By Riley Fontana
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Needham Free Public Library loves to fill the afternoons of half-days with fun crafts and activities for children of all ages. Unfortunately with fall being cold and flu season, sometimes they have to adapt at the last minute. The most recent half day had a tea-light ghost craft slotted to be constructed at the library, but was turned into a take-home craft kit.
Quick thinking and adaptability made this the perfect craft to complete at home. The librarians carefully constructed kits for crafters to pick up and put together at home. Each kit contained everything patrons would need to complete the craft along with detailed instructions. This is a quick and fairly straightforward craft anyone can make at home with the right materials. All that is required for the craft is air dry clay and a tea light, but other items make the craft easier.
The first step for anyone looking to create their own ghost is to warm up some air-dry clay and make sure it's malleable. Then roll the clay into a circle shape and lay it over a small cup or other cylindrical object to create the ghostly shape. From there, crafters can fold pieces of clay down or flatten them out to create the perfect spectral form. Using a tooth pick or other thin tool helps to create a spooky face, which is needed to let the light shine through.
The hardest step is waiting for the clay to dry, which in most cases takes a full day, if not longer. Once the clay is fully dry removing the cups used to shape them can be incredibly difficult. A great deal of patience is required to free the ghosts without cracking the clay, but it can be done. From there it is all up to the designer's preference for decoration. The library provided acrylic paints, Halloween napkins and tissue paper confetti to use however people saw fit. Once the decor is added and dry the final step is to place a tea light underneath and watch the light flicker through. Librarians suggest battery-operated lights to present cracking or fire hazards.
This is the perfect Halloween craft for all ages, though younger crafters may need assistance. There are no hard set rules to this craft, so it’s get creative and create any type of ghost.
