Jumping Jack-o'-Lantern Decoration

Kids of all ages will love this jumping Jack.

What You'll Need

• White poster board
• Pencil
• Acrylic paint: orange, purple, green
• Paintbrush
• Felt markers: orange, green, permanent black
• Scissors
• 3 clear adhesive laminating sheets, 9 x 12 inches each
• Large spoon
• 1/8-inch hole punch
• 4 paper brads
• 1 yard perle cotton floss
• 9.5mm bead

1. Trace these Jumpking Jack-o'-Lantern Halloween decoration patterns onto dull side of poster board, drawing 1 leg and 1 arm and then reversing each to draw opposite arm and leg.
   
   
2. Before cutting out, paint pumpkin head orange, hat purple, and dots green. On legs, paint wide purple stripes, then add narrow orange and green stripes with felt markers.
   
   
3. Outline all pieces with black marker. Draw eyes, nose, and mouth, and color in shoes with black marker. Cut out all pieces.
   
   
4. Following manufacturer's directions, sandwich each piece between 2 laminating sheets. Use back of a spoon to push out air bubbles. Trim laminate on all pieces to 1/8 inch of poster board edge.

   Sandwich the pieces between laminating sheets, pushing out any air bubbles.

5. Use paper punch to punch holes where indicated on pattern.
   
   
6. Attach arms and legs to pumpkin head with brads; place brads in lower holes on arms and legs. Be sure limbs swing freely.
   
   
7. Place jack-o'-lantern face down, with arms and legs directed down. Thread embroidery floss through top hole of each arm. Pull floss taut, and tie a double knot around each hole. Repeat process for holes at top of each leg.

   Tie the floss around the bead.

8. Tie 14-inch length of floss to center of arm string. Pull floss down to make a loop knot around center of leg string. Tie floss end around bead. Pull bead to make Jack dance.

Hang Jumping Jack wherever you like -- in a window, on a door, or on a wall. Make sure you can reach the bead to make him jump and dance.

The next do-it-yourself decoration starts with a paint can. We'll show you how to turn it into a special Halloween decoration on the next page.

Want to scare up more fun Halloween ideas? Try these:

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• How Halloween Works: Traces the popular holiday’s Celtic roots to American traditions celebrated today.