How to Make a Halloween entry and welcome trick

Add some personality to your entry and welcome trick-or-treaters with a pumpkin topiary in the shape of a totem pole. All it takes is a few faux pumpkins, basic craft supplies and a little imagination.

Materials Needed:

• 3 faux pumpkins
• spool of 3/8" wide black craft ribbon
• black acrylic craft paint
• white acrylic craft paint

• small craft paintbrush
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• pumpkin-carving tool or sharp knife 

Select Pumpkins

Select three similarly shaped faux pumpkins.

Cut Hole

Use a sharp knife or pumpkin-carving knife to cut a hole in the bottom of the first pumpkin. Make sure the hole is big enough for the stem of the second pumpkin to fit into. Repeat this step on the bottom of the second pumpkin.

Adhere Ribbon

Cut random lengths of craft ribbon and hot glue them to each of the pumpkins to form mouths.

Paint Eyes

Paint eyes on each of the pumpkins using a small paintbrush and some black and white acrylic paint.

Hot Glue Pumpkins

Use hot glue to attach the first pumpkin to the second and the second pumpkin to the third.

Halloween Welcome Sign for a Front Porch 2012 Ideas from HGTV

This project is easy and inexpensive and certainly one in which the kids can help. We took a thrift-store frame, wrapped the inside with yarn and cotton to make it look like a spider web. Then spiders and a "Welcome" message were hung within the webbing.

Tools and Materials

scissors
hammer
black paint and a paintbrush
large wood frame
small wire nails
4 to 8 felt furniture pads
small toy spiders
white cotton spider webbing
yellow or orange yarn
black letters
picture hanging kit if not already attached to frame

Paint the Frame

Paint the frame black and let it dry.

Nail and Pad the Back

On the back of the frame, along the edge, hammer in the small wire nails. Insert the nails so only about a 1/4" is sticking out of the frame.

Place the felt pads on the back of the frame along the corners so the nails will not scratch the house or door.

String the Yarn

Wrap the yarn on the wires going back and forth across the frame in a random pattern. Tie off the yarn periodically.

Add Webbing

Behind the yarn, stretch out some of the white cotton material along the same nails.

Place Your Message

Place the letters in a random pattern onto the yarn, close enough together so you can read the word "Welcome". We used self-adhesive, store-bought letters, but you can print out your own message on sticky paper.

Add Spiders

Place the spiders along the front and tuck into the yarn and webbing.