Organize a Skeleton Decorating Contest for Halloween

Next to Christmas, Halloween is perhaps the most exciting holiday for which to decorate your home. People who enjoy Halloween and those who really enjoy arts and crafts can really get into the decoration aspect of Halloween. One fun way to make decorating for Halloween an exciting group event is to hold a skeleton decorating contest in the weeks before Halloween. The finished projects can be used to decorate homes or can be donated to places such as nursing homes or hospitals.

There can be as much or as little set up for this project as you wish. First and foremost, no matter how big of a project you expect to make this into, you'll need some skeletons. Determine how many participants you will have in the skeleton decorating contest (and now, if you're really serious about this, is a good time to invite them). You can purchase paper skeletons of varying quality from most big chain suppliers or party stores, though the finished project looks better if you can create or purchase skeletons made of paper mache. I've even seen some really fantastic homemade ones made of pipe cleaners and styrofoam balls.

Next, you'll need some decorating supplies. For the skeleton decorating contest with friends, you can request that your friends bring some of their own supplies, or you can simply purchase bulk packs of a variety of basic arts and craft supplies. Pipe cleaners, sequins, feathers, strips of fabric and construction paper all make for great ways to decorate skeletons in unique manners. Many craft stores will have a Halloween section, and anything that you can glue or tape on to the skeleton would be a good bet, especially bags of cheap rings in pumpkin and spider shapes. Don't forget to purchase enough scissors and glue or tape to go around! You can also raid your own home. Some really creative skeleton decorating ideas can include things from the recycling bin of your home.

You'll need a location. If you only have a couple of friends coming over for the skeleton decorating contest, your home or garage could work well, but if you expect to make this a bigger project, you'll need more space. Many towns will rent picnic shelters (if you live in a more temperate environment) or rooms in community centers for relatively low cost. Some churches might also lend some space, especially if many of the participants are from the church, or if your intention is to use some of the skeletons to decorate for a Halloween party hosted by your church. If you plan on holding it outdoors, make sure to have a rain date and to set your first day far enough in advance of Halloween to be able to hold it later than you'd expected, in case of rain or extremely cold temperatures.

If you really want to make this into a big contest, and you've found a large enough venue, why not open the contest to the public? Create fliers using a Word Processor or by hand and post them on posts and in stores. Make sure to abide by your city, county and state laws regarding posting of advertising materials. I've seen some decorating contests that ask for a small donation to offset costs, and others that use the entry fee to donate to a worthy cause.

Whether you're hosting a group of small friends for your skeleton decorating contest or if you're bringing together a large group of strangers, you'll need a judge. For larger events with prizes, you should try to have more than one judge to avoid complaints. Either judge for yourself or grab some of your friends. The only criteria for judging a skeleton decorating contest is to avoid bias. Skeletons can be judged in a variety of categories (most original, best dressed, most eco-friendly, etc.)

On the day of the event, you can get everyone in the mood by decorating your venue in Halloween style. Make sure that everyone has enough room to spread out. Give all participants equal time to work on their skeletons so that some people do not have an advantage and, above all, have fun!