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Halloween Skeleton Crafts

Harlean Greathouse
October 27, 2008

Skeleton DecorationThese skeletons are great fun to make and hang around for Halloween. They can be made of wood 1/4 inch plywood. Easy to make from scraps. Or if you don't have the tools to do wood, you could make them with a sheet of art foam. I made mine about 17 inches tall, but you can reduce or increase the size to suit your wishes. My picture is of a wooden one.

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Materials And Tools

Directions:

  1. Print out the pattern pieces on light card stock. You can change the size if you like.
  2. Cut the pieces out, and reverse the arm and leg pieces for the opposite limbs.
  3. Make a second copy as a guide to use in placing the pieces in the correct order.
  4. If you make your skeleton from wood, drill a small whole as indicated by the dots. Using fine wire, loop it through adjacent bones, twist to fasten leaving enough wire to let it hang freely.
  5. When using foam, you can assemble them with a needle and strong thread. Make your thread long enough to let them hang freely. Make a hanging loop and fasten at the top of the head.
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  7. The wood pieces should be painted before you assemble them. I used white acrylic paint, then painted the front with fluorescent (glow-in-the-dark) paint. Let this dry and then draw on the details with a black Sharpie.
  8. Use black foam or felt and cut a double hat piece. Match them up over the top of the skull (see picture) and glue into place.
  9. Tie a black ribbon bow between the skull and the rib cage.

By Harlean from Arkansas

Click Here to download the instructions.

Comments


Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 148 Posts
October 28, 20080 found this helpful
Top Comment

Hey guys!
This is an update to my pattern. I now have a picture of this skeleton made with art foam instead of wood. And although my directions say to assemble him with thread, I used staples with better results. Just separate the staples from the strip, push one end into each of two adjoining pieces and then crimp the ends to secure.

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And here is my photo of the finished skeleton...without the hat and tie.
Harlean from Arkansas

 
 

Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

July 14, 2009

I have made a skeleton out of milk cartons many years ago and have forgotten how. Does anyone have the pattern?

By Barbara Sanchez from Vernal, UT

Answers

October 15, 20101 found this helpful

or 9 clean, plastic gallon jugs
String
Scissors
Craft knife
Glue gun
One-hole punch
Neon paint (optional)
X
Instructions
To make the head, choose a jug with a pair of circular indentations opposite the handle and turn it upside down. In the corner, opposite the handle, cut out a large, smiling mouth, centered under the indented "eyes." Make two small slits in the top of the head and tie a loop of string through them for hanging the finished skeleton.

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For the chest, cut a vertical slit down the center of a right-side-up jug, directly opposite the handle. Cut and trim away plastic to make the rib cage. Glue the head and chest together at the "neck" by connecting the spouts of the two jugs with a thick band of hot glue. Hold the jugs together for a few minutes until the glue cools.

To form shoulders, cut off two jug handles (leaving a small collar on the ends) and attach them to the chest section with hot glue. Punch a hole at one end of each shoulder.

For hips, cut all the way around a jug, about 4 1/2 inches up from the bottom. Take the bottom piece and trim away a small smile shape from each side to make a four-cornered shape. Punch holes in two opposite corners.

Make a waist by cutting out two spouts, leaving a 1/2-inch collar on each. Glue the spouts together and let dry. Then, hot-glue the waist to the bottom of the chest and the top of the hip section.

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Form arms and legs by cutting eight long bone shapes from the corner sections of three jugs (cut into the curved shape of the jug to make the bones even more realistic). From four of these bones, cut out the center to make lower limbs (forearms and shins). Punch a hole through the ends of all eight bones. Use string to tie two arm sections to each shoulder and two leg sections to each hip.

Let kids trace their hands and feet onto the side of a jug, then cut out the shapes. Punch holes in the hands and feet, and tie them onto the arms and legs.

Variations: Paint Mr. Bones a neon color to make him appear to glow.

 
 
Answer this Question

October 31, 2016

This is a simple, fun kids craft to make with your children. This is a page about making a Q-tip skeleton.

Making a Q-Tip Skeleton

October 22, 2021

I have been having fun making peg people and decided to do a Halloween-themed peg doll with this cute little skeleton.

Three skeleton peg dolls.

December 2, 2016

This is a page about making a milk jug skeleton. Recycled milk jugs are the start to making a Halloween skeleton decoration.

Decorations sitting on patio wall.

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