Apparently there are certain FIVE STAR candy bars that every child covets. For the most part, these are fun-size versions of Snickers, Mounds, and other popular bars. Once in a great while, a house will actually pass out full-size versions of this candy, which is tantamount to finding the Holy Grail. I like this kind of candy well enough, but I’m more than happy to let my kids keep it to themselves. I’m looking for the unique types of candy that only seem, to my eyes, to be found at the bottom of a Trick-or-Treat pumpkin.

Seriously, can you even buy Bit ‘o Honey at a store? I can’t remember ever seeing it. I know they sell Whoppers at the supermarket, but who buys it on an average Tuesday? Then there are those little hunks of taffy-like caramel wrapped in wax paper. Are these even commercial products, or is there someone in every neighborhood that makes these in their kitchen in the weeks leading up to Halloween? Whatever the case may be, this is the kind of candy I love. Candy corn? Yes, please. Sweet Tarts? Oh my, yes! This past Halloween, my son actually got some of those little wax bottles filled with some kind of weird candy juice! I thought those went the way of the dodo, but I didn’t have to push The Precocious One too hard to give them to me. I was in heaven.

So yeah, I’m a lover of strange candy. I admit it.

I’m also a lover of crazy Halloween crafts, and here are a few of my favorite ones.

Halloween Crafts You Can Do While Eating Weird Candy

Easy Pumpkin Craft

The pumpkin is my favorite symbol of Halloween. It’s not like me to call a fruit (?) cute, but c’mon, how else can you describe a pumpkin? I want to hug it and give it a noogie, even if it hasn’t been carved into its Jack O’Lantern form. It’s only fitting that my favorite Halloween craft would involve creating a pumpkin out of orange cardstock.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– Orange cardstock paper

– Green cardstock paper

– A ruler

– Split pins

– A sharp knife

– Scissors

To begin this craft, which is perfect for practicing scissor skills, you divide a page of cardstock into eight even strips with a marker. You might draw dotted lines to get your child familiar with the idea of cutting along the lines. Then pass the paper over to your kid so he can cut the paper into eight strips. Once this is done, use your knife to cut a small hole at both ends of each strip. Then have your child impale the strips over a split pin before fanning the strips out into a circular shape. Then – and you may need to do this part because it requires a certain amount of dexterity, you gather the strips at their other end and affix them together using a second pin. That gives you your basic pumpkin shape. Attach a bit of the green cardstock to the top to serve as a jaunty stem, and then pass the pumpkin over to your child so they can decorate the pumpkin in the traditional Jack O’Lantern style!

Spider Halloween Craft

I have to admit that I’m not a fan of spiders, and I’m not really sure what to think of people who are. Frankly, they terrify me. But even if you share my arachnophobia, you’ll find little to fear in this adorable little pipe cleaner spider.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– Craft beads

– Black pom poms

– Googly eyes

– Pipe cleaners

– Strong glue

Begin this craft by cutting your (black, preferably) pipe cleaners into eight pieces of equal length and affix the beads to each of the legs. You can use as many or as few of the beads as you like. You can even leave the beads off altogether, and you’ll still have a fairly convincing spider. Once you’ve given each of your legs a little bend in the end (to keep the beads from falling off), you use strong glue to attach the legs to the body – which is of course the large black pom pom that you bought! An adult may wish to do this part so your kid doesn’t wind up gluing his fingers together. Instead, you can have this fun experience for yourself! Let the glue dry, attach the googly eyes to the body, and you’ve got yourself a fun decorative spider that should be sturdy enough for your child to actually play with as a toy. Or, if your kids are like mine, to hide in unlikely places to scare the bejesus out of you!

Spooky Paper Plate Witch Craft

This is, of course, not to be confused with “spooky paper plate witchcraft,” which is presumably something else entirely. There’s no magic – white or black – to this craft, except for the simple magic of having quality time with your children.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– A paper plate

– Green paint

– Googly eyes

– A small wood circular

– Glue

– Black and purple cardstock paper

– Orange yarn

– Multicolored pony beads

– Paint brush

– A hole punch

– Scissors

– Red pipe cleaner

This is probably the most elaborate of the Halloween crafts we’ll be doing today, but it’s really not that complicated. Either buy a green paper plate or begin the craft by painting your paper plate with green paint. Glue googly eyes onto the plate, use your wood circular to create a nose, and use the red pipe cleaner for the witch’s mouth.

Move on to the witch’s hat, which you’ll cut out of your black cardstock. You can use black construction paper if you prefer. Give the hat a band with your purple paper, and then punch a row of holes along the bottom of the hat. Cut a bunch of yarn into different sizes to serve as the witch’s stringy hair, and thread the yarn through the hat to match the photograph. Use the beads to decorate the witch’s hair, and that’s all there is to it. The illustration shows a flower attached to the hat, so you can do that part as well if you think it adds something to the finished piece.

That’s all for now! Enjoy these crafts, and save some weird candy for me!

I have weird taste in candy – or at least so I’m told by my 16-year-old daughter, commonly known as Little B. This comes evident most often on Halloween when my 6-year-old, The Precocious One, dumps his candy all over the floor after returning home from a long trip around the subdivision.

Apparently there are certain FIVE STAR candy bars that every child covets. For the most part, these are fun-size versions of Snickers, Mounds, and other popular bars. Once in a great while, a house will actually pass out full-size versions of this candy, which is tantamount to finding the Holy Grail. I like this kind of candy well enough, but I’m more than happy to let my kids keep it to themselves. I’m looking for the unique types of candy that only seem, to my eyes, to be found at the bottom of a Trick-or-Treat pumpkin.

Seriously, can you even buy Bit ‘o Honey at a store? I can’t remember ever seeing it. I know they sell Whoppers at the supermarket, but who buys it on an average Tuesday? Then there are those little hunks of taffy-like caramel wrapped in wax paper. Are these even commercial products, or is there someone in every neighborhood that makes these in their kitchen in the weeks leading up to Halloween? Whatever the case may be, this is the kind of candy I love. Candy corn? Yes, please. Sweet Tarts? Oh my, yes! This past Halloween, my son actually got some of those little wax bottles filled with some kind of weird candy juice! I thought those went the way of the dodo, but I didn’t have to push The Precocious One too hard to give them to me. I was in heaven.

So yeah, I’m a lover of strange candy. I admit it.

I’m also a lover of crazy Halloween crafts, and here are a few of my favorite ones.

Halloween Crafts You Can Do While Eating Weird Candy

Easy Pumpkin Craft

The pumpkin is my favorite symbol of Halloween. It’s not like me to call a fruit (?) cute, but c’mon, how else can you describe a pumpkin? I want to hug it and give it a noogie, even if it hasn’t been carved into its Jack O’Lantern form. It’s only fitting that my favorite Halloween craft would involve creating a pumpkin out of orange cardstock.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– Orange cardstock paper

– Green cardstock paper

– A ruler

– Split pins

– A sharp knife

– Scissors

To begin this craft, which is perfect for practicing scissor skills, you divide a page of cardstock into eight even strips with a marker. You might draw dotted lines to get your child familiar with the idea of cutting along the lines. Then pass the paper over to your kid so he can cut the paper into eight strips. Once this is done, use your knife to cut a small hole at both ends of each strip. Then have your child impale the strips over a split pin before fanning the strips out into a circular shape. Then – and you may need to do this part because it requires a certain amount of dexterity, you gather the strips at their other end and affix them together using a second pin. That gives you your basic pumpkin shape. Attach a bit of the green cardstock to the top to serve as a jaunty stem, and then pass the pumpkin over to your child so they can decorate the pumpkin in the traditional Jack O’Lantern style!

Spider Halloween Craft

I have to admit that I’m not a fan of spiders, and I’m not really sure what to think of people who are. Frankly, they terrify me. But even if you share my arachnophobia, you’ll find little to fear in this adorable little pipe cleaner spider.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– Craft beads

– Black pom poms

– Googly eyes

– Pipe cleaners

– Strong glue

Begin this craft by cutting your (black, preferably) pipe cleaners into eight pieces of equal length and affix the beads to each of the legs. You can use as many or as few of the beads as you like. You can even leave the beads off altogether, and you’ll still have a fairly convincing spider. Once you’ve given each of your legs a little bend in the end (to keep the beads from falling off), you use strong glue to attach the legs to the body – which is of course the large black pom pom that you bought! An adult may wish to do this part so your kid doesn’t wind up gluing his fingers together. Instead, you can have this fun experience for yourself! Let the glue dry, attach the googly eyes to the body, and you’ve got yourself a fun decorative spider that should be sturdy enough for your child to actually play with as a toy. Or, if your kids are like mine, to hide in unlikely places to scare the bejesus out of you!

Spooky Paper Plate Witch Craft

This is, of course, not to be confused with “spooky paper plate witchcraft,” which is presumably something else entirely. There’s no magic – white or black – to this craft, except for the simple magic of having quality time with your children.

Here’s what you’ll need:

– A paper plate

– Green paint

– Googly eyes

– A small wood circular

– Glue

– Black and purple cardstock paper

– Orange yarn

– Multicolored pony beads

– Paint brush

– A hole punch

– Scissors

– Red pipe cleaner

This is probably the most elaborate of the Halloween crafts we’ll be doing today, but it’s really not that complicated. Either buy a green paper plate or begin the craft by painting your paper plate with green paint. Glue googly eyes onto the plate, use your wood circular to create a nose, and use the red pipe cleaner for the witch’s mouth.

Move on to the witch’s hat, which you’ll cut out of your black cardstock. You can use black construction paper if you prefer. Give the hat a band with your purple paper, and then punch a row of holes along the bottom of the hat. Cut a bunch of yarn into different sizes to serve as the witch’s stringy hair, and thread the yarn through the hat to match the photograph. Use the beads to decorate the witch’s hair, and that’s all there is to it. The illustration shows a flower attached to the hat, so you can do that part as well if you think it adds something to the finished piece.

That’s all for now! Enjoy these crafts, and save some weird candy for me!