A Halloween art project you can display all year.
When I feel creatively stuck, I often reach for paper and a glue stick and make a collage. Collage is a satisfying way to transform old or discarded materials into something new. It tells a story differently than drawing or painting: it’s about layering, experimenting, and combining unexpected textures and patterns. There are no strict rules, which makes it fun and freeing.
Here’s an easy Halloween collage idea you can start right now. Use junk mail, envelopes, and magazine clippings to make playful, spooky artwork that you can hang up any time of year.
This project appears in my free eBook Halloween: 31 Crafty Days of Halloween for Kids, which contains 31 kid-friendly DIY ideas—one for each day of October. You’ll find projects like a monster piggy bank made from a juice box, clay bowls, felt spiders, and many more simple crafts for children. Download it for free to get all the ideas.
Materials
- Junk mail, catalogs, magazine clippings (security envelopes with patterned interiors work great)
- Sturdy background such as cardboard from a cereal box, heavy cardstock, or poster board
- Crayons, colored pencils, markers, or paints (optional)
- Glue stick
- Scissors
How to make Halloween art from junk mail
This Halloween collage is quick and forgiving. All you need are scissors, something to color or draw with (if you want), and a glue stick. Follow these three simple steps:
1. Design, cut, and arrange
Start with a basic plan to help choose shapes and colors, or dive in without a plan and let the pieces suggest a design. Either way works—collage is all about play and discovery.
Halloween collage theme ideas
- Monster family
- Ghost
- Pumpkin patch
- Black cat
- Frankenstein
- Witch with hat, cauldron, or broom
- Haunted house
- Candy corn and other Halloween sweets
- Bats
- Spiders and webs
- Vampire
Once you pick a theme, cut or tear shapes from junk mail, envelopes, and magazines. Arrange the pieces loosely on your background until you like the composition.
Alternative method: Cut a variety of scrap shapes first, then play with composition until an idea emerges. This spontaneous approach is one of the best parts of collage—there are no rules.
2. Color (optional)
If you want more color consistency or to highlight certain areas, add color now. Use crayons, markers, or paint to tweak pieces before gluing them down.
3. Glue
Use a glue stick to attach all the pieces to the background. Glue sticks are ideal because they minimize wrinkling and buckling that liquid glue can cause. Once everything is secure, your collage is ready to frame or hang.
Will you try it?
I love crafts that make you look twice at what’s in your recycling bin. Since these collages use mostly scraps and discarded paper, there’s less pressure to be perfect—just enjoy the process and experiment freely.
DIY Halloween Art from Junk Mail
Equipment
- Scissors
Materials
- Junk mail, catalogs, magazine clippings
- Sturdy background such as cardboard or cardstock
- Crayons, colored pencils, markers, or paints (optional)
- Glue stick
Instructions
Design, cut, and arrange
- Start with a basic plan to decide which shapes and colors to use, or cut a variety of scraps first and invent a design as you go.
- Cut and tear pieces from junk mail and magazines, then arrange them on your background until you’re happy with the composition.
Color (optional)
- If you want more color harmony or emphasis, add color to pieces now with crayons, markers, or paint.
Glue
- Use a glue stick to adhere pieces to the background. Glue sticks help avoid wrinkles and buckling that liquid glue sometimes causes. Let dry, then frame or hang.
Notes
If you need inspiration, consider one of the Halloween collage themes listed above. Security envelopes are a favorite because their patterned interiors add interesting texture and color.