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A couple of years ago, we threw a Halloween party for my daughter and a bunch of her friends. It was the first year that my daughter was too old to go trick or treating. (I know, I know. We still have old teenagers coming around every Halloween, too. But we just decided that at 13, it was time to do something different.)
We decorated outside the house with “monster foot prints” leading up to our house. We simply used sidewalk chalk to make the monster prints. Easy and the kids did it all on their own.
We also made tombstones with funny sayings. I just took old moving boxes (you know we always have lots of those around with as many moves as we’ve made) and cut them into tombstone shapes. We painted them grey by mixing left-over black and white craft paint. After that dried, I wrote names on the tombstones with Sharpie marker.
I let the kids pick the names from a list we’d come up with ourselves plus a quick internet search. The tombstones were a big hit with the girls coming to the party and with the trick or treaters. My favorite? I’m glad you asked. Lee Ning with the tombstone leaning, still makes me laugh. The kids’ favorite? Seymore Butz. Yeah, yeah, they were 6-13 years old then.
The best part of all – the decorations were free and a fun project that the whole family did together.
I’m a mom of 3, a veteran, military spouse. I’ve moved into 20+ homes all around the world. My passion is helping busy people make the space and time for what’s really important to them. Learn more about Organized 31 and me.
Make adorable fabric pumpkins with this easy fabric pumpkin tutorial for beginning sewing skills. They are perfect for fall or Halloween home and party décor and use upcycled bedsheet packaging.
Originally published October 16, 2013. Updated July 11, 2019. Halloween luminaries can easily be made from upcycled plastic bottles and jars. This is a great kids’ craft. It costs only pennies to make and requires only beginner’s level crafting skills. The first thing you need to know about me is that I hate to…
I’m a busy mother of three. A. Busy. Mom. I always have grand ideas and plans of new holiday decorations and crafts, but then life gets in the way of my grand plans. Sometimes I just need a last-minute Halloween idea that doesn’t look last-minute. A Halloween decoration idea that I can be proud of….
5 Comments
Love this and so simple! I think we may have to do this this year. Thanks for sharing!
Love this and so simple! I think we may have to do this this year. Thanks for sharing!
i always want to make a graveyard, and those monster foot prints are a great idea! glow in the dark chalk, right?
Waa haa haa. Glow in the dark chalk is a great idea.
haha! I am cracking up at the names on the tombstones! Great idea and wonderful use of old boxes!