Does your family love Halloween and pumpkin carving?
If so, they’re going to love creating these homemade paper bag pumpkin puppets.
They are a simple pumpkin craft for kids that will keep the kids entertained, working on creativity, and anxiously anticipating Halloween!
Moms (and teachers) will love that there’s no messy pumpkin guts to deal with and kids will love making their own unique puppet.
Plus, this pumpkin craft can be modified to work with kids of almost any age and skill level! Make this Halloween craft for kids this October!
Read on below to see how to make this Halloween craft with your kids or students.
Brown Paper Bag Pumpkin Puppet
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Supplies
- Brown paper bag
- Card stock (in black, orange and green)
- Orange marker
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Ruler
- Jack O’lantern face template (download form located at the end of the post)
Directions
Trim off about 2″ of the bottom of the brown paper bag to make the total length about 8.5″.
Cut out two rectangles from the orange card stock. One rectangle will be for the pumpkin head and measures 5″ wide by 3.5″ tall. The other will be for the pumpkin body and will be 5″ wide by 7″ tall. Keep in mind, this is for a standard paper bag. Measure your paper bag to be sure you’re cutting the right sized paper.
Glue the larger rectangle underneath the paper bag flap and to the bottom of the bag.
Glue the smaller rectangle onto the top of the paper bag flap.
Using a ruler and the orange marker, draw straight lines down the length of the paper bag pumpkin puppet.
Download the jack o’lantern face pieces and print out on the black card stock. Cut out the shapes if your child is too young to do it by themselves.
Glue the eye and the nose onto the orange flap.
Glue the mouth onto the main “body” section, just below the flap.
Cut out a rectangle from the brown card stock and glue behind the bag, at the top of the head.
Cut out a thin, long rectangle, about .75″ wide and 5″ long from the green card stock for the pumpkin’s leaf.
Wrap the green paper around a pencil or your finger to curl it.
Glue the leaf to the top of the paper bag flap, near the stem.
You’re all done!
This paper bag pumpkin puppet is a fun and simple Halloween craft for kids of all ages!
Adapting This Craft For Kids Of All Ages
Want to make this pumpkin craft with the whole family?
No problem! We’ve got recommendations on how to make this craft for children of all ages.
If you’re working with toddlers, we suggest having all the pieces pre-cut and having the orange base already glued to the paper bag. Alternatively, instead of using a brown paper bag, you can buy an orange paper bag and skip this step entirely.
From there, you can help your child use the glue stick and position the eyes, nose, and mouth onto the bag. To make it really easy, just leave off the stem and leaf.
Children in preschool or kindergarten will be able to do more steps. With the help of an adult, they can use a ruler to draw the orange lines on the card stock or cut out simple shapes like the stem and leaf.
Most likely, they’ll need to have the jack o’lantern pieces already cut out for them to glue. If you want to make it more simplified, you can let them draw the eyes, nose, and mouth on with a black marker instead.
Older children in grade school will likely be able to do this craft with minimal adult assistance. They’ll cut out their own facial expressions, draw the lines on themselves and glue everything together without help.
Share With Us
Did you make this paper bag pumpkin puppet with your kids or students? We love seeing how they turn out so snap a picture and share it on our Facebook wall or in our private Facebook group.
More Halloween Activities For Kids
Spooky season is here and what better way to celebrate than with this delightful candy corn headband craft! This candy corn headband craft is a wonderful way for kids to improve their fine motor skills and follow instructions. The craft is simple, engaging, and easy to make!
More Halloween Ideas For Kids
Paper Bag Pumpkin Puppet For Kids
Make this simple brown paper bag pumpkin puppet for Halloween fun!
Materials
- Brown paper bag
- Card stock (in black, orange and green)
- Orange marker
- Glue stick
- Jack O'lantern face template (download form located at the end of the post)
Tools
- Scissors
- Ruler
Instructions
- Trim off about 2" of the bottom of the brown paper bag to make the total length about 8.5".
- Cut out two rectangles from the orange card stock. One rectangle will be for the pumpkin head and measures 5" wide by 3.5" tall. The other will be for the pumpkin body and will be 5" wide by 7" tall. Keep in mind, this is for a standard paper bag. Measure your paper bag to be sure you're cutting the right sized paper.
- Glue the smaller rectangle onto the top of the paper bag flap.
- Glue the larger rectangle underneath the paper bag flap and to the bottom of the bag.
- Using a ruler and the orange marker, draw straight lines down the length of the paper bag pumpkin puppet.
- Download the jack o'lantern face pieces and print out on the black card stock. Cut out the shapes if your child is too young to do it by themselves.
- Glue the eye and the nose onto the orange flap.
- Glue the mouth onto the main "body" section, just below the flap.
- Cut out a rectangle from the brown card stock and glue behind the bag, at the top of the head.
- Cut out a thin, long rectangle, about .75" wide and 5" long from the green card stock for the pumpkin's leaf.
- Wrap the green paper around a pencil or your finger to curl it.
- Glue the leaf to the top of the paper bag flap, near the stem.
Jack O’Lantern Face Template
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.