How to Make a Halloween Garland

Greet visitors to your home this Halloween with your own paper Halloween Garland! This is a fun and easy craft.

To make your Halloween garland you'll need one sheet of construction paper for each of the letters in the message you want to put up. For instance, if you want to write 'HAPPY HALLOWEEN', you'll need fourteen pieces of construction paper. You don't need pieces for the blank spaces between words. Turn all of the pages so that the shorter end is on top and the longer edge is running top to bottom. Keep them all oriented in that direction while you work.

Along the top margin of each page use a ruler to mark off a one-inch area. When you make your letters later you'll need to avoid going into that one-inch area. Don't cut it off; just mark it with a pencil to remind you not to use that area.

With a pencil, lightly sketch out the letters of your message, one on each page. They should be large enough to fill the space between the bottom of the paper and the pencil line that you marked for the top margin.

Now go back to each page and extend your letters into the margin. For instance, if you use the letter H, there will be two places where the top of the H touches that top margin line. Use your pencil to mark a continuation of that line straight up through that top one-inch margin. If you have a letter that touches a significant portion of the top margin, for instance a capital letter R or a capital letter B, extend the left hand edge of the letter straight up and then extend the right hand side at the last point where the letter is still touching that top line.

Now, using a pair of scissors, cut out each of your letters. Cut away the area that is not part of a letter. Keep attached any portion that you extended into that top margin. This should leave you with 1" of extra material over the top of each letter when you're done. If you'd like to, you can use specialty scissors to cut wavy designs instead of having straight edges on your letters. Some of the wavy scissor cuts have a very spooky effect. That's great for Halloween.

Now turn each of your letters over so that you can work with the back. Fold down the one-inch of extra tabbing that's at the top of each letter. Using a long piece of yarn or string, lay your yarn inside the crease of that folded back tab and then use tape to tape the tab shut over the top of it. Hang your letters side by side in the correct order to spell out your message from the front side.

Once you have all your letters attached to your yarn, tie one end of the yarn to each end of the room or doorway where your message will show. Then space out the letters with your hands as needed so that the message reads clearly.

Happy Halloween!

Please click on the author's name (above the article) to read more of her work on Associated Content.