Looking for a last-minute costume? Here's how to make these items:
BIG BAG SPIDER
You will need:
- 14 Large black trash bags
- Black tape or dark colored pipe cleaners
- Thin wire (optional)
- Plastic cups or red paper for eyes and mouth
- Stuffing material (newspapers, bubble wrap, packing foam, leaves from your yard)
- Scissors
Instructions:
BODY:
- Stuff 1 black trash bag ¾ full of crumpled newspaper (or any type packing material; foam, bubble wrap, leaves from your yard)
- Gather excess bag at the end and tape closed with black tape
- Stuff 1 black trash bag ¼ full of crumpled newspaper (or other packing material)
- Gather excess bag and tape to close
- Attach the two bags tightly together at ends and tape or wire together
LEGS:
- Lay 3 bags end-to-end overlapping by about 10 inches.
- If using wire for bendable legs lay wire on top of bags and cut to the same size.
- Roll up tight lengthwise and tape at ends and at the area the bags overlap.
- Make additional synch points along the leg to emulate a spider’s leg joints and to keep the bags rolled snug.
- Make four long legs.
- Cut four small slits along one side of the spider body, low and close to the ground.
- Do the same on the other side matching the approximate slit positions.
- Thread the legs in one of the slits, weave through the stuffed bags, and pull out the slit on the opposite side.
- Bend all the legs UP at the body and bend down to replicate a spider legs.
FACE:
- Cut 3 red plastic party cups approximately 3” from the bottom.
- Glue or tape 2 close together for eyes and 1 underneath for mouth
- Place him in your house or right in the front yard to greet trick-or-treaters!
BAG A GHOST
You will need:
- 2 white trash bags
- 15 white plastic grocery bags inserted into each other to form a bundle
- Black sharpie
- Old wire coat hanger OR a wooden stake
- String, thread or tape to gather neck
- Scissor
HEAD:
- Insert wire coat hanger into bundle of bags
- Bend if needed to keep bag bundle round
- Push the hook end through the bottom of the bundle and puncture (pulling wire hook out the top)
- Tie the exterior bag tight around the hanger
BODY:
- Open one white trash bag and feed over the hanger-bag bundle
- Gather bag approximately 1/3 of the way down from the top, (be sure not to cinch to tightly) and tape or tie
- Lay second white bag flat on table and cut the bottom open
- Stretch cut bag up over the gathered part of the first bag
- Fold the cut end down to form a clean line and tie or tape
- Hang Bag a Ghost in tree, ledge or awning and watch as he sways in the breeze or, post him on a stake on the front lawn!