The Battle of Pumpkins and Ghosts
If these rainy days leave you looking for a fun Halloween craft for kids (or for yourself!), this handmade pumpkin and ghost tic tac toe game is such a lovely project to try... Made from air-dry clay and decorated with paint, with optional gold leaf to finish, it’s part craft, part keepsake – and can be enjoyed year after year. You can even turn your finished game into a little stop motion video using the Stop Motion app for an extra bit of Halloween fun.
And if you’d like to make your own, here’s how we did it.
What You’ll Need
• Air-dry clay (we used this one)
• Acrylic paints in your favourite Halloween shades
• Gold leaf for that extra touch of magic
• PVA glue
• Paintbrushes and clay sculpting tools
• A rolling pin
• A small bowl of water for smoothing edges
Step 1: Create Your Characters
Roll out your clay to around 5mm thick
Make your pumpkins and ghosts – five of each is perfect for a tic tac toe game.
Add little details using a sculpting tools, toothpick, or the end of a paintbrush.
Step 2: Make the Board
Roll out another piece of clay into a circle, flute the edges (fiddly, but optional!)
Create two horizontal and two vertical lines
Lightly score the along where the lines will go on the board before sticking down with water
Leave your clay pieces to dry fully – usually 24 to 48 hours depending on the clay you use.
Once they’re dry, lightly sand any rough edges if needed.
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Step 3: Now for the fun part – painting!
Top tip from my daughter - (practise the faces before you put them onto the figures!) Once dry, you can seal them with a little diluted PVA.
Once the paint is dry, use PVA glue to gently apply gold leaf to the edges or details once the paint has dried for that extra sparkle. It gives such a lovely finish and makes your handmade game feel truly special.
And that’s it – your very own Halloween tic tac toe set! It’s simple, a bit messy, and full of character – just the way the best family crafts are.
Bonus: Stop Motion Video
If you’d like to bring your Halloween tic tac toe to life, try making a stop motion video. It’s much easier you think and children love watching their creations move!
Here’s how we did ours using the Stop Motion app:
1. Set up your scene – make sure your board and pieces are in good light, and your phone or camera is steady. A tripod or a stack of books works perfectly. Blu tack your board to the table!
2. Open the Stop Motion app and tap the plus sign to start a new project.
3. Take a photo, move one game piece ever so slightly, then take another photo.
4. Repeat this process – move, snap, move, snap – until you’ve played out your whole game.
5. Preview your animation in the app. If it’s too fast, you can adjust the frame rate easily.
6. Add music or titles if you like, then save your video and share it with friends or family.
It’s such a fun way to capture a handmade project – and a lovely memory to look back on each Halloween!
Capture the Magic in photos
Simple activities like this are where the best family memories are made – the laughter, the mess, the teamwork. But taking photos at the same time is not easy - in fact it can be quite stressful with little ones…
Which is where I come in! If you love making things at home with your little ones - I’d love to capture this in photos for you! Enjoy the process while I quietly snap away, turning your everyday activities into forever memories…