Straight from the breakfast table, here's a craft that children can do to help decorate for Halloween night.

This craft is twice as sweet because it uses one-serving cereal boxes, those diminutive cubes that kids beg parents to buy for their tiny size and, often, their sugar content.

Rachel Fuller, a librarian at the Standley Lake Public Library in Arvada, Colo., created these little cereal-box-monsters for young children several years ago, and has returned to them many times since. "It was such a hit that we used it again with an all-ages group this year," she said.

Experiment with different sizes and shapes of boxes to create a monster menagerie (round oatmeal containers work well, too, for example.) Fake fur can be costly, however, so to keep costs low stick with the little cereal boxes.

Fuller recommends having several colors of fake fur and felt, Styrofoam balls, pipe cleaners, markers and stickers. Pom-poms, googly eyes and sequins — anything that sparkles — also work well.

Parents need to pre-cut the boxes and, for younger children, the fabric.

This is one of those rare crafts in which kids need to use lots of craft glue, to get the heavy fake fur to stick to the box. (It works though; my band of kid crafters had no trouble with this step.)

Another tricky step: punching holes through the heavy fabric and cardboard box to insert arms, antennae — whatever kids dream up. Adults can use an awl for this step.

"Despite these couple of difficulties, the kids absolutely loved it and the monsters turned out great," said Fuller.

It's the sugar-overload season — the perfect time to indulge the kids by picking up a pack of sample, sugary cereals, colorful fake fur, and a few crafting odds and ends to stir up some monster madness.

Mad for Monsters Craft

(Instructions below are for use with .95-ounce cereal boxes; if using larger boxes, adapt the measurements accordingly.)

Supplies:

One-serving (.95-ounce) cereal boxes

Colorful fake fur fabric (1/4 yard or smaller)

Small Styrofoam balls and/or pom poms (various sizes)

Pipe cleaners

Markers

Box cutter

Sharp scissors

White craft glue, such as Elmer's

Ruler or tape measure

Heavy-stock paper or poster board (for template)

Optional craft supplies:

Felt (various colors)

Googly eyes

Stickers

Assembly: