These Halloween Nichos look the headstones you seen in New England cemeteries, and as we’d say here in Boston, they’re wicked easy to make! They are a departure from my Right Now Crafts policy of no waiting for stuff to dry, but they earn the exception. Kids can manage painting the inside where there’s less chance to touch the wet paint. Grownups or older kids can paint the outside. Once they’re dry everyone can have fun with a chalk marker to add decorations. The less perfect it is, the more Halloween-y your Nicho will look.

Pop an LED candle inside and set your Nichos in a window, on a mantel, or hang on the front door to greet trick-or-treaters. They can also hold plastic Halloween trinkets you might have from last year, dry fall leaves, a bat cut out of black paper, or your favorite lines from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. Or make a tissue paper ghost (the one above is a ball of tissue paper tied over a square of tissue paper using white thread). They’re frighteningly easy to do!

• Made with empty brick cartons

• Just cut, paint, and decorate

• Use indoors or outdoors

• A great non-scary Halloween activity for kids of all ages

LED candles are perfect for putting inside these Nichos. if you get the remote control or timer ones you can put Halloween Nichos everywhere and not have to run around turning them on and off. Hang them on your front door for a unique way to greet trick-or-treaters.

Steps At a Glance:

Ready? Here’s how:

1

You’ll need:

• an empty brick box

• scissors

• ball point pen

• acrylic paints (black and colors) and a white chalk marker for decorating the nicho

2

Pull up the top corner flaps of the box and squeeze the corners to flatten the top seam.

Cut off the top seam with scissors.

Give the inside of the box a good rinse.

3

Cut the top corner edges just down to the box corners.

Cut off the flap with the spout in it (if present) and the two side flaps, leaving the other big top flap attached.

4

With the box front facing you, snip into the lower corner edge about 1/2” from the bottom. This will make a slit that you can get the tips of your scissors into.

Continue cutting across to the opposite edge.

Cut up the center of the box, stopping about 1/2” from the fold where the top flap starts.

Cut out to each side edge from this point.

You can do this by eye, or draw cutting lines first with a ball point pen. Crooked lines or cutting won’t matter at all in your finished Nicho.

5

Open the doors of your nicho.

Leave the front top flap standing up. Push the other three down into the box.

Your Halloween Nicho is ready to paint and decorate!

Try making a few using different sized brick boxes and see how good they all look together.

Hanging Loop

To install a hanging hook, punch two holes near the top edge in the back through both the box and folded-down back flap.

Open the paperclip and form into a hook as shown. Stick the ends into the two holes and squeeze to hold in place.

Thank you for reading! If you have questions, please drop me a line.