Complete with restless ghosts and headstones, this mini cemetery is big on Halloween spirit.
| Prep Time: Under 1 hour | |
| What you need: | |
| Shallow cardboard box
Leaf-shaped paper punch Colored tissue paper Dead tree twigs Aluminum foil Fabric stiffener (sold in most craft or fabric stores) Cheesecloth Corrugated cardboard 3 plastic berry boxes Markers Toothpicks Pipe cleaners | |
| Seasons: Halloween | |
| Materials: cardboard, markers, nature objects, paper, pipe cleaners, plastic tubs | |
| Instructions: | |
| 1. |  THE GRAVEYARD: Start with a shallow cardboard box. Mix some
white glue with a bit of water, brush the solution onto the
bottom and sides of the box, and press green tissue paper onto
the tacky surface. |
| 2. | Next, use garden clippers to trim dead branches into gnarled trees (a parent's job). To anchor them in the graveyard, cut a hole for each one in the bottom of the box and wedge in the branch base. Punch colorful leaves from tissue paper and glue them onto the limbs. Now your graveyard is ready to fence in and fill with ghosts and graves. |
| 3. |  THE GHOSTS: Begin by shaping ghoulish forms out of aluminum
foil. Next, pour fabric stiffener into a container and dilute it
according to the manufacturer's directions. Using rubber gloves,
dip cheesecloth circles into the stiffener and ring out the
excess liquid. Drape the damp cheesecloth over the foil forms and
let them dry completely. Then gently remove the foil and use
markers to draw on ghostly faces. |
| 4. |  TOMBSTONES: Cut headstone shapes from corrugated cardboard,
brush on diluted white glue and then wrap them in black, brown or
red tissue paper. Apply another coat of glue and cover with white
tissue paper. Once the glue dries, use a marker to print on
names. Finally, insert one end of a wooden toothpick into the
bottom of each stone and push the other end through the box
bottom. |
| 5. |  WROUGHT IRON FENCE: Cut the side panels from plastic berry
boxes. Arrange the panels (with the basket rims down) into a
rectangular yard, using snippets of pipe cleaner to link them
together. Use one of the berry box bottoms for a gate. Set the
assembled yard on the box bottom, then push pipe cleaner posts
down through the links and into the tissue-covered cardboard to
hold the fence in place. |
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