Halloween Ideas: Evil Witch Halloween Pumpkin

Forget jack-o'-lanterns, witch-o'-lanterns are where it's at this year!

Submitted by
Braden

In case the 27th Harry Potter book didn't give your kids their fill of witches, this Halloween idea will let you make your pumpkin magical. Help your little wizard conjure up a witch-shaped pumpkin or "witch-o'-lantern." It's big enough to make the perfect lawn ornament and ghastly enough to cast a spell on the whole neighborhood!

Pumpkins.
One big one and one small one.
Little wizard.
Your kid.
Googly eyes.
One pair, unless your witch has a third eye.
Black and green acrylic paint and paint brush.
So Goth!
Black or orange tulle or gauzy fabric.
Aka the witch's robes.
Raffia.
Pick it up at your local craft store.
Black construction paper.
To make the witch's hat.
Pine needles and small tree branch.
To make the witch's broom. She won't be winning any Quidditch matches on it, but it'll look cool for our purposes!
Scissors.
Pencil or pen.
Black permanent marker.
Stainless steel skewer.
Knife.
Stapler.

Head out to the pumpkin patch and have your little wizard pick out one large pumpkin (for the witch's body) and one small one (for her head.) Also, make sure the small pumpkin has a long stem attached. (More on this later. Gotta keep you in suspense!)
Hack off the stem of the large pumpkin.
Have your child paint the big orange pumpkin black and the smaller one green, including the stem.
Set the pumpkins aside to dry.
On black construction paper, trace around a saucer and a dinner plate to create two circles—one about 3 inches across and one about 6 inches across.
Help your kid cut out the circles.
Cut a slit from the edge into the center of the big circle and then bend it into a cone shape and staple it shut.
Tape the wide end of the cone onto the small circle to make a witchâs hat with a brim.
Twist a little raffia around where the brim meets the top of the hat to hide any unsightly tape marks and tape some raffia inside the hat so it hangs down like natty witch's hair.
Once the paint on the green pumpkin is dry, turn it on its side so that the stem serves as the witch's big, warty, hooked nose.
Use double-sided tape to stick the hat onto your witch's head.
Have your child glue on a pair of googly eyes above the nose. (How else is she gonna give the evil eye?)
Using a black permanent marker, help your child draw a sour little mouth on the witch. All witches (and some teenagers) wear black lipstick!
When the head is decorated, stick one end of a metal skewer into the bottom or "neck" of the small pumpkin and then shove the other end of the skewer deep down into the top of the big pumpkin to give the head a body, and vice versa. (Note: This is not a step for kids!)
Send your child into the yard to find some pine needles and a small stick suitable for a broom. (Unfortunately, he can't just visit Diagon Alley and pick one up at the shop like any old student from Hogwarts!)
Help your kid attach the pine needles to the end of the stick by wrapping raffia around and around the needles and stick. Loop the ends back down through all of the layers of raffia and secure with a knot.
Carve a small hole into the lower half of the large pumpkin and stick the bare end of the "broomstick" into the hole.
Next, deck the witch out in her dress robes (it's a holiday after all), by draping the large pumpkin with the gauzy fabric or tulle.
When the witch-o'-lantern is done, place her on the stoop to spook out the neighborhood. Then take yourself out to the "Leaky Cauldron" for some Butterbeer—every witch's brew of choice. You deserve a little downtime!