How to Make a Halloween Trick or Treat Bag (FREE Pattern) ♥ Fleece Fun

Halloween Project: Learn How to make a Halloween Trick or Treat Pumpkin Tote Bag with this FREE pattern and easy to follow tutorial. Make a bag that will last several Halloween trick or treatings!

This Pumpkin tote bag is a fun addition to your Halloween collection that you can use year after year to collect candy or decorate your home!

The Halloween Tote Bag is a free pattern and tutorial and comes in two difference sizes. The small size (9″ X 9″ X 4″) is perfect for trick or treaters or for children to carry treats for their friends at school. The large size (14.5″ X 16″ X 7″) is designed for adults or those trick or treaters that like to visit their entire neighborhood! It is large enough to fit a standard binder, and would make a perfect teacher gift.

DIY Halloween trick or treat bag using fleecefun free template and tutorial

The bag features a simple pumpkin face applique. If you’ve never done applique before, don’t worry! It is very simple with fleece because you don’t have to worry about the raw edges.

The bag also features a hard bottom for an improved shape and stability.

YOU WILL NEED:

This pattern can use a couple of different fabrics – go with what will work for you.

orange fleece or felt – 2/3 yard for large size, 1/2 yard for small size
small scraps of black fleece for pumpkin applique
nylon webbing – 2 yards for large size, 1 yard for small size (I often salvage this from broken backpacks or purses)
small piece of stiff cardboard, chloroplast, or plastic canvas for stiffening the bottom of the tote
hot glue
glue stick
Thread
Fleece Fun’s free sewing pattern (available at the end of the post)
Sewing Essentials (scissors, pins, etc.)
Get the free pattern here.

How to Make a Halloween Trick or Treat Bag:

Step 1 – Cut out the Elements to the Trick or Treat Bag

Cutting fabric for a DIY Halloween trick or treat bag with fleecefun free template

Gather your materials.

Preparing fabric pieces for a Halloween treat bag using fleecefun's free pattern

Cut out 2 trick or treat bag pieces and

Start your trick or treat bag by cutting the fabric with fleecefun’s free tutorial

DIY Halloween bag project – cut the fabric using fleecefun’s free pattern and guide

1 set of the pumpkin face. Cut two if you want a face on each side of the bag.

You will also need a rectangle of your cardboard/plastic (14.5″ x 7″ for large size, 9″ x 4″ for small size) as well as a scrap large enough to wrap around it.

Step 2 – Add the Jack O’Lantern Face

Adding a Jack O'Lantern face to your DIY Halloween bag with fleecefun's free template

I find it helpful to cut out the face on the pattern piece and use it as a template to place the face pieces.

Design your trick or treat bag with a pumpkin face using fleecefun's free tutorial

Use the glue stick to glue your pumpkin face pieces in place as marked on pattern (this temporarily helps keep them in place; you can also use pins).

Just so you know…

If you have no desire to sew on the face you can use fabric glue or hot glue to glue on the face and skip sewing.

Stitch around the edges with a straight stitch or zigzag. After trying both I prefer the straight stitch.

Step-by-step guide to adding a Halloween face to your bag with fleecefun's pattern

Step 3 – Sew the Sides and Bottom to the Halloween Trick or Treat Bag

Complete the base of your Halloween treat bag by sewing with fleecefun’s instructions

All seams on the bag are 1/2 and inch. With right sides together, sew the two sides and bottom of your Halloween treat bag.

Step 4 – Sew the Corners to Shape Your Halloween Bag

Shaping your Halloween trick or treat bag by sewing corners with fleecefun's tutorial

To finish the bottom of the back fold the corners and make the seams meet.

Stitching the corners of a DIY Halloween bag using fleecefun’s free pattern

Fold the corners so that the side seam matches up with the bottom seam.

With right sides together, sew the corner shut.

Step 5 – Make the Bottom Sturdy (For candy)

Strengthening the bottom of your Halloween trick or treat bag with fleecefun’s tutorial

Place your cardboard/plastic on the scrap of fleece.

Making the bottom sturdy for candy storage using fleecefun’s free Halloween bag pattern

Hot glue the fleece to wrap around, and trim any excess.

Step 6 – Reinforce the Bottom of the Trick or Treat Tote Bag

Reinforcing the bottom of a DIY Halloween tote bag using fleecefun's free template

Place it in the bottom of the trick or treat bag. Now your bag has a sturdy bottom!

Step 7 – Finish the top edge of the Pumpkin Tote

Finishing the top edge of your Halloween candy bag with fleecefun’s free sewing guide

Fold over the top edge to the wrong side by 1″ and stitch hem in place.

Step 8 – Attach the Handles to Your DIY Trick or Treat Bag

Attaching handles to your Halloween bag with fleecefun’s free template and tutorial

Cut two lengths of webbing for the straps (18″ for small, 36″ for large).

Melting the ends with a lighter so that they don't fray

Melt the ends with a lighter so that they don’t fray.

attaching the handles matching up with the markings printed on the pattern

Place the ends on the inside of the top hem, matching up with the markings printed on the pattern.

Stitch in place with a box and an ‘X’ so that it is secure. You just finished the How to make a Halloween Treat Bag tutorial.

This pattern has been drafted by Gracious Threads for Fleece Fun.

Download the FREE Halloween Bag Pattern Here:

You can get a free copy of Adobe reader here. By downloading you are agreeing to pattern terms of use. Click the picture of the pattern envelope to download the .pdf !