Turn ordinary mason jars into adorable Frankenstein luminaries with this fun Halloween craft for kids. Luminary crafts are great for Halloween, perfect for putting in a window or lining your sidewalk with a festive, spooky glow. These Frankenstein luminaries are sweet rather than scary, so you know it’s kid friendly.
Kids will love making these Frankenstein faces because they are so easy. You can make several different variations to create different expressions just by changing the eyebrows and smiles. Be sure to check out my colorful Halloween luminaries and these glowing Jack O’Lantern jars as other options for decorating this year.
These would be great as centerpieces for a Halloween party, or to add some extra light to your front porch when trick-or-treating time arrives. They would also be great for holding plastic utensils or as a fun and colorful pencil holder for your desk. Another option is to fill them with individually wrapped candies and give as a gift!
Making Frankenstein Luminaries
Mason jars are the perfect starting point for luminary crafts. They’re particularly great for this project because the canning lid band becomes Frankie’s hair!
Try changing the shape of the mouth, the angle of the eyebrows, and the position of the pupils to create a variety of facial expressions. You can also use these same techniques for all kinds of other Frankenstein crafts.
Keep reading for complete instructions; you’ll also find a printable version of the instructions at the end of the post. If you make them, I’d love to see the expressions you come up with for your Frankenstein faces!
There are affiliate links in this post. That means if you buy something from that link, I will earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything additional.
Supplies needed to make Frankenstein Luminaries
- Glass canning jars with lid bands
- Acrylic paint: green, white, black
- Paintbrush
- Large, medium, and small round sponge applicators
- Black marker
- 2 metal nuts per jar
- Instant grab glue
- Clear gloss sealer spray
1. Remove bands from jars, save seals for another project.
2. Paint bands black and jars green; set aside to dry.
3. When dry, paint a second coat on the jars and have a grownup spray the black bands with sealer spray. Set aside to dry.
4. Dip the large round sponge applicator into white paint and dot on the eyes to the front of the jar.
5. Mix a small amount of green paint with some white paint to make a light shade of green. Dip the small round applicator into the green paint and add the nose to the front of the jar.
6. While the eyes and nose are drying, with a light hand so as not to rip through the paint, carefully draw on stitches and a mouth.
7. Use instant grab glue to attach a nut to the side of the jar. Allow it to dry for several minutes before turning the jar over and gluing a nut to the other side. Stand the jar up and let everything dry. You may need to check the nuts and make sure they are sticking. Simply press them back in place if need be.
8. Dip the medium round sponge applicator into black paint and add the pupils to the eyes. Allow them to dry completely.
9. Have a grown up spray the jars with gloss sealer spray, each jar and black band should get three coats, wait 30 minutes between coats.
10. When everything is dry, screw the black bands back onto the jars and add a tea light candle.
Helpful Hints:
- For a safer option, you can purchase battery operated tea light candles.
- If you don’t have canning jars, you can use any type of recycled glass jar. Simply paint the rim of the jar black in place of a band.
- These jars make great holders for your Halloween party table as well. Fill them with pixie sticks, straws, or lollipops!
More Halloween Crafts You Might Enjoy
- Use larger mason jars or glass jars out of the recycling bin to make my colorful skull luminaries.
- For another fun and monster-y idea, try making creepy hand luminaries.
- Greet trick-or-treaters with some Halloween monster yard lights!
- Hungry? Whip up some Frankenstein Oreo pops. Or if you prefer a healthier snack, try some Frankenstein kiwis instead!
- For pretend play, a Frankenstein shirt or craft stick Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein puppets offer lots of imaginative fun!
- If you’re having a Halloween party, keep everyone entertained with a foam head Frankenstein bowling game.
- Continue the Frankenstein crafts theme with a glowing Frankenstein made from a milk jug.
- Glass canning jars with lid bands
- Acrylic paint: green, white, black
- Paintbrush
- Large, medium, and small round sponge applicators
- Black marker
- 2 metal nuts per jar
- Instant grab glue
- Clear gloss sealer spray
- Remove bands from jars, save seals for another project.
- Paint bands black and jars green; set aside to dry.
- When dry, paint a second coat on the jars and have a grownup spray the black bands with sealer spray. Set aside to dry.
- Dip the large round sponge applicator into white paint and dot on the eyes to the front of the jar.
- Mix a small amount of green paint with some white paint to make a light shade of green. Dip the small round applicator into the green paint and add the nose to the front of the jar.
- While the eyes and nose are drying, with a light hand so as not to rip through the paint, carefully draw on stitches and a mouth.
- Use instant grab glue to attach a nut to the side of the jar. Allow it to dry for several minutes before turning the jar over and gluing a nut to the other side. Stand the jar up and let everything dry. You may need to check the nuts and make sure they are sticking. Simply press them back in place if need be.
- Dip the medium round sponge applicator into black paint and add the pupils to the eyes. Allow them to dry completely.
- Have a grown up spray the jars with gloss sealer spray, each jar and black band should get three coats, wait 30 minutes between coats.
- When everything is dry, screw the black bands back onto the jars and add a tea light candle.
If you don’t have canning jars, you can use any type of recycled glass jar. Simply paint the rim of the jar black in place of a band.
These jars make great holders for your Halloween party table as well. Fill them with pixie sticks, straws, or lollipops!
Amanda Formaro
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These are so fun! Definitely sweet and not scary … very kid-friendly! Perfect for the kiddos to help make, or for parents to surprise the kids with this cute decoration at the next Halloween party! I’m definitely pinning this to share! And thank you so much for mentioning our Frankenstein Kiwis as another fun, (not scary!) Halloween craft families might enjoy – so sweet of you to share our idea! Happy Halloween!
Thanks Shelley! And you’re welcome for the link. Happy to share things I think my readers will enjoy :)
I love the idea of luminaries, especially at Christmas, Last year we made them for the table but the battery operated tea lights weren’t bright enough to make it shine like a regular candle. Is there another safe way to light the luminary and make it bright? Thank you!
If you don’t want to use flame candles you can use LED string lights. They sell them in short strands that are battery operated.