A Fun Trick or Treat Bag!

Trick or Treat! I know it's a bit early to think about those little goblins that ring the doorbell Halloween night, but, it's not too early to do some special sewing for the little monsters sweeties in your life. I doodled up a bat the other day, sorta a spin off of my Going Batty mug rug. It's a spooky little bat that you can applique onto a tea towel if you'd like but I decided to make a trick or treat bag. Better yet, this Trick or Treat bag will hold a ton of goodies, unlike those gimpy little plastic pumpkins. Okay, the plastic pumpkins are cute.... but my kids were hard core trick or treaters and we would walk for miles.... I carried the back up bag that my boys would dump their candy into when their plastic pumpkins filled up. When my boys got older they carried around pillowcases and I always cringed to think they were dragging these things around and I always planned on making them Halloween themed ones. Well my kids are now grown men.... no need for the cute pillowcases. Now, you're thinking why are we talking about pillowcases.... I thought this post was about a trick or treat bag.... well..... Hocus, … Pocus...… it's a treat bag that doubles as a pillowcase! So when they come home, dump the candy all over the floor for you to inspect. Take time to slip their pillowcase on their pillow for when they pass out from their sugar induced coma. (This is when I would snitch all of the Butterfingers and Baby Ruth bars)…. 

Mwhaaaa Whaaaa ha ha......

You will need

2/3 yard main color Halloween fabric (orange)

1/3 yard black fabric

2 1/2" strip wof accent color (green)

heat n bond

black thread

scrap fabrics in the following colors, black, purple, white, green

4 mini yellow buttons (for eyes)

Applique design of your choice, I used my 'Bat' applique

Let's begin!

Sew along the long edge of the 2 1/2" strip to the 1/3 yard fabric, right sides together, using a 1/4" seam. (salvage sides may not match) Iron.

With right sides together place the 2/3 yard pieces of fabric on top of the 2 1/2" strip edge. (selvage sides may not match) Then roll up the orange fabric (2/3 yard piece) to reveal the right side of the 1/3 yard piece.

Then fold the base piece up and around the rolled up orange piece lining up the long edge. Pin all three layers every few inches.

Sew a 1/4" seam.

Pull the pillowcase body out of the tube. Then iron well. You have just created a two toned hem for your pillowcase/trick or treat bag. Trim the selvage edge so that it is even on both sides.

Trace the bat design onto your heat n bond. I traced two sets of bats for my pillowcase.

Then iron onto the back side of your fabric.

I then cut all the pieces out. I'm pretty fond of my Olfa applique scissors. They cut such nice sharp corners.

Now it's time to lay your bats out onto the top of the pillowcase. At this point, you have one huge piece with a beautiful hemmed edge. Keep your design all to one side or half. Remember you will be sewing this at some point to make a pillowcase, you don't want your design in the wrong spot.

I used black thread and a buttonhole stitch and sewed along all the raw edges of the bat design.

Fold the pillowcase in half with wrong sides together. Pin. Sew along the side and bottom edge using a scant 1/4" seam. Turn wrong side out, Iron. 

With right sides together sew a 3/8 or 1/2" seam, making sure to cover the raw edges of the previous seam. (You are making a 'French' seam) When done, turn right side out and iron.

Sew on the tiny buttons for the bat's eyes.

~ Trick or Treat! ~

Doesn't it turn out to be such a festive candy sack for Halloween. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. My boys are all grown up but I do have a special little guy to give this to for Halloween. 

This Halloween pillowcase would also be fun for your college kids too. Fill it with some goodies from home and of coarse some sweet treats too, then pop it in the mail to your college kiddo. They will love the extra special treats from home and the pillowcase is a fun way to add some spooky décor to their dorm room. 

Have a great day!

Happy quilting,

Cindy and Belvedere