ITH Candy Treat Bags Embroidery Project

Decide on which Candy Bags you would like to purchase and download the files. There will be two files for each bag: the back (01 file) and the front (02 file). Look at the materials list for cutting the felt squares and determine which thread colors to use (the embroidery thread should match the felt for the placement, tack down, handles and outlines. Gather all the materials and read through all the instructions before beginning. Wind a bobbin with embroidery thread to match the last color to be sewn (this sews the bag sections together). Print the paper template for the design.

Purchase good quality felt. For the project, felt from Nu-Source was used. Note that felt may stretch in one or both directions. Have the directions with the least amount of stretch run up and down in the hoop for each design.

Hoop one layer of water soluble stabilizer. Load the design “Ghost Candy Bag Back” on the machine. Stitch the first color which is the placement line (match the thread color to the felt).

Cut two pieces of white felt 6” x 6”, one for the back and one for the front. Spray the back side of one of white felt and place it over the stitched placement line.

Stitch color 2, Tack down and color 3 which will stitch the handle and decorative stitching (match the thread color to the felt).

Remove the embroidery from the hoop and trim the felt to the outside of the tack down stitching line, leaving about an additional 1/4” and set aside until needed.

Hoop a piece of heavy water soluble stabilizer. Load design “Ghost Candy Bag Front” onto the machine. Stitch the first color which is the placement line (match thread color to felt).

Place the second 6: x 6” piece of felt sprayed with a little KK2000 over the placement line and stitch the second color which will tack the felt in place (match thread to felt color).

Stitch color 3, the nose and cheeks. Stitch color 4, the nose outline, eyes and mouth.

Stitch color 5. Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not remove the project from the hoop. Flip the hoop over. Spray the back side of the trimmed “Ghost Candy Bag Back” piece very lightly with KK2000.

Place the wrong side of the “Ghost Candy Bag Back” over the underside of the “Ghost Candy Bag Front” (on the back side of the hoop), carefully aligning the handles and tack down stitching lines. Place the hoop back on the machine; make sure the “Candy Bag Back” lies smoothly in place.

Place the bobbin wound with the embroidery thread color in the machine. Stitch the last color which will stitch both bag pieces together through all layers. Here is the bag from the front and back side of the hoop after the stitching is completed.

Remove the project from the hoop. Carefully cut just inside the tack down line, cutting through both bag pieces at the same time.

With small sharp scissors, cut within each handle area leaving about ¼” as shown. KK2000 dissipates with dry heat. Using a warm, dry iron (no steam), press the candy bag from the wrong side for a few seconds. There is no need to try and remove the water soluble stabilizer from the inside of the bag.

Fill the bag with the individually wrapped candy snacks and you’ve got a “Ghost Candy Bag” ready for the little trick-or-treaters who come to call. These bags stitch up so fast you’ll want to make several of each kind! They would even be a welcome gift for office or school mates.

The other three Candy Treat Bags are done basically using the same steps. There are some small changes that will be noted in the following instructions. Please read through the instructions for the other bags that you’d like to construct before beginning.

For the “Pumpkin Candy Treat Bag”, a small curled ribbon needs to be created first so it is ready when it is needed during the stitching process. Use about ½ yard of polyester grosgrain ribbon. Cut the ribbon he length needed and wrap it around a dowel or pencil as shown, affixing each end with a clothespin to hold it in place. Saturate the ribbon with spray starch. Place the ribbon with the clothespins in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Shut off the oven and let the ribbon cool down completely. Remove the clothespins and then slide the ribbon off the pencil; cut the ends on the bias to prevent raveling. Set the curled ribbon aside until needed in the stitching sequence. Note: the ribbon will remain curled unless it becomes wet.

Load and stitch the “Pumpkin Candy Bag Back”. Trim around the outside of the tack down line. Set aside until the last step of the “Pumpkin Candy Bag Front” design.

Load “Pumpkin Candy Bag Front” design on the machine and stitch following the color sequence (match the thread color to the felt color at the points indicated in the sequence).

After the handle sews, color stop 7 will be a placement line for the ribbon. Divide the ribbon in half and then pinch the middle and slide it under the presser foot. Stitch the color stop 8 which will satin stitch the ribbon in place. Before stitching the last color (9), spray and place the “Pumpkin Candy Bag Back” to the underside of the “Pumpkin Candy Bag Front”, aligning the handle and tack down stitching lines.

Place the hoop back on the machine and stitch the last color (9) which will stitch the bag front and back together. Remove the “Pumpkin Candy Bag” from the hoop and trim just inside the tack down line. Fill the bag with individually wrapped candy snacks.

For the “Monster Candy Bag”, stitch the “Monster Candy Bag Back” like was done for the ghost and set aside. Load the “Monster Candy Bag Front” on the machine. Stitch the placement line, place down the lime green felt, and stitch the tack down. Trim the felt at the top close to the stitching line (this removes the excess felt from under the hair area). Stitch colors 3 and 4. Color 5 is the placement line for the hair. Stitch it and then place down the black felt and stitch color 6 which will tack the hair in place. Remove the hoop from the machine and use small scissors to cut around the face portion of the hair next to the decorative stitching line at the lower edge of the hair. Place the hoop back on the machine and stitch colors 7 and 8. Spray and place the “Monster Candy Bag Back” on the back of the hoop, aligning the handle and tack down lines as was done for the other candy bags. Remove the bag from the hoop and trim.

For the “Candy Corn Candy Bag” stitch the bag back, trim and set aside until needed. Load “Candy Corn Candy Bag Front” on the machine. The lower orange and upper white sections will be stitched first (colors 1-5). After both are stitched then trim the inside edge of both pieces close to the tack down line. 

Stitch colors 6 and 7, placing the yellow felt in place. Trim the yellow felt along the upper and lower decorative stitching lines. Place the hoop back on the machine and stitch colors 8-10. Remove the hoop from the machine and spray and place the “Candy Corn Candy Bag Back” to the backside of the hooped piece.

Place the hoop back on the machine and stitch the last color (9) (white thread was used in both the bobbin and top) to stitch both bag pieces together. Remove the bag from the machine and trim. Fill with individually wrapped candy snacks.

You’ll have lots of fun making and giving these quick-to-stitch “Candy Treat Bags”. Watch the little one’s eyes light up and get oodles of compliments on how “cute” your creations are!