Haunted House Collage
A mixed-media collage of a haunted house at night — torn paper for the sky, painted or cut paper for the house, tissue paper ghosts, glitter spiders — is a rich Halloween art project that blends multiple techniques into one atmospheric scene.
What You'll Need
- Large black or dark blue background paper
- Various papers — black, grey, purple for the house; orange for windows
- Tissue paper — white for ghosts
- Silver or gold glitter glue — for stars and moon
- Glue sticks and craft glue
- Scissors — for cutting house shapes
How to Do It
Step 1: Make the sky. Tear dark purple and blue paper into strips and layer them across the upper background for a night sky. Add a yellow circle for the moon.
Step 2: Build the house. Cut a large spooky house silhouette from black paper — tall, jagged roofline, towers, shuttered windows. Glue in place.
Step 3: Add windows. Cut small orange rectangles and glue in the windows for warm, eerie interior light.
Step 4: Add ghosts. Scrunch tissue paper into ghost shapes and glue to the sky.
Step 5: Add details. Bats, a fence, bare trees, a moon reflection — children add finishing touches.
🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
Atmospheric composition — Creating a nighttime mood with color and element choice is sophisticated art-making.
Mixed media — Combining torn paper, cut paper, tissue, and glitter develops understanding of layering techniques.
Tips & Variations
- Use a sponge to dab diluted white and blue paint for a misty fog effect.
- Add cotton-pulled ghosts emerging from the house windows.
My Two Cents
The tearing of the sky papers (rather than cutting) gives a much more organic, atmospheric result. It also takes the scissor pressure off and makes this accessible to younger children. Encourage really expressive, ragged tearing for the best textural effect.
