Project

Shark Halloween Treat Carrier

An oatmeal canister, a papier-mâché egg for the nose, a cone for the tail, and poster board for the teeth and fins make this shark the catch of day or night. The vest and rod will reel in candy givers hook, line, and sinker.

Photography: Kendra Smoot

Source: Martha Stewart Living, October 2020

Introduction

Dress up and accessorize a fisherman's Halloween ensemble (Rapid Dominance Boonies Hat, $12, amazon.com; Foxfire for Kids Junior Adventure Vest, $35, amazon.com) with his or her very own catch of the day—a shark!

For more ideas, scroll through our entire collection of Halloween costumes for kids and Halloween treat carriers.

materials

Shark template

Cardboard oatmeal canister (bottom and top removed) or wide packing tube

Craft knife

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

Papier-mâché egg (Darice Papier-Mâché Easter Egg, 4" by 2 1/2", $14, amazon.com)

Poster board

Gray, white, and black craft paint (Martha Stewart Family Friendly Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint, in assorted colors, $2.50 for 2 oz., michaels.com)

Papier-mâché cone (Darice Papier-Mâché Open-Bottom Cone, 13 3/4" by 5", $10, amazon.com)

Large safety pin or other poking tool

Paper-covered wire (Save-on-Crafts Brown-Paper-Wrapped Stem Wires, 18 gauge, 18", $25 for 72, save-on-crafts.com)

steps

Use a pencil to draw a shark mouth on canister, starting at one end, curving down about two-thirds of the way, then curving up a few inches. Cut out with knife (for candy), making sure it's large enough for small hands to fit through.
Hot-glue wide end of papier-mâché egg to end of oatmeal canister where mouth opening starts for snout; let dry completely.
Meanwhile, download and print shark template. Cut out eyes, teeth, side fins, tail fin, and dorsal fin, and trace onto poster board. Cut out pieces, paint accordingly, and let dry completely.
Cut a 3-inch slit in pointy end of papier-mâché cone, and insert tail fin, curved-edge first, so that it's centered; secure with hot glue. Hot-glue papier-mâché cone to open end of canister, making sure tail fin is perpendicular to it.
Hot-glue side fins and dorsal fin to sides and top of body where papier-mâché cone and canister meet. Paint assembled pieces; let dry completely.
Hot-glue teeth strips along inner edge of mouth opening. Glue an eye to either side of canister, a couple of inches above mouth opening; let dry completely.
Use pin to make a hole at center of shark's snout. Round wire into a loop for handle; twist onto itself to secure. Tuck twisted section of wire inside mouth hole to hide it.