Do you have stacks and stacks of Halloween-themed paper, ribbon, and other embellishments just lying around your supply stash, waiting to be put to use? I for one cannot resist the lure of cute bats, pumpkins, and skeletons, so I end up with way more Halloween-themed scrapbooking supplies than I could ever use. After all, I only create a few Halloween layouts each year, so that means the supplies mount faster than I can use them up! But I’ve found with a little creative thinking, you can come up with some other fun uses for that black and orange stash you have on hand.
1. Halloween cards. If you’re a scrapbooker, you can easily translate your skills to the card-making arena. Standard (A4) cards are sized at 5-1/2 inches by 4-1/4 inches, which is exactly half of an 8-1/2 by 11 inch sheet of cardstock or patterned paper, folded. So take some of your favorite leftovers and create greeting cards. Send them to far-flung family and friends. They’ll be happy to hear from you any time of year.
2. Individual treat bags. Hosting a Halloween party or just like to prepare a little something special for the ghouls and goblins who come trick-or-treating? Create tiny treat bags, decorated with jack-o’-lanterns and black cats. You can find templates online by searching for “treat bag template.” You will find a variety of sizes and styles to download and create.
3. Home decor. I’ve seen some adorable Halloween wreaths, door hangers, and other home decor items made from (you guessed it!) scrapbooking materials. You can easily decorate a lamp shade or picture frame, or place stickers or rub-ons on a clear votive holder, with spectacular effects.
4. Trick-or-treat bags. Buy an inexpensive black, white, or kraft-colored gift bag from the craft store and let your little Frankenstein go to town with stamps, stickers, and ribbon. They’ll come up with a cute customized bag for their treats, and you’ll work down your stash of supplies. (Hint: This is a great activity for classroom parties).
5. Halloween costumes. Can you turn your scrapbook supplies into creative costumes? You bet! Rhinestones, stickers, punches, and other scrapbook supplies may be just the ticket when you are turning your son into a robot, or your daughter into Strawberry Shortcake. Stamps make great fake tattoos, and every princess needs her own crown, made for just for her by Mom.
