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Halloween means candy.
And where there is candy, there is someone trying to find an organized way to distribute it!
Whether it's a class party or a costume contest, these Ever {Cr}After Halloween Treat Bags crafted from inexpensive brown paper lunch sacks and a plastic grocery bag will add a flourish to the ghoulish fun!!
First off, let's gather our supplies!
SUPPLY LIST
- Brown Paper Lunch Sacks
- Paper Punch for Edges (NOT a "Double Edge Punch")
- Plastic Grocery Bag
- Scissors
- Hole Punch (the one used here has a 2" reach)
- Crochet Hook, Size D (may not be necessary if using a larger hole punch)
- Gobs of Ooey Gooey Candy and Treats!
CONSTRUCTION
To shorten the bags in a fairly uniform way, fold the bottom edge of the bag up towards the top, then use the line made by that bottom edge as a cutting guide.
Be careful to cut about 1/4" away from the bottom edge. Cutting too closely may result in cutting through that bottom, and then your candy will have a very hard time staying put!
When you are done, you will have a stack of shorter lunch bags, and a pile of bag tops. STASH THOSE BAG TOPS WITH YOUR CRAFT SUPPLIES!! My brain is already churning about what to do with these perfect little ringed gems. Christmas, if you don't already know, is right around the corner!
Did you put those cut-off bag tops in a safe place? Are you sure? OK, good! Moving on...
Grab your edge punch. Mine is a Martha Stewart spider punch I procured a few years back, but any delightfully spooky punch will do!
Ever {Cr}After Tip: With an Edge Punch, it is easiest to begin punching in the center. In this way you have the uncut paper edges on either side to line up the puncher with. A lot more accurate than trying to line it up with just one side!
After punching in the center, line up one side and punch....
Then line up the other side.
There! A creepily crawly top edge!
Next, grab your hole punch, and make two holes a couple inches down from the top of the bag.
If you have a rubber "Happy Halloween" stamp and an ink pad, now would be the time to use that on the front of your bag. Or grab a marker and let the kids sign their names. Or maybe drizzle on a little "fake blood" to really creep the kids out. Whatever you wanna do to personalize your Treat Bags, do it now before you fill them with candy!
This is a quick way to cut up the plastic grocery bag. But I am fortunate to have a bag with no writing on it. If your bag has writing on one side that you don't want to use, then cut the front of the bag off and use only the unmarked side.
But first, cut off the bottom of the bag, then spread out the folded sides so it lays flat.
Make a perpendicular fold (so the bag's handles are together). On the "open" side, there will be two loops, cut each of those apart, straight up the side of the bag. On the "fold" side, there will be one loop, cut that loop apart. There will be four pieces of bag, but keep all the pieces layered on top of one another.
Fold the bag perpendicular one more time, so it is long and skinny and both handles are still to one side. Then, starting at the bottom, cut strips, about 2" wide, all the way up the bag. Each "slice" will yield four strips, one strip for each Treat Bag. Cut as many strips as you need. (I made 30 Treat Bags and used just over half of one bag.)
Now the fun part! Fill the bag with all sorts of Halloween Goodness!!
One for them...one for me....two for them....three for me.......
(My hole punch is pretty tiny, so I had to use a small crochet hook for this step. If your punch makes a larger hole, you could probably do this step without the hook.)
With candy nestled safely in your Treat Bags, use the crochet hook to help pull each end of the plastic strip through from the back to the front.
And after both sides are pulled through.....
Tie the ends in a knot.
Voila! Your Halloween Treat Bags are ready for any ghosts or goblins that may come your way!
These can be personalized in so many ways. Have an extra wide-tipped marker? Add a swipe of color to the tops of the bags before using the edge punch. Have a gift tag? Punch a hole in the top and string it onto the plastic bag strip. Have a snowflake edge punch? Then use your Treat Bags for Christmas or even a Frozen Themed Birthday Party!
Let me know how your Brown Paper Treat Bags turned out. And if any Zombies were there to lend a hand!
Want more DIY and craft ideas? Then head over to The Ever {Cr}After page!
