by Nan Mynatt

Created on: October 10, 2009   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE HALLOWEEN CANDY BUCKET

You need to decide what age the child is, that will be helping you to make the Halloween Candy Bucket.. If your child is under school age, they should not be working with a metal bucket. I propose for them to work with a oats meal, or corn meal round cardboard canister. They will not get hurt in handling the cardboard canister. Have some colored paper available, along with paste. Liquid permanent marks are nice to use for this project. You are going to need some heavy yard to hold the canister. If you have hole puncher you can put two holes, on top of the canister, one on each side.

Art paper should reflect the season, get orange and black, and also the heavy yarn. Have the kids trace a picture of a cat, witch, bat, pumpkin out of the drawing paper. The markers can be used to put eyes on the witch, pumpkin, and other animals that you will be using. I don't like using enamel paints for younger children. Also you don't need to store the candy bucket for the next season. Kids like decorating again the next year, with new ideas.

You are going to need scissors to cut the drawing out, and to cut the yarn The whole idea of the project is for the kids to enjoy, and it will be their project. Paint can get smelly and takes hours to dry, unless you use spray paint. It is a good idea not to get them use to spray paint, as they will try to use it another time, when you are not supervising them.

Have the kids sitting at a table with the construction paper. Have them do a free hand drawing or trace the Halloween animals and witches on the paper. They also need a ruler to measure the size of the drawing and if it will fit on the sides of the canisters. Next comes the glue, when they have finished the drawing and the measurements are the right size. Layout the drawings and spread the glue, or paste on the back side. After they have spread the glue or paste, you are ready to put them on the boxes. You may also want to put plain paper on the canisters first, to make sure the canister is completely covered. It also makes for a thicker canister, when being carried to the front door, for the trick or treaters.

After you have pasted the canisters, you are now ready to put the handle on the canister. Cut your yard out making it with at least four strands of yard for the weight of the candy. You are now ready to put your candy into the canister. You will not have to save the canister for the next year, and the kids can come up with new ideas for the next Halloween!

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