This is the second autumn I have been doing this column for Dreams Alive. I hope you are all enjoying my crafts. Again this fall I have chosen a Halloween theme for my craft. Halloween is such a great time for us crafters. And I think you will really enjoy making the craft below. It is a great decoration or table centerpiece. It would really look great on your Halloween Party table.

Happy Halloween!!!

Items you will need:

1. Pumpkin
2. Approx. 5 oz. Of White light weight Modeling Clay (I used Hearty Brand, Crayola makes one called Model Magic)
3. Tacky glue
4. Acrylic Paint - Red, Yellow, and Black
5. Paint Brush
6. Pencil Sharpener
7. Spoon
8. Knife
9. 4 eight inch wooden dowels (pencil Thick)
10. small wooden decorative bats (from craft store)

(For close-up views of images below, just click the pictures.)

1. Have an adult cut you pumpkin in half for you.

2. Remove the seeds and gunk from inside each half with a spoon.

3. Sharpen both ends of each of the four dowels in the pencil sharpener. Make sure to get good sharp points on them.

4. Paint the dowels. Paint two of them red and two of them yellow. Allow them to sit until thoroughly dry.

5. Now on the red dowels paint yellow dots, and on the yellow dowels paint red dots. Allow them to sit again until thoroughly dry.

6. Use your modeling clay to shape a ghost. Make him suitable for the size of your pumpkin. He should fit inside and be visible, not too small. Knead the clay until it is smooth. Shape the clay into an oblong smooth piece. Gently twist the top portion to create a ghostly head.

7. Shape arms from small pieces of dough. Position the arms onto the ghost's body and press into place. Also shape a little round nose and press into place on the ghost's face. Then poke two little holes for eyes and a bigger round hole for the mouth.

8. Paint black in the eye holes and the mouth hole.

9. Insert the four dowels into the bottom half of the pumpkin, then place the pumpkin top on by firmly pressing into the dowels.

10. Insert the ghost into the center of the pumpkin. Position his arms on the sides to hold him in place. If that doesn't work you can press toothpicks into the bottom of the pumpkin. Position the ghost over the toothpicks and press the ghost into place.

11. Now you can decorate the outside of the pumpkin, With the black paint I wrote the word "BOO!".

12. Next I glued wooden decorative bats around the outside of the pumpkin. You can decorate the outside of your pumpkin any way that you want to .Use your imagination and have fun. Use cobwebs, spiders...whatever you can think of!

13. And here is the finished product. Isn't it cute?!