Transform Your Cheap Plastic Pumpkins Into The Perfect Fall Porch Decor With TikTok's DIY

Seasonal décor is one of the best ways to get into the holiday spirit, but filling your cart full of pre-made decorations can quickly start to hurt your wallet. This is especially true when you consider that you'll likely only display these pieces for a month or two before putting them away. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to DIY your own cheap and easy Halloween decorations. A jack-o-lantern display shared by TikTok user @kelsimsavage is simple, low cost, and easy to personalize, so you're sure to be left with a final product that will impress trick-or-treaters. You'll transform plastic pumpkin pails into a stacked display that lights up and showcases fall florals.

This jack-o-lantern column can serve as a piece to display by your door and a secondary lighting source to help trick-or-treaters navigate your porch in their search for candy. It's also a floral display that could feel seasonally-appropriate throughout the fall months, even beyond October. As an added bonus, it's incredibly simple to DIY, so don't be afraid to get your older kids involved and turn it into a fun family activity.

In her video, TikToker @kelsimsavage begins by gathering her supplies: three plastic jack-o-lantern pails, black paint, gold paint, a paintbrush, a hot glue gun, three small packs of battery-operated fairy lights that are controlled by a remote, and some fall-themed faux flowers. The jack-o-lantern pails are a must, but feel free to cater your paint colors, lighting source, and topper to whatever you have available. For example, you could use a large plastic bowl in lieu of the flowers if you wanted to create a tall DIY candy bowl for Halloween. 

After you've picked up everything you need, cut out the eyes and mouth of your jack-o-lanterns with a sharp knife and remove the pail handles. Then, to create the same look as @kelsimsavage, paint a black base onto the pails. Once that's dry, cover them with gold paint to create an antique bronze look. Place your lights in the jack-o-lantern pails, stack them up, and then glue them together. Finally, add your flowers (or alternate topper) inside the top pail to give it a more finished look. During the Halloween season, angle the spooky jack-o-lantern faces so they're visible. Then, in November, turn the faces towards a wall to help extend the decoration's lifespan until you pull out your winter décor.