Kids love MINECRAFT. Be it for Halloween or birthday parties, MINECRAFT is the hottest thing going now.

My son wanted a MINECRAFT themed slumber party to celebrate his 11th birthday this year. Since I refuse to do the traditional goodie bags full of junk, I had to come up with something fun, something useful, and something cheap.

Since the party was in October, how about a Creeper Bag? It could be used for everyday activities and as a Halloween trick-or-treat bag. And the kids would think it was pretty cool.

Using a Creeper face template and supplies from my local craft store, I had the materials to make FIVE of these Creeper backpacks for less than $7.50—that’s about $1.50 each! Whoo-hoo!

The kids LOVED them.

Price breakdown: 

—Bags: I found “Non-woven Sports Bags” a.k.a. drawstring backpacks at Michael’s for $2 each. After a 40% off coupon, they were only $1.20 each. (find similar on Amazon here and here)

—Paint: $1 at Michael’s, on sale for $0.50 (like this paint on Amazon)

—Brushes: multi-pack at the Dollar Tree for $1

—Cardboard: free from my recycling bin

Now it just so happened that my son received a Minecraft Creeper Box Head as a birthday gift. All I had to do was find a green shirt. (The one in the photos was only temporary. I don’t think Creepers wear Dave Matthews Band concert T’s.) Add in the Creeper bag, and his costume is DONE!

I like using a backpack as a trick-or-treat bag because kids can sling it over their shoulder or wear on their backs. All that candy can weight them down by the end of the night!

He’d gone as MINECRAFT Steve years before with a totally homemade costume (See How-to posts for Steve Head here and MINECRAFT diamond sword and pickax here.)  I have to admit —this year’s Creeper costume was so much easier.

MINECRAFT CREEPER Party or Trick-or-Treat Bags/Backpacks

Materials needed:

green drawstring backpacks(s)
creeper face template (see below)
black craft paint
cardboard (2 12 x 14-ish pieces per bag)
razor
ruler (optional)
foam brushes

For the adults:

Right click on the template photo on the right and save. Print out as an 8 x 10 (don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be high resolution). Using the template and a pencil, trace the creeper face on one piece of cardboard per bag. With ruler or straight edge, go over the trace marks with a marker or pencil.

Now it’s time to cut. Once again, use the ruler or straight edge as a guide to cut the face out of the cardboard. A razor works best—that way you get clean edges.

Make one cardboard template for each bag. (If you reuse them, paint can smear.)

For the kids:

Okay, the hard part is done. Slide one blank sheet of cardboard inside each backpack to prevent the paint from bleeding through. Lay each bag on a flat surface. Place the cardboard template on each bag (you can tape the cardboard to the bag with masking tape if you wish).

Squeeze some black craft paint onto paper plates or disposable bowls. Have the kids dab paint on their foam brushes and paint inside the creeper faces.

When faces are all filled in, remove template cardboard. Let the bags dry completely before moving or removing inside cardboard. (Our paint dried in about a half hour.)

That’s it!

Happy Birthday, Happy Halloween, enjoy your special day!

Maybe you kid has his/her heart set on being a Minecraft character for Halloween. Or perhaps you’re planning a Minecraft-themed party or just want some props for your kids to play with. It seems like all elementary-aged kids are totally obsessed with Minecraft now, and the cost of the goods proves just how popular the game is now.

My kiddo decided he wanted to be Steve for Halloween. The  Minecraft: Steve Cardboard Head (just a cardboard box printed with squares) sells for upwards of $25. I figured out how to make my own (see super-easy step-by-step instructions here).

But what about the sword and pickaxe?

My kiddo wanted not just any sword and pickaxe, but the diamond versions. (Something about invincibility? I can’t keep up with  all the Mineraft lore.)

They sell on Amazon for around $40 – $50. EACH. Not happening. *Edited 10/14—they used to sell for 40-50 bucks. They’re now down to about $20.* (Seriously—I do not lie: Minecraft Blue Diamond Sword, Minecraft Blue Diamond Pickaxe)

Time to get creative and make my own.

FPXFGames provides printouts you can download to make 3D folded paper swords and pickaxes. My kid would destroy a paper version in minutes. I created images to print and glue to foam core instead.

How to Make Minecraft Diamond Sword and Pickaxe

You’ll need:

Printed images
utility knife/razor
1 20 x 28″ piece foam core board (paper coated, not craft foam)
spray adhesive or glue stick
straight edge (metal ruler or L-square)

1. Download these images. The sword comes on two pages here and here, the pickaxe one here.
   Minecraft-pickaxe-template pdf
   diamond sword template 1 pdf
   minecraft diamond sword 2 pdf
2. Print. They should print on 11″ x 17″ paper. For best results (or unless you have an amazing printer) I’d recommend printing at a copy shop. (The shiny paper and high-quality ink looks much better!)
3. Cut out around (roughly, you don’t need to be precise now) one copy of each so they will fit onto the foam board. Lay out the three  pieces of the sword together. Spray each piece of paper with spray adhesive or smear with glue stick (making sure you glue well around all edges. Rearrange onto board, smooth, and press to ensure a good bond.
4. Now it’s time to cut it out. Again, I roughly cut out each item so it was easier to work with. Using a utility knife or razor and a straight edge, cut out each piece. The knife must go cleanly through the foam, so don’t do it on top of your dining room table–garage floors work great. Make sure you press firmly so the foam cuts evenly.
5. Once the pickaxe and/or sword are cut out, you need to cut out the other paper copy. (I had my son practice his scissor work while I worked on the previous parts). Spray with adhesive/smear with glue and align on blank side of each piece. Smooth to remove any wrinkles.
6. That’s it. You’re done!

For directions to make the MINECRAFT STEVE HEAD CLICK HERE.

Note: the prices of the Minecraft go up and down. If you don’t make your own, I hope you find a great deal!

If still want to check the “officially licensed”  products, here are some more links to Amazon:

Need a fun Minecraft Christmas craft?
DIY Minecraft Creeper Santa

Looking for some gifts for one of the little Minecrafter in your life?

Check out this list of awesome Minecraft books—all librarian, parent, and kid approved!

How about a Minecraft party or trick-or-treat bag?

Check out this super easy (and cheap!) DIY Creeper bag:

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Halloween will be here before we blink. And it seems like every kid is currently obsessed with Minecraft. (If you don’t hear about this game at least 50+ times a day, you obviously don’t have a 5  to 15-year-old). Trust me: Minecraft is HOT.

Problem: if you stroll down your local big box store or seasonal costume shop, you will NOT find any Minecraft costumes. What? You will find them online—to the cha-ching of $25 and up: Minecraft: Steve Cardboard Head. That’s JUST for the printed cardboard box.

You want the official Minecraft Blue Diamond Sword? $50 and up. The Blue Diamond Pickaxe? 45 buckaroos. You can find the regular Minecraft Foam Sword and Pick Axe for around $25 —but they’re just pieces of foam.

Don’t know about you, but I’m far too cheap to shell out $75 for a cardboard box and a couple of pieces of foam.

Solution: make your own! I am about the un-craftiest mom in the world, and I made one pretty easily. And I’ll show you how so you can make your kid(s) do Minecraft happy-dances, too.

Very happy 10-year-old in his homemade Minecraft costume.

After some online research, I found this post at SteveLange.net which gives a link to a free Steve face PDF.

How to make a Minecraft Steve Head for less than $10

You’ll need:

PDF pattern
11×17 printouts from PDF
11x11x11-inch box
glue stick or spray adhesive
scissors
tape (not necessary, but handy)

1. Download the PDF from this link via SteveLange.net.
2. Save the PDF to a thumb drive and take to your local copy shop to print out. My home printer can’t handle the paper size or quantity of ink, but my local Office Max/Kinkos/whatever can. Tell them to print it in poster setting with tile scale 100% and 0.005 overlap. I had to walk the employee through it. The Steve Head PDF makes 5 11×17-inch color prints and the Steve Hair PDF makes 2. The pages cost me $1.19 each. 
3. Trim off the white edges.
4. Prep your box. The pattern is scaled for an 11 x 11 x 11-inch box (can buy at Kinko’s, etc.). This box actually will measure 11.5 x 12 x 11.5.  I didn’t want to buy a box, so I cut down a beer case to about an 11-inch cube. (There’s some room for overlap in the printed patter, so it worked just fine.)
5. Glue the hair on top of the box first for a nice overlap. I was going to use my can of spray adhesive, but it was giving me fits. (Yes, I did spray myself in the face. No, it wasn’t fun.) I broke out a glue stick, and it worked perfectly.  Note: I did reinforce the bond with clear tape around the edges—the face pages will cover, so no worries.
6. Glue on the rest of the head printouts. I did a rough placement to make sure it all lined up correctly before I slathered the papers with glue. On my box, I had several inches of overlap on the back of the box (hair) but it still looked perfect!
7. Cut eye holes. Yeah, your kid might want to see (he had to remind me).

That’s it. You should now have a kick-ass Steve head for less than $10.

***UPDATE*** I’ve had many people ask how to keep the box centered on the wearer’s head. I first used bubble wrap and newspaper padding (yes, it kind of worked). I also tried using a plastic play construction hat that fit neatly inside and anchored the box to the head well. BUT, the best option came from checking out a “real” Creeper head. See this simple device? It doesn’t look pretty (neither does wadded up newspaper) but it works great and is EASY to make.

• Cut a cardboard square about 4 inches     larger than your box head. (So, if your box is 12 x 12, cut it 16 x 16.)
•  Measure about 2 inches out from each side and draw an inner square to use as a folding template.
• Score cardboard along fold line, if necessary.
• Cut out squares along corners.
• Cut a rough oval in center so it can sit on your child’s head. (This one measured 6 x 7 inches)

And guess what? You can make the diamond sword and pickaxe too!  Check out my next post for download PDF and easy instructions. (check them out HERE) I made both for less than $5 total!

According to my Minecraft Expert, Steve wears a blue T-shirt and jeans. I picked up the proper aqua/blue shirt at the dollar store (score!) and paired it with some jeans.

Entire costume (Steve head + diamond sword + pickaxe + shirt) for $13!!!

Happy Kid + Happy Mom = HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Need a cool Minecraft trick-or-treat bag?

Check out this super easy (and cheap!) DIY Creeper bag:

These bags are perfect
for Halloween trick-or-treating
or Birthday party goodie bags.

And the best news:
each one costs less than $1.50!

Super easy (and cheap!) DIY Creeper bag

Looking for Minecraft-themed crafts for a party or program?

Check out this post with 5 crafts/activities including full instruction and downloads for Minecraft Creeper Magnets, Construction Paper Mob Masks, Minecraft Printable Stickers, and more!

Need a gift for a little Minecrafter? How about a book?

Check out this list of awesome Minecraft books—all librarian, parent, and kid approved!

Update:  As of 3/14 the prices of these “official” products seems to have gone down.

If you want to check out of the “real” products:

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”