DIY Trick-or-treat bag (Handpainted with Autumn and Halloween imagery)

Trick-or-treat is a Halloween day staple. Trick-or-treating is all the more fun when you make your own bag to collect your tasty treats.

When kids go door-to-door, and ask for candy would you like them to walk around with a Halloween themed tote bag in all its spirit? Would you like to make one yourself, in an hour or less (plus the time for paint to dry, which is another hour), just the right size for the candy collection?

Tutorial for the Trick-or-treat collection bag

Step 1. Cut out the bag fabric

Cut out a thick fabric piece measuring 13 inches by 30 inches.

Step 2. Hem the top edges of the bag fabric.

Fold the short edges twice to the inside and sew the edges.

Step 3. Sew the sides

Fold the whole fabric piece by the middle, rightsides to the inside. Sew the side edges.

Finish the edges with a zig zag stitch to prevent fraying inside.

Step 4. Box the corners

This is an optional step. If you want a bag with boxed corners and a flat bottom, you can do this. Pinch the corner of the bag and sew across -that is all you need to do.

Pinch the corners.

Mark 1.5 inches from the corner. Sew across. Do this for both the corners.

This is how to flat bottom looks after you have boxed the corners.

Step 5. Make the 2 bag handles

You need 2 fabric pieces of this dimension : 22 inches by 3 inches

Fold the edges of the fabric pieces to the middle. Press in place.

Fold the fabric pieces by the middle. Press again.

Sew the handles along the edges.

Step.6 Sew the handles to the bag

Fold the bag top edge by the middle and then fold again – this is just to find the symmetrical place to attach the bag handle. Mark this on both sides.

Pin the handles in place. Ensure that you are not twisting the handles, before sewing.

Sew with a cross orientation so that the handles are firmly sewn in place – so that seam will not rip out under the weight of the treats you are going to collect.

Sew 7. Painting in Halloween colors.

You can choose to paint all your bags in any color you want. But a trick or treat bag should have atleast one color from this group – Orange, Black, Purple, and green. Orange for pumpkins and fall, Black for mystery, Purple for magic and Green for eerie vibes.

These are the colors I have chosen.

As for the designs, you have a lot of choices. Instead of safe designs like this, go adventurous and paint your darkest fantasies on your bag. Halloween gives you the freedom.

I drew the design on a piece of paper, then traced it on to the fabric using a carbon sheet and a pencil. You can use a tracing wheel to get lesser conspicuous lines.

You can paint on your bag after you have sewn the bag or before. If you are painting after sewing the bag, ensure that you are keeping something (a cardboard sheet, preferably) inside the bag so that the paint wouldn’t seep through to the back layer.

After you have painted all the leaves with shades of autumn, give an outline to each of the leaves with black paint using a very thin brush. I am using a nail art brush as I found the 0 brush is not thin enough but this one is the perfect size.

You can add even more Halloween icons –

Pumpkins (Jack-o’-lanterns)
Ghosts
Witches
Black Cats
Skulls and Skeletons
Bats
Spiders and Webs
Zombies
Vampires
Full Moon

Either make a doodle of Halloween icons or do a full blown Halloween themed painting.

Do you know that you can make bags from jeans : Here is a tutorial – How to make bags from old jeans step by step instructions ; Learn to make a phone belt pouch; DIY Handbag Tutorial