How to Decorate a Trick-or-Treat Bag

Decorating a trick-or-treat bag is a great activity for children of all ages, and for younger children can be a great way to ease fear associated with the spooky holiday. These bags can be as simple or as elaborate as the skill of their maker and can add a personalized touch to every Halloween costume.

Preperation Steps

Prepare a large, clean, flat space to work on. The trick-or-treat bags may need to dry and can take a few days to complete, so be sure that this space will not be needed for other activities.

Line the table with newspaper and insert doubled up newspaper neatly into the pillowcase so glue and paint do not seep through.

Decide if your child will need handles for their trick-or-treat bag. For some children this helps them carry it and for others they would rather just grab onto it.

Line up the pillowcase seams.

Trace a half circle in the center of one side of the pillowcase, beginning about an inch from the top. A ball point pen or a fine marker works for this.

Cut out the half circle, through both sides of the pillow case so you know that the handles will line up.

Lay out pieces of felt and fabric ranging in color and size, fabric paint, puff paint, fabric markers, glue, pipe cleaners, Halloween accessories and other craft materials that you have available.

Decorating Steps

Have the child map out their ideas on a regular piece of paper. Children may need help brainstorming Halloween ideas, but remember there are 2 sides to decorate so not everything needs to be on the first side.

Help transfer the sketch onto the pillowcase with the child. Kids often have a hard time with keeping the picture proportional when they transfer it and a pencil with light markings can ease the stress.

Cut out all the felt and fabric shapes and glue these first.

Draw and color with fabric markers.

Paint and glue any remaining items.

Allow for the first side of the pillowcase trick-or-treat bag to dry completely, this can take up to 12 hours.

Decorate the second side of the pillowcase by following Steps 1 through 6 again.