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Jack-O-Lanterns

Creating a Spoooktacular Halloween

October 2013


Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was a kid, my mother and I would start talking about and designing my Halloween costume as soon as school started in the fall. My brother and I were everything from the traditional butterfly and devil to the trendy (CareBear – it was the early 80s) to the local (Philly Fanatic – it was South Jersey). As we grew older we grew out of trick-or-treating but I still love the holiday. From funky costume parties with college friends to more ‘grown up’ parties with an elegant decor to fun kid’s parties with tons of Halloween treats, I love it all. Take a look at some of these great books for instruction and inspiration for making this Halloween the best one yet.

Artful Halloween: 31 frightfully elegant projects by Susan Wasinger

Artful Halloween: 31 frightfully elegant projects by Susan Wasinger

For those who are looking for a more elegant fall holiday and less slasher film gore for their Halloween experience, Wasinger lays out 31 projects perfect for a classic creepy Halloween.

Glitterville's Handmade Halloween: a glittered guide for whimsical crafting by Stephen Brown

Glitterville's Handmade Halloween: a glittered guide for whimsical crafting by Stephen Brown

Glitterville provides instructions for making whimsical Halloween crafts, from the oh-so wicked party hat and wacky Willie Webber spider puppet to the glittered cat silhouette party hat and pumpkin tiara. This guide is great if you have a more magical than scary vision for your Halloween.

Witch Craft: wicked accessories, creepy-cute toys, magical treats, and more! compiled by Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar

Witch Craft: wicked accessories, creepy-cute toys, magical treats, and more! compiled by Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar

No black magic here! Just some great crafty ideas for Halloween lovers to keep the holiday fun for everyone. This magical craft guide includes references to a variety of websites throughout featuring video tutorials related to sewing projects and other craft suggestions The publisher’s related website features information on downloadable PDFs, bonus patterns, helpful tutorials, and even more tricks & treats.The authors provide a list of sources so you can start looking for supplies!

Face Painting: from cowboys to clowns, pirates to princesses, 40 amazingly original designs for the perfect children's party by Lynsy Pinsent

Face Painting: from cowboys to clowns, pirates to princesses, 40 amazingly original designs for the perfect children's party by Lynsy Pinsent

Have the costumes all planned, but need that little something extra to make the fairy in your life magical, the lion ferocious, or maybe the pirate ARRRRtistic? This collection of face painting ideas and instructions can help you finish off your Halloween look or that of your children. Face painting instead of masks makes it easier for children to see, so it is safer. It also is fun and you will be their Halloween hero for finishing off the costume in just the right way.

Tired of the same old Jack-o-lanterns? Check out this pair of carving guides full of extremely different ideas you and your family can use on your pumpkins this year! These are not for the beginning carvers, though some ideas can be done by those just starting to create extreme pumpkin art.

and

*Personal Note: My niece and I tried out a couple ideas from these books last year. We discovered that all pumpkins are not equal and we are not extreme pumpkin artists, but we had fun creating a mess and laughing together.*

If you aren’t quite up to the level of Extreme Pumpkins, there are guides for both painting pumpkins and easier patterns for carving pumpkins.

Pumpkin Carving by Ed Palmer

Pumpkin Carving by Edward Palmer

For starting your pumpkin art journey, try this more kid-friendly guide which includes chapters on the best tools and materials to use. You’d be surprised at some of the alternative to knives, like cookie cutters.

Pumpkin Painting by Jordan McKinney

Pumpkin Painting by Jordan McKinney

McKinney’s book on acrylic paints is a great source of ideas if you are a bit squeamish about the mess of carving pumpkins. From cute and silly to cartoon scary you can pick a face you love and learn to paint it on a real or foam pumpkin.

A Ghostly Good Time: the family Halloween handbook from the editors of Woman’s Day

A Ghostly Good Time: the family Halloween handbook

This volume is a perfect guide for a family-friendly holiday party or for setting the stage for trick-or-treaters of all ages.

Homemade Halloween: quick and easy costumes, decorations, and not-so-frightening family fun

Homemade Halloween: quick and easy costumes, decorations, and not-so-frightening family fun

Are you tired of spending the big bucks for costumes from the stores that the kids wear once? This awesome collection of easy to make costumes is a great way to create something together with your family. Everyone can pick their own or browse together and make coordinating costumes for the family. Try it once and it just might become a holiday tradition for the family!

Stick or Treat: costumes, masks, trick or treat bags, pumpkins, & decorations by Patti Wallenfang

Stick or Treat: costumes, masks, trick or treat bags, pumpkins, & decorations by Patti Wallenfang

This Halloween use the powerful magic of duct tape to mutate into a horrifying swamp creature! Or follow simple instructions to become a hair-raising zombie nurse or any of 11 fun or fiendish characters. Costumes include Be a Giant Roll of Duct Tape, Skeleton Bride, Hippie, Pirate, Punker, Duck, Swamp Monster, Zombie Nurse, Princess, Sassy Witch, and Ghoulish Greeter. Duct tape casts its awesome spell on pumpkins, too. And you can conjure your own cool accessories like masks, treat bags, and candy buckets.

Halloween: a grown-up's guide to creative costumes, devilish decor & fabulous festivities  by Joanne O’Sullivan

Halloween: a grown-up's guide to creative costumes, devilish decor & fabulous festivities by Joanne O’Sullivan

Feel like celebrating All Hallow's Eve, but you’re too old to trick-or-treat. Check out this guide to a perfectly horrific Halloween party for adults. From décor to costumes to frightful foods, this guide has instructions and inspirations for you.

Spooky Crafts by Helen Skillicorn

Spooky Crafts by Helen Skillicorn

On the other hand, maybe you have your hands full of little goblins and ghouls. This volume is full of crafts that will keep the little ghouls in your life busy right up until the big night.

My Very Own Halloween: a book of cooking and crafts by Robin West

My Very Own Halloween: a book of cooking and crafts by Robin West

From crafts to candy, this slim volume can help any child OWN the holiday with just a little help from mom and dad. The days of making homemade treats for trick-or-treaters are gone, but your child can make special treats for teachers, friends, or a party.

Halloween School Parties: what do I do? by Wilhelminia Ripple

Halloween School Parties: what do I do? by Wilhelminia Ripple

No need to let school parties give you chills. Ripple offers ideas for everything from snacks to games to favors. Helping to plan a frightfully fun party for the whole class will be easy with this illustrated guide.

Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook

Betty Crocker Halloween Cookbook

There is a reason Betty Crocker is a household name. Check out this cookbook for reliable and dependable recipes with a holiday twist including fun ways to reuse Halloween candy.

Wormy Apple Croissants and Other Halloween Recipes by Brekka Hervey Larrew

Wormy Apple Croissants and Other Halloween Recipes by Brekka Hervey Larrew

Provides fun and unique recipes for a Halloween party, including nachos, cakes, and cookies. This cookbook includes easy instructions, a helpful tools glossary and photos which give decorating tips to make even basic snacks a party highlight. The recipes vary from healthful (roasted pumpkin seeds) to sweet indulgence (apple croissants).

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! 25 deliciously weird cupcake recipes by Lily Vanilli

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! 25 deliciously weird cupcake recipes by Lily Vanilli

Fan of Cupcake Wars? This awesomely weird cupcake cookbook got a new look for 2012, but old or new these yummy ideas will make your cupcake tray a hit with mummies and fairies alike.

Ghoulish Goodies by Sharon Bowers

Ghoulish Goodies by Sharon Bowers

Eat, drink, and enjoy the creepy yuckiness of monster eyeballs, chocolate spider clusters, buried alive cupcakes, and screaming red punch. In her colorful collection of frightful foods, the author shares the fun of baking, decorating, and indulging in delicious treats that celebrate witches and jack o' lanterns, ghosts and graveyards.


List created by:

Latricia Batchelor Markle
Children's Librarian, Tenafly Public Library