A plain cellophane bag of candy turns into a party favor the moment you fold a cardstock topper over the top. These three Halloween treat bag toppers each have a cut-out window on the front: a little ghost peeking up through an arched doorway, a jack-o’-lantern in the same arch, and a bat flying across a full moon.
Each topper is a single cardstock piece, 4.5 x 6 inches flat (the file measures 4.6 x 6.1 with its margin). A score line across the middle folds it to 4.5 x 3 inches, and four small holes line up once it’s folded so you can staple it or thread ribbon through. They’re sized for treat bags about 4 inches wide.
| File | Size | Material | Layers | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treat bag topper, ghost window | 4.62 × 6.12 in | Cardstock | 1 layer + score lines | ✓ Cut-checked |
| Treat bag topper, jack-o'-lantern window | 4.62 × 6.12 in | Cardstock | 1 layer + score lines | ✓ Cut-checked |
| Treat bag topper, bat and moon window | 4.62 × 6.12 in | Cardstock | 1 layer + score lines | ✓ Cut-checked |
How the toppers are built
Every topper has one cut layer and one score line. The cut layer is the outline with rounded corners, the window and the four holes. The score line is a single straight line exactly halfway down, 3 inches from each end, which is the fold.
The windows are designed for cardstock, which needs chunkier connections than vinyl. In the ghost and pumpkin versions, the figure stays attached to the card along the bottom of the arch, so it can’t fall out. The ghost’s two eyes and mouth are small ovals cut through the card. The bat stretches across the moon and connects to the edge of the circle at its wing tips.
All three passed our cut check for cardstock at full size. The spots to handle gently are the bat’s wing-tip connections, the pumpkin’s curly stem and the ghost’s little arms. The holes are about 7/32 inch across (a little under 1/4 inch), sized for baker’s twine, thin ribbon or a staple to sit between them.
What you need
- Medium-weight cardstock, in purple, orange and black to match the preview, or any colors you like
- Light grip or standard grip cutting mat (use what your cardstock’s settings call for)
- Scoring stylus or scoring wheel, if your machine has one; otherwise a ruler and bone folder
- Cellophane or paper treat bags about 4 inches wide
- Stapler, or baker’s twine or narrow ribbon
- Scrap paper in a light color for behind the window (optional)
- Glue stick (optional)
Cutting, scoring and folding
- Upload a topper. In Cricut Design Space, click Upload, then Browse, and choose one of the SVGs. See our upload guide if this is new to you.
- Set the score line. The fold line comes in as its own line. Select it, open the Operation menu and choose Score. Then select both the score line and the topper and click Attach, so the machine scores in the right spot on the same mat. (Not sure what Attach does? See weld vs attach vs group.)
- No scoring tool? Hide or delete the score line so it doesn’t cut the card in half. After cutting, measure 3 inches from one short end, line up a ruler, and run a bone folder along it.
- Cut. Click Make It, pick the setting for your cardstock, and insert the scoring tool when Design Space asks for it. Two toppers fit on one 8.5 x 11 sheet when they’re turned sideways, so you can cut a pair at a time.
- Remove the pieces. Flip the mat over and peel the mat away from the cardstock, rather than peeling the card off the mat. This keeps the thin parts of the window from curling. Pick out any window pieces that stay stuck.
- Fold. Fold along the score so the window ends up on the outside front. Crease firmly with your fingernail or a bone folder.
Putting it on the bag
Fill the bag, then fold or trim its top so the empty part above the candy is a little shorter than the 3 inch flaps. Slide the folded topper over the top so the bag sits inside the fold, with both flaps covering it front and back.
From here you have two ways to close it:
- Staple. Put one staple near the bottom edge, centered between the holes, through both flaps and the bag. Quick, and good for a classroom batch.
- Tie it. Once folded, the four holes line up as two stacked pairs. Use them as a guide to poke through the bag with an awl or small hole punch. Thread baker’s twine from the front through the left pair, across the back, and forward through the right pair, then tie a bow on the front. It looks nicer and the bag can be reopened.
The window shows whatever sits right behind it, which might be crinkled cellophane. For a cleaner look, glue a square of light paper to the inside of the front flap behind the window: pale yellow behind the bat makes the moon glow, and white behind the arch lets the ghost and pumpkin stand out as silhouettes.
Bag sizes and scaling
| Bag | Topper size | Folded size |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 in wide treat bag | As downloaded (4.5 x 6 in) | 4.5 x 3 in |
| 5 in wide bag | Scale to about 5.5 in wide | About 5.5 x 3.7 in |
| 6 in wide paper favor bag | Scale to about 6.5 in wide | About 6.5 x 4.3 in |
Scale the topper and score line together, with the lock on, so the fold stays in the middle. Going bigger is always safe. We don’t recommend going smaller than the downloaded size: the bat’s wing connections and the ghost’s eyes are the first to get too thin for cardstock.
Variations
Write a name or “Happy Halloween” on the back flap with a marker, or turn the toppers into party place cards by folding them the same way and standing them up on the table. For a different shape, a pillow box holds small treats without a bag, and our Thanksgiving place cards use the same score-and-fold idea for November.
If the bat’s wing tips tear when you take the card off the mat, the mat is probably too sticky for your cardstock. Use a lighter grip mat or peel the mat away from the card as described above.
Questions
What size bag fits these treat bag toppers?
The toppers fold to 4.5 x 3 inches, so they fit bags about 3 to 4 inches wide. For bigger bags, scale the topper up with the score line attached.
How do I make the fold line score instead of cut in Design Space?
Select the fold line, change its Operation to Score, then select it together with the topper and click Attach. Your machine needs a scoring stylus or scoring wheel for this.
Can I make these without a scoring tool?
Yes. Hide or delete the score line before cutting, then score by hand with a ruler and bone folder 3 inches from one end.
Should I staple or tie the topper?
Both work. A single staple is fastest for a big batch. Twine threaded through the holes looks nicer and lets the bag be reopened.
