Wooden Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes Craft Idea for Halloween Decor

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These Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes are a fun craft for anyone looking to add spooky charm to their Halloween decor!

You can create these adorable decorations with simple craft supplies, including wooden blocks, fabric, and paint.

Perfect for decorating your home or classroom or even as a festive touch for a Halloween party, this budget-friendly craft is a great way to get creative and celebrate the season!

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Orange-painted wooden cubes with Jack-o'-Lantern faces draw on. Fabric ghosts sit on top of the cubes. Text overlay says: Halloween Craft Idea - Jack-o-Lantern Wooden Cubes

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Orange-painted wooden cubes with Jack-o'-Lantern faces draw on. Fabric ghosts sit on top of the cubes.

Where is the Craft Tutorial Card?

The printable tutorial card is towards the end of this page. We recommend reading through the blog post so you don’t miss any of our tips and ideas!

Level: Easy
Active Time: 30 mins + drying time
Kid Friendly: Yes. Some assistance may be required.

Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes

Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to get into the spooky spirit than with some fun and easy Halloween Crafts?

These wooden Jack-o’-Lantern cubes are topped with sweet little ghosties made with a wooden peg doll, fabric, and ribbon. They are simple to make and an affordable DIY Halloween project for all ages.

This spooky craft is flexible enough for different settings, whether you’re making them with your family at home, with your care home residents, with your class, or as a crafting afternoon with friends on an autumn day.

You can create a set to display as Halloween decorations in your home, gift them as hostess presents, or use them as DIY Halloween party favors.

The Jack-o’-Lantern cubes are fun to customize with different faces (check out our Pumpkin Carving Patterns for inspiration), and you could even make letters to spell out a Halloween greeting or name!

Materials & Tools Used in This Craft

The materials and tools needed for this project have been linked to Amazon below for your convenience. The quantities are on the craft tutorial card at the end of this post.

  • Wooden Peg Dolls—Used to make the little ghost figures that top your Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes. Look for 2.5-inch (6cm) tall versions.
  • Wooden Cubes—These form your Jack-o’-Lanterns. You can use recycled or new 1.5-inch (4cm) blocks.
  • Acrylic Craft Paints—You’ll need orange for the pumpkin faces and black for detailing the ghosts.
  • White Fabric—Used to create ghostly costumes for the peg dolls. Repurpose fabric scraps or fat quarters.
  • Permanent Black Marker—To draw the Jack o’Lantern faces and ink in any letters from recycled blocks.
  • Glue Gun and Glue Sticks—Hot glue will secure your ghosts to the top of the pumpkin cubes. If crafting with kids, opt for a low-temp glue gun for added safety.
  • Rubber Bands—Temporarily hold the fabric in place while tying your ghosts’ costumes.
  • Skinny Ribbons—Use for decorative bows around the ghost costumes. Pick assorted colors for variety.
  • Paintbrush—Used to paint the eyes and mouth of your ghosts.
  • Pencil—Perfect for sketching Jack’s faces before committing with a marker.
  • Scissors—To cut your fabric, ribbons, and any other trimming.
  • Pinking Shears—Excellent for cutting fabric, preventing frayed edges, and keeping your ghosts neat.
Craft Supplies for Jack-o-Lantern Wooden Cubes - white fabric, paint, ribbon, wooden cubes, wooden peg dolls, glue gun, scissors, paintbrush, marker
Craft Supplies for Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes

Where Can I Get Cheap Craft Supplies?

This budget-friendly craft uses supplies you may already have or can purchase cheaply at a dollar store (or local equivalent).

Check out your local dollar stores like Dollar Tree if you’re in the USA. If you’re in the UK, the PoundshopThe RangeWilko, and Baker Ross are great places to shop for cheap and inexpensive craft supplies. To the rest of the world reading this—we’re sorry we don’t know every cheap store out there, but please do hunt the ones out in your location for crafting bargains!

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Tap the buttons below to save this idea to your Pinterest boards, Facebook page, or Flipboard magazines for later!

Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes Tutorial Card

The printable tutorial card is below—please leave a star rating and quick review to share your experience with others!

Orange-painted wooden cubes with Jack-o'-Lantern faces draw on. Fabric ghosts sit on top of the cubes.

Jack-o’-Lantern Cubes

Michelle Ordever
Whether you're an experienced crafter or just looking for easy Halloween craft ideas, this Wooden Jack-o'-Lantern Cubes Craft is a breeze. Teens and tweens can do this DIY project solo or with younger kids, making it perfect for family fun!
No ratings yet
Active Time 30 minutes
Project Craft
Holiday Halloween
Makes 3
Difficulty Easy

Materials

Instructions
 

  • Paint the wooden blocks with orange acrylic craft paint. Let dry, and apply a second coat, if necessary.
    Painting Wooden Cubes
  • Sketch Jack-o'-Lantern faces onto the wooden blocks with a pencil. Fill in the features with a permanent black marker. If using recycled ABC blocks, ink in the letter with a permanent black marker.
    Added Jack-o-Lantern Features to Painted Blocks
  • Trace 5.5/14cm” wide circles onto white fabric with a pencil.
    Drawing Circle Outline on White Fabric
  • Cut out the circles with a pair of pinking shears to prevent the edges of the fabric from fraying. Cut inside the traced lines for a clean finished project.
    Cutting Circles from White Fabric
  • Place the top of the wooden peg doll in the center of the fabric circle. Gather the fabric tightly and secure it with a rubber band around the neck. Cut an 8”/20cm length of skinny ribbon, tie it in a secure knot, and then in a mini bow. Remove the rubber band and trim any long ribbon ends with scissors.
    Assembling Ghosts
  • Using the rounded end of a paintbrush and black acrylic craft paint, give the ghost a mouth and two eyes. Dip the paintbrush handle in the paint and then dot to make the ghosts’ faces.
    Painting Ghost Faces
  • To finish, attach the ghosts to the top of the Jack-o'-Lantern cubes with a hot glue gun.
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Notes

Handy Tips & More Ideas

  • Pre-Paint the Blocks: If you’re doing this craft with a group, consider pre-painting the blocks to save time and keep things simple.
  • Use Recycled Blocks: Recycled alphabet blocks add a layer of charm and give the project a unique, eco-friendly touch.
  • Words: Turn the cubes into a sign for Halloween. Spell out ‘Trick or Treat,’ ‘Boo!’ or other seasonal greetings. You could also use them as place settings for a Halloween dinner.
  • Money-Saving: Use fat quarters or remnants of fabric for cost savings.
  • Experiment with Faces: Encourage creativity by trying out different Jack-o’-Lantern face designs. You can draw happy, spooky, or silly expressions to give each cube its own personality.
  • Add Glitter for Sparkle: Sprinkle glitter onto the cubes before the paint dries for extra magic. Or use Glitter Glue Pens on Jack’s face.
  • Mix Up Fabric Choices: Instead of just white fabric for the ghosts, experiment with different patterns or textures to make your ghostly figures stand out even more.
  • Secure with a Hair Tie: Instead of a rubber band, use a small, clear hair tie to secure the fabric around the ghost’s neck. It’s less bulky and easier to hide.
Did you make this project? Share it!Tag @_ThePurplePumpkinBlog on Instagram with the hashtag #TPPBCreate!

The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Check out Crafty October from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration, including recipes, printables, crafts, and more!

Crafty October on The Purple Pumpkin Blog

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