Monster Treat Bags

Here's a great little craft for even the least crafty of us, and fun for parents and kids to do together. These treat bags are good for Halloween parties (or any party) or for the special little halloweenies that come trick or treating. My demo monster is pretty basic, but you can get as fancy as you want.

What you need:

• Paper lunch bags
• cellophane (or a heavy plastic food wrap) 
• Large googly eyes
• tape
• Small sharp scissors
• glue
• pencil

Lay the lunch bag out flat on the table and draw a monster mouth shape near the bottom. Make sure you leave some room at the edges (about 3/4 of an inch). Cut out the mouth with your scissors. Be careful not to cut the sides of the bag. It doesn't matter if the edges are ragged, this is a monster mouth after all. 

Once the mouth is open, cut a piece of cellophane big enough to cover the hole. Now you have to tape the cellophane inside the bag. This is the tricky part. Make sure all the edges are securely fastened so that the plastic doesn't come away from the mouth. One piece of tape on each side should do it.

Next come the eyes. You can add as many eyes as you want. If you have different sizes it's fun to mix it up. This is something the kids like to help with. Just don't stick the eyes too close to the top. You want to leave room to fold and close the bag.

The kids can also decorate the bag any way they want. Use crayons, markers, bits of paper, or get fancy with glitter and sequins. Whatever you like. When the monster is finished, fill it with treats. Fold down the top and secure with tape, or you can use a hole punch and tie the bag together with yarn or raffia.

 

Not only do the kids have a fun treat bag, but they get a preview of the treats inside. You can do mini versions of these with paper candy bags.

Just in case you don't want to fill them up with sugar, here are some ideas for non-candy treats:

• small packs of crayons
• mini stampers
• stickers
• juice boxes
• glow sticks