Photo courtesy of David Menidrey, Unsplash
2020 has indisputably been a scary year, but this Halloween season offers a classic and welcoming kind of spookiness. It is time to look at a few hands-on ways to prepare for one of the most beloved holidays.
The CDC discourages trick-or-treating, which is a great excuse to buy candy for yourself. Remember to hold onto those wrappers once you have finished your treats. Using a piece of poster board and some glue, you can create a colorful collage with them that will brim with sweet Halloween cheer all season long.
If you have idle hands and no sweet tooth, try felting. It is a surprisingly simple hobby to pick up. All you need to make a palm-sized pumpkin is a bit of green and orange wool, thread, and a needle. Just follow one of the many tutorials available online. The more adventurous crafter might prefer knitting or crochet. If you start now, you should have enough practice to produce some cozy gifts in time for the holiday season.
With a little imagination, anyone can create a Halloween-themed bingo game perfect for socially distanced bonding. Myfreebingocards.com offers a free custom bingo card generator where you can put whatever words you want on the squares. Write out candy brands, monster types, or whatever festive category you want, then share with your friends so you can play a few rounds on Zoom.
If bingo is not thrilling enough for your friend group, binge your favorite slasher flicks together with scener.com. Tell everyone to write down what tropes they see and compare lists to see who caught the most cliches at the end.
For those who are squeamish, now is the perfect time to place bets with friends over what celebrities will dress up as for Halloween. Guesses will vary from scary to zany, considering how last year’s iconic looks included Lizzo dressing up as a DNA test from her famous song and Janelle Monáe donning a headless bride costume that was equal parts classy and creepy.
Don’t forget to keep your eye on Halloween crafter icons. The couple behind @ThreadBanger on YouTube is known for going all out this time of year with spooky crafts and recipes. In 2019, Corinne and Rob documented turning their entire backyard into a Halloween haunt with mostly self-assembled and handmade decorations.
This year, challenge yourself to buy crafting materials from small artists and craftsmen. Visiting Spirit Halloween or Michaels might be an easy one-stop-shop, but ordering through Etsy or a small business’ website is a great way to support the efforts of individuals rather than a chain. For example, @FuzzytailFelting on Etsy has high-quality kits for the beginner felters, and @SassarooDesigns has a variety of crochet patterns for sale, including cute bats for under five dollars.
No matter what you make this season, what matters most is that you have fun. Though the pandemic may have dampened our spirits, creating is a part of human nature and a great way to turn your frustration into something beautiful.
dbongiov@ramapo.edu
