.
4. Guy Fawkes Night Bonfire Paintings: The United Kingdom
Days after Halloween, communities across the United Kingdom celebrate Guy Fawkes Night on November 5th. The annual tradition commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, with bonfires and fireworks marking the occasion.
Using black construction paper, paint, chalk, or crayons, children can create colorful nighttime scenes featuring fireworks, stars, and glowing bonfires. This craft is also a great opportunity to gather around your own backyard bonfire on a cozy autumn evening!
5. Mini Festival Masks: Japan
While Halloween in Japan often focuses on costumes, cosplay, and public celebrations—masks remain a popular part of many traditional Japanese festivals and folklore. Traditional designs may be inspired by legendary figures such as tengu or by colorful masks commonly found at community festivals.
Provide cardstock, markers, elastic string, and craft decorations so children can design their own festival-inspired masks. Encourage them to learn about Japanese folklore and figures such as tengu, then invent a magical creature, playful spirit, or legendary character. Kids who love storytelling and imaginative play will especially enjoy bringing their characters to life.
6. Dordolec Protection Amulet: Albania
Halloween is full of stories about ghosts, monsters, and mystical beings. In Albanian folklore, one such creature is the Shtriga, a vampiric witch found in supernatural tales and legends. To help protect against creatures like the Shtriga, some traditions included the creation of a Dordolec, a handmade figure or talisman believed to ward off bad luck and unwanted spirits.
Children can create their own Dordolec-inspired amulet or effigy using craft sticks, yarn, fabric scraps or unused clothing, hand-drawn designs, and googly eyes. Older children who like scary stories may also enjoy reading Albanian folk tales about these monsters.
For younger children, try a simplified version inspired by traditional beliefs. Cut garlic bulbs from white construction paper, outline them in purple, and glue them onto a paper plate ring to create a decorative “Shtriga-repelling” wreath for the front door.
7. Haunted Castle Silhouettes: Scotland & Wales
Scotland and Wales are home to countless castles, legends, and ghost stories that have helped shape each country’s deeply rooted storytelling traditions. Many castles across the region are tied to local folklore, mysterious sightings, and tales passed down for generations—such as Lady Glamis of Glamis Castle in Scotland, who some believe has haunted the grounds since her death in the 16th century.
Using black paper, children can cut and assemble spooky castle silhouettes before adding bats, owls, ghosts, and starry skies.
As children craft their spooky creations, encourage them to learn about a famous Scottish or Welsh castle and the stories associated with it. Older children may enjoy researching local legends, while younger children can invent their own haunted castle tale.
Display the finished artwork in a window for a dramatic Halloween decoration.
8. Corn Husk Dolls: North America
Long before Halloween became a widely celebrated holiday in North America, Indigenous communities created dolls from natural materials such as corn husks.
To make your own corn husk doll, soak dried corn husks in water until pliable, then fold and tie them into simple figures using string or twine. Children can create harvest characters, dolls, or even Halloween-inspired figures while learning about a craft tradition that has been passed down through generations.
9. Shadow Puppet Craft: Indonesia
Traditional Indonesian storytelling often features wayang, a form of shadow puppetry that has entertained audiences for centuries. These stories frequently include heroes, spirits, magical creatures, and legendary adventures, making them a natural fit for Halloween season.
Children can create simple shadow puppets using cardstock, craft sticks, and markers. Shine a flashlight behind a sheet or piece of parchment paper and put on a Halloween-themed puppet show inspired by folklore from around the world. It’s a fun and cozy way to spend an autumn evening while drawing inspiration from other cultural traditions!
10. International Halloween Memory Book
After exploring Halloween crafts inspired by traditions from around the world, help children create a keepsake to remember what they’ve learned. Decorate a notebook or folder with pumpkins, ghosts, autumn leaves, and other seasonal designs, then add photos, drawings, and notes from the various crafts and traditions you’ve explored together.
For families hosting an au pair, this project can become especially meaningful. Children can dedicate pages to the fall activities, seasonal celebrations, recipes, and cultural traditions they learned from their au pair. By the end of October, they’ll have created a one-of-a-kind Halloween scrapbook that captures both family memories and lessons learned through cultural exchange.
Ready to add a little cultural magic to your family’s Halloween season? Host an au pair with Au Pair in America® and discover traditions from around the world—all from the comfort of your home.
Halloween offers plenty of opportunities for creativity and curiosity about the wider world. Exploring crafts inspired by different cultures helps children see how traditions evolve, travel, and take on new meanings across generations and communities.
As paint dries, glue sticks disappear, and kitchen tables fill with colorful creations, children develop a greater appreciation for the traditions and people that make the world so interesting.
Hosting an au pair with Au Pair in America® gives children the chance to explore those traditions more deeply. Alongside sharing your family’s Halloween customs, an au pair can introduce stories, celebrations, and perspectives from their own culture, helping turn curiosity into genuine cultural understanding.
