I Just Discovered a Genius Tip for Reusing Those Iconic Pumpkin Candy Buckets

It’s often the little details that leave guests impressed after attending a Halloween party. Consider this subtle yet chic spooky lamp accessory, for example — it’s a low-key detail that often gets everyone chatting about how creative hosts can be. If you’re planning to get the crew together for Halloween, you’ll want to listen up: Social media users have found the next DIY that’ll keep guests talking about your soiree all year long.

In a recent Instagram video, Shelby (@shelbycelebrates) demonstrated how to get the most out of plastic pumpkin buckets, which are used for collecting candy and then oftentimes thrown away. 

“I picked up some $1.97 jack-o’-lantern buckets from @walmart with a different craft in mind, but then I got a wild idea …. this Halloween DIY was so simple and affordable, all you need are jack-o’-lanterns and zip ties,” she shared on the platform. “Now my kitchen is glowing orange and feeling very nostalgic.”

To turn your pendant lights into glowing jack-o’-lanterns, you first need to ensure your pendant lamp’s shade is removable and that your light uses LED bulbs: Incandescent bulbs may get too hot and may potentially melt the plastic pumpkin buckets, a hazard you must be wary to avoid. 

Next, grab these $2 jack-o’-lantern buckets from Walmart, which are both nostalgic and incredibly affordable. You’ll remove the handles and replace them with two zip ties, one that reaches across the diameter of the bucket and another attached to the first tie — then, secure them in a shallow loop shape.

Replace the pendant light shades with the pumpkin buckets, and that’s it! You can tape the zip ties to the pendant light if you feel like they need to be more secure; you can also cut out the bottoms of the buckets if you’d like more light inside your space. But that warm orange glow is going to be an instant hit when your guests start to arrive.

“But when Halloween is over, I wouldn’t want to switch them out,” one person commented on Shelby’s post. Another said, “*me staring at my pumpkin buckets now*.”

If your Walmart is out of pumpkin buckets, you can also get creative with the colored pumpkin buckets available on Amazon. How cute would these pink buckets be when lit from within?

Now that you’ve discovered it, you can’t go without this pendant light DIY before hosting your Halloween party. It’s such a low-cost DIY that makes a huge, spooky impact!