DIY Adorable Ghost Leaves For Some Kid-Friendly Halloween Window Decor

It's inspiring to watch a young child persist through several attempts to walk, talk, read, or craft little creative projects. As parents, we're the guides keeping them safe and then joyfully witnessing how proud they are of themselves for accomplishing something new. Halloween provides extra opportunities for kids to create magic and for us to bask in their enjoyment. As such, we love a kid-friendly Halloween decor project — for this one, together, you'll transform real leaves into ghostly decals with clear-drying craft glue.

This is an incredibly easy DIY window decor project that needs just four items to make. You'll need some craft glue like Bostik PVA or Elmer's White PVA glue. If you have a little paint kit lying around, borrow one of the paintbrushes. Then you'll want fresh leaves; it's OK if they've fallen off the tree, but the hack won't work if the leaves are already brown and dried out. Finally, draw the eyes and mouths with a black Sharpie on regular (or construction) paper and cut them out. Squirt one side of a leaf with a little PVA glue, then make the layer thin and smooth using the brush. You can coat the entire surface, omitting the stem, then cut out and place the eyes and mouth onto the leaf while the glue is still wet. Allow enough time for it to dry clear, then carefully peel off the glue decal. Moisten the window a bit, and voila, instant ghostly decor!

Because every leaf in the universe is completely original, and your decals won't be store-bought, no one in your neighborhood will have the same window decor as you this season. While there are dozens of cheap Halloween decorations you can DIY, this one might cost you about eight bucks if you need to buy the glue or zero if you already have it on hand. Plus, the glue is solvent-free and made for kids to use, so with just a little supervision, it's safe.

There are also powerful benefits to engaging children in a crafting project that you do together. When you carve out a few hours one-on-one with your child for a fun activity, it's a wonderful caregiver-kid bonding opportunity. Arts and crafts projects can help your child's self-esteem because creating something from scratch is a confidence-builder. It's a process that also teaches patience; they have to wait for that glue to dry! And, of course, crafting enhances creativity and problem-solving by leading kids through a multi-step process that they can figure out and enjoy.