Halloween Milk Jug Skeleton
 This is one of my favorite SHOP at home FIRST Halloween decorations. This poor fellow has had a difficult life LOL. The day I decided to "rescue" a few milk jugs from the recycle pile was the same day my kids decided to "clean up" the kitchen and return the milk jugs back to the recycle pile. Of course, they took great pleasure in squashing the jugs first (just like I always ask them to do). So this particular skeleton may look a little "wrinkled" - we had to try and refill the jugs so they would "ploof out again." (It was either that or drink another six jugs of milk.)
 1. Supplies: This skeleton can be made with as little as five jugs. Keep an extra jug handy in case of mistakes. As well, you are going to need a marker (or ballpoint pen), scissors, a hole punch, a razor blade knife, string, a glue gun (optional) , and perhaps duct tape if nothing is sticking together right!
Side note: The first time I built a milk jug skeleton I used my glue gun to attach the head to the ribcage and the ribcage to the pelvis. It worked great until the temperature dropped. Then the glue let go and I had skeleton bits scattered across the front lawn. Today I use string to attach all the pieces. If you live in warmer climates I would suggest glueing the head to the ribcage and the ribcage to the pelvis. It is alot easier than tying these pieces together. Use string on the rest of the skeleton.
 2. The Head: Draw a couple eyes and the nose (an upside down heart). I suggest you use a ball point pen to draw your shapes. That way, your skeleton will not have lines around the edge like mine does. I used the marker so the pieces would show up better in the photos. Ensure the handle is at the back of the head. I used a razor edge to poke a hole in each eye and then I used a pair of scissors to cut them out.
Take your razor edge and make a couple 1/2 inch slits on the top of the head - this is where you are going to feed a string through so you can hang up the skeleton.
Now, take your razor edge and make a 1/2 inch slit on each side of the neck. This is to attach the head to the ribcage.(Skip this step if you are using a glue gun.)
Voila - one spooky head. Set this aside for now.
 3. The Ribcage: This is the tricky part and I made a boo-boo (no pun intended LOL) on mine. You will see the original green marker lines drawn out for the ribcage. These are the lines I followed. But after I cut them out, I didn't like how the ribcage looked, but there was nothing I could do about it so I left it. I "touched up" the photo and added the black lines where I WISHED I would have cut. Use the black lines on your milk jug. This will give you a full set of ribs on your skeleton (instead of the short ones that are on mine). Again, use your razor edge to start the cut and then use scissors to cut out the inside of the rib cage.
Make TWO half-inch slits on the top of each "shoulder" with your razor edge. This is where you are to feed string through to attach the arms. (Skip this step if you are using a glue gun.)
Now, make TWO half-inch slits on the top of the rib-cage jug (actually, it is the bottom of the jug, but since we are holding it upside down - it is the top - make sense?). This is where you are going to attach the head (neck). (Skip this step if you are using a glue gun.)
Now, set the ribs aside.
4. The Hipbone (and a couple hands): Our next milk jug is going to be used to make the pelvis and two hands. To make the pelvis, hold the jug upside-down and draw a wavy shape (lower at the corners) all the way around the bottom of the jug (as shown in the diagram).
Now draw two hands on the flat side of the jug. If my kids would have been home from school, I would have traced their hands. Mine hand was a little too big, so I had to wing it.
Cut out the hands and the bottom of the jug (the pelvis).
Using your razor edge, make two half-inch slits on the top of the pelvis in the center of the jug (the waist). This is where you are going to attach the rib-cage. (Skip this step if you are using a glue gun.)
Set aside your pelvis and hands.
 5. A Few Bones: Our skeleton needs a few bones! I like to use the corners of the jug to make the bones. This gives them a curved look. Draw a bone on each of the three long corners on your jug. The "bones" actually look like dog-treat bones. Then draw two more bones on the large flat sides of the jug. You should be able to get five bones from one jug. Cut them out and set them aside.
 6. Whew almost done! Just a few more bones and a couple feet: Again, use the three long corners to make bones. Then draw two feet on the flat sides of the jug. If your little ones are around, trace their feet.
Cut the last bones and the feet out and set them aside.
 7. Laying it out: OK, now you get to pretend you are a forensic scientist and lay out the "bones". Make sure you have all the pieces. (Charlie, my little white dog kept sneaking in and running off with one of my leg bones - sheesk!)
I didn't like the green marker I used, so I hunted down a black marker and marked all the edges so the pieces would be easier to see in the photos. If you used a ball point marker, you shouldn't have any edges to worry about.
 8. Putting it Together: Now for the fun part! Using a hole punch (a single hole punch works better, but I couldn't find ours and used the three-hole punch instead) make a hole at the top and bottom of SIX of the bones. These are the leg bones and the two LOWER arm bones.
On the last two UPPER arm bones, you need to make ONE hole at the elbow and TWO holes at the shoulder (so you can attach them to the ribcage jug). (Skip this step if you are using a glue gun.)
Punch a hole in the top of each hand and each foot.
Also, take the "pelvis" and punch a hole in two opposite corners (to attach the leg bones to the hip bones).
- The Head Bone is Connected to the Ribcage Bone... Starting with the head, loop a piece of 12-inch string through the two slits at the top of the head and tie the ends together. (this is so you can hang up your skeleton.
(Skip this step if you are using a glue gun. Just glue the bottom of the head to the top of the ribcage and hold until dry.) Now, run a piece of 12-inch string up through the neck, through ONE of the slits, then through the handle at the back of the head, down through the other slit, and then out the neck hole. The two ends of the strings should be hanging out the bottom of the neck.
Grab the ribcage and feed each string end through one of the slits that was cut in the ribcage by the "neck." Stick your hands inside the rib cage and tie the two ends together tight. Voila - one head bone attached to a ribcage bone!
- The Arm Bone is Connected to the Shoulder Bone: (Skip this step if you are using a glue gun - just glue the top of the upper arm to the "shoulder" on the jug.) Use a couple six-inch pieces of string to attach the UPPER arm bone to the shoulder (on the ribcage jug). Thread your string through the rib cage jug and the two holes you punched in the UPPER arm bone.
Then attach the LOWER arm bone and the hand to your skeleton. Whew! It is starting to look good!
- The Ribcage Bone is Connected to the Pelvis Bone: Run the string through the "bottom" of the ribcage bone (the neck of the bottle) the same way as you did with the head. Again, you should have two strings let hanging out the bottom of the bottle neck. Grab the pelvis and feed each string end through one of the slits that was cut at the top of the pelvis. Tie the two ends together tight. Voila - one ribcage bone attached to the pelvis bone. The hard work is done!
- The Hip Bone is Connected to the Leg Bone: Use your string to attach the UPPER leg bones to the holes you punched in the corner of the hip bone. Then attach the LOWER leg bones and the feet! WAHOO! One complete skeleton.
Now, find a spooky place to hang up your new friend and enjoy!
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