Cauldron Trick or Treat Basket 🦇 FCC 16

Make a spooky Halloween candy holder from cardstock to take trick-or-treating.

Today’s project is a fun 3D Halloween treat basket in the shape of a bubbling cauldron, complete with spooky ghosts, flying bats, fiery flames and a sturdy carry handle.

It’s perfect for filling with sweets for trick-or-treating, handing out treats to visitors, or displaying as part of your Halloween decorations.

Trick or treat basket SVG by Craft with Sarah

The basket is made entirely from cardstock and is straightforward to assemble by building the decorative panels first before constructing the box itself.

Suitable for Cricut, Silhouette and ScanNCut machines, this Halloween basket makes a fantastic seasonal project that’s both decorative and practical.

Treat holder materials supply list

Here is a list of the materials that I used to make this project.

Please note that some of the links included in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.

Cricut machine
Light blue Cricut cutting mat
Coloured Card (any thickness but thicker card is better for the structure to make it sturdier)
Glue (I like Bearly Art Glue and Collall)
Foam squares
Cricut scoring wheel or stylus (only used for one piece)

This project is suitable for the following types of Cricut machines: Explore series, Maker series and Joy Xtra. It is too large to cut on the Cricut Joy or Joy 2.

Cauldron box SVG by Craft with Sarah

Foundation learning

If you're new to making papercrafts with your cutting machine, check out these links to get you started.

They include videos on topics such as: which file to use with your type of cutting machine, how to load the files into your cutting machine's software, how to cut cardstock with your type of cutting machine, how to recolor and modify/customize the cut files and tips for displaying your projects.

The following tutorials are Cricut-specific, but many of the ideas will work similarly with a Silhouette or ScanNCut machine and any cut files that are shared in them are compatible with all types of cutting machine.

How to score with a Cricut (even without scoring tools)
Print then cut tutorial
Design Space tools (Combine, Attach, Slice, Weld, Flatten, etc.)
Pattern fill tutorial (for making backgrounds & cutting images to a specific shape/size)
Free envelope SVGs that can be sized to fit any card
Presentation boxes for handmade cards
How to write inside cards with Cricut pens
How to cut layered designs at a small size
Design Space tips & tricks
Cricut pens tutorial
How to mount multiple designs in the same frame with magic guides

Halloween candy basket video tutorial

Watch the video below to see how to make this project. Keep scrolling for a written tutorial.

Want to share your thoughts on this project? Click here to visit the video on YouTube.

Written tutorial (with photos!)

Here’s how to make this cauldron inspired trick or treat candy basket.

Step 1) Download the cutting file & upload to Design Space

Get the files using the box below.

Purchase the File(s)

This cut file is available as part of the Instant Access Bundle.

Find out more

Or, purchase this design individually here

Before you upload the SVGs to Design Space, you need to unzip the download folder that they come in.

Not sure how to do this? Click here for a tutorial that covers all the following types of computer and device:

How to unzip a folder on a Windows computer
How to unzip a folder on a Mac
How to unzip a folder on an iPad
How to unzip a folder on an iPhone
How to unzip a folder on an Android device

How to unzip download folders

After unzipping, upload the SVG file(s) into your cutting machine software.

Not sure how to use cut files with your type of machine? The following links lead to tutorials on how to use cut files in:

If you are using Cricut Design Space, start a new project and then click the “Upload” button on the left of the screen.

You can then either click “Browse” to find the files on your computer, or drag-and-drop them in.

Select the SVG file called svg-cauldron-treat-box-craftwithsarah.svg

Press “Upload” on the next screen.

After uploading, the design should be automatically inserted onto your Canvas.

To hide the left sidebar (to give you more space for designing!), click the arrow that’s about half way down the page.

If the design doesn’t get inserted onto your Canvas, it will show under “Uploads” in your “Recently Uploaded Images”. Click on it and then press “Add to Canvas” to put it onto your Project.

Need help uploading SVGs? Get step-by-step instructions here in our detailed help guides for Cricut, Silhouette and ScanNCut.

Check that the overall design measures 18 inches wide and 20 inches tall.

If it doesn’t, resize it to those measurements before making any changes.

Ungroup the design and delete the sizing rectangle.

Step 2) Format the score lines

Before cutting, the two structural pieces need to have their score lines prepared.

Select one of the base pieces (the large black shapes) and open it up by clicking the chevron arrow that appears in the Layers panel.

Click the top layer containing the lines and change it to “Score” in the Operations dropdown menu.

Then select both the score line layer and its matching base layer and click ‘Attach’.

Repeat this for the second structure piece.

You won’t be able to see the score lines as they show in black on the black cardstock pieces, but they are there!

Step 3) Cut the project

Once everything has been prepared, save the project if you wish, connect your machine and click ‘Make’.

You can rearrange pieces on the mats to make better use of your cardstock, provided none of the pieces overlap.

Follow the on-screen instructions to get everything cut from cardstock.

TIP: New to using cardstock with your cutting machine? Check out these machine help guides for Cricut, Silhouette and ScanNCut that go through every step of the process, including tips for getting the best quality cuts from your machine.

Step 4) Assemble the decorative cauldron panels

The front and back decorations are assembled separately before being attached to the basket.

Use the assembly guide to put the layers together in the correct order.

My favourite glues to use on papercraft projects are Bearly Art Glue and Collall All Purpose Glue.

These are great because they don’t “warp” or bend the cardstock like some glues do. You can use as much of it as you want and the card stays perfect – and it dries perfectly clear too!

Bearly Art Glue comes with a tiny nozzle to make it easy to apply glue to small areas of card. The Collall glue doesn’t come with this, so it’s easiest to decant it into needle tip applicator bottles so that you have more control.

The foam pads that I use are from “Dot & Dab”, but any foam squares will work. If yours are big then you may need to cut them smaller with scissors to fit inside the edges of the layers.

When adding the foam pads to larger pieces of card, make sure you add some in the middles of the pieces of card so it gives stability to the middles.

If you don’t add any foam pads in the middles then it can “sag” under the weight of the other layers which doesn’t look as good.

The ghosts and bats can either be glued flat or attached using foam squares for extra dimension. Using foam squares creates a layered 3D effect that helps the decorations stand out from the cauldron.

Repeat the same process for the second decorative panel.

Step 5) Build the basket

Fold all of the score lines in the two structural pieces.

Using a brayer, scraper tool or bone folder will help create crisp folds and make the basket easier to assemble.

Glue the smaller structural piece onto the larger one, making sure it lines up exactly with the score line.

Allow the glue to dry before continuing.

Turn the piece over.

Next, insert the handle by folding the tabs so they fit through the slots in each side of the basket. Once inserted, open the tabs back out to lock the handle into position.

Glue the top tabs down over the handle to secure it permanently.

Fold all of the remaining tabs inwards.

Working one side at a time, glue the structure onto one of the black cauldron shapes, wrapping the tabs around the curved edges.

Take particular care that the bottom edge of the structure lines up perfectly with the bottom of the cauldron so the finished basket stands upright.

Turn the box over and use the inside to help line it up too.

Repeat for the opposite side.

Insert the square base piece into the bottom of the basket and glue it into place.

This reinforces the bottom of the basket, allowing it to comfortably hold sweets and other small treats.

Step 6) Finish the basket

Glue the completed decorative cauldron panels onto each side of the basket.

Press firmly over all of the layered pieces, especially around the flames, to ensure everything is securely attached.

Once the glue has dried, your Halloween cauldron treat basket is ready to fill!

Easy DIY Halloween cauldron treat basket

Your spooky cauldron is now ready for Halloween!

Fill it with chocolates, sweets or other small treats ready for trick-or-treating, place it by your front door for visitors, or use it as part of your Halloween home décor.

The layered ghosts, bats and flames give the basket plenty of dimension while still keeping it lightweight enough for children to carry.

Cauldron SVG for a Trick or Treat basket

I hope you’ve enjoyed making this Halloween cauldron treat basket as part of the 2026 Falloween Craft Countdown.