How to make a spooky Halloween mansion

This simple and effective Halloween craft idea that can be completed in just 7 easy steps, using budget-friendly and readily available items such as toilet roll tubes and paint. We've included clever candles to make the windows light up to look like someone is home for trick or treating. You could also make pumpkins, toadstools, cauldrons or potions to set the scene!

Posted on Tuesday 25th September 2018

You will need:

How to make it

Step 1. Ask children to bring a variety of empty toilet roll, kitchen roll or craft tubes. Paint these black or purple, both inside and out, and leave to dry.

Step 2. Carefully cut windows into the tubes (you may be best placed to do this with a craft knife).

Step 3. Position your tubes – constructing a castle with them. Glue the lower tubes/floor of the castle together and to a thick cardboard base. Because we are adding the Clever Candles we cannot glue the next floor onto the top of the tubes as you need access to get the candles in and out.

Step 4. Cut a shaped piece of thick card as a second floor and paint it. Leave this loose and place it on top of the lower tubes. Glue the second floor tubes together and cut squares out of the top of the tubes to give a nice castle wall effect to the tops. Use a taller tube or glue two together to create one tall turret and add a cone top.

Step 5. Enhance the outlines of the windows with a white or silver sharpie pen – get creative and draw on bricks and climbing vines. Draw on a solid looking door.

Step 6. Charge your Clever Candles, turn them on and gently place them into the bottom turrets/tubes with windows – instantly lighting up the windows. They even glimmer! Place the next floor on and place more Clever Candles to light up the second floor windows. Put the tubes over the candles so that they glow through.

Step 7. To enhance the Halloween scene make pumpkins with fimo or modelling clay. Make little red toadstools, witches or wizards hats and brooms. Children could make potions and concoctions to follow on from this activity.