Skip to content

Frightfully good ideas

PARTY treats taste better in spooky bags. Entertain your Halloween guests this year with these bewitching loot bags. You can find plain vellum bags at Costco or other supermarket stores.

PARTY treats taste better in spooky bags.

Entertain your Halloween guests this year with these bewitching loot bags. You can find plain vellum bags at Costco or other supermarket stores. Alternatively, make your own loot bags with patterned paper from Michaels.

There are many clip art designs available on the web that you can download and print on your home printer. Many of these designs are free. However, if you would rather have better quality stickers, visit your local craft store. The shelves are full of Halloween crafts at the moment and the selection is fantastic.

Simply fill the little bags with handfuls of candy and seal them with the Halloween stickers. Fill a basket with the bags and have them accessible at the front door for the trick-or-treaters.

Pumpkin Pointers

Transforming a pumpkin into a frightful face is one of the most enjoyable activities of Halloween. This tradition dates back several years and is still going strong today.

Here are some pumpkin pointers to help you with the carving and maintenance of your pumpkin this Halloween.

When cutting the lid for the pumpkin, always insert the knife at an angle toward the centre so the outside of the lid is a little larger than the inside. This way the lid will not fall inside the pumpkin.

To safely illuminate your pumpkin, light a short candle and let a little wax drip into the inside, where you would like the candle to sit. Blow out the candle and place it into the wax until it hardens. Alternatively you can use the larger tea lights found in most grocery stores and craft supply outlets.

To prolong the life of your pumpkin, simply dunk the entire pumpkin in water after carving. This could extend the life for up to one week.

Without bruises or incisions in its surface, a pumpkin may last for about two months in Vancouver's moderate climate.

lunter@shaw.ca