Trick-Or-Treat Tote: A 20-Minute Kids’ Craft

Looking for a quick and easy craft your kids can make themselves?  This Trick-Or-Treat Tote Bag is sure to make their Halloween Night a spooky success!  All in just 20 minutes!

Each of my five kids have taken a beginners’ sewing class.  Jamie (of the Lavender and Ribbon Wreaths, as well as the Faux Chenille Baby Blanket) teaches them about their machine, how to set it up, thread it, and actually sew simple projects that they can finish in one day.  Even my boys took the class and loved it!  There’s something about lording over a machine that draws their rapt attention!

Looking ahead at the upcoming months, Brennon (10) commented that Halloween was in a few weeks, and asked if he could make his own Trick-Or-Treat bag.  Knowing that he could do it with little help from me, I quickly agreed.  With the tutorial that Jamie printed off for my kids upon completion of the course, and with permission from her to use it here, Brennon got right to work.

MATERIALS

• 1/2- yard of fabric
• 2 yards of 1-inch webbing to compliment your fabric
• Thread to match your fabric
• Scissors or Rotary Cutter
• Cutting Mat, if using a cutter
• Straight Pins
• Measuring Tape
• Sewing Machine
• Iron and Ironing Board

CUTTING

Cut two 16- inch tall by 14- inch wide panels from the fabric.  Make sure the pattern is going the correct direction on both panels.

Cut two 22 1/2- inch long pieces of the webbing.

ATTACHING HANDLES AND HEMMING THE TOP

Iron the top raw edge down 1/4- inch.

Do you see that amazing Hem Guide?  Jamie used a simple cardboard cutout, from a used cereal box, and measured each line in a different color to easily distinguish for each child.  They would fold the fabric over to their desired line, hold the fabric, and iron.  At first, they would leave the cardboard there and just iron over it as they moved down the fabric.  Brennon now uses it for the first test measurement, and can easily judge the distance for the rest of the hem.  My children feel more confident using a sewing machine at 8-years old than I felt when I entered Home Economics at 13 in 7th grade.

Pin the handle pieces to the top folded edge of the right side of each panel, 3- inches from the sides.  Make sure the handles are not twisted.

Sew the hem down and the handles in place by sewing as close to the top edge as you can, using the edge of your foot as a guide.

Flip the panels so their wrong sides are facing up.  Press and pin their top edges down 1- inch.

Sew this fold down 1/4- inch from the top edge (again, use the edge of your foot as a guide) and then with a second seam on top of the first seam you made, as shown above.

The handle will now be attached and the top hem sewn down on both panels.  You’re now ready to sew the bag together!

SEWING THE BAG TOGETHER

Pin the panels right sides together.

Sew along the sides and bottom 1/2-inch from the raw edges.  Back stitch at the beginning and end of each seam!

We used a zig zag stitch, to help reinforce the seams, since our kids usually come home with like a million pounds of candy!

 

Snip of the bottom corners at an angle, making sure you do not clip the stitches.  Snipping the corners will make it less bulky when you turn the bag inside out.

Turn the bag right sides out.  Using your pointed finger, poke out the corners and flatten the seams.

Press the bag, making a point to press the sewn seams as flat as possible.

And there you are: A 20-minute tote bag, perfect for any Trick-Or-Treat night!

GETTING YOU READY FOR HALLOWEEN NIGHT

• Trick-Or-Treat Bingo
• Easy To Make Halloween Decoration
• Halloween Wreath
• Halloween Printables
• Halloween Slime
• Halloween Candy Alternative
• Ghost Template

I hope you have a fun, festive, and safe Halloween Night, and that your kids love their new, simple Trick-Or-Treat Tote bag!

Happy Haunting!

~Steph