Make a Glass Jar Jack-O-Lantern
Kids Decorate the House for Halloween with This Candlelit Craft
Sep 30, 2008
According to the Pumpkin Nook, Jack-O-Lanterns originally came from Ireland. The first lanterns weren’t actually pumpkins at all, but hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes, or beets. When Irish immigrants came to the United States in the late 1800s, they decided to give pumpkins a try. They found the big squash a lot easier to carve out, and Americans have been decorating with them for Halloween ever since.
Materials
- Glass or clear plastic jar of any size
- Paint brush or sponge
- Orange tissue paper
- Black construction paper
- Paper mache (papier-mâché) ingredients (either diluted glue, wallpaper paste, or flour and water)
- Candle
Instructions for Making Paper Mache Paste
Parents have several options for the paste their kids can use to make the Jack-O-Lanterns. Wallpaper paste works well, or parents can dilute glue with a half and half mixture of glue and water.
If parents want to avoid the fumes of glue, they can take the traditional route and mix flour with water. An easy recipe is 2 cups flour to 4 cups water with a few tablespoons of salt to prevent mold. Kids can stir the mixture until they don’t see any lumps.
Instructions for Making Paper Mache Jack-O-Lanterns
- Remove all labels from jar by soaking and scrubbing.
- Tear orange tissue paper into one inch pieces.
- Pick up the mason jar where the lidscrews on and hold upside down.
- Paint the whole jar except the part where the lid screws on with paste.
- Cover the jar with a few layers of tissue paper.
- Tissue paper may need to be dipped into the paste to make it stick to the jar.
- Paint any loose paper with paste to make the jar smooth.
- Allow the paper mache to dry overnight.
- Cut a face for the Jack-O-Lantern from black construction paper.
- When the paper mache is dry, glue the eyes, nose, and mouth, to the jar.
- Tie a green ribbon or bit of raffia to the top making sure it won’t hang down into the candle or over the edge.
Tips for Cutting Out a Jack-O-Lantern Face
Parents can use this craft to teach their child about symmetry. They can show kids how to fold a piece of black construction paper in half and then cut half triangles along the paper’s crease for the eyes and nose. A half crescent shape cut in the same way will unfold for a perfect pumpkin smile or frown. Once unfolded, kids can add unsymmetrical touches like teeth.
Once kids have given their pumpkin its face, its time to see how it looks lit from the inside. Before lighting the Jack-O-Lantern, parents should check for any tissue paper hanging over the jar's mouth that could cause a fire.
This pumpkin really comes to life when lit. Depending on his face, he’ll either scowl with a spooky glow, or smile with a cheerful orange radiance. Parents and kids can enjoy the personality of their pumpkin as a table centerpiece for family dinners throughout the month of October.
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