Haunted hats - Halloween decoration

Sunset, Oct, 1989

(Photos not included)

Rats, witches, and punk goblins perch atop innocent youngsters, transforming them into two-headed trick-or-treaters. All critters are variations on the wide-brimmed, cone-shaped hat donned by many Halloween witches. You can create the characters we show here or decorate the basic hat to make other haunting creatures.

Making the cardboard-and-paper hats can be an afternoon project for the whole family. An adult should cut out the cardboard shapes with a craft knife; children can handle gluing and painting. Supplies are few and inexpensive (less than $5 per hat). For each hat, you'll need a 14-inch square of corrugated cardboard (smooth on both sides) for the brim and a 24-inch square of pliable cardboard wrap (smooth on one side) for the cone. Have cardboard scraps and colored paper on hand for hair, whiskers, and other features; tempera paints (over an optional undercoat of gesso) complete the look.

To assemble hats, you'll need a craft knife, scissors, compass, dull knife, craft glue or glue gun, masking tape, and stapler. You may want to add yarn or ribbon chin ties to keep finished hats in place,

To make the basic hat, follow steps I through 5 below, then add details. Use masking tape or staples to hold pieces in place while glue dries, then remove tape. Paint directly over cardboard or apply gesso as an undercoat to make paint colors more vibrant. Add colored paper details after the paint has dried.

1 All hats start with the same basic shapes. Cut circle ftom stiff cardboard, cone from pliable cardboard wrap

2 With craft knife, cut brim's inner circle, make slits. Score middle circle with dull knife; turn up tabs

3 To make cardboard for cone more flexible, flatten corrugated ridges with roller Then ease into a curve

4 Adjust cone to slip over turned- up tabs on brim. Glue down cone, then tape if needed

5 Glue tabs to inside of cone, using bits of masking tape to secure tabs as the glue dries

Punk goblin Punk has shades, wild eyebrows, earrings, and the same nose as witch at left. To give elephant ears their prominent angle, separate cardboard layers along 21/2 -inch side to make 1/4 -inch tabs; fold tabs open and glue to hat

Bespectacled witch For hat on hat, slip 10-inch brim over main cone. Cut nose wedge from smaller semicircle, make pliable (step 3 above), glue and tape. Glue on other features

Upstanding rat Rat's head starts as a semicircle. Squeeze head to conform to shape of main cone, then glue and tape. Cut and glue on long tail, paws, ears, and spiky whiskers