This play dough recipe is sometimes referred to as “Cloud Dough” because of how soft and smooth it is.

Now I should clarify right off the bat that there is no pumpkin in this recipe.

In fact, it’s not an edible play dough, so if you have a toddler who is constantly putting things in their mouth, this would probably NOT be a good activity for you at this time.

What we’re going to do is take a very simple, no-cook play dough recipe and dress it up just a but to make little pumpkins with it.

A nice extra touch is to add a dash of pumpkin pie spice (or a combo of cinnamon & nutmeg) to your dough.

NOTE: In the future, if you ever want to make this same cloud dough recipe but don’t care about the pumpkin theme, feel free to use a scented conditioner.

Strawberry-scented conditioner, for example, will give your dough a pretty pink color as well as a great smell.

You can do a lot of mixing and matching and experimenting using the basic recipe.

How Long Does this Dough Last?

This “cloud dough” doesn’t last as long as many traditional play dough recipes.

After about a week it will start to dry out.

However, don’t toss it in the trash just yet. You can revive it by adding a little more hair conditioner to it and kneaded it in.

Pumpkin Playdough Ingredients & Supplies

• 2 cups cornstarch
• 1 cup white hair conditioner
• 10-20 drops orange food coloring
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Pumpkin cookie cutters (you could use use a circle and then pinch the dough at the top)
• Green pipe cleaner (cut to about 2-3 inches each)
• Googly eyes (not pictured)
• Plastic mat

Play Dough Directions

1. Add the cornstarch and hair condition to the mixing bowl.

   

 

2. Add the food coloring.

   

 

3. Stir the cornstarch, hair conditioner, and food coloring together and mix well.

   

 

4. Once it’s mixed well, put the dough on a plastic mat and begin kneading it with your hands.

   

 

5. Your dough is ready when it gets a soft, silky, texture and looks something like this:

   

 

6. Use the cookie cutters, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners to create a pumpkin face!

   

    

   

    

   

 

7. Store dough in an airtight container (either a Ziploc bag or a Tupperware-style container) when you’re finished using it.

This paper roll ghost is a fun Halloween craft that can also be used for decorations in your home or classroom, especially if you’re hosting a Halloween party.

They would also look great hanging from your porch and trees on Halloween night.

This project is easy enough for preschoolers and kindergarteners to do … but I think older kids will enjoy making them as well.

Variations for Making These Ghosts

1. If you’re worried about the painting process taking too long (or being too messy), you can skip the painting by putting glue on the tube and then wrapping it with white paper.

 

2. If you don’t have enough toilet paper rolls handy — or you just thinking them for crafts is unsanitary, which many people do — you can simply cut several pieces of white card stock to 4.5″ tall by 6.5″ wide and roll them up. (This is also another way to solve the painting issue.)

    

   Ghost Toilet Paper Roll Supplies

   • Toilet paper rolls
   • White washable paint
   • Paint brush
   • Paper plate
   • Black Sharpie marker
   • Self-adhesive googly eyes
   • String
   • Single Hole punch

   

    

   Craft Directions

   Start by painting the toilet paper rolls white.

   

    

   One coat probably isn’t going to be enough, as you can see from this photo:

   

    

   Make sure to allow plenty of time for the paint to dry in-between coats. If you’re painting several rolls, you can do them assembly style — by the time you’ve painted the last one, the first one is probably ready for the second coat.

   We gave ours three coats of paint until they finally looked like this:

   

    

   Once the rolls are completely dry, stick on googly eyes.

   

    

   Draw a ghost mouth with the marker on each roll.

   

    

   

    

   

    

   Punch two holes on the top sides of the toilet paper roll.

   

    

   Insert the string through both holes, then bring the ends together at the top and tie them.

   

    

   Now comes the fun part! Use the ghosts to decorate your home, yard, or classroom.

   

    

   

   Toilet Paper Roll Ghost

   Print

   Materials

   • Toilet paper rolls
   • White washable paint
   • Self-adhesive googly eyes
   • String

   Tools

   • Single hole punch
   • Paint brush
   • Black Sharpie Marker
   • Paper plate or paint palette

   Instructions

   1. Paint the toilet paper rolls white. (You may need more than one coat -- make sure you allow plenty of time to dry between coats.)
   2. Once dry, stick on googly eyes.
   3. Draw a ghost mouth with the marker on each roll.
   4. Punch two holes on the top sides of the toilet paper roll.
   5. Insert the string through the holes, bring the string together at the top and tie.
   6. Display your ghosts!

   Recommended Products

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   • 
     Single Hole Punch
   • 
     Self-Adhesive Googly Eyes
   • 
     White Washable Paint