Halloween is the only day bugs crawling around your home is acceptable—if they’re fake of course. Creepy crawlies are naturally spooky and can add a nice touch to your Halloween festivities. From costumes to activities, a bug-themed Halloween is sure to be fun. We’ve gathered some ideas on how you can have a buggy Halloween.
Bug-Themed Decorations
Decorating your home is one of the best parts of Halloween. Whether you like to keep things cute or be a little spooky, bug-themed decorations are a great option.
Pumpkins
Carving pumpkins is a favorite Halloween activity. Try adding a buggy twist to your design. Butterflies and dragonflies would be a fun and not so scary option. If you wanted to be a little spooky, you could try carving a spider. There are plenty of templates online to help you carve the perfect design. If your little ones are too young to join in on the carving fun, they can paint their pumpkins instead. Remember to wait until it gets closer to Halloween to carve pumpkins to avoid attracting real life creepy crawlies.
Bug Terrariums
This is another decoration that doubles as a fun activity for kids or adults. All you need is a jar, a few twigs, cotton balls, black paint, and a few plastic bugs. Start by painting the twigs black and letting them dry. Pull the cotton balls apart to give them a spider web appearance. Place them in the bottom of the jar and then arrange a few twigs. Add a few plastic bugs to and the decoration is ready to go.
Spiders
Though they are technically arachnids and not insects, they should still be a part of your Halloween festivities. Most stores have plenty of spider decorations around Halloween. They even have spider webs you can hang. If you wanted to try a DIY spider, you have a few options. Cutting spider shapes out of construction paper is easy and affordable. You could also use pipe cleaners or popsicle sticks.
Bug-Themed Costumes
Halloween wouldn’t be the same without costumes. There are many bug-themed costumes available at stores. You can also make your costumes with just a few supplies. Check out how to make your own bug-themed costumes.
Ladybug
Ladybugs are an easily recognizable bug, which make them a great option for a Halloween costume. You’ll want a red shirt, black pants, and a black permanent marker. Making this costume is as easy as adding a few black spots to the red shirt. You can take the costume a step further and create antennae by adding pipe cleaners to a black headband.
Bumblebee
Bumblebees are another classic bug-themed Halloween costume. The process for making this one is similar to the ladybug. Grab a yellow shirt and black pants. If you can find a yellow and black striped shirt, then the hard part is done. If not, you can add stripes with a black marker, black duct tape, or sew strips of black felt to the shirt. Add your antennae and the look is complete.
Spider
Don’t let the number of legs scare you off. For the body of the spider, stick to a black shirt and black pants. To create the legs, you’ll need several black socks and tissue paper. Stuff the socks with the tissue paper to give them their spider leg shape. After you make your legs, attach them to the back of the shirt either with a hot glue gun or by sewing them to it. You can always add a black hat with eyes made from black and white felt.
Bug-Themed Treats
You can’t have trick or treating without the treats. With just a few tricks, you can create some yummy bug-themed snacks. Check out a few options featuring your favorite bugs.
Rice Crispy Ladybugs
These sweet treats can be made from already prepared crispy treats or your favorite homemade recipe. The important thing is to mold them into a rounded, oval shape. Using a microwave, melt red candy melts and then coat your treats in it. While they are still wet, attach a few chocolate chips to create spots. Let them dry and enjoy your ladybug treat.
Spider Web Cookies
These cookies can be made with your favorite cookie. You’ll want to have white frosting, chocolate frosting, and orange food coloring. Add orange food coloring to your favorite white frosting. You’ll want to add a little at a time until you reach your preferred shade of orange. Spread it across the top of your cookie. Then, pipe several lines of chocolate frosting creating a spider web design.
Caterpillar Grapes
If you’re looking for a healthier option, give these caterpillar skewers a try. You’ll need wooden skewers, green grapes, candy eyes, and black gel icing. Wash your grapes and then carefully place them on the wooden skewers. Attach the candy eyes, using a small amount of icing, to the first grape. If you want, you can use the icing to give your caterpillar a smile.
Bug-Themed Activities
If you or your kids like to keep busy, then try adding a few activities to your Halloween festivities. These bug-themed activities are fun and simple to set up.
Bug Hunt
We promise this doesn’t involve real bugs, only the plastic kind. Take several plastic bugs and hide them throughout your home or in your yard. Give your kids toy nets or plastic jars and let them search for bugs. Not only will they have fun hunting for them, they can also keep the bug-filled jar to remember the fun activity.
Pin the Spider on the Web
This activity is just like the traditional party game except with spiders. You’ll want to start by making a spider web. This can be as simple as drawing a spider web on poster board. Attach your web to a wall once it’s finished. Next, is the spider, which can be made from construction paper. Attach double-sided tape to the back of the spider so it will stick on the web. All that’s left is to pin the spider on the web.
Whether you like your Halloween to be cute or scary, bugs can fit the theme. Just a few simple tricks can leave you with a fun bug-themed Halloween. What’s your favorite buggy Halloween idea? Let us know in the comments below!