Lumpy, bumpy, twisty mini-gourds are a strange bunch, but they so perfectly lend themselves to being converted into a wacky gaggle of Halloween critters, creatures, and bugs. Pipe cleaners, beads, and drinking straws are all you need to bring these weird-o pumpkins to life.

Head over to Parents Magazine to see the rest of the kooky Halloween pumpkin bunch!

What You Need:

• Black ball-head pins
• White 1/2-in. pom-poms
• Screwdriver
• Miniature gourds
• Chenille stems
• Small black beads
• Paper straws

How to Make It: Stick ball-head pins into pom-poms to make eyes. With screwdriver, poke small holes into gourds and insert chenille stems for legs (and/or wings). Slip beads over the ends of the legs to make feet. For a different look for the legs (as shown at far left), slip paper straws over the chenille stems.

There’s a chill in the air, and round orange fruits are popping up on street corners! It’s pumpkin-time! We may have no idea what Halloween is going to look like this year, but one thing is for sure…pumpkins are going to find their homes on front porches, stoops, and doorsteps, and if there’s any year to trick these guys out more than ever, it’s NOW!

This super-fun little weird-o is one that I made for the current issue of Parents magazine. We really wanted to play with whimsy this year, and this pumpkin creature has all of my heart.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Small paintbrush
• Acrylic paint
• 1 6-in.-diameter pumpkin
• White balloon
• Two 3-in. spools
• 2 wooden ice-cream spoons
• 2 small cardboard triangles
• Wooden skewer
• Screwdriver
• Hot-glue gun
• Glue Dots

1. Paint a giant eyeball on the pumpkin and the white balloon inflated to about 4-in. diameter.
2. Paint spools, spoons, cardboard triangles, and skewer with black paint.
3. With screwdriver, dig two shallow holes in bottom of pumpkin to fit spools as legs.
4. Hot-glue spoons on the sides for arms and cardboard triangles to the top for ears.
5. Attach the end of the skewer to the balloon knot using Glue Dots and hot-glue the other end to one arm.

Photo by Ted & Chelsea; Styling by Pam Morris.

There it is again…that buzzword, STEAM. Or STEM. In case you haven’t heard of this term, it stands for Science Technology Engineering Art and Math. It basically encompasses all the things that parents want their kids to excel in academically, minus the humanities (still waiting for that acronym).

I crafted these STEAM-inspired projects, invented by some of my fave STEAM experts out there, for Family Fun magazine. For the most part, you’ll likely have most of the materials, but for anything that you don’t have, I’ve included links below!

(Above) This Balance Sculpture by Babble Dabble Do is as beautiful as it is educational. Design yours with lots of colors or keep it monochromatic like this green one.

The fact that Play-doh functions as a conductor of electricity (you’ll need to get this battery pack with leads and LED lights) ranks up there with one of the top five things I’ve learned as a parent. Learn how to make this Electric Play-doh Lightening Bug by Left-Brain Craft Brain

This Juice Pouch Stomp Rocket by Babble Dabble Do reuses something that I never thought I’d reuse…a juice pouch!

Your kids will learn words like energy, payload, and catapult when they make this cool Pom-Pom Launcher by Curious Jane.

These projects are all great at-home STEM projects to engage, entertain, and educate kids all at once!

Generally, if I can use one upcycled material per craft, it’s a win. When I can nail down three upcycled materials, I feel like a magician! This upcycled lighthouse that doubles both as a nightlight and a bookend is one of the projects. All of the recycled materials are used relatively in tact, and they piece together beautifully to make this multi-purpose, satisfying craft.

If you have a kid that dreams of the ocean. loves boats, or has a thing for lighthouses of course, then this is your project.

What you’ll need:

• One 10-ounce plastic bottle, empty and dry (mine was a Method Home hand-soap bottle, but you could also use a vegetable oil bottle)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• 1 tennis ball can lid
• Red and white sand
• Funnel
• Black electrical tape
• One 4-ounce baby food jar
• 1 battery-powered votive
• Black permanent marker
• Permanent glue dots

Make It:

1. To create the lighthouse’s gallery ledge, center the opening of the empty bottle on the tennis ball can lid and trace. Cut a slit into the plastic and cut out the circle. Set this aside.
2. Use the funnel to pour alternating layers of red and white sand into the bottle. (You can measure out even stripes or just eyeball it.) Fill all the way to the top and seal the opening with electrical tape.
3. Wrap electrical tape around the threaded part of the baby food jar, and color the bottom of the outside of the jar with the black permanent marker. Slip the gallery ledge around the mouth of the bottle.
4. To create the lighthouse’s lantern room, stand a tea light on top of the bottle and cover it with the baby food jar. (My jar lid sat perfectly atop the bottle and tea light, but if you find yours is less steady, use glue dots to keep it in place.)