Halloween Decorations & Gift Ideas

My dear friend, Jen Carver of Banner Events, was given the amazing opportunity to be the one & only guest blogger for Anders Ruff.  If you remember in the last post, Jen shared my son's pirate party for her first guest write-up.  It was a shock when she called me in early October asking if I would be willing to collaborate with her on a few holiday photo shoots that she will be featuring on Anders Ruff.  The opportunity to share our ideas for gift giving & decorations on a big party planning website was huge.  The best part of this was being able to work with one of my closest girl friends!  Here is Jen's write-up that shares over 25+ DIY Halloween Ideas using Anders Ruff Haunted Halloween Printables -

Projects 1-2: Altered Candy Bar Wrappers

Need a fast treat that is ‘too cute to spook’? Grab a couple of your favorite candy bars (we used the large sized Hershey bars, but any sized flat bar would work) . Print some of AR’s coordinating digital papers, treat labels & tags. Add some scraps of ribbon and recreate this look in minutes! (The Haunted House is a Paper Bliss sticker set.)

Projects 3-4: Altered beverage jars/carrier

We love projects that involve using recycled materials. This is one of our favorites. We had our friend save her Starbucks Frappuccino bottles & lids for us. Creating these cute bottles is easy. Wash & dry the bottles thoroughly. Add a coat of black spray paint to the lids. Fill with various Halloween candies. Use any of the adorable AR beverage wraps or trim the treat wrappers down to size and secure to the bottle with strong adhesive. (We like Stampin’ Up’ Sticky Strip.) We also added some raffia, a tag and some coordinating papers from AR’s collection to complete the look. As you can see from the picture, we also refashioned the cardboard Starbucks drink carrier by covering it in coordinating paper & reducing the AR letters to decorate the front!

Project 5: Altered Paint Can

Mini paint cans can be filled with all sorts of ghoulish delights and are easily decorated using printable elements from AR’s Halloween collection, scraps of coordinating ribbon and fabric.

Projects #6-7: Pumpkin Lantern & ’TREATS’ Banner

Re-create the pumpkin lanterns by tracing a leaf pattern on one of the green AR printable papers. Add a green chenile stem vine (twist around a pencil to get the corked look) and a brown chenile stem. Simply print out the TREAT sign, mount on black cardstock, punch holes and add ribbon or twine to hang.

Project 8: Trick or Treat Tote Bag

Vivian designed and sewed this adorable trick or treat tote bag. Don’t you just love the bat she printed from Anders Ruff’s Halloween collection onto iron on fabric transfers?

**  Please check back later for tote bag tutorial.

Project #9: Altered Gum Case

Easily transform an inexpensive pack of gum into an adorable Halloween favor. (Here we used Extra Dessert Delights brand gum, in an Orange Creme flavor.)

Project #10: Altered Tic-Tac Box

Who knew a scallop punch, circle punch, a button and a few elements from AR’s printable package could make an ordinary box of Tic-Tacs look so fun?!

Projects 11-12: Halloween Push Up Pops (Orange ice cream) & Coffin Treat/Display Box

We love coming up with unique ways to display desserts. How fun would your Halloween dessert table look with push up pops, cake pops, suckers and more coming out of coffins lined with styrofoam? Or, use the coffins to house other frightening treats. (We spray painted coffins, lined them with coordinating AR papers, topped the coffin lids off with AR’s darling treat labels cut to size and displayed our orange ice cream push up pops inside

Project 13: Witch Shoe Treat Favor

Hosting a ‘Ghouls Night Out’ and need a unique favor idea? These witch shoe favors may be the perfect thing. After all, ‘when the shoe fits…’ Notice the AR printable papers functioning as the shoe insole and the party circles as the toe embellishment. Fill each shoe with a little paper shred & a cute bag of treats.

Project #14: Altered Soda Bottle/Treat Favor

Who doesn’t love Jones Soda? We always have several Jones Soda bottles and lids on hand because they are easily filled with small candies (candy corn, chocolate, chips, M&Ms) and decorated for an easy favor. Add some raffia and ribbon, a hang tag or circle tag, and printable labels and you’re good to go!

Project #15: Halloween Treat Favor Bag

Create this cute little ‘tent’-style favor bag out of printable papers and embellishments. Attach a cellophane bag of treats inside.

Project #16: Halloween card

Use up some of the leftover printable scraps to create this simple Halloween card. We used glue dots to add dimension to the pumpkin.

Project #17: Halloween Treat Tin (filled w/ mini candy bars covered in candy bar wrappers)

IKEA sells these ‘spice’ tins that can be used for so many additional purposes. We decorated ours with Halloween circle toppers & coordinating papers and filled it with mini candy bars wrapped in coordinating Halloween wrappers.

Project #18: Halloween Paper Treat Sack (filled with white chocolate popcorn snack mix)

I love when I can use materials I have handy at home to create something new and fun! Sometimes a plain old paper sack is the perfect base for cute packaging. Fill your paper bag with this yummy white chocolate popcorn snack mix, add some raffia, a tag and sticker label & you’ve got the perfect treat to share with family and friends.

Project #19: Mummy Oreo Pops in Coffin Display

We found these adorable mummy oreo pops tutorial on How Does She?.

Project #20: Altered Tin Can/Treat Favor

This is another great project using recycled materials. Save up your clean aluminum cans. Decorate with cute labels, buttons & ribbon. Fill with paper shreds & treats! Voilà !

Project #21: Spooky Sucker with Halloween Medallion

Dress up an ordinary sucker with a 2″ circle topper and ribbon.

Project #22: 3-D Paper Pumpkins

Looking for a project that’s easy enough even your kids can do it? These 3-D pumpkins are made from strips of AR’s printable patterned papers, attached with brads at the top and bottom and dressed up with a handcut leaf, hang tag, raffia and twisted paperbag stem. Create just one or make a whole bowl full for a centerpiece. You can even insert a little bag of treats in the middle and give it as a gift.

Project #23: Distressed Wood Blocks (‘TRICKS’)

Need a quick, easy and inexpensive Halloween item to add to your home decor? Cut some wood blocks (or buy pre-cut & painted blocks). Sand, paint and distress them. Modge Podge or apply adhesive to the printable words included in AR’s Halloween set.

Projects 24-25: Bootiful Halloween Apron & Chef Hat

Our daughters absolutely loved the custom aprons and chef hats Vivian designed for them. She searched for fabrics which matched AR’s collection and had the BOO circle graphic enlarged to print on fabric iron on transfers. The girls had so much fun whipping up Halloween whoopie pies while wearing them.

Project #26: Bewitching Glassine Dessert Bags

‘BOO’tiful packaging doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Print off AR’s 2″ labels onto sticker paper. Punch out the designs and easily adhere to glassine bags. We love putting individual servings of desserts inside (Halloween whoopie pies seen above, but cookies, brownies, pretzels, etc… could be substituted.)

Supplies needed to complete all projects: Anders Ruff’s printable Halloween package, scissors, various paper punches, hole punch, paper trimmer, adhesive, various Halloween ribbon, cardstock, raffia, twine, full-page sticker labels, glassine bags, metal tin, cellophane bags, glossy photo paper, buttons, fabric, fabric iron-on transfers, sewing machine, thread, spray paint, empty Jones Soda & Starbucks Frappuccino bottles, wood blocks, sand paper, brown paper sacks, push up pop containers, brown paper-mâché coffin boxes, various Halloween candy/treats, mini Hershey bars, large Hershey bars, suckers, sucker sticks, orange paper lanterns, pipe cleaners

Recognition:

Thank you Anders Ruff for their Haunted Halloween Printables and letting us get creative with them. 

A special thanks to Jen for amazing guest post featuring our 25+ Spooktacular DIY Halloween Ideas on Anders Ruff. 

A big 'Thank You' to Hostess with the Mostess, Pamper Me Fabulous, Brittany Victoria Jewelry for sharing our halloween ideas with you fans!

Resource/Vendor Credits:

Styling: Jen Carver & Vivian Kerr

Anders Ruff Custom Designs: Halloween printables

Andrea Pasion: Photography

JoAnn Fabrics: fabric for aprons/chef hats/tote bags, paper-mâché coffin boxes, pumpkin lanterns (from Martha Stewart kit), sucker sticks, buttons, craft foam (for lining coffins)

Michaels Crafts: raffia, Halloween ribbon, jute/twine, cellophane bags, mini paint can

Stampin' Up!: craft punches, cardstock, Snail adhesive, Sticky Strip, gold thread

Wal-Mart: black spray paint, glossy photo paper, Avery full-sheet sticker labels

Cash and Carry: glassine bags

JB Prince: push up pop containers

IKEA: metal tins

Party City: candy, suckers