If you’re decorating for Halloween with your kids, we highly recommend trying to make DIY cat crafts.
A simple black cat can become a painted paper plate, a glowing lantern, a cardboard tube decoration, or even a handmade felt toy.
Better still, they work across different ages, from cat art and craft preschool sessions right up to projects adults will enjoy making..
This collection brings together 21 Halloween cat crafts for kids that are worth your time.
Some are easy crafts for kids Halloween afternoons call for, finished in under 15 minutes, while others are weekend projects you’ll bring out every October.
Pick the one that catches your eye, buy the supplies, and enjoy making a Halloween cat that earns a spot in your seasonal decorations instead of ending up in the recycling bin.
Before you reach for the paper plates, know this: exactly one project below was built for the cat rather than the child, and comes stuffed with catnip.
21 Halloween Cat Crafts
Paper Plate Cat Crafts for Preschool and Kindergarten
1. Painted Paper Plate Black Cat
Amanda Davis keeps this craft inexpensive, with each cat costing well under a dollar to make, most of that going toward the paper plates.
One plate is painted black, then a free printable template turns it into the body, head, and tail with very little waste.
Even the whiskers are cut from leftover scraps instead of using extra materials.
Green wiggle eyes and a pink pom-pom nose bring the face to life, and the whole project takes about 15 minutes to finish.
It’s recommended for children aged four and up, although painting the plates ahead of time makes it manageable for younger kids too.
If you’re looking for a quick, affordable Halloween cat craft for preschoolers, this is an easy place to start.
2. Rocking Paper Plate Black Cat
Helen from Arty Crafty Kids turns a simple folded paper plate into a black cat that rocks back and forth with no moving parts.
The plate is trimmed, painted black, and folded to create the curved base, while printable pieces for the head, ears, paws, and tail are colored and glued into place.
A white marker adds the mouth and claws for a little extra character.
The printable template is available through her paid membership, but you can still follow the free step-by-step photos if you prefer.
Since the finished cat looks playful rather than spooky, it’s a great Halloween cat preschool craft for younger children who aren’t fans of scary decorations.
Before calling it finished, make sure the legs sit evenly on the floor so the cat rocks as intended.
3. Moving Eyes Cat Craft
The fun part of this craft is the moving eyes.
Emma Smith creates the effect with a 12-inch strip of white cardstock hidden behind the paper plate, so sliding it from side to side makes the cat’s eyes move.
The trick is to glue the cardstock guides to the plate, not the sliding strip; otherwise the mechanism won’t work.
Three pipe cleaners twisted together make sturdy whiskers that hold up well during play, while painting the underside of the plate black gives the cat a nice matte finish.
The whole project takes about 30 minutes, and it’s the kind of craft children keep playing with long after it’s finished.
It’s one of the easy Halloween crafts for kindergarten groups to try, with one adult helping everyone along.
Painting yours to match your own cat? Our gallery of cute cat photoshoot ideas is full of coat colors worth copying onto a plate.
4. Glowing Two-Plate Cat Lantern Lit from Inside
We love that this easy project can double as a special Halloween decoration once you’re done with it.
Two paper plates are trimmed to match, painted black on the outside, with one plate painted yellow on the inside before they’re glued together rim to rim.
LeeAnne cuts large cat eyes into one plate with a craft knife, a step she recommends leaving to an adult.
Place the finished cat over a flameless tea light, and the yellow interior creates a warm glow through the eyes.
Two pipe cleaners, cut into thirds, become the whiskers, while clothespins keep everything in place as the glue dries.
If you enjoy this project, the matching jack-o’-lantern lantern in the same tutorial makes another fun craft to try.
5. Halloween Orange Tabby Cat
Kate’s original craft is based on Sassafras, the ginger cat from Asia Citro’s chapter books, so it’s painted orange with white sponge-dabbed details on the muzzle and tail.
Although it wasn’t designed as a Halloween project, swapping the orange paint for black is all it takes to give it a seasonal look.
The cat is made from two small paper plates, with one folded and cut into the head, ears, and tail before everything is stapled together.
The eyes are drawn separately on paper and glued in place, making it easy to give your cat its own expression.
The sponge-dabbing technique also adds a little texture, making this one of the few Halloween cat crafts preschool teachers can use to introduce a real painting skill.
Wondering which of these lights up after dark? A paper bag build further down glows from the inside with no flame at all.
Black Cat Crafts for Kids Using Paper and Cardboard Tubes
6. Cardboard Tube Black Cat
We like how Susan keeps this craft simple, using little more than a toilet paper roll, colored paper, and a glue stick.
Her free template is printed, traced onto colored paper, and cut out again, a little extra work that hides the printed outlines in the finished project.
The paper wraps neatly around the tube, with the ears tucked inside the top edge and the tail attached at the thicker end.
One detail we especially like is the legs, which are bent outward after gluing to give the cat a more three-dimensional look.
Layered black and green paper creates bright, expressive eyes, while thin paper strips become the whiskers.
Designed by a school librarian, the project is easy for children to complete using child-safe scissors and non-toxic glue.
7. Paper Towel Roll Black Cat Trio for a Mantel
Crayola’s idea starts by cutting a single paper towel roll into three different lengths, giving you a family of cats in different sizes with almost no effort.
Each tube is wrapped with black construction paper cut to fit, then finished with a head on the front and a tail on the back.
Bright cardstock collars help each cat stand out, so the finished set looks more like a collection of characters than matching tubes.
After everything is glued together, allow an hour or two for it to dry completely.
Since the instructions are designed for children aged four to eight, it works as both Halloween crafts preschool teachers can run and a family project for mixed ages.
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8. Toilet Paper Roll Halloween Cat Family Made from Recycling
Ananda’s project is made almost entirely from materials you probably already have at home.
Toilet paper rolls become the adult cats, half rolls make kittens, and trimmed paper towel rolls fill the gap in between.
Faces and tails are cut from leftover cardboard packaging using her free printable template.
One helpful tip is to paint the upper part of each cat a bright color before adding the black details, which helps the facial features stand out instead of blending.
A white gel pen adds the finishing touches, and the completed cats look great on a mantel, wreath, or Halloween centerpiece.
If you’re gathering Halloween decorations ideas for kids on little budget, this is one of the best options on the list.
9. Accordion Fold Black Cat on Construction Paper
This craft is as much about building fine motor skills as it is about making a Halloween decoration.
Bryanna, a pediatric occupational therapist, designed it around folding paper into accordion pleats, which creates the cat’s springy middle.
The free template is printed directly onto black construction paper, and you can choose between a plain back or a spiky version for a slightly spookier look.
Googly eyes and a few marker details finish the face, while turning the pieces over before gluing hides the printed outlines.
If the folds are too tricky for younger children, Bryanna suggests making wider pleats or skipping them altogether, making the project easy to adapt for different skill levels.
10. Torn Paper Black Cat for Little Hands
We love how Sam designed this craft with younger children in mind, replacing scissors with torn paper that little hands can manage more easily.
The printed cat template is covered with pieces of torn black paper, creating a textured, furry look while giving toddlers plenty of practice with fine motor skills.
Once the body is finished, the ears, eyes, and nose are glued into place before a white paint pen adds the final facial details.
With about eight minutes of prep and roughly ten minutes of crafting, it’s an easy activity to fit into a busy afternoon.
For those looking for Halloween cat crafts for toddlers, this is one of the simplest and most age-appropriate projects.
The next section is where the sewing starts, and one project there hides a bendable wire inside the tail so you can pose it.
Felt and Fabric Cat Crafts You Can Sew or Glue
11. Hand Sewn Black Cat Felt Softie with a Wired Tail
Camila Rojas’ felt cat softie takes about 40 minutes to make, with roughly 10 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of stitching.
Her free pattern comes in two sizes, Cleo and Cloe, giving you a choice depending on how large you want the finished cat to be.
The body is made from black felt, while small pieces of yellow, white, and pink felt are glued on to create the face.
Before sewing the tail closed, a piece of bendable wire is tucked inside so you can shape it around a shelf or other decoration.
The body is joined with a blanket stitch, leaving an opening for stuffing before it’s sewn shut.
Camila also shares her daughter’s experience making one as her first sewing project, including the parts she found challenging, which makes the tutorial more practical.
12. Wool Felt Black Cat Stuffie That Sits Up
Lia Griffith’s felt cat is designed to sit upright, thanks to separately attached front legs and feet stitched underneath the body.
It’s a small detail, but it gives the finished cat much more shape than a flat felt decoration.
The body is made with black and slate wool-blend felt, while orange and mango felt create the eyes, and long white stitches form the whiskers.
One thing to note is that the template, instructions, and cut files are only available as a paid download or through Lia’s membership.
The polka dot bow tie is optional, and you can easily replace it with a simple felt strip if you prefer.
Rated as a beginner project, it takes about an hour to complete, and Lia recommends using a chopstick to help stuff the narrow legs and tail.
Idea sixteen cost its maker two dollars in total, and most of that went on googly eyes and ribbon from a dollar store.
13. Catnip Filled Felt Cat Toys, Sewn or No Sew
What makes this project special is that, unlike the other options in this guide, this one is made for your cat to enjoy.
Created by Crafty Lumberjacks for National Sewing Month, these felt toys are made from two layers of black felt filled with batting and catnip.
The sewn version uses a blanket stitch with the knots hidden inside, while the batting is fluffed before stuffing so the ears keep their shape.
There’s also a no-sew option where children can lace yarn through pre-punched holes instead of stitching.
Simple details like almond-shaped eyes and a triangle nose give each toy plenty of personality.
One tip worth remembering is to keep the scissors still and rotate the felt while cutting for smoother curves.
If you don’t have a cat, adding a ribbon loop turns the same pattern into a simple Halloween ornament.
Once you have made one, your cat will expect more. Our roundup of crochet cat toys covers thirty-two patterns in the same spirit.
14. No Sew Felt Cat Mask Craft for Kids
Shaunna Evans keeps this cat mask simple by building it on top of a plain cardboard party mask, so there’s no sewing or complicated pattern to follow.
Before covering the mask with felt, she glues trimmed chenille stems to the cardboard, hiding the whiskers neatly between the layers.
The eye holes are traced, cut, and tested for fit before the felt is attached, making the finished mask much more comfortable to wear.
Felt triangles create the ears and nose, and children can choose whatever colors they like for the final look.
With only about 10 minutes of assembly, it’s a cat mask craft preschool classrooms can finish in one session, and a fun prop for pretend play long afterwards.
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There is a garage-sale oddity behind one of the wooden builds below: red and white, on wheels, with a name lettered across the belly.
Black Cats for Halloween Crafts in Wood and Scrap Lumber
15. Cat Trio with a Vintage Halloween Cat Face
Donna Dodson’s wooden cat trio is designed for the porch, with three cats of different heights mounted on a stained base and backboard.
The bodies are cut from fence pickets, while longer wood offcuts become the tails, and simple V-shaped ear cuts give each cat its familiar silhouette.
The tails are glued and nailed on before painting, adding a little extra depth to the finished pieces.
One detail worth copying is the eyes, which use a mix of green and yellow paint with unpainted pupils to create a classic vintage Halloween look.
Black chalk mineral paint covers the raw wood in a single coat without primer, and the blank backboard can be personalized with a welcome message or seasonal greeting.
Two of the last four crafts hold something. One gets filled with candy and broken open; the other hands it out at the door.
16. Wooden Black Cat Family
This project turns a few scrap wood offcuts into a family of black cats, with each one cut to a different height to represent the people in your home.
The design is simple, using basic V-shaped cuts to form the ears, while slightly changing the ear size keeps each cat from looking identical.
After sanding, each cat gets a coat of black craft paint before the edges are lightly sanded again to help define the shape.
Googly eyes are attached with hot glue, and painted whiskers and a mouth bring each face to life.
Straw ribbon bows add an optional finishing touch if you want a little extra character. Since the original project used leftover lumber and paint, it cost only a couple of dollars to make.
17. Retro Rolling Vintage Halloween Cat Toy
Scott’s wooden cat is inspired by a vintage Halloween toy he found at a garage sale, giving the finished project an old-fashioned look.
The body is built by edge-gluing wood pieces together, cutting out the shape with a scroll saw, sanding it smooth, and attaching it to a wooden base.
Instead of using solid coats of paint, he layers thin coats of white and charcoal chalk-style paint so each color shows through, creating a naturally aged finish.
One especially useful tip is tracing the template with a ballpoint pen, leaving an indentation that makes the painted details much easier to follow.
Wooden toy wheels are added at the end, with the hardware aged beforehand to match the vintage style.
The measurements and template are sold as a PDF, but the tutorial still walks you through the main techniques used in the build.
If retro black cats are what you are after, our collection of vintage Halloween cat decor ideas gathers twenty-one, from tin toys to printed art.
Spooky Cat Craft Ideas for Halloween Parties & Decorations
18. Vintage Black Cat Paper Mache Piñata
Jennifer Perkins makes this vintage-style black cat piñata much more approachable by using paper clay instead of traditional papier-mache.
The clay is mixed with warm water, pressed over a large ball or balloon, and left to harden for a day or two.
One tip she shares from experience is to use a solid ball instead of a balloon for larger projects, since balloons have a habit of deflating before the clay dries.
Once the shell is hard, a small opening is cut into the back to remove the form and fill the piñata with candy.
Craft foam is used for the facial features, although construction paper and pipe cleaners work just as well.
If you don’t want to break it open, Jennifer also points out that it makes a great Halloween decoration to hang on the wall year after year.
The final project on this list is not a decoration at all. It is something you can actually write on.
19. Black Cat Candy Container
Amanda Kingloff turns a simple 10-inch round craft box into a black cat that’s perfect for handing out Halloween candy.
Four table legs are attached underneath the box, giving it the look of a standing cat instead of an ordinary candy bowl.
One of the standout details is the eyes, which are made from metal washers with small pieces of black felt for the pupils.
Silver cardstock inside the ears and a white paint pen for the nose and mouth add just enough contrast without overcomplicating the design.
The tail is reinforced with thin wire, so you can bend it into any shape you like and it will hold its position.
Amanda also includes a free template that can be resized, making it easy to create a smaller version as a Halloween party centerpiece.
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20. Black Cat Paper Bag Luminaries
These glowing paper bag luminaries are an easy way to add a little atmosphere to your porch on Halloween night.
Amanda Eldridge traces a bowl onto a gift bag to create the full moon, cuts it out with a craft knife, and lines the opening with two layers of tissue paper.
She recommends placing a piece of cardboard inside the bag before cutting to avoid slicing through the back.
A black paper cat is glued over the moon, with cut-out eyes that let the warm light shine through.
Whiskers are made from leftover scraps of the bag, while a small construction paper nose finishes the face.
Place a flameless candle inside, and you have a simple decoration that’s especially effective when several are lined up along a walkway or front porch.
21. Layered Paper Black Cat Notepad
Kim designed this layered paper cat with cutting machines in mind, but she also explains how to make it by hand.
Her biggest tip is to draw the facial details instead of cutting them, saving the blade for the larger shapes.
Layers of black, dark gray, orange, and purple paper give the cat depth, while yellow eyes and a pink glitter nose add just the right amount of color.
The original design featured a ball of yarn, but the Halloween version replaces it with a small paper pumpkin tied with a twine bow.
The cut file and PDF pattern are available through Kim’s Etsy shop rather than as a free download.
Because it doubles as a notepad holder, it’s one of the few October crafts that stays useful long after the decorations are packed away.
Want your screen to match your desk? Our guide to fall cat wallpaper ideas covers making seasonal backgrounds at home.
Conclusion
As you have seen, Halloween cat crafts have a way of becoming part of the season’s traditions from time to time.
A paper plate cat made this year might come back out next October, while a wooden porch decoration or felt softie can stick around for many Halloweens to come.
To narrow down the perfect Halloween arts and crafts for you, make sure to shortlist them based on the time you can spare, the supplies you need, and the skill level required.
Save this list so it’s easy to revisit each Halloween, then pick a new October arts and crafts to try every year.
Before long, you’ll have a collection of handmade fall crafts with kids that tell their own story, one Halloween at a time.
Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.
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