Depending on one’s perspective, Halloween is either the most evil night of the year or the night that marks the almost halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It’s also the night to attend a costume party or a night to stay home and pass out treats to masked children.

In recent years, Halloween has become almost as merry as the Christmas season, except the strings of lights are shaped like ghosts and pumpkins, and instead of Santa on the lawn, a vampire is staked to the front steps – providing those of us with a yen for yarn plenty of inspiration for spinning our webs.

“Halloween: 101 Frightfully Fun Ideas” (Better Homes and Gardens, 2000) suggests decorating brown paper bags to hold Halloween goodies. All you need is lunch-size paper bags, embroidery floss in seasonal colors, felt squares in black, white and orange, a glue stick (one of my favorite tools), and maybe a few beads and buttons.

From the felt, cut ghost, cat, witch and pumpkin shapes. Glue the shapes to the paper bags. Using the floss, stitch around the shapes with overcast stitches. With a pencil, write lightly on the bags the words “BOO TO YOU,” “THE GREAT PUMPKIN LIVES,” “BEWITCHED,” or some other boo-dacious saying. With the floss, outline the words with straight stitches. Embellish the bags by sewing on buttons and-or beads wherever you wish. Fill the bags with popcorn or other homemade goodies. And save this idea because with red and white floss, and Santa Claus and snowman felt shapes, it can recycled for the December holiday season.

Got empty cereal boxes? Why not recycle them into a Halloween mask? Get out Band-Aids, bandage materials, safety pins, glue stick, a length of elastic to fit around your head, a stapler, cold tea and whatever else your imagination can, well … dig up.

From the empty cereal box, cut a mask shape to fit your face and make eye, nose and mouth openings. Glue or staple the layers of the bandage material to the mask. Let some of the ends dangle down in a ragged way. Add a few safety pins. Maybe poke a couple of panel nails into the gauze for an icky pierced look. Spritz the gauze with cold tea, or maybe blot it with grape juice or red Kool-Aid. Very mummy! Staple the ends of the elastic to the mask, put it on and go about your creepy business.

As for costumes, make a dash to the thrift shop for trick-or-treat togs. The Home Sewing Association suggests these themes for Halloween costumes:

. Renaissance – Think tights, blouson sleeves, luxe fabrics in jewel-tone colors, and cloaks and daggers.

. Romantic – Borrow a page from history and drape yourself as Anthony or Cleopatra. What a great way to use those old white sheets.

. Retro – Dude up as your mom or dad in a vintage 1950s prom dress or sharkskin suit. Add rhinestone jewelry and a funky tie.

. Fantasy – We’re talking fairies, gnomes, goddesses and princesses … maybe even a troll or a dragon. Better rent “Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” – the Kevin Kline version – to get the right take on these types of costumes. Be prepared to be so entertained by the film, you’ll forget all about Halloween.

Snippets

A reader from Millinocket e-mailed to ask where she might find a pattern for an heirloom newborn baby bonnet made from a handkerchief and the poem that goes with it. Go to Google (www.google.com), type in “hanky bonnet” and look for the result that is from www.geocities.com. This site gives directions for making the bonnet and several versions of the poem. Also, www.elnausa.com has a similar project and the poem.

There is still time to enter Keep Bangor Beautiful’s first annual Scarecrow Contest. Participants create a scarecrow using recycled, recyclable and-or reused materials. $100 prizes in several categories will be awarded on Nov. 8, when judging takes place. Call 990-1201 or visit bangor.beautiful@bgrme.org to learn more.

Ardeana Hamlin welcomes comments, suggestions and ideas. Call her at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.