By now, y'all likely know that I tend to get into the holidays. There are plenty of Christmas and Thanksgiving things all over the blog as proof. There isn't anything for Halloween, though, and there's a reason for that: I don't typically observe the holiday. I did not grow up celebrating Halloween. Why? Well, on the one hand, we have my mom, and the only spirit she wanted us entertaining was the Holy Spirit. On the other hand is my dad, who emigrated from Nigeria where witches, disdain for cats (of any color), and wariness of juju is very real. Add them together and us kids spent every Hallow's Eve in church for the annual fall festival. My parents did not play that and I only kind of felt like I was missing out because there was still candy which, let's be honest, is the best part!
Aside from a few costumes (afro-mermaid princess, French maid, and police officer, in case you were wondering) and scary movie screenings at Axelrad, I still haven't gotten into Halloween during my adult years. But I'm still so very much into candy--especially candy corn. If you're one of those people who hates candy corn, I don't understand. We can still be friends, though. π And, now that I'm a homeowner, I do feel a bit of an obligation to help supply the neighborhood kids with an annual sugar rush. I luh the kids! So, while my porch won't be decked out with cobwebs and pumpkins, I will have a cute candy bowl for the kids to grab from. You can easily transform any bowl in about three minutes with The Treat Yo Self candy bowl DIY tutorial below. Let's get into it.
How to Make a Treat Yo Self Candy Bowl
What You'll Need
- Treat Yo Self Printable printed on card stock.
- Scissors
- Tape
- Large bowl of your choice
- Candy
Treat Yo Self Candy Bowl Instructions
1. Cut out the "Treat Yo Self" color combination of your choosing from the printable.
2. Tape cutout to the side of your bowl as pictured.
3. Fill with candy. Thats it. Super easy!
Tips for Welcoming Trick or Treaters
- Porch light on = passing out treats
- Porch light off = not passing out treats
- If you won't be home on Halloween night but still want to supply a sugar high, leave your porch light on and set out a bowl.
- Gone are the days of giving out little boxes of raisins. If you want to provide healthy options, Larabars, KIND Bars, and juice boxes all work well. Here are a few of my favorite healthy snacks.
- Set out a teal pumpkin to let trick or treaters know that you have allergy-friendly snacks for them! Here's more information about the Teal Pumpkin Project.
- If you're on the Nextdoor app, you can mark your house as as giving out treats, including allergy-free treats.
If you have any Halloween or trick or treating tips to share, please drop them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
P.S. more holiday DIY projects:

Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says
This DIY Halloween candy bowl is so simple but so cute! What a great idea. Happy Halloween!
Heather says
What a fun idea! I would love a treat yo self candy bowl, though the candy won't last long π
Heather @ US Japan Fam says
So cute and creative!! We've never bothered handing out candy cuz not many come to our apartment building, and we're out with our kids anyway, but maybe I'll make a bowl like this this year! Thanks!
Leigh Suznovich says
We're not big on Halloween here either at all and usually just put out a bowl with a sign and go out. This would be perfect, and a great reference to one of my favorite shows!!
Maegan says
Adorable candy bowl! And my kids love, love, love candy corn too! π
Rebecca Elizabeth Parsons says
What a lovely treat bowl. Stopping by from the homemakers. I shared.
Jazz says
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Rebecca!