Back by popular demand, ex-Blue Peter 'maker' Gillian has come up with some Spooky Loot Holders that your children can make to stash their sweets and goodies in whilst they're trick or treating.

They are made with tissue paper papier mache to give a slightly transparent look. 

They could also be used as spooky decorations around your home...with your pumpkin outside and Scooby Doo on the TV, yours could be the spookiest house in the street....Whoooooooooo!!!!

You will need:

1 balloon - preferably coloured, not white

petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline)

PVA glue, diluted with a little water to the consistency of double cream

tissue paper – white for ghost or orange for pumpkin + green (optional) - we found a better choice at Paperchase or Clinton Cards than WHSmith

thin card

black plastic bag

2 pipe cleaners

you will also need: a brush for glue; jar or bowl to stand the balloon in; scissors; pencil; bradawl or skewer

1. Blow up your balloon

Blow up your ballon and tie the end.  Stand it in a jar or bowl.

Cover the balloon with petroleum jelly. (This will help to remove the balloon later.)

2. Glue tissue paper

Tear tissue paper into strips and start sticking them all over the balloon with the diluted PVA glue.  Overlap the strips and cover the balloon with 4 – 6 layers and leave to dry.  (It is best to work one half of the balloon at a time.)

When the tissue paper and glue have completely dried, cut off the knot from the end of the balloon.

3. Draw and cut lines    

For the  pumpkin draw a line around the narrow end of the holder and for the ghost draw a line at the wider end.

Make a hole with the bradawl or skewer on the line and carefully push one scissor blade through the hole and cut around the line.  It’s a good idea to ask an adult to help with this.  Remove the balloon from inside the holder.

For the ghost,you will need to fill the hole where the balloon knot was with a ball of tissue paper and glue.  For the pumpkin, cut a zig-zag shape around the open edge.

4. Cut out templates

Cut out templates for the features in thin card, using the diagrams  at the bottom as a guide.  Draw around the templates onto the black plastic and cut out the shapes.  Glue the features to the holders and leave to dry.

5. Make holes for handles

Join the two pipe cleaners by twisting the ends together.

Make holes in the sides of the holder about 3cms from the edge.  Push the ends of the pipe cleaners through the holes and twist to secure.

6. Make the greenery

To make the greenery around the pumpkin, cut a strip of green tissue paper long enough to go around the pumpkin and about 10cms wide.  Cut a fringe all the way along leaving 2-3cms to glue inside the open edge. 

7. Fill your loot holders

Take your loot holders with you when you go trick or treating and enjoy filling them with goodies.

Templates for pumpkin and ghost

Use these drawing guides to draw your own templates on the thin card.