Halloween Bag Toppers (Part 1) … Free to Download …

Happy Halloween 001

 

Well, it’s that time of the year again! The time when little “ghosts”, “goblins”, “witches” and other scary little monsters take to the streets shrieking and squealing “TRICK OR TREAT”! Yes, it’s Halloween and although my own kids are now a lot older, we still love to get in the spirit by decorating the house and having a bowl of goodies for anyone who comes knocking. Miss 16 still gathers together a group of friends, we make some ghoulish snacks and treats and then they take to the streets as the sun is setting.

Now, I do realise Halloween isn’t celebrated by everyone, it’s very much a personal choice. However, for those of you who do, I’ve created some fantastic bag toppers for you to download absolutely free … my treat for you to help you and your littlies celebrate Halloween. Each page contains 3 bag toppers … simply choose the one you like, print, cut out and attach to a little zip lock bag full of goodies! Download one or download them all … it’s up to you! These are perfect if you’re kids are having friends over or fantastic to create for anyone who knocks looking for a treat.  A little tip:  I do most of this kind of printing at Officeworks as it’s relatively cheap and you get a fantastic result every single time.

Happy Halloween 002

 

 

 

 

So, in the spirit of Halloween and just for fun, I searched the internet and found a couple of interesting “facts” or suspicions:

 

  • The very first “Jack O’ Lantern” (or carved pumpkin) was actually made from a hollowed out turnip but when the Halloween tradition reached America, turnips were hard to come by and pumpkins were used instead. Legend has it that a mean stingy old man named Jack was too mean to gain admission to heaven when he died. Rejected also from Hell, the devil gave him a piece of burning coal and sent him away. Jack was left to roam the earth with only his lantern to guide his lost soul. The Celts believed that hanging a Jack O’ Lantern outside would help to guide any lost spirits as the wandered the streets during Halloween.

 

  • The colours associated with Halloween of orange and black stem from pagan times. Orange represented the celebration of autumn and the harvest and black marked the “death” of summer. Over time, purple, yellow and green have been introduced to the colour scheme of Halloween decorations.

 

  • Ringing a bell scares evil spirits away.

 

  • Catch sight of a spider on Halloween and it’s probably the spirit of a loved one who has passed to the other side watching you. During medieval times spiders were thought to be the companions of witches and if one fell into a candle-lit lamp and was consumed by the flames then that meant a witch was nearby.

 

  • The haggard witch with a black pointed hat and warts of her nose was once honoured during Samhain as a pagan goddess known as “the crone”. In history she symbolized wisdom, change and the turning of the seasons but has since come to represent a cackling, menacing, evil witch.

 

  • If you’d like to meet a witch, put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night.

 

  • Black cats were originally believed to protect a witches power from negative forces and according to one medieval myth, Satan himself turned into a cat when socializing with witches.

 

So tell me, do you celebrate Halloween and if so, what kind of things do you, or your kids do, to get into the spirit?

Happy Halloween 003

Please Note:  These downloads and printables are free for personal use only.  Once printed, the colour may vary from the colour seen on your computer screen.  They may also be printed in black and white by adjusting the settings on your computer and have been designed to print on a standard A4 page.  When printing, be sure to check your printer settings and print at 100% so that the item prints at full size.  If you would like to share any of these items on your website or blog, please contact me first.  Thank you.

Comments

  1. I love your goodie bags and great toppers! There’s a lot of superstitions there that I never realised. In advance, Happy Halloween xx

    • Thanks Charlie … Happy Halloween to you and your family as well … I know it’s not a very Australian tradition but my kids have had so much fun with Halloween over the years. x

  2. wow love them
    Thank you
    Just awesome

    • You’re welcome, Deb … I’ll be adding some more in the next couple of days along with some Halloween Invitations and some posters. Don’t forget to share them with family and friends!

  3. So cute hun! I always said I would never do Halloween but since having kids, I couldnt help but get into it. I think their excitement is catching and any excuse to make cute crafty stuff… well I’m sold 😉 xx

    • Thanks Sonia , “Martha Mudguts” must really be in her element at Halloween with so many cool crafts to make … such a fun time of the year!

  4. Well I love Halloween more than any other holiday in the year and every year I cannot wait for it to roll around!

  5. What a great Halloween bag topper! We don’t celebrate here in Australia – but that’s our family personal choice….I noticed that Australians are starting to adopt the idea!
    Thanks for the information, never realised that spiders were a loved one looking after us! And the bell ringing to protect from Evil – that’s cool!

    • Hi Lisa and welcome! Halloween has really taken off here in Australia in the last few years … my kids have always enjoyed dressing up and having a small party with their friends. We decorate the house and really get into the spirit … Happy Halloween!

  6. A fun post. The bag toppers are so cute and so kind of you to share!

    • Thank you, Sarah … you’re welcome! I have loads more free printables to share, so stay tuned and please feel free to share them with your readers!