Halloween Treat Bags & Boxes

If a Halloween party is in your future, a black take-out box turned flying bat makes a great favor box for each guest. Download the bat wing template, print it out, and use it as a pattern to cut two from folded black card stock. Open up each wing and cut slits along the folds as indicated on the download, then slip the wings onto the wire box handles. Apply glue along the wing edges to glue the wings shut. Add cutouts and punched shapes from assorted card stock to make the face.

Inspired by a single-serving sour cream package, this candy corn wrapping is perfect for enclosing loose pieces of wrapped candy and handing out on Halloween night. To make it, download the template, use a color printer to print it onto standard printer paper, and cut out the rectangle. Run a line of liquid adhesive along all but one of the short edges on the back of the template, then roll the glued short side around to meet the other side, forming a tube with the stripes on the outside. Flatten the glued side of the tube, insert candy through the open end, then flatten and glue the open end. If desired, use a paper crimper to embellish the package ends.

If you're looking for a kids' party activity that can double as a container for take-home treats, look no further than this inexpensive and fun-to-make black cat pouch made from paper plates. Help kids staple two plates together with tops facing, then use a small plate or bowl to trace and cut out a circular area to form the ears. Have kids paint the outsides of the plates black; let dry. Give the kids a circle punch to cut out the shapes for the eyes. Help them make the pupils by feeding the circle punch back over a punched circle to create the shape. Add cutouts for the ears, whiskers, and nose.

More merry than menacing, this smiling Frankenstein goody bag is a cinch to make using a purchased lime-green sack from a party store. Cover one side of the bag with black card stock; while holding the open edges together, cut out irregular triangles from the top edges of the sack. Fill the bag with treats and fold the black side to the front, stapling along the folded edge to keep the bag closed. Paint two small corks silver, hot-glue the dry corks to the sides of the bag, and add googly eyes and a marker-drawn scar and smile to the bag front.

This boo-tifully simple treat sack is actually two same-size bags -- one white and one black -- that have been slipped together. If you can't find white and black sacks that are the same size, paint one or both. Cut eyeholes in the white bag and trim out small triangles along the opening. Fill the black bag with goodies, then slip the white bag over the top of the black bag to cover the opening.

Party guests will be doing a double take when they realize that this jack-o'-lantern is really a manila envelope in disguise. Draw vertical lines down the front of a 6x9-inch clasp envelope using a ruler and a black pen, then embellish the front with triangles for eyes and a goofy grin cut from black card stock. Fill the envelope with take-home treats. Finish the look with a patterned-paper stem and curled-raffia tendril.

This skull treat cup looks much harder than it is, thanks to clever use of paper-punched shapes. Punch the circle eyes, a heart nose, and cut out small rectangles to create this skull's face; adhere to the cup. Attach four punched hearts to the ends of two strips of white card stock. Crisscross the strips of card stock and adhere them to the back of the cup.

With striped tights and a pointed shoe, this witch foot goody tube is actually an empty toilet paper roll in disguise. Cut strips of orange and purple origami papers and glue them around the top two-thirds of an empty tube using a glue stick. Use double-stick tape to attach a 2-inch-tall piece of black card stock around the tube, cut a small slit at the center front, and fold down the corners. Layer and attach a set of black and silver squares for the buckle, then attach a 2x6-inch black triangle to the tube base and curl up the point by wrapping it around a pencil.

Add crafts-foam wings to a box of candy wrapped in crepe paper for a bat that's simple enough for the kids to make. Cover the sides of a mini box of candy with black crepe paper, taping the pieces in place. Cut out black wings from crafts foam (for young kids, trace the shape onto foam beforehand) and glue on purple foam details. Use our download as a template for the bat wings.

These mummy creations will have your kids thanking their "mummy" on Halloween night. Cut out the bucket pattern provided below and trace it onto white cardstock, then cut the cardstock and fold it, using the pre-made lines as a guide. Glue the side tabs down with a glue stick, then mummify your bucket! Wrap white crepe paper around the bucket and secure to the sides with glue. To make a handle, simply trim a piece of cardstock with scissors, and attach to each side of your box with brads. Stick on some googly eyes for a funny mummy face, and you're set!

Transform this plain orange treat bucket into a smiling Jack-O'-Lantern in a few simple steps! First, cut eyes, a triangle nose, and a missing-toothed grin out of black cardstock or felt, and then glue or tape the shapes to one side of an orange treat bucket. Use our free pattern to make your own funny expressions!

You can make this spooky -- but still goofy -- spiderbucket in a few simple steps! Simply poke four black pipe cleaners through the sides of your paper bucket, then glue googly eyes and add a smiling mouth with marker to make him a little less scary when you're out at night!

Kids will flip at this batty Halloween bucket! Trace and cut out the pattern using black cardstock, then fold the edges to make the bucket. Add black wings to either side of the bucket and secure with tape to create your winged creature! Glue on tiny googly eyes (bats have small eyes) and cut two white triangles using cardstock for fangs! Secure with glue below the bat eyes, and you're ready to go candy hunting with your new nighttime friend!

This Frankenstein treat box is just a take-out box in disguise! Disassemble a clear take-out box to use as a pattern; trace onto cardstock. Cut out and secure the cardstock box inside the reassembled take-out box. Poke two large brads through each side of the box, using adhesive to secure the ends. Cut strips of felt and tape them to the box for hair and his mouth. Use black and white buttons for eyes and stick on a button nose. Finally, tie several ribbon strips and embellished metal-rim tags to the handle for flair.

Here's a fun and easy way to customize your trick-or-treating gear! Iron your favorite Halloween images onto plain canvas tote bags; use some of our Halloween pictures, or find ones of your own! Type a name on your image and print it out onto iron-on transfer paper. Finally, iron on the image to the bag and watch your kids fill their personalized sacks with Halloween candy!

Copyright © 2010 Meredith Corporation.