Transform A Toilet Paper Roll Into Adorable Hocus Pocus-Inspired Halloween Decor

Are you brave enough to light the black flame candle? Even if this clever Halloween DIY doesn't wake the Sanderson sisters from their 300-year sleep, it will elevate your holiday decor for a truly spooky (and inexpensive) vibe! This Halloween craft transforms a humble cardboard toilet paper roll into spooktacular decor. While TP rolls are super helpful for storage DIYs like dresser drawer dividers, this Hocus Pocus-inspired faux candle craft is probably the most clever upcycle for them thus far. If thou darest attempt to craft the dreaded candle, ye shall needst: a few empty rolls, a hot glue gun (or Elmer's glue), a faux tea light, and some paint.

If you love making spooky Halloween dupes, these candles will fill your proverbial cup... or cauldron. Before you get started, make sure to remove any toilet paper clinging to the cardboard rolls. You will be painting over these, so they don't need to be altered in any way — but excess paper is not part of your DIY. Pick one end of your roll and, using either a hot glue gun (preferred) or Elmer's Glue, begin creating drips along the top of your "candle." You can make this effect by starting at the upper edge and bringing your glue down, layering it to create a 3D dripping faux wax.

After the droplets dry fully, you should have a roll that resembles a melting candle. The next step for this budget-friendly Halloween craft is to paint the cardboard. If you choose to go fully Hocus Pocus, you can cover the entire thing in black, then maybe add a little gold with a sponge or brush gently to give it an "antique" or vintage effect. You can also paint the base white, then go over it with brown for a more traditional, spooky vibe. If you're good with a slim paint brush, tint the glue drops red then paint the remainder of the candle black.

No faux candle is complete without a faux flame, which is where those battery-operated tea lights will come in. You might need to fold the top of your toilet paper roll over to create a little ledge to hold the tea light, but this needs to come before the glue and paint. If your tea light fits inside without folding the cardboard over, you don't need to add in any extra steps. You can also fill the interior with leftover wrapping or tissue paper, or paper towels that you bunch inside and place the tea light on. For a little extra spooky effect, color the faux flame portion of the tea light with a black Sharpie to really give it a Halloween finish!