Make a paper-bag Halloween costume

Here's an art project that serves double duty. Make a Halloween costume out of a paper grocery bag. This Jack of Hearts costume is just one option. Your child could be his or her favorite book, box of cereal, TV set, robot—the possibilities are limited only by imagination. Tap into your child’s creative spirit by allowing some choice in this activity. Children who like coloring and working with geometric patterns will enjoy making the playing-card costume. Those who enjoy drawing might choose to re-create the cover of a favorite book (and be a bookworm). Others who prefer mixed media might wish to use the grocery bag and other recyclables (paper tubes, plates, egg cartons) to create a unique costume. Brainstorm ideas with your child. Have fun!


For this project, you’ll need

a large paper grocery bag

a 22-inch by 28-inch sheet of white poster board

scissors

colored markers

glue

pencil (optional)

ruler (optional)


1. Turn the bag upside down. In the bottom of the bag, cut a hole large enough for the child’s head to fit through.

2. Cut armholes in the sides of the bag or cut off the sides entirely.

3. Cut two pieces of poster board to fit the front and back of the bag. Or you may choose to decorate just the front of the bag.

4. Draw a facsimile of a playing card on the poster board. (You might wish to look at a real playing card for inspiration and use a pencil and ruler for laying out the design.)

5. Use markers to color. You can use paint instead of markers. Or cut pieces of construction paper in the shapes you want and glue them in place.

6. Glue finished poster board pieces to bag. Allow to dry.

7. Use leftover poster board to make a crown. Cut a 28-inch strip to your desired width. Fit to the child’s head (there should be overlap). Decorate; then glue or tape in place.

Inexpensive curriculum

For those of you looking for an inexpensive basic curriculum for preschool through grade 6, check out American Educational Publishing’s Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills workbooks. These books cover the basics in math, reading and writing by grade level. Each book sells for just under $20. For the price, these books offer a good foundation for your child’s studies. You will likely need supplementary material, however, because when I say "basic," I mean it. For example, I don’t believe one practice sheet of problems is sufficient to reinforce a math concept in most cases. And children should be encouraged to read entire books in addition to the reading selections in the workbook. If I were homeschooling children in the elementary grade levels, I would definitely use this series as a launching pad.