Continue reading]]> Has anyone else been frustrated with those awful pumpkin shaped plastic buckets that kids carry around for Halloween?  Every year I buy a new one because they are too big to store in our Halloween decoration tote and I don’t like them to begin with.  Half the time they break  in the middle of the street and my kids candy is scattered on the road like a tempting pinata and they are constantly putting it on the ground so they can have their hands free to adjust their costumes or to choose which candy they want at the door steps of our patient neighbor’s homes.

With that said, I knew there had to be a better way!  My 11 year old and I went to the Hancock Fabric store near our home and scoped out the options.  I know a lot of kids carry around a pillow case to put their candy in, so we thought why not make a mini pillow case with a strap (like a messanger bag) so it would be easy to sew AND easy to carry around as well as durable the way we sewed it.

We ended up with 2 yards of half price nice quality cotton Halloween Fabric ($4/yard).  I made 10 treat bags from the 2 yards and still have some fabric left.  With the remnants I made some hair scrunchies and hair bows.  If you are asking what am I going to do with 10 treat bags and 3 kids, that’s a good questions…  I’m going to give them to my friends’ kids of course.  We’re also giving away one to a lucky reader.  See the end of the post for more details.

How to Make a Halloween Treat Bag & Giveaway

This is so easy.  Don’t let all the steps scare you away.  Once you get the hang of it, you can make one of these in 15 minutes.  You can cut out some steps to make it easier if you compromise quality a little bit.  I like mine to be higher quality, but it’s up to you.

You will need

• 1/2 yard of Halloween fabric
• 7-10 inches or coordinating trim (optional)
• Fabric glue (optional)
• Fray Check (optional)
• 42 inches of coordinating grosgrain ribbon (for the handle)
• thread

Step #1

Measure your fabric using a quilting ruler or measuring tape and mark with a chalk pencil.  You can use the folded edge to save some time sewing. I’m showing you without the fold, so you can see how to do it that way too.  I cut out this toddler (ages 3-6) sized bag 12.5 inches long by 10 inches wide.  This allows for a 5/8′ seam allowance on all sides.  It should hold about 2 pounds of candy.  If you wanted a bigger one for a larger child, you could make it 14 inches long by 12 inches wide with a 5/8′ seam allowance.  I made some of both.

You can iron your fabric before you start cutting to make sure you have a very flat and even piece of fabric.  I didn’t bother because I wasn’t looking for perfection, and I hate to iron.  Did I mention I hate to iron?  I really hate to iron!  You can also wash and shrink the fabric before you start, but I didn’t because I was lazy and I hardly ever do that.  But, you can if you want to be a super thorough sewer.

TIP: Before you cut, if you have a one way fabric where there is a side you want facing up, make sure you having it facing the way you want it before cutting.  I made this mistake on a couple bags, they were still cute, but not perfect.

Step #2

Cut at markings.  Make sure you make a straight cut, so your bag won’t be crooked.  This is where I like to use my see through quilting ruler pictured above.  I used my Gingher dressmaker scissors for a clean cut.

Step #3

Fold over the top hem 1/4′ and pin.  So you fold the right side of the fabric over the wrong side of the fabric as pictured below.

Step #4

Sew the 1/4″ hem you just turned and pinned using a coordinating thread.  You are making a “clean hem” here so there won’t be any frayed edges on the top of your bag.

Step #5

Fold over the hem you just made over again another 1″.  Pin and sew to make a clean hem.

Sew directly over the line you made when you sewed the 1/4″ seam to make it look clean and nice.  DOn’t worry if it’s perfect, it’s only going to show up on the inside.

Step #6

Match right sides of fabric together and sew a 5/8″ seam along the 3 edges, making sure to keep the top open (where you just hemmed it).  Pin sides.

Step #7

Zig Zag along all side seams to reinforce seam and make the bag stronger and more durable (optional).  Then trim the seams with pinking shears to discourage fraying.

Step #8

Turn your bag right side out making sure to use a point turner or your finger nail (or even a pencil) to get a sharp corner on the bottom corners.

Step #9

Measure your child to see if 40″ of grosgrain ribbon will be a good size for him or her.  This is a messenger style bag, so measure across their body.  I made mine a little long so they can loop the top and use it for another year.  Remember there will be a 1″ seam allowance for the ribbon on each side, so make the ribbon 2′ longer than what you measured on your child.  I used 42′ of ribbon.  Pin on one side of the bag and sew a square around the ribbon.  Repeat on the other side, making sure the ribbon stays straight.

Step #10 (optional)

Use fray check check on the ribbon to stop it from fraying.  If you don’t have this around, just skip it, although it’s pretty handy stuff to have on hand and it literally lasts forever because you only use a tiny bit on each project.

Step #11 (optional)

If you don’t want to have trim on your bag, you’re done!  I wanted something reflective on my kids bags, so I added some sequin trim remnants I had on hand.  They are really hard to keep in place so I used Alene’s Fabric Glue to glue it on.  This glue is permanent and washable so I can wash the bag and the trim won’t come off.  Handy, yes!

I put a thin line of the glue on the back side of the trim , then covered up my 1″ seam with the trim and pinned it in place for an hour.  Then I took the pins out and put a heavy book over the trim overnight so the glue could completely dry.  You could sew it on if you feel it’s easier.  It was easier for me to glue it on, so that’s what I did.  Do make sure to take the pins out before the glue dries, or you will have a ruined bag as the pins will get stuck in permanently.  I know from experience!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial about how to make a Halloween treat bag.  If you have any questions, please post a comment and I will answer them.

GIVEAWAY!!!

We are giving away one treat bag to a lucky winner.  Please enter by posting a comment here on the blog (1 entry) or by posting a comment on our facebook page (additional entry).  Share with your friends on facebook and get 5 extra entries. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted on Friday 10/19/2012 at noon MST.

Disclaimer:

**All content provided by Positively Mommy is for informational purposes only. Positively Mommy makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information found on this site or found by following any link on this site. Positively Mommy will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. Positively Mommy will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. This policy is subject to change at anytime.

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Now that my kids are all in school, it’s time for a new(er) hobby.  I’ve decided to take up sewing just because I’m not very good at it and I would really like to improve.  I have never used a pattern, and have only sewed very basic things.  I find sewing relaxing and it satisfies my creativeness.  I just found a new sewing table and chair at an antique store for around $70, and it’s perfect for me and I enjoy using it!

I used to have a basic Brother sewing machine for about 15 years that I used infrequently.  It had 2 stitches and it served me well for as long as I had it.  I never knew you were supposed to clean it regularly and it was never cleaned and still kept going anyway.  I believe it was around $50 to buy and I felt like it was well worth it.  However, I plan to take a sewing class at a local university and I needed the capability to do button holes and a few other stitches, so I decided to do a little research and find a different one that would fit my needs better.

First, I went to my local Joann’s store so I could look at some in person and talk to someone who knows about sewing machines.  It seemed like their sewing machines were for more advanced users ($2K all the way up to $9K).  They had a couple cheaper models ($200+)  but they looked like they were really bad quality.  Even the salesperson didn’t recommend them at all.  I found they weren’t much different or better than what I already had.

Next, I went to Consumer Reports.  I wasn’t aware of this, but Brother Sewing Machines rate very high on quality and ease of use.  I like ease of use and quality, so it was a fit!  Amazon has their highest rated machine but the cost was around $400 (Project Runway Limited Edition).  I wasn’t ready for that much of an investment yet, so I headed on down to my local Walmart Store and saw this beauty pictured above.  It had all the features of the $400 model as far as I could tell, and it had 20 more stitch choices.  I was convinced and I purchased the Brother CS6000i Sewing Machine for around $150!  I bought it with the caveat in mind that I would return it within 90 days if it was too hard to use.  The sale price that I’ve linked to on Amazon is the same price that I bought it for at Walmart and at Amazon you will save the sales tax.

Here’s my review of Brother CS6000i Sewing Machine

Please note this is my own personal review, I have not been compensated in any way by Brother.

I got the machine out of the box and figured out how to thread the needle and bobbin without reading the instructions and I sewed the curtains pictured above.  These 2 things are very easy and have pictures on the sewing machine to help.

The machine sews very easily and I like the tension of the foot pedal. It’s good for very slow, or very fast or in between.  I have used thick and thin fabrics and I’m very pleased with the quality and the ease of use.

Next, I really wanted to try the decorative stitches, but you have to change the presser foot for that.  I was really worried that it would a pain in the neck to change the presser foot, but once I figured it out, it is EXTREMELY easy and only requires two steps.  Pop off the old presser foot and pop on the new one.  It takes less than 30 seconds, so no need to be worried about that.

Last, I’d like to review the decorative stitches on the Brother CS6000i sewing machine.  Selecting the stitches is very easy to do, just by pushing a + or – button on the machine.  The stitches are beautiful and there are enough choices for just about any sewing project I can think of.  BUT, I find it very hard to make an even stitch on the decorative stitch (not the straight stitch).  When you pull or guide the fabric at all, the decorative stitches get out of whack, crooked and misshapen, and on very thick fabric, it sometimes gets stuck.  On thinner fabric it has never been stuck, but it is hard to control the misshapen stitches.  I’m pretty sure this is a lack of practice and experience on my part, and I still love the machine, but that element of it will take some practice for you.

For my first few projects, I have been teaching myself how to use a pattern and do different things (like a dart).  I have a few friends who are having babies and I enjoy making baby projects, so I decided to buy this book called Simple Sewing for Baby.  I have really, really enjoyed this book.  It is very easy to use and perfect for the first pattern projects you ever do.  My first project was this baby snuggler.  Once I figured out what to do, it was very simple and I’d like to make another one. I love making the matching rattle (pictured) with each project. I made this on the new machine and the fabric and everything needed was around $6 and I still have remnants left over.

Next I sewed a few taggie blankets.  I found the cutest cat fabric at Walmart in the fat quarters (prepackaged) section for .97 cents.  I backed it with coordinating lovely baby soft velvety fabric with nubs on it on the back and then sewed in pieces of ribbon that I already had on hand.  To complete the project, I added a vintage button found at Planted Earth, a local antique shop (the button must be sewed on very well so as not to be a choking hazard). I sewed a matching giraffe rattle with each item I made and believe it or not, the taggie blanket and rattle only cost about $1 because I could make 4 or so out of each cut of fabric.  I think the button was the most expensive part.  My friends have been thrilled with their gifts!  I made my taggie smaller than what the pattern called for, just because I thought it was quite large.  I did a decorative stitch around the edge.  Well, because I could with my new sewing machine!  The whole project took about 1 hour.

Have you ever seen a scarf person?  Someone who wears a different scarf nearly every day?  Well, I’m a scarf person.  I love scarves and I have quite the collection.  I have spent more than $30 on a scarf but most of my scarves are probably in the $15 range.  When I went to Joann’s I had a 60% off a cut of fabric so I found this lovely turquoise and cream colored fabric that I just loved.  I got 2 yards and it was $6 for the cut with the coupon.  I made one scarf out of the fabric but I can make 3-4 more, making the scarf around $2 to make (including the buttons which are .50 cents each).  It took about 30 minutes to cut, iron, and sew the vintage buttons on (there’s 3 orange buttons, you just can’t see them all from the photo).  Not bad!  I got a ton of compliments on it when I wore it to church. I sewed it into an eternity scarf  (circle scarf).  Because of the fabric, it was a bit warm to wear.  It would be better in winter maybe.

Because the above scarf was so easy to sew and so inexpensive for the quality, I decided to look at sheer fabrics at my local Walmart store.  I found many pretty sheer colors for around $2-$4 a yard.  Sheer fabrics are much harder to cut and work with, but the sewing machine handled the stitching well.  This was my first time ever sewing sheer fabric and this scarf took about an hour and has a decorative stitch on the bottom edge of the scarf.  It’s a normal scarf, but can be made into an eternity scarf by tying the ends behind your neck and wrapping the scarf around your head.   it could even be used as a belt or hair tie.  I think it was around .50 cents to make and the color choices are endless.  This one is black and gray.  Sorry for the terrible photo.  I was trying to take a picture of myself wearing it!

I will post a tutorial later on how to sew a scarf with step by step instructions so stay tuned!

This last photo is just another taggie blanket that I made and gave to a friend.  They take about an hour to make from start to finish.

Disclaimer:

**All content provided by Positively Mommy is for informational purposes only. Positively Mommy makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information found on this site or found by following any link on this site. Positively Mommy will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. Positively Mommy will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. This policy is subject to change at anytime.