Quick and Simple...Something Different for Our Trick or Treaters

I am still working on a few Halloween projects...

just a few more....and then I'll be finished.

Every year...I add something "non-candy" to the big bowl of Halloween candy & goodies 

that we offer our trick or treaters when they ring our doorbell.

Over the years we have added things like...

key rings...beaded jewelry...mini story books...mini Slinkies...plastic eyeballs..

lizards..snakes...sticker books and mood rings.

The candy is always popular...

but the kids REALLY love that we invited them to take some candy...PLUS a non candy item.

Somehow...we always have candy left over...

but the gadgets and toys etc always go first.

This year...

I am adding some Halloween book marks to what we are offering our trick or treaters.

Our town schools have lots of reading programs that are very popular

so I thought that book marks might be fun, for  change!

I'm sharing the 3 prototypes with you today...

I kept them simple...and easy to create...

because I will be creating quite a few.

I used my old favorite CTMH Halloween stamp set...Frightfully Fun

and some great Halloween Ribbon from The Ribbon Place/DecoFun

The stamped images are colored with Copic markers.

and the book marks are matted with purple..green and orange

LCI Metallic card stock.

I used a Stampin Up punch for the top of the book marks.

To make sure that the image piece was firmly attached to the metallic card stock...

I used Scor-Tape.

(Scor-Tape is great...and the only thing that I use.. when using metallic card stock)

I'll share some step by step photos here...

so you can see how I created the book marks...

and just how easy they are to make!

Each matted and completed book mark measures 2 x 7 1/2 inches.

I cut the white Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth card stock into
1 7/8 x 8 inch strips.

The metallic card stock (for matting ) was cut to 2 x 8 inches

and stamped the images and sentiments on each strip.

I used Copic markers to color the images.

Then..I applied Scor-tape to the back of each image strip.

The book mark on the right (the bats) is matted...and ready to be inserted into the punch

*The punch opening is 2 inches wide...which is why I use the measurements noted above 

for the white card stock and the metallic card stock

Now it's time to punch through both layers of the book mark.

(You'll need a little bit of muscle power for this because the metallic card stock is very heavy)

Done!

The decorative edge and hole are punched at the same  time.

Next..

I cut a 12 inch length of ribbon.

Folded it in half...

and pushed the looped end through the hole..

Going from the back to the front of the book mark

I pulled the two cut ends of the ribbon through the looped end...

and tugged the ribbon to tighten up the "knot"

I trimmed the ends of the ribbon diagonally

(the "knot" looks like the knot at the top of a man's necktie, I think )

 I did this to each of the 3 prototype book marks.

Here they are dressed with DecoFun's Halloween ribbon.

and ready to find anew home with some neighborhood  trick or treaters!

*I get my DecoFun ribbon HERE at The Ribbon Place

We don't get as many trick or treaters as we did years ago...

when hundreds of little adorable costumed little ones would climb our porch steps 

and excitedly ring our doorbell.

Each year it seems that less and less children are out trick or treating

in our neighborhood...

So..I'll probably make a few dozen of these book marks to add to our goodie bowl.

Thanks for visiting today my crafty an creative friends!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!