Jack Friendly Halloween Project

Halloween is a fun time to go all out and decorate your house. The perfect decoration for that is Friendly Jack. He's a pumpkin you can create and be happy that you did. Did you know this project made our Top 20 Halloween Crafts for Kids list? Check it out, along with the other 19.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • Balls, one each: 4"; 3"; 2"; 1-1/2"
• Acrylic paints: black; clay; white; golden yellow; dark brown
• Decorative snow paint
• Black felt, 9" x 12" sheet
• Dark orange organza ribbon
• Rusty star, 4"
• Rusty wire
• Small twigs
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Compass
• Wooden items: round toothpicks; craft stick
• Paintbrushes: medium flat; liner
• Disposable palette
• Water basin
• Paper towels
• Scissors
• Heavy-duty upholstery thread
• Embroidery needle
• Wire cutters
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Craft-foam glue

Steps:

1. Use toothpicks dipped in glue to attach 2", 3", and 4" foam balls together, smallest to largest. Firmly press balls together. Slightly pull balls apart and apply line of craft-foam glue around seam; push firmly together again. Let dry. For pumpkin basket, press small hole into top of remaining foam ball.
    
2. Follow manufacturer's instructions to apply snow paint to Jack and basket. Note: Use craft stick to apply paint if applicator is not included. Let dry completely. Paint over snow with clay acrylic paint; let dry.
    
3. Refer to photo to make faces on each Jack pumpkin. First, draw features on surface; then, gently indent pattern lines with pencil to "carve" them into snow paint. Paint features black. Highlight each eye with a golden yellow dot. Paint mouth details white. Paint face on basket black.
    
4. To antique pumpkins, mix one part water with two parts dark brown paint. Paint mixture onto surface, and then immediately blot excess with dry paper towel. Repeat until desired finish is achieved. Let dry.
    
5. Insert twig arms as shown. Cut 5" length from rusty wire. Glue wire ends into top of pumpkin basket; let dry. Hang basket from Jack's arm as shown.
    
6. Cut 12" length from ribbon and fold in half lengthwise. Sew gathering stitch along edges opposite fold; do not clip threads. Tightly pull up gathers to fit around neck. Knot and clip thread.
    
7. For hat, cut 2" x 12" strip from felt. Roll strip into a cylinder and glue edge to secure. Use compass to draw one 1" and one 2" circle onto felt; cut out. Glue cylinder to center of larger circle. Glue 1" circle to top of cylinder. Glue hat to head.
    
8. Glue Jack to center of rusty star.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.