Halloween Paper Bags- Three Ways

Here are three ways to turn paper bags into easy gift bags, party favors or decorations.

Paper Bag Haunted House
Take basic scrapbooking supplies and decorate the bottom half of a paper bag like a house using dark, Halloween themed colors and die cuts, punches, etc. I finally found the perfect thing on which to use my Halloween Quickutz dies. I wish I had a bat punch- I wasn't about to try to cut one out freehand- but I think adding a few would be cute. Abby made one for her teacher and worked really hard to glue the fiddly bits on her bag. Fold a piece of card with a scalloped edge over the top of the bag for a roof. How big it is depends on how far up the bag you decorated your bag. It helps the structure if you fold the top down a little. Punch two holes about an inch apart in the roof, thread a ribbon through the holes and tie a bow. You can add a tag like Abby did but remember to fill it first though- it is a pain to keep re-threading that ribbon through those tiny holes. I think these haunted houses turned out more cute than scary.
Paper Bag Pumpkins
Here is what you need:In a well-ventilated, covered area, spray paint an upside-down paper bag orange about 2/3 of the way down. You can also use acrylic craft paint, but I like the wispy look of the spray. When it is dry, fill ( if this is a decoration, fill it with plastic shopping bags), poof, and twist the non-painted top. Tie a raffia bow around the top and add leaves to the bow. I have been doing this for years and it makes such a nice gift when filled with delicious Halloween candy or cookies.
Paper Bag Broomstick
This is the new Martha Stewart idea that has been sweeping the web this season so I had to try it. You will need the following (minus my parents' ridiculous cats): Just cut one bag into small strips leaving the base intact... it is better NOT to have Ridiculous Cats around for this step as you will notice in the final product. They could not leave those little strips alone and more than one were left on the cement when I cleaned up afterward. Add the second bag to the middle.Then, insert the stick, bring the little strips around the whole bag, tie with twine or raffia near the top of the bags.There you have it- three easy paper bag, Halloween projects.