Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern
Papier mache around a balloon to make a jack-o'-lantern. Use it as Halloween décor or attach a handle to make it into a crafty trick-or-treat bag!

Safety Tips

  • Keep the craft knife out of young children's reach.
  • Watch out for this sign Ask for an adult's help. It means an adult's help is needed for the particular step.
Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft

Materials

  • Newspapers or paper for recycling
  • Balloon
  • Papier mache paste
  • Acrylic paint or poster paint
  • Paint brush
  • Scissors
  • Crayons or markers (optional)
  • Craft knife (optional)
  • Pipe cleaner or string (optional)

Steps

Step 1 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 1. Blow air into a balloon until it is around the size of your intended jack-o'-lantern.
Step 2 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 2. Make 3 to 4 layers of papier mache around the balloon following this basic papier mache tutorial. Allow the papier mache to dry completely (approximately 2 to 3 days).
Step 3 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 3. Once completely dry, pop the balloon. Remove the deflated balloon from your papier mache.
Step 4 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 4. Mark your jack-o'-lantern's desired height on your papier mache.
Step 5 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 5. Trim your papier mache following the marked height.
Step 6 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 6. Paint your jack-o'-lantern with orange acrylic paint or poster paint. To come up with a smoother and brighter orange color, you can first prime your papier mache with a layer of white acrylic or poster paint, allow it to dry before applying the orange paint.
Step 7 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 7. As an option, you can also paint the inside of your jack-o'-lantern. Allow the paint to dry completely.
Step 8a Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 8. Draw your jack-o'-lantern's face using black permanent marker, crayon or paint.
Step 8b Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft Ask for an adult's help As another option, you can cut out the eyes, nose and mouth instead of simply drawing them. An easy way of cutting through the papier mache is to first make an initial slit at the center of the intended area (e.g. mouth) with a craft knife, then cutting out the rest of the area with a pair of scissors.
Step 9 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 9. To allow your jack-o'-lantern to stand firmly on a flat surface, place a heavy object at the center inside the jack-o'-lantern (tape it in place if you like) or you may fill your jack-o'-lantern with some sand, seeds or better yet, put in lots of Halloween candy!
Step 10 Papier Mache Jack-O'-Lantern craft 10. Use your papier mache jack-o'-lantern as Halloween décor or as suggested in the previous step, you may use it as a Halloween candy holder.

More Ideas

Papier Mache Jack-o'-Lantern Trick or Treat Bag Turn your papier mache jack-o'-lantern into a trick-or-treat bag by adding a pipe cleaner or string handle. Simply punch a pair of holes on either side of your jack-o'-lantern's face, close to the top edge. Fasten one end of a pipe cleaner or string around each hole.

*You may also want to check out how to make a similar pumpkin trick-or-treat bag using a pair of paper bowls in this Pumpkin Trick-or-Treat Bag craft.

Crafts You Might Like

Related categories:

Comments

Back to top