Homemade Halloween: Get stuck into creative activities this midterm 

Making is as important as the end result when crafting with children, writes Lilly Higgins

Carve out magical moments amongst the hustle and bustle of midterm.

Midterm is the perfect opportunity to get stuck into some creative projects. The school break provides slower days where there’s less rush and more opportunity to immerse yourself in nature. Gathering wind blown leaves on an afternoon stroll to make a beautiful wreath, combing the beach for driftwood to make Halloween ghosts. It’s also when the weather starts to turn and we embrace those darker evenings so it’s the ideal time to get knitting or sewing. 

I always love going into hibernation mode, squirrelling away loaves of freshly baked sourdough for a rainy day or making biscuits with my children. They love to be involved and as with all creative endeavours it’s more about the process than the finished product. I was a perfectionist before I had children but now I see the beauty in the journey, it’s the enjoyable moments sitting at the kitchen table carving pumpkins, chatting about their day. Carving out these magical moments amongst the hustle and bustle of midterm.

I hope you enjoy these projects yourself or with your children. It’s great fun to make a daily habit of dipping into your creative side and midterm is the perfect opportunity to start.

Toffee apples for Samhain and Halloween

What you’ll need:

6 apples

6 twigs or lollipop sticks (if using twigs, make sure to first clean them well and dry them)

550g sugar

300ml water

1 tsp vinegar

A tray lined with greaseproof paper

Sea salt for sprinkling

Makes 6

These toffee apples make apples look more appetising

These toffee apples are a very pretty way to make apples look more appetising to those in search of sugar. Small red apples are best for this; the more tang and sour flavour they have the better, to counteract the crunchy caramel shell. If you don’t want to make caramel, you can always decorate the apples with melted chocolate.

Method

Boil the kettle for hot water to clean the pan once done. Fill a large basin or sink with cold water for cooling the saucepan. Lay out everything you need, as you’ll have to work quickly once the caramel is ready.

Wash apples well, remove stalks, then firmly spear each one through the centre with a twig/stick.

Heat the sugar, water and vinegar in a heavy-based pan until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat once dissolved completely, and let the mixture boil until it turns a caramel colour. This should take approximately 10 minutes, but watch it carefully so it doesn’t get too dark.

Take off the heat and immediately sit the pan in cold water to stop it cooking.

Work quickly. Dip each apple into the caramel to coat it evenly, then place on the tray.

Sprinkle the top of each apple with a little salt.

These will last 2–3 hours before the caramel starts to soften.

Lilly’s tips: Add a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses to the caramel for a tart taste and deeper colour.

Leaf wreath

What you’ll need:

Dried leaves (different sizes/colours)

Twine or string

Scissors

1 wreath base

Ribbon bow (optional)

Head on a nature walk and make a wreath of colourful autumn leaves

Going for a walk and immersing in nature is a really nice way to celebrate Samhain as it’s all about the circle of life, respecting and appreciating what’s around us. Create a Samhain centrepiece at your dinner table with pinecones, leaves and chestnuts. Or collect leaves and make a wreath like I have here. The colours in nature this time of year are so beautiful.

Instead of a roaring bonfire on top of a hill, why not light a few candles? Let their warming lights flicker in your home.

Make a memory table honouring loved ones who have passed away. Decorate it with leaves, drawings, objects from nature or things that remind you of that person. On Samhain, light a candle and think of them with love.

I do love a wreath for every season and this wreath of colourful autumn leaves is really beautiful. I’ve used a shop-bought base and attached leaves. These bases are widely available, usually costing less than €5 in crafts or home stores, and the beauty is they can be reused year after year; strip the leaves off and start all over again. It’s lovely to have a piece of the outside world inside your house this time of year and it helps to make you feel more connected to the seasons.

Method

Group all of the leaves into similar colours or varieties. I like doing it by colour.

Make little bunches of 3–4 leaves and tie them together with the string, starting with the larger leaves first.

Layer the bunches of leaves on your base, tying them as you go.

You can work your way around the entire wreath or just do a burst of leaves at one side.

You can add a bow or keep it simple, making the leaves the focus of the wreath and acknowledging the season.

Halloween treat box

What you’ll need:

Empty toilet paper tubes

Black and white paint

Paint brushes

Paper or card, black if you have it

Scissors

Glue stick

Greaseproof paper

Sweets

Bat treat boxes are another way of keeping little ones busy and using what you already have at home

I’ve made bats here for a Halloween theme, but with the pillow shape these make excellent witches’ cats too.

Method

Start by painting the paper rolls black. Paint the paper or card too if it’s not black already.

Once dry, flatten a toilet paper roll. Press the creases at either side flat. Let the tube pop back up slightly, then push the top of the tube down towards the middle, so it creates a rounded fold.

Then push the other side the same way to close off one end of the tube.

Repeat with the other end. Glue one end closed; the other end can be the opening.

Cut two bat wings from the paper or card. Glue these onto the back of the box. Add eyes and a mouth to make your bat face.

Wrap some sweets in greaseproof paper and pop them into the box. Seal with a little bit of glue or double-sided tape. Repeat with the remaining rolls.