Haunted House Art Lesson: A Fun and Spooky Addition to Art 1
The last week of October, I tried a haunted house art lesson for the first time with my high school Art 1 classes, and I have to say, I think it was a hit! The lesson, originally created by Amy Ward Creates and available in her Teachers Pay Teachers store, provided a perfect blend of creativity and seasonal fun. I made a few modifications to tailor it to my students, and the results were amazing.
Materials Needed for my version of the Haunted House Art Lesson
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- Acrylic Paints (variety of bright, fun colors. I used neon green, hot pink, blue, red, and orange)
- Squeegees (No budget? You can recycle old gift cards!)
- White drawing paper (for the squeegee paint house)
- Colorful Paint Markers (assorted colors, especially bright or neon colors)
- Black and White Paint Markers
- Scissors (for cutting out haunted house shapes)
- Colorful Construction Paper or heavy cardstock (large enough to create a background scene for each haunted house)
- Sharpie Markers (fine-point and ultra-fine-point in black, for detailed line work)
- Glue Sticks or Liquid Glue (to attach the haunted house cut-outs securely to the colorful background paper)
- The Powerpoint Presentation and Handouts from Amy Ward Creates
To start, we created the backgrounds for the haunted houses using acrylic paint and a squeegee. This was a bit different from the original TPT lesson from Amy Ward Creates, but gave the pieces a unique effect that really brought out a spooky vibe. The squeegee method is something new that I don’t often use in my classes, so the students loved experimenting with it.
I set up one table as a station. While we were doing a practice sketch of the Haunted Houses, two students at a time came to the paint station and completed their squeegee art paper. We used a 9″ x 12″ sheet of white drawing paper for this. They just stuck them on the drying rack to wait for the next class period.
Once the backgrounds dried, we sketched the Haunted Houses on that paper with pencil. Then, they used paint markers to add intricate patterns and vibrant colors to each haunted house, adding just the right touch of detail and personality. The paint markers were great for adding bright highlights that stood out against the darker backgrounds, and each student’s haunted house came alive with unique character—from spooky windows to colorful roof patterns. Remind students to clean off the paint markers on a scrap paper before putting the cap back on. Also, instruct them to ONLY use color markers first. BLACK OUTLINES GO LAST!
Next, students cut out their painted haunted houses and glued them onto colorful sheets of paper. Its fun to cut them out and then try them out on different color papers! Different colors really bring out different parts of the houses!
Using Sharpies and paint markers, they sketched out spooky details in the backgrounds and yard scenes around their houses. From twisted trees and crooked fences to eerie graveyards and whimsical pumpkins, the students got creative with their designs, adding all sorts of elements to make each scene unique.
The final results were fantastic! Each piece had a distinct feel and personality, showcasing not only the seasonal theme but also each student’s individual style. This lesson encouraged creative expression and experimentation with different mediums and tools, from acrylic and squeegee painting to marker detailing and collage work. My students had a blast, and I’m definitely planning to make this a yearly project in my curriculum.
If you’re looking for a Halloween-themed lesson that allows students to explore fun techniques, patterns and learning to use basic linear perspective techniques this haunted house art lesson from Amy Ward Creates is a great choice.
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