Tiny Tombs & Spooky Paints: Crafting Mini Coffins for Halloween

brutalnerd
Oct 16
4 min read

Updated: Nov 6

Last week I got into more crafting for Halloween - it was so much fun for such little expense! I love a good browse around Kmart and found these awesome mini coffins for just $4. You can also buy a larger one for only $8 - what a bargain!

Getting Into the Spooky Spirit

There's so many fun and creative ways you could decorate them - paint, photos, newspaper clippings, stickers, diamond art or even some of the fantastic Halloween craft items out at $2 shops like spiders or skeletons. I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for, I just knew I wanted one - haha!

I had a lot of paint and materials leftover from the Witch Hat Luminaries, so I didn't need much else to get started.

Wooden coffin-shaped box on a table with paints, a paint palette, and clear jars. Bright colors add a crafty mood.

What You’ll Need

Most of my supplies were budget finds from Kmart, and you might already have some of these at home.

For this project I used:

Small mini coffin (Kmart)
Paint set (Kmart)
Paint brushes (Kmart)
Palette set (Kmart)
Baking paper (to help stop sticking and separate sections)
Placemat that's washable (Kmart)
Clear wood varnish (Bunnings)
Optional extras - glitter, gems, stickers, washi tape, embellishments

Tip: If you’re painting with kids or support workers, it’s a great sensory and creative activity - easy to adapt for any skill level.

Painting the Perfect Coffin

I started from the bottom up and decided to do a Jack Skellington themed one. I'm a very amateur crafter and I hadn't worked with painted wood much before, so I did learn a few things along the way.

I think some painter's tape would have made the process a lot easier to avoid getting colours where I didn’t want them. In hindsight, I also would have unscrewed the brackets and painted the coffin as two separate pieces — it was tricky to keep the white paint off the black and vice versa. Of course, this wouldn’t matter if you painted it all one colour!

Black coffin-shaped box with a gold latch, resting on paper. Paint supplies in the background on a glass table. Calm setting.

Creative Theme Ideas

I personally just googled images for Jack Skellington inspiration, so I can't take any credit for my design. Some awesome themes could be gothic, cute pastel spooky, haunted, or glitter glam. I reckon a Wednesday Addams themed one would be awesome too (maybe next year!).

Please don't judge my Jack and Sally - I painted them with a toothpick!

Purple coffin-shaped box with a yellow moon and silhouetted figures on a hill. Paint bottles are in the background.

Adding the Finishing Touches

This is where the magic happens! Add glitter around the edges, paint faux cracks for a vintage look, drip on some fake blood, or glue on gems and stickers to make your coffin truly your own. You can also line the inside with felt or paper for a polished finish - perfect if you’re turning them into treat boxes or little trinket holders.

I sealed mine with a water-based gloss wood varnish once finished (use water based to avoid yellowing). I like adding sealer so it stays dustproof, splashproof and to prevent scratching.

Note: Next time I'll buy the varnish in a spray version! I found that brushing it on caused some black paint to bleed into the white areas, so I had to redo a bit - lesson learned! Again, if you’re painting it one colour, it wouldn’t be an issue.

White coffin-shaped box with a black painted face and bow tie design, on a glass table background. Acrylic paint bottles nearby.

Displaying Your Mini Masterpieces

I decided to use mine to store my coloured pens I use for journaling. They also make great additions to a Halloween table display, spooky shelf décor, or even as part of a DIY centrepiece. You can also fill them with lollies or mini LED candles for an eerie glow.

I also saw a really cool idea on YouTube where someone cut candles, wrapped them in felt, and placed them sideways inside the coffin to make a ring display!

Why I Loved This Craft

There’s something really satisfying about transforming something so simple into a fun Halloween decoration. It’s a low-cost, low-pressure craft that’s easy to personalize - and perfect for doing with friends, family, or your support worker. Plus, every coffin ends up with its own personality - creepy, cute, or somewhere in between!

Try it for yourself!

Mini coffins are such an affordable, budget-friendly, craft that any age can enjoy! I hope my support worker isn't too jealous that I did this fun activity at home without her - haha.

I’d love to hear about any cool Halloween art and crafts you've found this year - share them in the comments below!

Accessibility Information

🎟️ Cost

From just $4 for one person!
If you have Flybuys points, redeem them to use at Kmart!

🗓️ When

Whenever you like!

📍 Where

Crafting at home is easiest.

🍔 Food Options

Make your own delicious snacks at home!

I hope this information encourages you to experience this wonderful crafting day for yourself. If you think anything needs to be added regarding your disability, please feel free to CONTACT ME