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Halloween Trick-or-Treat Bags

Need some cute bags for your Trick-or-Treater and all their loot? I whipped up some really easy bags for my goblins using some eco-friendly reusable tote bags that you can get at your local grocery stores for an inexpensive price. I actually used bags that we already had. I had gotten them from Target and these specific ones are reusable lunch bags. They come in a bundle of three for about $5 if I remember correctly.

**Click here for Frankenstein Trick-or-Treat Bag pattern download!

All I did was draw out an image of Frankenstein and a Skeleton and then trace it onto some colored felt. Then after cutting out each shape, I glued them onto the bags with hot glue. It really couldn’t be any simpler. If you use a reusable bag that has a logo on it, just try to figure out a way to creatively cover the logo with your felt decoration.

**Click here for Skeleton Trick-or-Treat Bag pattern download!

The kinds of bags you can make are endless. Some other characters you could make really easily would be a cat, bat, pumpkin, ghost, monster, or mummy! Get creative. Another thing that helped me to come up with an idea of how to draw my character was to google images. Then if you see something you like you can freehand it with something to help inspire you.

So go ahead and make your own Trick-or-Treat bags. Feel free to use the free downloads I have provided, or create your own versions. As always I would love to see your photos if you end up making one yourselves!

October 20, 2010 · Filed under: Free Downloads, Halloween Tagged with bag patterns, DIY trick or treat bag, Halloween craft, halloween crafts, halloween kids crafts, trick or treat bag patterns, trick or treat bags

Ice/Snow Scraper Hand Mitt Tutorial

31 Comments

I really do appreciate all your kind comments. They are what inspire me to keep this going! So THANK YOU! I do try to answer them all and your emails too! Thanks for all your great support. It means a lot! And now as promised…

I realize that not all of you are living with frigid temperatures, snow and ice right now, but we are. Believe it or not, I really do love snow and snow storms! I just don’t like when I have to scrape it or ice off the car in the frigid outdoor air temperatures. And since I am not very good about using gloves, I decided to make my ice scraper a little more frozen-finger friendly. So, I made a hand mitt for my scraper to keep my hand nice and toasty while de-icing my windshield.

Here is a tutorial and a free downloadable pattern!

You will need 2 coordinating fabrics, quilt batting, and an icescraper. (I used a small one, but this should work for the longer handled scrapers with the ice scraper and the brushes too).

I made mine so that there are two different material patterns on each side. I took two coordinating fabrics and cut 2 pattern peices out of each peice of fabric. Click here to download the pattern. You should have a total of four peices (2 of each type of fabric). Then cut out 2 peices of thin quilt batting using the same pattern.

*Take one peice of fabric and one peice of batting. Place the material with the right side down on your table and put the layer of batting on top.

Fold down the middle rounded edge about a 1/4 of an inch and pin. This will not go all the way across the rounded edge (see picture). Sew right along the folded edge and then set aside.

Take the other peice of material (with the same pattern) and fold the edge of the rounded end of the material (so that the wrong sides of the fabric are touching) and sew it as you did the previous peice of material.

Take your two peices of sewn material and pin them together so that the right sides of the material are together and your batting layer is on top. Sew around the entire edge with a 5/8″ seam. However, be sure to leave an opening large enough for you to be able to turn the material inside out.

Turn inside out through the hole you have left in the bottom of the U*. After the material is turned inside out, tuck in the open unsewn edges, pin and then sew the opening shut. You can either do this by hand or just with your sewing machine.

Now repeat the above instructions (from * to *) for your other two peices of coordinating fabric and batting.

When both are finished, pin them together. Now sew around your pinned peices using a 5/8″ seam in a U shape. DO NOT SEW ALONG THE FLAT EDGES. THIS IS THE OPENING FOR YOU HAND. Remember to leave an opening large enough to fit the handle of your icescraper between the two peices along the rounded bottom of the U shape.

Turn inside out and you should be all finished! Insert your icescraper handle.

Not only will this keep your fingers toasty warm while de-icing your windows, you will look fashionable doing it :D!

**Ice Scraper purchased at Wal-Mart. Material purchased at Hobby Lobby.

January 5, 2010 · Filed under: Free Downloads, Sewing, Tutorials, Winter Tagged with

Magic Reindeer Food

39 Comments

A few years ago my daughter came home from her Pre-school class with some magic reindeer food. She was instructed to sprinkle it on the front lawn on Christmas Eve so that Santa and his reindeer could find her home. She was so excited and my other kids wished they had some reindeer food too. It worked just like magic. Santa definitely came! We have continued the tradition every year since to ensure that Santa can find his way to our house.

The food has special “glow in the dark” crystals that are illuminated by the moon and as my daughter pointed out today, Rudolph’s Red Nose! I wish she would have said that before I got them all printed out :). That is so much more fun than being illuminated by the moon. (I will have to change it for next year as I have already made ours up).

This would be so fun to make for your kids friends as a small, inexpensive gift, an elementary school party, your neighbor’s kids or your grandkids! Be sure to make it edible so that the birds don’t eat something that is not good for them…like glitter.

Here is our simple recipe.

Reindeer Food

1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red or green sugar crystals (for cake decorating)

**I have seen some recipes that call for glitter, but I have heard that it can be dangerous for any birds who might eat it, so we just use colored sugar. Colored sugar can be made so easily. Just take some sugar and drop a few drops of food coloring in the sugar. Then take a fork and stir it until the sugar is colored evenly and there are no lumps.

Here is a fun poem that you can give along with the reindeer food to let people know what it is and how to use it.

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon (Rudolph’s Nose) will make it sparkle bright
As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam
This will guide them to your home.

I filled a cellophane treat bag (6 in. x 3.75 in.) with the reindeer food and attached a label by stapling it to the top. The writing on the label is upside down so when you fold it,the writing will be right side up.

There are two different downloads if you are interested. I would love to know if you end up making some! I love to see the projects my readers are enjoying and making for themselves.