I am always and I mean always brainstorming ideas for classroom treats that don’t involve food or candy because our school has a very strict peanut free allergy policy. That and sometimes it’s nice to try something that’s not pre-packaged food. Back when I made these the internet didn’t have a ton of ideas for non candy Halloween treats, and these became this little blogger favorite. So thank you to everyone who has shared this project!
This year because there is a school dance where all the kids in every grade attend and I thought maybe they’d like something to wear when they are there dancing in the spooky darkness. My friend April gave my kids some bracelets for their long ride to Disney, and let me tell you, greatest toy ever in the car after the sun went down.
So we made these.
Non Candy Halloween Treats – aka Glow Stick Brooms.
What you’ll need:
– Glow Stick Bracelets (they’re usually 6 for $1 at the dollar store)
– Bakers Twine
– Black Felt (if you don’t have felt use lunch bags or kraft paper for a real broom effect)
– Card stock for your labels

STEP 1
Put your bracelet cap on first before you do this (each bracelet comes with an end piece to ‘tie’ the 2 bracelet ends together). Be very careful not to crack the bracelet to activate it.
STEP 2
Cut out 3.5″ W x 3″ H strips of felt. Then in those strips cut out some vertical strips about half way in height for the broom effect.
STEP 3
Take your glow stick and roll the felt around it. Tie with your label and bakers twine.

I liked this idea so much that if I debated whether or not to buy then in bulk for Halloween and give them out to trick or treaters. Then I remembered how many kids we get in the suburbs ringing our doorbell.
I also reminded myself of how many wedding favors I had to wrap when I got married.
That was the moment I said, “Where are the store flyers for the candy sales?”

41 Comments
Andrea
October 14, 2013 at 8:48 amSo fun! We love glow sticks around here too!
Vanessa
October 14, 2013 at 10:04 amvery cute! you can’t go wrong with glow sticks π
Lisa Mackay
October 14, 2013 at 10:55 amSUCH a great idea. I really would love to go candy free this year, and this is brilliant. π
Susan
October 14, 2013 at 11:13 amAh I want one. We don’t celebrate Halloween in South Africa but these look like such fun.
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:47 pmMy husband would be so relieved. He is so not a Halloween buff. I’d have to create costumes just for the hell of it.
April
October 14, 2013 at 12:20 pmThese are AWESOME!!!!!! What a great idea Alex!!
Jennifer @ Brave New Home
October 14, 2013 at 1:01 pmThese are awesome! I bought plastic skull rings from the dollar store….uh….
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:48 pmUh, those are awesome! Trust me, my girls would be all over that!
thousandislandsmama
October 14, 2013 at 1:46 pmthis will fit nicely with my children’s love of glow sticks : )
Jo-Anna
October 14, 2013 at 2:42 pmGreatest idea ever!!
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:49 pmI don’t know about that, I’ve seen some of your recipes. I’ll still take anything you make in your kitchen please and thank you!
Becky
October 14, 2013 at 5:19 pmThis is great! If you didn’t get a ton of kids at your door I’d totally advocate making them to give out on Halloween. π
Great idea!
Victoria β’ Restoring our Victorian
October 14, 2013 at 5:27 pmI LOVE THOSE.β¦ Two years ago, I bought a giant box of glow sticks somewhere they were incredibly cheap, and thought I would be a massive hit with the trick-or-treaters.
Except my neighbor next-door did the SAME exact thing, And the way our street works the kids mostly hit her house first. I couldn’t figure out why the kids weren’t MORE excited until one of them said to me β do you have anything else? The house next-door just gave us those.
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:51 pmOh for the love of all that is good. That’s annoying. My kids still think glow sticks provide hours of entertainment so I’d have told the trick or treaters at your door they were welcome to go back to the house next door to get something if they didn’t think what I had was good enough. I’m an old school parent.
Heather
October 14, 2013 at 6:01 pmIf I was a kid, I’d trade a million miniature chocolate bars to find one of these in my treat bag. So brilliant Alex!
Yvonne
October 14, 2013 at 7:05 pmGreat idea. Love your font.
Danielle from Storypiece
October 14, 2013 at 11:34 pmThese are so fun!! Sharing this creative idea all over the place.
Tara @ Suburble
October 15, 2013 at 1:16 amThese are so SOOOO awesome. I’m 100% copying you and making these for my kidlets.
Pinning! π
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:53 pmWicked! No Halloween pun intended. That’s what it’s here for! π
Steph
October 15, 2013 at 8:32 amLove this idea!
Kim Griffin
October 15, 2013 at 9:05 amFirst, love this craft idea – I don’t know if I can get it together enough to make a hundred of these for trick or treaters this year, but am pinning to use for a Halloween party next year!
Secondly – this is my first visit to your blog and I LOVE IT. I get you. I’ve just spent 45 minutes reading and perusing and I appreciate your style of blogging – you’ve got a new fan!
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:55 pmThank you and welcome to this corner of the internet! Make yourself at home. I totally couldn’t make 100. Hell I still haven’t even bought my candy. Which is dangerous territory in the suburbs where our Walmart sells out in seconds.
casey @waffling
October 15, 2013 at 10:07 amI love these! who doesnt love glo-sticks??
Tash @ The Dreamhouse Project
October 15, 2013 at 11:16 amSuper adorable! LOVE this idea. Our school is peanut free as well – and so is our son so these are great. Might have to try this out if there is any time left after costume making! π
Alex
October 16, 2013 at 2:55 pmOoooh whatchya making??
Thalita - The Learner Observer
October 15, 2013 at 3:42 pmI LOVE this idea!!!! Might just have to try to give out some glow sticks to the trick-or-treaters this year!
Natalie
October 15, 2013 at 4:04 pmI love this!!! What a great idea!!! I am always looking for a non-chocolate/chips idea that is not completely lame… this rocks!!!
Dani @ lifeovereasy
October 16, 2013 at 10:08 pmSooo cute! If you said you were handing them out, I might have come trick or treating at your house!
now at home mom
October 16, 2013 at 11:19 pmah! thank you, thank you for posting this, I will make one for Nate this year, I’m sure he will love it very much! you really had a good idea here Alex & yep agree with you that you would need to make at least 50 of these to give them to all the kids that will be ringing the door that day! π
Meegan Makes
October 17, 2013 at 7:20 pmSeriously!! How cute and creative are these!! Love it. Pinned.
Linda Lanese
October 20, 2013 at 1:20 pmThanks so much Alex for sharing this delightful tutorial ο http://felting.craftgossip.com/2013/10/20/no-candy-halloween-treats-glow-stick-brooms-felt/
The Tablescaper
October 20, 2013 at 7:27 pmI host a weekly link party called “Seasonal Sundays”. It’s about all things seasonal and I’d love to have you link. The link goes up Saturday evenings at 7 pm EST.
– The Tablescaper
Dannyelle @ www.lifeisaparty.ca
October 22, 2013 at 7:59 amThese are so cute, what a great idea.
Kayla
October 23, 2013 at 1:56 pmHobby lobby sells glow sticks 15 for $0.99
Alex
October 26, 2013 at 10:32 amI wish we had a Hobby Lobby here in Canada. I’ll add JoAnn’s to that list too.
Jo
October 28, 2013 at 11:02 pmAs the mother of a daughter with severe peanut and treenut allergies, I just want to thank you for this! It is so wonderful to read about parents who get it and come up with wonderful food free ways to celebrate the holidays/special events in classrooms. I am sure the parents of the children you are protecting are grateful beyond words.
Christine
October 29, 2013 at 10:11 amYou’re a genius Alex…. but I think you already know that!! WOW! π
Elizabeth
October 3, 2017 at 10:38 pmLoved the glow stick brooms!! Can you please tell me what font did you use for the labels? Thanks!
Alex
October 4, 2017 at 12:32 pmI wish I could remember what Font this was. I do know that I found it at one of my fav free font sites called Da Font. They have tons of great Halloween and Gothic fonts you can choose from.
Alex
October 4, 2017 at 2:45 pmI just came across it by fluke today doing birthday labels for my daughters party. It’s called Endor. The font that is.
Nica
September 16, 2019 at 10:35 pmI noticed this post is quite old but thanks for the idea! I always struggle with what to make for my sonβs classroom because our school has sugar-free events. This is perfect! I will start assembling early in October so they will be ready to go!