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This fun, easy, family-friendly activity, only has 5 steps and makes two bowls for treats at your next Halloween party, trunk or treat event, trick or treating, or any gathering!
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Table of contents
DIY Halloween Treat Bowls
Hi Everyone, this time of year every weekend is a buzz with activity leading up to Halloween and this past weekend was no different.
It was my husband Eric’s birthday on Sunday which we had cake on a Friday family dinner, Saturday we went to his sister Nicole and family’s Fall-time party at the family farm and Sunday we went back to the farm and enjoyed some family fellowship, food, sweet treats, and pumpkin carving.
We live in an area where we do not get “trick or treaters” coming to our door but we do attend family gatherings, parties, and events during this fun time of year.
When going to these events, of course, we want to bring something!
I thought how about a big ‘ole bowl of candy?
Finishing out October we have 3+ more events and parties we will be going to and I will be bringing my DIY Halloween Treat Bowls in tow!
Earlier in the week, I headed over to my local Walmart to grab some big bags of Hershey Halloween candy.
We love peanut butter, so I got a 145 piece bag of Reese’s which has miniature peanut butter cups and Reese’s Pieces along with Kit Kat miniatures in white chocolate and milk chocolate.
I got a 55 piece bag that contained Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins, and Hershey’s Cookies ‘n Cream.
And for good measure and variety (Because, why not?), I got a 110 piece bag containing even more Reese’s, Take 5, Whoppers, Krackel, and Mr. Goodbar miniatures.
I didn’t want Mr. Goodbar to feel left out, that wouldn’t be right!
It took some major self-control to not tear open those bags on the way home!
These big bags should get my Halloween to treat supply off to a good start 🙂
If I run out, I can just go back to Walmart and get some more!
Fall time has always been a time of reflection for me and here are the memories that these little candies have stirred up:
Childhood Trick-or-Treating Memory
I must have been kindergarten-age and on a chilly New England Halloween night, my Dad took me to trick or treating – this was before “Trunk or Treating” even existed!
We walked all over the town for several hours collecting candy.
As a parent now, thinking back, my Dad was such a trooper!
Towards the end of the night, I remember crossing the street with a heavy bag of candy and the seam of my plastic bag with all my candy broke in the middle of the street!
I remember panicking and feeling so crestfallen when I saw all that candy that I had “worked” so hard to accumulate scatter everywhere, all over the street.
It was dark out and cars had to stop and there were kids and parents looking on; some were nice enough to help us pick it up.
I remember my Dad helped me pick every last piece up and we luckily had enough space in our pockets and another bag to carry the candy load home.
That night, I had fun sorting through my “precious” candy riches and recounted the evening adventures to my Mom.
Of course, I let my Dad have some Whoppers because he said he like those growing up and he had totally saved my Halloween candy stash so he deserved it!
Memory of my Grandfather
My maternal Chinese Grandfather and Grandmother are now in their late 80’s and 90’s but during my childhood, once every week my family of four would drive into Boston, MA (and later Quincy, MA) to have a big family dinner with all my Uncles, Aunts and cousins at my Grandparents townhouse.
Those regular, weekly family gatherings were some of the happiest childhood memories that I had.
We would enjoy a huge, delicious dinner with many dishes, many Chinese dishes, and some American.
This is some of the best food I have ever had in my life!
My Grandfather was part owner of Chinese restaurants so he and my Grandmother can COOK like pros and everyone in my family is a Foodie with a capital F.
After everyone helped packing up leftovers (if there were any!), washing the dishes, and sweeping the floor, my Grandfather would come around with little Hershey’s miniatures for all the kids.
My cousins and I would get a few and then trade each other for our favorites.
I especially enjoyed the crispy Krackel and crunchy Mr. Goodbar miniatures, and guess what?
I still do 🙂
Materials List
- yarn, twine, or string – I already had some orange yarn in my house, just make sure that the type you use seems like it will absorb and retain the fabric stiffener well.
- balloons – I had some in our house already but these should be available in the party & occasions area of Walmart.
- fabric stiffener – this should be available in the craft area of Walmart. I did not water down the fabric stiffener because I wanted the bowls to be sturdy enough to hold the treats.
- container for fabric stiffener – I just used a container from my recycling bin.
- sharp scissors – to cut out the bowls when it’s dry.
- newspapers – to protect your table surface, I always keep some on hand in my recycling bin.
- craft brushes – I already had some 2-inch brushes that worked well. There are many ways to do this type of craft but using brushes, ensures that it will not be as messy as, for example, soaking the entire ball of yarn in the fabric stiffener.
- chalkboard pen/chalk/pen – to mark where you will be cutting, I used a white chalkboard pen.
- safety pin – for popping the balloon(s).
- treats – to fill the bowl with
Web Story
DIY Halloween Treat Bowls Tutorial
Step 1
Prepare the area where you will be doing the craft with newspapers to soak up any drips.
Gather all the materials and tools you will be using listed above.
We only used one balloon and most of one yarn ball but you can make as many as you want!
Step 2
Blow up the balloon(s) and using the yarn tie a knot at the base.
Step 3
Tie a knot around the base of the balloon and wrap the string around the balloon many times to accumulate several layers of string.
When you are done, bring the string back to the base and make a knot, after tying the knot, trim off the end of the string.
Keeping the string taught the whole time is key!
Step 4
Pour the fabric stiffener into an empty container, dip the brush into the fabric stiffener and moisten the string, saturate thoroughly, going over any areas that are particularly dense with string.
Hang the balloon in an area where it can dry for 24 hours.
It takes a while for the string to dry completely.
I hung it outside for several hours and then moved it inside to hang it overnight.
Step 5
Once the string is thoroughly dry (you’ll know this because the string will be stiff), mark a datum line where you would like to cut to make your treat bowls, cut carefully along the line.
Now you can fill the bowl with treats!
If you make some “DIY Halloween Treat Bowls” and post a picture on social media, be sure to #lifeslittlesweets and link back to the post, thank you in advance!
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DIY Halloween Treat Bowls
This fun, easy, family-friendly activity, only has 5 steps and makes two bowls for treats at your next Halloween party, trunk or treat event, trick or treating, or any gathering!
Materials
- string or yarn
- balloons
- fabric stiffener
- container for fabric stiffener
- newspapers
- chalkboard pen or chalk
- treats
Instructions
- Prepare the area where you will be doing the craft with newspapers to soak up any drips. Gather all the materials and tools you will be using listed above. We only used one balloon and most of one yarn ball but you can make as many as you want! Blow up the balloon(s) and using the yarn tie a knot at the base.
- Tie a knot around the base of the balloon and wrap the string around the balloon many times to accumulate several layers of string. When you are done, bring the string back to the base and make a knot, after tying the knot, trim off the end of the string. *Keeping the string taught the whole time is key!
- Pour the fabric stiffener into an empty container, dip the brush into the fabric stiffener and moisten the string, saturate thoroughly, going over any areas that are particularly dense with string. Hang the balloon in an area where it can dry for 24 hours. It takes a while for the string to dry completely. I hung it outside for several hours and then moved it inside to hang it overnight.
- Once the string is thoroughly dry (you’ll know this because the string will be stiff), mark a datum line where you would like to cut to make your treat bowls, cut carefully along the line. Now you can fill the bowl with treats!
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Such a fun project! My boys would love doing this…especially the candy-eating part. 🙂
I know, Halloween (and Easter) are the times when I let myself indulge a little more in candy!
Such a great craft activity, and your story and photos are first class!
Thank you Linda! It was fun taking photos at the farm, it’s so pretty there 🙂
I like the back of the truck pic – cool angle! Good stuff.
Yep Derek, this is how we do it over here!
A few things:
1. Is that your backyard in the one picture? If so, WOWSA! Can I come stay for a year? Beautiful!
2. I LOVE that you included the pictures – so many – to share the tutorial – this one definitely helps to have the steps!
3. I LOVE that you had little ones helping – getting dirty and crafty with them is the best! 🙂
Beautiful bowls, definitely could see myself making them. Thanks for sharing! #client
1. It’s the farm where my Father-in-law and my Sister-in-law and her family live just 3 miles down the road, it’s a place we gather together as a family and hang out. It is really pretty (especially with the foliage) there with a nice view that you never get tired of!
2. Yeah, I love to do photo collages and I wanted to give people a sense of the fun we had doing this, my daughter Margo LOVES balloons and we ended up bringing the extra ones over to the farm for a bonfire party my sister-in-law recently had.
3. Oh my goodness, Margo loved helping! I think it gives children confidence and helps their self-esteem when they make things, I can’t wait to do more DIY projects like this!
Thank you Samantha!
Neat idea!
Thank you so much!
wow so fun and creative! absolutely love this Sara!
Hey Manali, thanks so much! I try 🙂