Quick Halloween Treat Jar

   I have been working diligently on my Halloween cards, but the project stalled a bit when I thought that I was out of black cardstock for the card base.  I thought I was going to have to go to the store to get more, and pick up some envelopes as well. I took another look through my stash, and lo and behold, there was half a pack of black cardstock and several black cards with matching envelopes, which must have been left over from the first time I made Halloween cards (eight years ago). I also found a whole stack of envelopes left over from the wedding invitations and other projects. 

I felt like yelling "It's working! It's working!" like Anakin in Episode I when the pod finally works.   Finish projects, use stuff up, and share with friends - the three main ideas behind the 40 by 41 challenge for myself.

Since I've been working on the cards and want to finish them up by the weekend, I wanted to do a  quick project that has been in the back of my mind for awhile.  Last year, I made Pistachio Cranberry cookies for Christmas that are fantastic (I could have eaten the whole bowl of batter). I bought the pistachios at Target and they came in a jar that was too handy to just recycle. It's been hanging out in the crafting oasis waiting for the right opportunity.

While looking through my Halloween paper to find the right ones for the card, I came across a candy pattern with lots of glitter that was just the right thing for a treat jar. I chose green and orange papers to accent, and I would finally get to use these adorable chalkboard stickers from K and Company, also purchased at Target (do you see a pattern forming there?)  Add some orange ribbon, and I had my materials.

 

First, I cut the green paper to 3.5 inches and wrapped two pieces so that they went all the way around the jar.

 

 

Next, I cut the candy paper into two strips of 2.75 inches and wrapped those around the jar, staggering the spots where the papers overlap, so it wasn't right next to where the green overlapped.  (Note: the candy paper was very thick and didn't adhere well at first.  I used two rubber bands to help hold the paper in place until the glue had a chance to really take hold.)

 

 

 

I tied the orange ribbon around the mouth of the jar, but not around the edge of the lid.  I know my children, who will be taking the lid off to get to the treats in the jar, and I didn't want to have the ribbon wrecked. 

 

I put the chalkboard sticker on the orange accent paper, and then cut around it free hand to help the chalkboard stand out.  Rather than putting the sticker right on the candy paper, I used Stampin' Up dimensionals (I love those things!) to make it pop even more.

 

 

 

What's great about the chalkboard stamps is that they work! I had to write "Treats" three times before I liked this one, and the chalk erased pretty well each time.

 

 

 

The jar came out so cute, that I may have to do this again with Christmas paper. I'm envisioning teacher presents  - perhaps filled with Candy Cane Oreo Bark.    We'll have to eat a lot of pistachios to each between now and then!