Halloween Experts

This is an excellent Halloween project to try with your kids. It’s fun and easy, and it is a great way to recycle some of your plastic milk jugs! We love to make these and hang several with different expressions from a big old tree with low hanging branches, then watch them dance in the breeze!

MATERIALS:
8 – 9 clean plastic gallon milk jugs per Skelly
String
Scissors & craft knife
Glue gun (for the adults to use)
One-hole punch

SKELETON HEAD
Turn a milk jug upside down
In the corner opposite the handle cut out a large pair of eyes, the mouth and two holes for the nostrils. If you have the kind of jugs that have 2 circular indentations opposite the handle, these make perfect places for the eyeholes.

Make two small slits in the top of the head and tie a loop of string through them to hang the finished skeleton.

SKELETON CHEST
Slice down the centre of a jug – opposite the handle.
Cut the plastic to make a rib cage.

Glue the head and chest together with hot glue.

SKELETON SHOULDERS
Cut off two jug handles leaving a small collar on each end. Use hot glue to attach them to the chest section.
Punch a hole at the outside end of each shoulder.

SKELETON WAIST
Cut out two spouts, leaving a 1/2 inch collar on each.
Hot glue the spouts together.
Glue to the bottom of the chest.

SKELETON HIPS
Use the bottom 4 1/2 inches of a jug.
Cut into a pelvic shape by cutting arch shapes from 2 opposite sides.
Glue to the bottom of the waist.

SKELETON ARMS & LEGS
Cut the bone shapes from the jugs.
Tie to the shoulders and hips.

SKELETON HANDS & FEET
Trace the kid’s hands and feet.
Cut these shapes out of the jugs.
Punch holes into the hands and feet and tie them onto the arms and legs.

You can paint your Skelly a neon color with “glow in dark” paint so that he will glow as he greets your Halloween guests. Another option is to outline all the edges with red marker, as in the illustration.

(Since your Skelly will probably be hanging outdoors in the wind, we recommend that you reinforce all the joints by threading silver florist wire through the holes and twisting it together.)