How to Make Paper Mache Trick or Treat Bags for Halloween

A few weeks ago I mentioned in my Halloween bath bomb tutorial that I make paper mache trick or treat baskets for my kids. And some of you were really interested in knowing how I make them and what they look like.

Well, today your wish is my command. This is obviously not soap or bath/body related, but DIYing tends to spill into many areas of my life and I’m more than happy to share this little craft with you.

Here’s what I love about these paper mache treat baskets:

they’re easy to make
they’re cheap to make
you can upcycle materials you already have in your home (newspapers, balloons)
they’re easily customizable: my boys are into superheroes this year, so I made a Superman and a Captain America basket. But you can make them in any theme, design and color you want 🙂
they’re fun for kids to make and help

The downside is that you’ll need a little time for the layers to be dry. This is not something you want to start making Halloween morning 😉

Ok, so let’s get started:

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, will I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

What you’ll need:

a few regular sized balloons
glue
water
newspaper
printer paper (optional)
a flat plastic container and a round tall one
a non water based paint of your choice (I used glossy acrylic paint)
a string or ribbon for the handle
paint brushes
plastic fork

Instructions:

cut newspaper into 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide strips about 7 Inches (18cm) long
I like to use regular white printer paper for the very last layer since I feel that it makes the colors come out better. If you choose to do that cut the printer paper the same way as you did with the newspaper
blow up balloon(s) (depending on how many baskets you wish to make) to about the size of a small soccer ball
prop balloon(s) up in the tall plastic container with the opening facing down (so that they’re stable while your working)
prepare the glue/water mixture by adding 1 part of glue to 1 part of water (for example 1 cup of glue to 1 cup of water), combine the mixture well with a plastic fork and pour into flat plastic container
take a newspaper strip dip it into the glue/water mix and remove the excess by running it through your index finder and thumb
place it on the balloon and gently press it onto the surface
repeat this procedure until the entire balloon is covered except for the bottom 1/6 (that’s where the opening will be)
you will need 4 for layers like this, you can choose to let it dry in between each layer – I’m impatient so I slather everything on there at once, it will take a good 16 hours to dry if you do it all at once though
for the 5th and last layer use white printer paper (or you can use newspaper) and proceed in the same way
wait until the paper mache is completely dry and has hardened
depending on your design you may want to cut out a stencil and trace it onto the basket OR you may want to color it on a piece of paper first, cut it out and then glue it on the already colored basket – you can really get super duper creative here
paint basket and wait until paint is completely dry
you may now pop the balloon inside the basket and gently remove it
cut out the opening using a scissor
pierce a small hole on each side of the basket with a sharp knife or scissor
thread the ribbon through the hole and tie a knot on the inside for the handle