With a little fabric and imagination, it is easy to create fun or frightful, playful or ghoulish home décor accents that have a whimsical appeal to all ages. Consider creating poufy bandana print pumpkins, ghostly gauzy pillows, celebratory pennant banners, kiddy treat bags, or a welcoming burlap door wreath.

Bandana Pumpkins – start with some black and some orange printed bandanas, embroidery floss or strong thread in similar colors, poly stuffing and perhaps a dried branch piece or bundled twigs for a stem. Hand or machine stitch two opposites sides of the bandanna wrong sides together so a tube is formed. Then stich across one short end with a long running stitch and pull tightly to gather and close. Turn right sides out and firmly stuff with poly fiberfill. Hand stitch along the top edge and pull tightly to gather and close. Make pumpkin-like ridges by winding thread around the now stuffed bandana top to bottom and back up several times. Fashion stem as desired.

Ghostly Pillow – make a simple cover for a pillow form out of muslin. Cut out two elongated ovals for eyes and a circle for a mouth out of black felt and glue to the pillow front. Make a second pillowcase out of organza, chiffon or other sheer fabric and place over the pillow. The translucent fabric will give the pillow a ghostly look.

Halloween Pennants – white, black, purple, orange or a combination of Halloween printed fabric made into pennant shaped triangles or flag shapes to drape over a door, window or mantel is a special announcement of holiday fun. Add felt letters to the pennant flags proclaiming - Nevermore, Happy Halloween, or simply Boo for added smiles. Cut out matching or coordinating triangle or flag shapes, place right sides together, stitch in a 1/4-inch seam leaving an opening for turning right sides out at the top. Turn right sides out, press to neaten. Attach to a long length of double fold-over seam binding by inserting the pennant flag top into the seam binding fold and stitch at the edge of the binding to enclose all.

Treat Bags – using Halloween prints, sew a simple small fabric bag. Decide on the finished size of the bag, essentially a mini tote. Cut a rectangle of fabric to fold right sides together, stitch side edges together leaving the top open. Fold top edge down ¼ inch and stitch all around to secure. Turn right sides out, press, add ribbon handle if desired.

Burlap Wreath – a door wreath says welcome to all visitors and an easy no-sew one can be made of burlap with a few Halloween trims. A simple one to construct is to wrap a foam or straw wreath form in wide natural burlap ribbon available at craft supply stores. Trim with Halloween ribbon, silk sunflowers, even felt pumpkin or other seasonal shapes.

"When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween." Author unknown

Fabric Pumpkins from Martha Stewart

How to Sew a Felt Halloween Treat Bag from DIY Network

Sew happy, sew inspired.