How to Make Halloween Feelie Boxes

Directions

1. Using a craft knife, cut a hand-sized opening—round or oval—in the center of each shoebox lid. Keep the lid on the box for easier cutting. Start by poking the knife tip through one spot, then cut around. Check that your whole hand or at least all fingers fit, but make the hole as small as possible to discourage peeking.
2. Place each box and lid on newspaper or an old plastic tablecloth. Paint both pieces black with acrylic paint and a brush. After about an hour, when the outside is dry, paint the inside of each box and the underside of each lid, then let them dry completely.
3. Boil a handful of macaroni, spaghetti, or linguine until slightly underdone—for example, cook 8 minutes if the package says 10. Drain in a strainer, then transfer to a bowl, mounding the noodles. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; as it cools, the pasta will clump together to look like a brain.
4. Place 8–12 peeled grapes or cherry tomatoes in a small shallow bowl. If you skip peeling, drizzle them with a little cooking oil and roll them around to coat—this makes them slimy, mimicking eyeballs.
5. Slice several string cheese sticks into finger shapes, making two fake fingers per stick. Round one end to form a fingertip, leave the other end flat. Pull at the flat end to separate the cheese strings slightly, like a severed finger. Optionally carve knuckle ridges or fingernail shapes for extra detail.
6. Put the bowls of fake eyeballs and brains into separate boxes. Place the cheese fingers directly in the bottom of another box (a bowl is optional). Put the lids on all boxes.
7. Invite guests to stick their hands into each box and guess the contents. For extra fun, label the boxes with stick-on labels like “alien eyeballs,” “pickled brains,” and “severed fingers.”