DIY Halloween Trick or Treat bags using freezer paper stencil
Learn how to use freezer paper stencils to make Halloween trick or treat bags for your kids. These bags are easy to make, a really fun craft for the kids, can be personalized with whatever you want and you can use them over and over year after year.
After finishing our Owl Halloween costumes I started to make My brother’s one. He wanted Dracula LOL. But I noticed that they didn’t have treat bags for the party we are going to! So I finished the costumes and started these cute witch and bats Halloween trick or treating bags.
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Fun Halloween Trick or Treat bags using freezer paper stencil
They are pretty easy to make and a fun project. It took me about 3-4 hours total to make both tote bags using sewing machine and a cutting machine. If you don’t have either of them, it’s ok, see crafting tips at the end of the tutorial.
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My daughter loves any bag and she was all excited about this one my brother is counting the days until the party!
As I mentioned before I don’t know much about sewing, I just sew LOL. So sometimes it’s hard to explain technical things but I’ll do my best.
How to make these Halloween Trick or Treat bags
These Witch and Bats Spooky Halloween Trick or Treat Bags are a fun craft and so easy to make even if you don’t have a sewing machine. I made 2 different styles of Spooky Halloween Treat Bags so you can choose the best one for your kids.
Supplies:
- 1 Yard of white fabric {it can vary depending on the size of the bag}
- 1 Yard of lining fabric – I reused some laundry bags from Hotels as linin.
- Fabric Paints – orange and black paint.
- White Rope
- Halloween ribbon
- Freezer paper
- Foam brush
Tools:
- Cutting Machine – Silhouette Cameo or Cricut.
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors and ruller
- Mark-B-Gone Marker
- Hot iron
Instructions:
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These bags have lining. I wanted them to be slightly stiffer than with only fabric. I had some laundry bags from hotels at hand so I used it.
The main bag and the lining follows exactly the same steps so I’ll show you how to do one and you can repeat for the other.
Stet 1: Cut and sew the Main pieces of the bags.
I cut the fabrics. For my daughter’s bag, 10 Inches x 14 inches {35×26 cm} both white fabric and lining. For my brother’s bag 12 Inches x 16 Inches {30×40 cm}
I sewed lining fabric right sides together on 2 long sides and I short side leaving one open.
Pinch the bottom corner together aligning the side seam with the bottom seam as in the image below.
Then I measure 2 Inches {5 cm} from the corner and marked on both sides. Then I traced a line joining both marks.
I stitch and cut the triangle left leaving about 0.5 inches like in the image below. Did the same on the other side.
When you unfold and open up the bag it will look like this.
I repeated the same on the main fabric and of course on the other bag too.
Step 2: Prepare the spooky design
I made a break here and started with the design Yayyyy!
I prepared some illustrations in my Silhouette Studio.
For Emma, I made a flying witch and for my brother, I made a spooky tree with a bat hanging.
You can download the cut files by clicking on the images below.
When the design was ready. I just adjusted the size to almost the maximum the machine could cut (about 11×11 Inches).
Then when using Freezer paper it’s important to remember that the waxed side should be facing up. For this reason is critical to remember to flip the design before cutting. For this, you just need to select the whole design and go to Object > Mirror > Flip Horizontally.
Step 3: Cut the design
Then I sent to cut on the freezer paper. I used Copy Paper setting, BUT I set the blade to 1 instead the default 2.
When the design is cut, use your fingers or tweezers to weed out the negative space from the design.
Once it was done, it was a little bit tricky because it had so many small parts that weren’t attached to the big design so I had to use some scotch tape to keep them in place while I place the whole stencil where I want to paint. Then carefully I removed the tape putting back the pieces where they should be and immediately I ironed it.
Step 4: Paint on the fabric
I had a little helper for this step. My little girl helped me paint.
Insert a piece of cardstock inside the bag pieces to protect it so you paint all the way through both layers or fabric.
We painted all in black except for the pumpkins that we painted in orange. Although it was not perfect my daughter and my brother loved it because they helped
If you want a full detailed tutorial about freezer paper you can check this post out.
Once I removed the freezer paper I got back to the sewing part LOL.
Step 5: Finish the bags assembling.
I sewed the fabric and the lining together. I placed the lining fabric inside the main fabric right sides together. I stitched around the top of the bag 1/4 inch seam allowance from the edge leaving a 2-3 inch opening for turning the bag inside out {It’s better to leave this on the side}
I turned the bag inside out.
Push the lining inside the bag and sew all the way around the top of the bag.
This closed up the opening I used for turning.
I added the ribbon in this step for Emma’s bag.
With the white rope, I made a braid with knots at both ends {Sorry for the painted fingers LOL}.
I Place them on both sides of the bag about 1 inch from the side seam and I stitched them.
The final touch was some cute ribbon bows on the knots.
In my brother’s bag, I used the rope as follows. When we pull both sides of the rope the bag ruffles! So fun!
Tadaaaaaaa!!!! Ready!
Crafting Tips
If you don’t have a sewing machine or just don’t want to sew, you can use blank canvas bags that you can purchase at your local craft store, the craft section of your department store, and sometimes even at Dollar Tree stores.
No cutting machine? No problem. You can just print some simple designs like bats, spiders, or anything spooky you like and trace them to the freezer paper. Cut them out with scissors or a craft cutter. Then proceed with the ironing steps and on.
They tuned out great! And both kids are happy! They are ready to go and get some delicious sweet treats!
Now Let’s wait for the party and of course, I have to finish now my brother’s costume!.
What do you think??? Have you made treat bags? Is there a special type of treat bag that you like???
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Freezer paper also makes amazing stencils, especially if you’re stenciling onto fabric. Freezer paper is thicker than parchment or wax paper and makes a strong stencil. It is dull on one side and shiny on the other.
Definitely Yes. Any fabric that can be ironed onto qualifies for freezer paper stenciling. Because freezer paper is polycoated on one side, it will adhere to fabric with an iron to help bring your design to life.
Shiny side DOWN!!! Always!!!
To be honest any type that is easy to sew. Cotton, canva, lining or even jute.
More Halloween Projects to Try
If you liked this cute Halloween trick or treat bags tutorial, you might also love these other Halloween project ideas too:
✂️ Tutorial
DIY Halloween Trick or Treat bags using freezer paper stencil
Tools
- Cutting Machine – Silhouette Cameo or Cricut
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors and ruller
- Mark-B-Gone Marker
- Iron
Supplies
- 1 Yard of white fabric {it can vary depending on the size of the bag}
- 1 Yard of lining fabric – I reused some laundry bags from Hotels as linin.
- Fabric Paints – Black and orange.
- White Rope
- Halloween ribbon
- Freezer paper
Instructions
- These bags have lining. I wanted them to be slightly stiffer than with only fabric. I had some laundry bags from hotels at hand so I used it.
- The main bag and the lining follows exactly the same steps so I’ll show you how to do one and you can repeat for the other.
STET 1: CUT AND SEW THE MAIN PIECES OF THE BAGS.
- I cut the fabrics. For my daughter’s bag, 10 Inches x 14 inches {35×26 cm} both white fabric and lining. For my brother’s bag 12 Inches x 16 Inches {30×40 cm}
- I sewed lining fabric right sides together on 2 long sides and I short side leaving one open.
- Pinch the bottom corner together aligning the side seam with the bottom seam as in the image below.
- Then I measure 2 Inches {5 cm} from the corner and marked on both sides. Then I traced a line joining both marks.
- I stitch and cut the triangle left leaving about 0.5 inches like in the image below. Did the same on the other side.
- When you unfold and open up the bag it will look like this.
- I repeated the same on the main fabric and of course on the other bag too.
STEP 2: PREPARE THE SPOOKY DESIGN
- I made a break here and started with the design Yayyyy!
- I prepared some illustrations in my Silhouette Studio.
- For Emma, I made a flying witch and for my brother, I made a spooky tree with a bat hanging.
- You can download the cut files in the post
- When the design was ready. I just adjusted the size to almost the maximum the machine could cut (about 11×11 Inches).
- Then when using Freezer paper it’s important to remember that the waxed side should be facing up. For this reason is critical to remember to flip the design before cutting. For this, you just need to select the whole design and go to Object > Mirror > Flip Horizontally.
STEP 3: CUT THE DESIGN
- Then I sent to cut on the the freezer paper. I used Copy Paper setting, BUT I set the blade to 1 instead the default 2.
- Once it was done, it was a little bit tricky because it had so many small parts that weren’t attached to the big design so I had to use some scotch tape to keep them in place while I place the whole stencil where I want to paint. Then carefully I removed the tape putting back the pieces where they should be and immediately I ironed it.
STEP 4: PAINT ON THE FABRIC
- I had a little helper for this step. My little girl helped me painting
- We painted all in black except for the pumpkins that we painted in orange. Although, it was not perfect my daughter and my brother loved it because they helped
- If you want a full detailed tutorial about freezer paper you can check this post out.
- Once I removed the freezer paper I got back to the sewing part LOL.
STEP 5: FINISH THE BAGS ASSEMBLING.
- I sewed the fabric and the lining together. I placed the lining fabric inside the main fabric right sides together. I stitched around the top of the bag 1/4 inch seam allowance from the edge leaving a 2-3 inch opening for turning the bag inside out {It’s better to leave this on the side}
- I turned the bag inside out.
- Push the lining inside the bag and sew all the way around the top of the bag.
- This closed up the opening I used for turning.
- I added the ribbon in this step for Emma’s bag.
- With the white rope, I made a braid with knots at both ends {Sorry for the painted fingers LOL}.
- I Place them on both sides of the bag about 1 inch from the side seam and I stitched them.
- The final touch was some cute ribbon bows on the knots.
- In my brother’s bag, I used the rope as follows. When we pull both sides of the rope the bag ruffles! So fun!
- Tadaaaaaaa!!!! You are done!
More Halloween bags from my favorite bloggers!
- DIY Trick or Treat Bags made with the Cricut Maker by Polkadot Chair.
- DIY Halloween Trick or Treat Bags with Cricut Infusible Ink by Weekend Crafts.
- Trick or Treat Bag Pattern by Sew Much Ado.
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