How to Make an Easy Trick-or-Treat Bag
Follow these directions and learn how to sew your own easy trick-or-treat bags. It is so easy everyone can help.
While younger kids might not be able to sew a trick-or-treat bag using a sewing machine, you can sew it for them and they can have fun decorating it with scrap felt, wiggle eyes, and other basic craft supplies! Here are some decorating ideas to spark the imagination.
Let's begin...
Gathering The Supplies
Before you start any project it is easiest to gather together all of the supplies. For this project you will need:
You will also want some basic craft items to decorate your bag.
My preferences are felt scraps and wiggle eyes, but you can use any supplies you want. You will also want some craft glue!
Now we can start making the bag...
Cut Your Felt
Start out by cutting your felt. You will need 3 pieces:
The easiest way to cut out these pieces is to fold your 18" x 36" piece of felt in half so it is 18" x 18" and lay it on your cutting mat and cut a piece 12" x 36" and then trim it down to 30".
Then cut a 4" strip and then cut it in half to make two 4" x 18" pieces.
Sew the Sides of the Bag
Fold your 12" x 30" piece of felt in half so it is 12" x 15". Sew up each side, using about a 1/2" seam allowance. Your bag will now have two sewn sides, directly across from each other. It will also have a folded edge and an open edge directly across from each other.
While I used a contrasting color of thread in these pictures just so the seam shows up better, I would suggest using a thread that matches the color of your felt!
Mark the Bag Bottom
Now we are going to 'box' the bottom of trick-or-treat bag. This will make a flat bottom on the bag so it can sit on a table similar to a paper bag.
Start off by centering on of the side seams so it lines up with the bottom, center fold. Pinch it together and lay it on your work surface. Use pins to hold it together.
Use a ruler and measure up 1 1/2" from the point of the fabric and draw a line. The line should measure 3" long with 1 1/2" of fabric on either side of the seam.
Repeat this for the other side.
Sew and Trim the Bag Bottom
To complete the box bottom, sew along each line you drew. Lock stitch (sew back and forth) when you start and when you finish sewing.
Trim the threads and then cut off the points, leaving about 1/2" of fabric.
Turn your bag right side out. Now you can see how the bottom edge of the bag now looks more like a box.
Sew the Bag Handles
To make the bag handles, fold both 4" x 18" piece of felt in half. Sew up the long edge of each piece, leaving about a 1/2" seam allowance.
Turn the handles right side out. This is easy to do by attaching a safety pin to one open end and feeding it through the tube until it comes out the other end. The fabric gets pulled through the tube along with the safety pin!
Once your handles are right side out, top stitch up each long side, about 1/8th" from each edge.
I also top stitched down the center. While this helps to hold the hand flat, it is more decorative so you can skip it if you like.
Attach the Handles to the Bag
Lay the bag on it's side. At the top edge of the bag, measure in 2" from each seam. Mark these spots with a straight pin. Line up the outside edge of one end of a handle with the straight pin. Hold the end of the handle so it lines up with the top edge of the purse and pin in place. Pin the other end of the handle in place using this same method. Make sure the side of the handle with the sea is facing up at this point.
Repeat this on the other side of the bag for the other handle.
Using a 1/2" seam allowance, stitch around the top edge of the bag to secure the handles in place.
To finish your bag, fold about 1 1/2" of the top edge of the bag into the bag, folding the handles up and out of the bag. Pin the handles to keep then in place.
Sew two seams along the top edge of the bag to hold the fold and the handle ends in place. Sew the first seam in about 1/4" from the edge and sew the second seam about 1" down from the top edge.
Trim the threads and your felt trick-or-treat bag is now done!
Now you can decorate it however you like...
Of course, you can leave your trick-or-treat bag plain, but you can also decorate it! Use scrap felt and glue to embellish your bag or use any other craft supplies you want. Here are my decorating ideas (pictured above) to help spark your imagination.
If you are looking for even more ideas, these pumpkin carving patterns, Halloween coloring book pages, and Halloween cut outs make great patterns.
Follow these directions and learn how to sew your own easy trick-or-treat bags. It is so easy everyone can help.
While younger kids might not be able to sew a trick-or-treat bag using a sewing machine, you can sew it for them and they can have fun decorating it with scrap felt, wiggle eyes, and other basic craft supplies! Here are some decorating ideas to spark the imagination.
Let's begin...
Gathering The Supplies
Before you start any project it is easiest to gather together all of the supplies. For this project you will need:
- 1/2 Yard of Felt(should be approximately 18" x 36")
- Thread
- Sewing Machine (not pictured)
- Rotary Cutter
- Cutting Mat
- Ruler
- Pen
- Straight Pins
- Scissors
You will also want some basic craft items to decorate your bag.
My preferences are felt scraps and wiggle eyes, but you can use any supplies you want. You will also want some craft glue!
Now we can start making the bag...
Cut Your Felt
Start out by cutting your felt. You will need 3 pieces:
- Cut one piece that is 12" x 30"
- Cut two pieces that each measure 4" x 18"
The easiest way to cut out these pieces is to fold your 18" x 36" piece of felt in half so it is 18" x 18" and lay it on your cutting mat and cut a piece 12" x 36" and then trim it down to 30".
Then cut a 4" strip and then cut it in half to make two 4" x 18" pieces.
Sew the Sides of the Bag
Fold your 12" x 30" piece of felt in half so it is 12" x 15". Sew up each side, using about a 1/2" seam allowance. Your bag will now have two sewn sides, directly across from each other. It will also have a folded edge and an open edge directly across from each other.
While I used a contrasting color of thread in these pictures just so the seam shows up better, I would suggest using a thread that matches the color of your felt!
Mark the Bag Bottom
Now we are going to 'box' the bottom of trick-or-treat bag. This will make a flat bottom on the bag so it can sit on a table similar to a paper bag.
Start off by centering on of the side seams so it lines up with the bottom, center fold. Pinch it together and lay it on your work surface. Use pins to hold it together.
Use a ruler and measure up 1 1/2" from the point of the fabric and draw a line. The line should measure 3" long with 1 1/2" of fabric on either side of the seam.
Repeat this for the other side.
Sew and Trim the Bag Bottom
To complete the box bottom, sew along each line you drew. Lock stitch (sew back and forth) when you start and when you finish sewing.
Trim the threads and then cut off the points, leaving about 1/2" of fabric.
Turn your bag right side out. Now you can see how the bottom edge of the bag now looks more like a box.
Sew the Bag Handles
To make the bag handles, fold both 4" x 18" piece of felt in half. Sew up the long edge of each piece, leaving about a 1/2" seam allowance.
Turn the handles right side out. This is easy to do by attaching a safety pin to one open end and feeding it through the tube until it comes out the other end. The fabric gets pulled through the tube along with the safety pin!
Once your handles are right side out, top stitch up each long side, about 1/8th" from each edge.
I also top stitched down the center. While this helps to hold the hand flat, it is more decorative so you can skip it if you like.
Attach the Handles to the Bag
Lay the bag on it's side. At the top edge of the bag, measure in 2" from each seam. Mark these spots with a straight pin. Line up the outside edge of one end of a handle with the straight pin. Hold the end of the handle so it lines up with the top edge of the purse and pin in place. Pin the other end of the handle in place using this same method. Make sure the side of the handle with the sea is facing up at this point.
Repeat this on the other side of the bag for the other handle.
Using a 1/2" seam allowance, stitch around the top edge of the bag to secure the handles in place.
To finish your bag, fold about 1 1/2" of the top edge of the bag into the bag, folding the handles up and out of the bag. Pin the handles to keep then in place.
Sew two seams along the top edge of the bag to hold the fold and the handle ends in place. Sew the first seam in about 1/4" from the edge and sew the second seam about 1" down from the top edge.
Trim the threads and your felt trick-or-treat bag is now done!
Now you can decorate it however you like...
Of course, you can leave your trick-or-treat bag plain, but you can also decorate it! Use scrap felt and glue to embellish your bag or use any other craft supplies you want. Here are my decorating ideas (pictured above) to help spark your imagination.
If you are looking for even more ideas, these pumpkin carving patterns, Halloween coloring book pages, and Halloween cut outs make great patterns.
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