Sharpen your tools and get ready to turn pumpkins into precious works of art. These five free downloadable templates challenge the traditional horrors of Halloween and lead the way for more creative carving.

Kermit the Frog
It’s easy being the green Muppet when your likeness is carved into an orange squash. This traceable template from Disney Family uses simple lines. The biggest challenge is working your carving tools around the curves.

Steve Jobs
This template isn’t for the novice, but the founder of Apple wouldn’t want you to underestimate your potential when it comes to pumpkins. If you can pull this off, you’ll almost certainly win the office carving competition.

Faux Bois
Martha Stewart takes the Renaissance art technique of imitating the grain of wood and applies it to squash. The uber crafter’s pumpkin beautification involves scraping to create light orange areas and cutting to let the light shine through.

Canadiana Deer
Better Homes and Gardens buck the scary creature tradition and go for the classic Canadiana silhouette with this deer. Your knife skills will be tested when carving the antlers.

Monogram
Stick to your own initials, carve your house numbers into the squash or spell out an ominous message in the easiest to find template of all. Use any word processing program to print the letters you want to use in your favourite font and size. —Jaelyn Molyneux

We all complain that we don’t have enough time to do crafts or make children’s clothing, but Halloween is a great time to try making a costume. They only wear it for a few hours, so our sewing skills won’t really be put to the test… Here are three of our faves:

An owl costume for our little girl
This owl costume is made from an old t-shirt and scraps of fabric. We suggest you keep her warm by pairing it with black tights and boots, and have her wear the mask on her forehead if you are concerned about visibility. Try old towels for the feathers, to give them a bit more texture. Find the instructions on Alpha Mom.

Dress our little boy as Clark Kent
This adorable outfit requires shopping skills over sewing skills, just get your little one a Superman t-shirt, a white shirt and some pants. Layer long johns and a turtleneck underneath the outfit and voila! Your little superhero is ready to go. For directions skip to slide two on Quick & Simple.

Turn our little baby into a goldfish
This costume works best for wee ones who aren’t too mobile, as the tail is enclosed. You’ll need an orange onesie to wear underneath, and perhaps a glass bowl for an adorable photo op. Warning, this one actually requires a few sewing skills. Goldfish outfit from Martha Stewart.
—Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Safety tip from the editor: Use reflective tape on the back and sleeves of the costume, if you are letting your kids out trick or treating by themselves. And make sure they carry flashlights.

Naughty nurse? Lame. Saucy cop? We'll pass. We've created a list of DIY Halloween costumes that can be thrown together faster than you can say "the devil made me do it."

Snooki
Set the spray tan dial to orange to hit Halloween as Jersey Shore’s most romantic guidette. Sport a long black wig or do your own hair with the tallest of Bumpits and layer on the Ed Hardy attire.
Jennifer Nachshen, Montreal editor

Barbarella
A sexy superwoman with a dash of science-fiction fantasy based on Brigitte Bardot. Leggings and a tight top, big hair and dramatic eyes. Done!
Elsa Vecchi, Montreal editor, French edition

Cereal Killer
I’m wearing a mini-cereal box (with a bloody plastic knife glued to it) as a fascinator. Eat your heart out Philip Treacy.
Athena Tsavliris, Toronto editor

Taylor Swift
Long blonde hair in ringlets,a red lip, some liquid eyeliner for her trademark cat-eye. Pair a simple dress with cowboy boots and strap on a bedazzled guitar.
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

1960s model mash-up
Part Veruschka von Lehndorff, part Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, pairing long model hair and makeup (here’s some inspiration) with a Peter Pan-collared dress, knee-high socks and ballet flats.
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Baby Gaga
A black veil, red eye makeup, a meat onesie, 8-inch platform shoes. What could be cuter on your infant girl?
Sarah Bancroft, Editor-in-chief

Sure your kids have tried to convince you that candy is the fifth food group.

But in order to stave off a Hallowe'en dinner of Smarties and Twizzlers (with the attendant sugar crash two hours later) we suggest filling the kids up with these ghost-shaped stuffed pastas called sacchetti, tossed with lemon zest, olive oil, parmesan and fried capers.

Boo!

In Vancouver at Bosa Foods and Italian grocery stores nationwide.

Decorating the house for Halloween needn’t be a headache. Just put your heads together.

A couple of Crystal Heads that is. The premium vodka brand owned by Dan Aykroyd and made in Newfoundland multitasks. The super smooth spirit within spikes the punch and the skull-shaped glass bottle you’re left with displays your candy corn in a goth way.

It’s a graveyard smash.

$54.99, find retailers here.

All dressed up and nowhere to go?

Get your costumed self down to The Grand tomorrow evening for the Killing on the Dance Floor: A Deadly Halloween Party. Presented by the HiFi Club and Monster Energy, the historical theatre will be transformed into a haunted dance party with nine DJs including Thunderheist, Mat the Alien and Vinyl Ritchie.

Both rooms will be open so get ready to throw down your Thriller moves.

Happy Halloween.

Theatre Junction Grande, 608 First Street SW, Calgary, 403-205-2922; Tickets $10 in advance at Giant 45-329 17th Ave. SW, Calgary, 403-228-4535 (limited amount at the door).