Tay (Adobe*Addict) here with a fun family craft! Halloween has a new tradition that is a spin off “Secret Santa”. Neighbors drop off a surprise treat, instructions and a sign that says ‘We’ve Been BOOed’ and then that neighbor passes along the fun. Typically the Booing starts around October 1 and goes until Halloween. If you’d like to start it on your street, there are some digital products that will make the work easy and your gift stand out over all the rest!

The Boo Signs:
When you give a Boo gift you include a sign for the neighbor to hang in the window closest to their front door to let other neighbors know they have already been treated. In years past these have been simple clip art images photocopied over & over. BORING! This year why not be a sweetie and digi scrap a darling 4×6 or 5×7 that is cute enough to be a decoration by itself? Your neighbors will love you if you print several signs and enclose them in an envelope that can be passed on to the next person. This way no one has to rush to Kinko’s for copies or risk being black-balled next year because the fun stopped at their house!

Here is an example of the Boo signs I made for my neighborhood using Miss Mint’s Witches Brew Papers & Elements:

The Boo Poem & Instructions:
Your neighbors will need to know why a gorgeous bucket of treats was left on their front porch so instructions are a must. Typically you begin the Boo by making up two gift baskets and then ask each neighbor to pass along two more gifts. This way it reaches everyone by Halloween. (You can choose to do just one gift basket if you start before October 10 or if your street is small.) There are several cute poems online that explain the gift and how to continue the fun. Here is one of my favorites:

The treats that came with this cryptic note
Are yours to keep, enjoy them both!
The fun comes when neighbors like you
Will copy this and make it TWO
Then others here among our friends
Will receive sweet gifts that do not end
We’ll all have smiles upon our faces
But no one will know who “BOO”ed whose places
Just one short day to work your spell
To make sure gifts reach everyone as well
And don’t forget a nifty treat,
Like something cute or something sweet
Please join fun, let’s really hear it
And spread some “BOO”s and Halloween spirit.

Again, your neighbors will appreciate you if you print the poem on regular computer paper, cut it out and glue it to the back of all your scrapped & printed Boo signs so it’s easy to pass along. Here is the stack of Boo signs I’m tucking in an envelope with the poem glued to the back of each one:

The Gift:
Get creative! Baked goods and candy are always loved but popcorn balls and caramel apples will be the envy of the street! Small metal buckets can be purchased for $1 at Wal-Mart (in the floral department), Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Target (in the dollar section or housewares aisle). Use glue dots to adhere cut out digital products to the metal if you’d like to decorate the front. Plastic Halloween buckets are sold at any Grocery or Dollar store and make a fun presentation, too. If you’d like your gift to really stand out, scrap a 2×3 inch canvas in Photoshop, print & cut them out, punch a hole in the top and use it as a gift tag:

It’s sure to make for a really fun & festive Halloween that will also help you get to know those neighbors you may not have ever spoken to before!

Happy Scrapping & Booing!

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