In sticker shock over some of the more eco-friendly seasonal gear for kids? Holidays are those times when homemade can be just as good or better, and cost less. Here's how we made a zero-cost homemade trick-or-treat bag.
We found some fabric crayons stashed away in our craft closet and used them to draw a simple pumpkin design on muslin. (Cut your piece to size first. See next paragraph.) Using a layer of paper towels on the top and bottom, I pressed for about three minutes with a hot iron to set the crayon drawing. This was brighter than the regular crayons had been on our previous fabric craft.
This inexpensive cotton fabric is versatile and easy to sew with. I used a remnant from another project, cutting a rectangle 10 inches wide by 15 inches long for a small bag. I folded the short ends 1/4-inch twice and sewed to create a finished top edge for the bag. Then I folded the right sides together to form what would become the 7-inch high bag, stitching the sides with a half-inch seam and finishing the seam with a zigzag stitch.
I had just enough pretty orange grosgrain ribbon in my scrap bin (about a half-yard) for a little handle. I just stitched the ribbon into the top left and right edges of the bag and stitched a triangle for reinforcement.
This craft offers great interaction for parents and kids. The little ones can design their own artwork and team up with an adult to stitch it into something useful.