A ‘Bear-y Scary Crafternoon’: Fun, friends, and some spook-tacular crafts

The “Bear-y Scary Crafternoon,” hosted by Barnard’s Student Experience and Engagement Office (SEE), brought students right into the Halloween spirit with hands-on decorating, crafting, and piñata-making. Here is what the students had to say. 

Artwork by Nissa Waheed

By Janelle Bai

October 31, 2025

At the “Bear-y Scary Crafternoon” on October 24, Diana 302 glowed with festive energy. As you entered, bold and blue letters spelling out “BOO” greeted you. Shiny orange and black curls dangled from the walls; paper bats, pumpkins, and witch hats swayed gently beneath them, adding an extra spooky touch. White, fluffy spider webs stretched across the cabinets, embellished with fake plastic spiders; ghost stickers made a playful attempt to scare everyone; and a row of bright orange pumpkins sat proudly above the cabinets, welcoming your presence.

At the center of the room, craft materials covered every inch of space: coloring pages for a quick de-stresser, white pumpkins ready to be decorated, boxes of glittering beads shimmering under the warm light, and stacks of piñatas, eagerly anticipating their transformation. Colorful eye masks lay beside scissors, tape, Sharpies, and Elmer’s glue bottles, while cute googly eyes peeked out from their container. The table burst with creative energy, each corner calling to your imagination.

If none of those satisfied your taste, look left to a second crafting station jam-packed with even more supplies: ribbons, hanging decor, tissue paper, and stickers. 

Of course, a Halloween party would not be complete without some fun treats. Students indulged in M&M packs, Twix, GoGo squeeZ, Oreo Minis, and even festive pumpkin napkins. For those who could not resist taking some goodies back to their dorms, there were to-go bags for students to stock up on some extras, so the Halloween magic definitely did not end when you left the room! 

However, the heart of the celebration was the students themselves, who were all excited to celebrate the holiday in their own ways this year. On one end of the table, Olivia Hotes (BC ’29) shared her perspective on Halloween while crafting a piñata. “I hope to break it open with my friends because Halloween has always been a time where I get to hang out with my friends,” said Hotes. 

On the other end of the table, Aamina Mughal (BC ’28) was busy crafting decor for her Halloween party: a pipe cleaner garland featuring spiders and pumpkins. She reflected on how her priorities for Halloween have changed over time, saying, “I always went trick-or-treating as a kid, but now having a costume is more important.” At Diana 302, she crafted her costume alongside her friend. In fact, friends are also a big part of her Halloween plans this year; they are dressing up as “Star Wars” characters.

In another corner, a trio of first-years, Emma Jia, Sonali Sinha, and Caroline David, laughed as they brought their own Halloween ideas to life. Jia joked that if she trick-or-treats this year, whoever opens the door “will invite me gladly into their house,” while Sinha was set on dressing up as her math professor. 

For their past Halloweens, Jia had “fond memories of getting free candies with [her] friends and trading candies at the end of the night.” David added that her mom “was really big on Halloween and decorating” when she was a kid. Now, the celebration is a little different. It is less about accumulating buckets of candy but more about devising a creative group costume and savoring the little, personal Halloween traditions. 

Spending time with friends is what makes Halloween so meaningful, and Barnard’s close-knit communities turn small celebrations into lifetime memories. Boyue Deng (BC ’29), working hard on her pumpkin hair accessory, was excited to hold a small party with her friends. She especially valued this event: “It’s my first year making a costume. If it weren’t for this event, I probably wouldn't bother making a costume.” Thanks to Barnard SEE, events like the Bear-y Scary Crafternoon are more than just fun — they invite students to try something new, explore personal expression, and turn their imaginations into tangible costumes.

As laughter, chatter, and creativity filled the room, students immersed themselves in their creations, following YouTube tutorials, twisting pipe cleaners, and stacking pumpkins for a unique pumpkin-snowman decor. I could not help but make something for myself too, ultimately ending up with a bouquet of colorful pipe cleaner flowers, a tiny pumpkin charm, and a larger pumpkin drawn with a wide, lopsided grin across its face. 

Sitting at the round table and leisurely chatting with my friends, I felt that same excitement I used to feel every Halloween. More than anything, my Halloween started to evolve from thrilling trick-or-treating adventures to the simple joy of celebrating with my friends.

For those who missed it, a second “Bear-y Scary Crafternoon” will be held on October 31, in Diana 302.