Since Halloween passed and the candy’s been checked, sorted and stored or eaten, there’s not too much use for those plastic Halloween pumpkins that kids take trick-or-treating. Your first option is to use them next year or donate them to friends or relatives with kids. But what if the thing is broken or your kids have outgrown trick-or-treating and you can’t find anyone who needs it? That’s when it’s time to get creative. There are tons of ways to reuse those old plastic Halloween pumpkins, ways that are both pretty and practical.
1. Burlap pumpkin
This popular project from Bread Booze Bacon is a great way to upcycle your plastic pumpkins into something that’s classy and a great addition to any room. The project calls for stuffing the plastic pumpkin with old bags and newspapers, so it’s a great way to reuse those items. You essentially then paint the pumpkin white, Duck Tape the top hole of the pumpkin and add some burlap to the outside. The crafter also added a pumpkin stem and a burlap rosette for style. Feel free to customize how you want.
2. Get creative with decoupage
Love the way old book pages add character to just about anything? You can easily decoupage some old book pages to your plastic pumpkin for a fun, classy addition to your home décor. There’s a basic tutorial at Create Craft Love that covers how to complete the process using a standard plastic pumpkin. Using a method like the first craft above with Duck Tape and old bags to cover the opening will make the pumpkin top look smooth and intact.
You could actually decoupage whatever you wanted to a pumpkin for a clever, fun look. For instance, the crafter at The V Spot added some Reese’s Cups wrappers to a plastic pumpkin. The post also details adding some skull Duck Tape to another pumpkin, if you want to make the project super easy.
3. Pumpkin planter
This is easily one of the best ideas. The shape of the pumpkin makes for a wonderful planter. You can see an example project at Eclectically Vintage. With some acrylic paint, you can customize the pumpkin however you want. Just take off the handle, paint, let dry and add dirt. Or you could even leave the pumpkin design. The customization potential is endless.
Don’t feel like you have to stop there. If you have more plastic pumpkins than you know what to do with, consider this tipsy pots planter here, complete with a full tutorial on how to make it. No painting required.
4. Let there be light
Another easy upcycle is adding LED candles or LED string lights to the inside of the pumpkin. Set it on your porch for a faux jack-o’-lantern that won’t go bad each year and need to be thrown away.
5. Fabric tape pumpkin
When in doubt, add some fabric tape. You’ll end up with a basket you can place on a table and use year round. There is an example at Mountain Modern Life. The crafter used a small plastic décor pumpkin, so if you want to repurpose those as well, this is a great idea. But it could work just as well for trick-or-treat pumpkins.
6. Paint the pumpkin
Get creative and add some paint for some customized décor items. The crafter at Lilacs & Longhorns painted a plastic décor pumpkin with chalk paint. You could easily do the same with a trick-or-treat pumpkin for a classy item you could put around the house or on the stoop. Technically, you could have a pumpkin decoration out through Thanksgiving. It’s not too late for those harvest decorations.
7. Wrap up the pumpkin
When in doubt, cover the pumpkin with some pretty fabric. This sweater pumpkin at Craftaholics Anonymous is a classy way to reuse an old sweater and a plastic pumpkin. The crafter just cut an old sweater, wrapped it around the pumpkin and tied it at the top with a classic ribbon. It’s a cozy little display that is a perfect addition to any fall decorating theme.
8. Use as a craft mold
You can also use plastic pumpkins to create something more permanent for display. This tutorial shows how to make a concrete pumpkin by pouring the mixed concrete into old trick-or-treat pumpkins. The craft even calls for upcycling a railroad spike as the stem of the concrete pumpkin.
9. Make a mummy
Get started on next year’s Halloween decorations with this pumpkin mummy at DIY Inspired. The plastic pumpkin was wrapped with strips of an upcycled canvas moneybag, and homemade felt eyes were added to the front. You could also try using old sheets, old burlap or unused medical gauze.
10. Glue on some fabric
You can also make a customized pumpkin display by adding some old fabric. It’s the perfect way to reuse old clothing. For an example, see this vintage pumpkin at etsy. Eyelet lace, faux fall leaves and raffia make this pumpkin a customized delight. You can add your own fabric, lace, feathers, leaves or whatever you want.
11. Make a wall hanging
Another option is to cut out the front of the pumpkin where the face is so that it would hang flat. Add some wire on the back to make it into a wall hanging for around Halloween. For a more general harvest hanging, cut out the back of the plastic pumpkin, and then add some paint and craft embellishments like fall leaves. You’ll have a classy wall hanging you can use year after year.
12. Get practical
You also don’t have to keep the pumpkin completely intact for decorations. Cut the pumpkin apart into small bits of plastic. Use those plastic pieces as a tray to hold small amounts of paint during crafts, garden markers, etc.
You can also keep the pail around in one piece for a basic storage container. Or have it around as a drip bucket to catch leaks. Use it to hold plastic bags for a makeshift bag dispenser in the garage, laundry room or basement, where no one will care if you’re out of season.
13. Make Christmas decorations
Now that Christmas is getting closer, you might even want to repurpose those pumpkins into holiday decorations. Some craft paint, Mod Podge and glitter made these pumpkins at HomeJelly into a wonderful addition to any home for the holidays.
Since Halloween passed and the candy’s been checked, sorted and stored or eaten, there’s not too much use for those plastic Halloween pumpkins that kids take trick-or-treating. Your first option is to use them next year or donate them to friends or relatives with kids. But what if the thing is broken or your kids have outgrown trick-or-treating and you can’t find anyone who needs it? That’s when it’s time to get creative. There are tons of ways to reuse those old plastic Halloween pumpkins, ways that are both pretty and practical.
1. Burlap pumpkin
This popular project from Bread Booze Bacon is a great way to upcycle your plastic pumpkins into something that’s classy and a great addition to any room. The project calls for stuffing the plastic pumpkin with old bags and newspapers, so it’s a great way to reuse those items. You essentially then paint the pumpkin white, Duck Tape the top hole of the pumpkin and add some burlap to the outside. The crafter also added a pumpkin stem and a burlap rosette for style. Feel free to customize how you want.
2. Get creative with decoupage
Love the way old book pages add character to just about anything? You can easily decoupage some old book pages to your plastic pumpkin for a fun, classy addition to your home décor. There’s a basic tutorial at Create Craft Love that covers how to complete the process using a standard plastic pumpkin. Using a method like the first craft above with Duck Tape and old bags to cover the opening will make the pumpkin top look smooth and intact.
You could actually decoupage whatever you wanted to a pumpkin for a clever, fun look. For instance, the crafter at The V Spot added some Reese’s Cups wrappers to a plastic pumpkin. The post also details adding some skull Duck Tape to another pumpkin, if you want to make the project super easy.
3. Pumpkin planter
This is easily one of the best ideas. The shape of the pumpkin makes for a wonderful planter. You can see an example project at Eclectically Vintage. With some acrylic paint, you can customize the pumpkin however you want. Just take off the handle, paint, let dry and add dirt. Or you could even leave the pumpkin design. The customization potential is endless.
Don’t feel like you have to stop there. If you have more plastic pumpkins than you know what to do with, consider this tipsy pots planter here, complete with a full tutorial on how to make it. No painting required.
4. Let there be light
Another easy upcycle is adding LED candles or LED string lights to the inside of the pumpkin. Set it on your porch for a faux jack-o’-lantern that won’t go bad each year and need to be thrown away.
5. Fabric tape pumpkin
When in doubt, add some fabric tape. You’ll end up with a basket you can place on a table and use year round. There is an example at Mountain Modern Life. The crafter used a small plastic décor pumpkin, so if you want to repurpose those as well, this is a great idea. But it could work just as well for trick-or-treat pumpkins.
6. Paint the pumpkin
Get creative and add some paint for some customized décor items. The crafter at Lilacs & Longhorns painted a plastic décor pumpkin with chalk paint. You could easily do the same with a trick-or-treat pumpkin for a classy item you could put around the house or on the stoop. Technically, you could have a pumpkin decoration out through Thanksgiving. It’s not too late for those harvest decorations.
7. Wrap up the pumpkin
When in doubt, cover the pumpkin with some pretty fabric. This sweater pumpkin at Craftaholics Anonymous is a classy way to reuse an old sweater and a plastic pumpkin. The crafter just cut an old sweater, wrapped it around the pumpkin and tied it at the top with a classic ribbon. It’s a cozy little display that is a perfect addition to any fall decorating theme.
8. Use as a craft mold
You can also use plastic pumpkins to create something more permanent for display. This tutorial shows how to make a concrete pumpkin by pouring the mixed concrete into old trick-or-treat pumpkins. The craft even calls for upcycling a railroad spike as the stem of the concrete pumpkin.
9. Make a mummy
Get started on next year’s Halloween decorations with this pumpkin mummy at DIY Inspired. The plastic pumpkin was wrapped with strips of an upcycled canvas moneybag, and homemade felt eyes were added to the front. You could also try using old sheets, old burlap or unused medical gauze.
10. Glue on some fabric
You can also make a customized pumpkin display by adding some old fabric. It’s the perfect way to reuse old clothing. For an example, see this vintage pumpkin at etsy. Eyelet lace, faux fall leaves and raffia make this pumpkin a customized delight. You can add your own fabric, lace, feathers, leaves or whatever you want.
11. Make a wall hanging
Another option is to cut out the front of the pumpkin where the face is so that it would hang flat. Add some wire on the back to make it into a wall hanging for around Halloween. For a more general harvest hanging, cut out the back of the plastic pumpkin, and then add some paint and craft embellishments like fall leaves. You’ll have a classy wall hanging you can use year after year.
12. Get practical
You also don’t have to keep the pumpkin completely intact for decorations. Cut the pumpkin apart into small bits of plastic. Use those plastic pieces as a tray to hold small amounts of paint during crafts, garden markers, etc.
You can also keep the pail around in one piece for a basic storage container. Or have it around as a drip bucket to catch leaks. Use it to hold plastic bags for a makeshift bag dispenser in the garage, laundry room or basement, where no one will care if you’re out of season.
13. Make Christmas decorations
Now that Christmas is getting closer, you might even want to repurpose those pumpkins into holiday decorations. Some craft paint, Mod Podge and glitter made these pumpkins at HomeJelly into a wonderful addition to any home for the holidays.
