As much as I love Halloween, I’m not crazy about it being such a one-and-done holiday, you know? So much time and money spent on things that are gone in no time…
Costumes – worn once. Trick-or-Treat candy – gone by November. Pumpkins – half-rotten before the big night is over.
Wouldn’t it be nifty if you could add to the festiveness without spending much money, using items on hand, and save your results for years to come? Wouldn’t it be neat to use a little upcycling to make a big impact?
Yep. Thought so…
You will not believe how cute these lanterns are in person! I’m going to line them up in my window all month then bring them out to the front porch to keep me company while handing out candy on the 31st. They are easy, mostly-kid-friendly, and I didn’t even have to go out and buy special materials. There is one special ingredient here: a gourd shaped bottle, and this one from Califia Farms could not be more ideal!
–Califia Farms beverage bottles. The label here says orange juice but it is already looking like a pumpkin, no? They also make some delicious flavors you may have never heard of before like mango chili lime, pineapple ginger, and strawberry basil.
-Twinkle lights. LED lights are great because they do not generate heat, but you can use whatever leftover holiday lights you have on hand (see instructions).
-Paint. Basic acrylic craft paint, although, you could layer up something interesting with watercolor if you like.
– Paint brush.
– Black construction paper.
– Pen knife or box cutter.
– Scissors
Instructions
1. After washing the empty bottle, peel off the outer label and paint your favorite colors. I kept the colors basic greens and orange, but if you are working with munchkins, this would be a great opportunity to let them take the lead. Who says a witch has to be green? I hear pink and brown witches are very on trend!
2. While the bottles are drying, cut out Halloween face shapes and adhere to one side with regular white glue (click here if you would like to use my template for a jack-o-Lantern, scary witch, and Frankenstein monster).
3. Use a pen knife to cut a 2” slot in the back of the bottle. If you are not using LED lights, cut the whole a little larger to make sure any heat can safely escape.
4. Insert 10”-20” of the twinkle lights inside the bottle. You can light up multiple bottles on a single string, or designate a short strand for each creature.
If you are feeling extra creative you can add a simple witch hat…
But I also like the way the color caps look. Orange and green feel festive even with the lights off!
Happy Halloween!
This post is sponsored by Califia Farms but all opinions expressed within are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible!