Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. The dressing up and candy are the obvious part, but it is definitely more than that. There is something magical about breaking routine and the rules (being out after dark, replacing all meals with one food group [sugar], and disguising your identity??!!). Once a year a kid gets to be naughty and gluttonous. What's not to like???
Our Halloween ritual was simple when we were kids back in New Jersey. First, find something around your house and make it look like some kind of costume (an old t-shirt or bed sheet were popular finds). Second, grab a pillow case, wait until dark, and roam the neighborhood in packs of friends until your feet get too tired to go any further. Lastly, proceed home, dump all the candy on the floor, and categorize/sort/trade with your siblings and friends. Throw out anything healthy such as apples and peanuts. Oh yeah, and eat until you have a stomach ache (which was NEVER, back then!).
Back in New Jersey there was another ritual observed, Mischief Night. People (and by "people" I mean teenagers) roamed the streets with soap, toilet paper, and eggs. Car windows got soaped, trees got toilet papered, and eggs were hurled (at houses, cars, and people).
While the basic ritual has remained the same, a few things have changed. Store-bought costumes have replaced the homemade ones. Candy buy backs and candy fairies have replaced gluttonous pig-outs and parental chaperones are more the norm than kids roaming the neighborhood in packs. New Jersey's Mischief night has been traded out for a new gentler Colorado tradition....."Boo-ing"(phew, really dodged a bullet on that one!). I had never heard of this before but here is how it works: You put together a small treat bag (candy or small toys etc.), wait for dark, ring someone's doorbell (preferably that of a friend or perhaps a crush) then hurl the treat bag and run like the wind! Your unsuspecting target is then left to wonder and figure out who-done-it! In the weeks leading up to the Halloween, the kids are on high alert for anything that sounds like a doorbell and bolt to the door to try to catch the perpetrator. Conversely, they spend lots of time disguising themselves and dressing in dark clothing to strategize their Boo-ing and not get caught in the act!
While I usually resist change, especially where traditions are concerned, I really like this new twist on Halloween. So, in honor of this I have created a free printable treat bag. Maybe you could start a new tradition in your neighborhood!!!
Your may get your free printable by clicking here
Once you have printed out your template, gather your supplies. You will need:
- A sharp pair of scissors
- A glue stick
- Some small treats and or toys of your choice (small candies, erasers, tattoos, small spider rings, etc.)
Use your scissors to cut around the template. I chose to cut at the edge of the line for demonstration purposes, but you can cut the line out if you would like a box without line marks.
Here is what your template should look like once it has been cut:
At this point you will want to turn over the template to the blank side. Crease and fold both of the box sides (skinny side first then the wider side on top of the skinny side).
Here is what it looks like once the sides have been creased and folded. Now you will want to get your glue stick.
Now you glue the sides. I glued the top of the skinny side and then put the larger side flap over it. Next you will glue the bottom flap over the side layers (leave the top flap open so you can fill it with treats and glue it last).
Here is what the candy packet looks like from the back once the sides and bottom are glued.
This is what it looks like when you turn it over:
At this point, if you are having too much fun to stop yourself, by all means bling this thing out with some coloring, stickers or whatever your crafty heart desires!!
For variation, try printing on brown craft paper for an arty look. Lastly, fill with treats and seal the top with glue or tape and away you go. Great for "Boo-ing", classroom parties, Halloween birthday favors, or heck, just to give out in your neighborhood!
Hope you have a ball with this fun halloween printable. If you are want more varieties of envelopes and sizes, visit my etsy shop. Thanks for stopping by!!!
Warmly,
Pam