Too Cute to Spook

Create some goofy curb appeal with a mischievous monster door. Use poster board, plastic plates, and painter's tape to craft his face.

Creep out the kids with a candy bowl covered in colorful critters. Cover plastic bugs with spray paint (Liquitex spray paint, $13; Michaels stores), let dry, and attach them with poster tack. Plastic bugs, $12 for 96; orientaltrading.com, Wood Wiggly Snakes, $11 for 12; orientaltrading.com

Each member of this "family" is made with a Ping-Pong ball, a spool, and chenille stems. Add yarn, beads, and other supplies to give each one its own personal style.

Stamp warnings onto crepe-paper streamers and plaster them over doorways. See & Stamp Jumbo Uppercase Stamps, $20; educationalinsights.com

To create these bejeweled decorations, glue sequin trim to pumpkins in stripes or spirals -- no carving required! Sequin trim, $2 per roll; Michaels stores.

Dunk miniature pumpkins in bright hues for a modern autumnal display.

What You'll Need

Skewers, shoebox, miniature pumpkins, latex paint, bucket, painter's tape (optional)

Make It

1. Poke four skewers through shoebox to create a place to dry pumpkins.
2. Pour paint into a bucket that's wider than largest pumpkin.
3. Dip pumpkin in either straight down or at an angle and let excess drip off the bottom into bucket.
4. Rest pumpkins on skewers to drip dry. Allow to dry completely (at least 4 hours).
5. For top-dipped pumpkins, mask off stem with painter's tape, so it won't get painted, if desired.

Welcome costumed kids with these faux pumpkins decorated with lights that you can use from year to year.

To make vibrant web decals, download a template, print, and slip into a plastic sheet protector. Trace the lines thickly on top of the protector with puffy paint; let dry overnight. Freeze for 20 minutes, peel off, and stick to a mirror. Ta-da: Spooky!

Originally published in the October 2013 issue of Parents magazine.