Holiday Archives - Average But Inspired

September 5, 2019 by Bre

20 Unique Pumpkin Crafts

Pumpkins are a fall decorating staple, and rightfully so! They come in a multitude of colors, shapes, and sizes, and they are seasonally appropriate for several months (meaning less work in changing out decor). Because of that, pumpkin crafts are always popular, and I’ve rounded up twenty unique pumpkin crafts that you’ll want to make this season.

Now trust me, these pumpkin crafts are not your typical “decorate a fake pumpkin” crafts! (Not that there’s anything wrong with those!) These are all unique pumpkin projects that feature pumpkins made out of anything BUT pumpkins (real or fake)!

To get full project instructions for any of these, just click the project title and you’ll go right to the site where the pumpkin craft tutorial lives.

Tin Can Pumpkins by Ann’s Entitled Life

Does it get much easier (or cuter) than this? Who doesn’t have tin cans easily accessible at all times? Find out how Ann made hers into adorable pumpkins!

Fabric Pumpkin Plaque by Our Home Made Easy

This simple fabric pumpkin project will add punch to any shelf or bookcase that needs some fall sprucing. It is also a great way to use up fabric scraps!

Book Page Pumpkin by Creations by Kara

Grab an old book and some scissors and get to work! Kara shows you how to craft a book page pumpkin in this easy-to-follow tutorial!

DIY Wine Cork Pumpkin by Decor by the Seashore

Save up your wine corks or buy a bag at the craft store, and then get to work making this cute DIY wine cork pumpkin! How sweet of a gift would this be for your girlfriends or book club members (come on, every book club involves wine!)? Get the step-by-step instructions right in the post.

15 Minute Sock Pumpkins by Heathered Nest

How great would these sock pumpkin crafts be for a school Halloween party? Quick, easy, and cute – they’re bound to be a hit with any grade!

Pallet Pumpkins by Sugar Bee Crafts

I just love these pallet pumpkins for your outdoor fall decor! These are definitely unique – don’t you think they’d look cute in a pretty fall floral display?

Mason Jar Pumpkin Craft by A Cultivated Nest

Grab that mason jar stash (or pick up some cheap mason jars at Dollar Tree), and make these adorable mason jar pumpkins! How cute would these be filled with candy and presented to a neighbor, teacher, or co-worker this fall?

Trim Corner Block Pumpkins by Average But Inspired

Hey, hey – it’s one of my pumpkin craft projects in here! I had so much fun making these trim corner block pumpkins, and they’re still one of my favorite fall decor pieces today! You can find these trim corner blocks at any large home improvement store, and then check out my tutorial to learn how to make these sweet pumpkins!

Fabric Pumpkins from Old Shirts by Our Crafty Mom

Before you toss those old clothes in the donate pile, think about if you can reuse them to make adorable fabric pumpkins! This great upcycle from Michelle at Our Crafty Mom can be put together in no time, and for hardly any expense at all!

Dryer Vent Pumpkins by Practically Functional

How creative is this pumpkin craft??? While you’re at Lowe’s or Home Depot getting trim corner blocks to make the pumpkins pictured above, pick up some dryer vents, too! Then make Jessi’s cute dryer vent pumpkins and let everyone marvel at this creative pumpkin craft!

Loom Knit Pumpkin by Rootsy

I don’t know the first thing about knitting, but I’m willing to bet that some of you do! Because of that, I thought this knitted pumpkin craft was a great one to share! Plus, the tutorial is very detailed and good for beginners.

Button Pumpkin Craft by Adventure in a Box

Sweet and simple is the name of the game for this adorable button pumpkin craft!

Felted Dryer Ball Pumpkins by Hearth & Vine

Oh my word – these little dryer ball pumpkins are too cute for words! Patti shows you how to make them (even if you’ve never needle felted before), and the result is darling!

Bandana Pumpkins by Sadie Seasongoods

These sweet bandana pumpkins add a dash of vintage charm to your fall decor! Check out Sadie Seasongoods’ detailed tutorial on how to make these cute pumpkins.

Bundt Cake Pan Pumpkins by Average But Inspired

Oh yeah, I’ve got another one of my pumpkin crafts in here! These little bundt cake pan pumpkins are the cutest! I love to display them in my kitchen every fall. See how to make them in my post!

Paper Pumpkin Craft by Ann’s Entitled Life

Don’t you love checking out the scrapbook paper aisle to see what fun prints are in stock? (I can’t be the only one!) Get some pretty paper and make yourself a whole patch of these paper pumpkins!

Ruffled Felt Pumpkin by Where The Smiles Have Been

Felt is one of my favorite craft supplies to work with because it lends such a homemade feel to any craft. This ruffled candy corn felt pumpkin is no exception! This just screams fall cuteness!

Scrap Wood Pumpkin by Making it in the mountains

Gather that scrap wood hiding out in your garage or basement and get to work crafting a farmhouse-inspired scrap wood pumpkin! Leave it neutral, stain it, or paint it – this pumpkin can be customized however you like!

Paper Bag Pumpkins by This Ole Mom

This is another great pumpkin craft that would work well for a halloween party craft! It’s easy and inexpensive and such a fun project!

Natural Birch Bark Pumpkin Art by Little House of Four

For all of my neutral-loving friends out there, this pumpkin project is the one for you! Katie shows you how to create a piece of beautiful and natural pumpkin decor with birch bark.

So there you have it – 20 fabulously unique pumpkin crafts you can make this fall! Which one is your favorite? Let me know which of these you’ll be making in the comments below! And, don’t forget to pin this image to Pinterest!

August 29, 2019 by Bre

Make a Dollar Store Toolbox Planter

The kids are back in school and the temps are cooling off: my mind is definitely shifting gears toward fall! Because of that, last week I shared a cute DIY Dollar Tree Pumpkin Sign project that will cozy up your home decor, and this week I’m sharing another fun fall project! This dollar store toolbox planter is perfect for your your porch or an entryway table!

Isn’t it pretty?!? And friends, it is SO darn cheap to put together. EVERYTHING except the spray paint is from Dollar Tree!

Okay well enough oooooh’ing and aaaaah’ing over this dollar store fall decor – let’s get down to business!

Supplies Needed to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

Like I said, pretty much everything for this project is from Dollar Tree! If it’s not from the D.T., I will let you know next to the supply name. Also, some of the links may be affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Toolbox
Floral foam brick
Faux flowers of your choice (I used a bunch of sunflowers leftover from my Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath, mums, and a beige flower of some sort)
Faux pumpkin clips (they come in a three pack)
Plaid wired ribbon
Harvest metal word (they come in a three pack of Harvest, Thankful, and Welcome)
Spray paint (I used this brand and color of spray paint) (not Dollar Tree)
Black acrylic paint to add some faux age to the toolbox (not Dollar Tree)
Gold acrylic paint for the metal word (not Dollar Tree)
E6000 glue (not Dollar Tree)

How to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

Start by spray painting the toolbox in whatever color you like. I really liked this matte burgundy/purple color because it was bold and moody – perfect for fall!

Once the spray paint dried, I lightly added a bit of black paint all over the toolbox to make it look older and less “flat” – if that makes any sense.

Next, I popped a block of floral foam inside the toolbox. The rectangular floral foam from Dollar Tree is the perfect fit for the toolbox.

Next, I got to work cutting faux florals and placing them into the floral foam.

I had a stem of faux leaves set aside to use, but decided that the colors didn’t look right with the flowers I was using, so I ultimately ditched them.

Once I had the flowers in place, I worked in some of the Dollar Tree wired ribbon, and then added several of the faux pumpkin clips. Those clips are great because they just attached right to the flowers, exactly where I wanted them!

Finally, and not pictured here because I forgot to photograph this step, I dabbed a little gold acrylic paint on the metal word “Harvest” and let it dry. Then I glued it to the inside of the toolbox for a little extra flair.

It all came together super cute and much prettier than the toolbox in its original form. 🙂

I can’t stop making Dollar Tree crafts – I hope you’re not sick of them!

This entire toolbox planter cost $7 in Dollar Tree Supplies and $4 in paint. I had the rest of the supplies already, so there was no cost there. That is not bad at all!

So what do you think – will you be transforming a toolbox into a pretty planter for your home? Let me know!

-Bre

August 20, 2019 by Bre

The Perfect Pumpkin Sign (A Fall Dollar Tree DIY!)

Dollar Tree has always been my favorite, but this season they have seriously stepped up their crafting and DIY game! If you haven’t stocked up on fall and Halloween crafting supplies yet, you need to get over there pronto. (And if you haven’t read my post on The Best Craft Supplies to Buy at Dollar Tree – do it!) I picked up a few of their new fall items and make the perfect pumpkin sign for my fall decor – and it only took about 20 minutes!

This cute pumpkin sign will stay out all fall – even through Halloween – because of the color scheme I used. The great thing is that it can be customized however you want, so make this in any color to suit your taste or decor!

Supplies Used for This Dollar Tree Pumpkin Decor

Here’s what I used to make this fall sign:

Dollar Tree canvas artwork (any pattern or design will work!)
Dollar Tree “create your own ornament” wood pumpkin shapes
Dollar Tree DIY pumpkin craft stickers
Dollar Tree Jenga game (those are the wood blocks shown in the project)
Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Spray Adhesive
Acrylic craft paint in orange, white, and black
Paintbrush
Hot glue and hot glue gun
Letter stamps
Black stamp pad

How to Make a Fall Pumpkin Sign

First I painted the edges of the Dollar Tree canvas artwork black. I used two coats of paint for this step. Remember, you can use any color paint you like!

Once the paint dried, I traced the shape of the canvas onto the back of a piece of scrapbook paper. I cut that out and then sprayed the canvas and the back of the paper with spray adhesive. I quickly pressed the scrapbook paper into place on the front of the canvas and trimmed any parts that stuck up over the edges of the canvas.

Then I got to work painting the pumpkins! I mixed up a few shades of orange by simply mixing basic orange and white acrylic paint. I painted one of the Dollar Tree pumpkin ornaments and two of the DIY craft stickers.

After those pumpkins dried, I used one of the pieces of twine from the ornaments package and tied it around each of the pumpkins’ stems. Then I used the hot glue gun to fasten them to the canvas. I even hot glued the stickers because the adhesive wasn’t super strong and I didn’t want those pumpkins going anywhere!

Next, I stamped the word “pumpkin” onto two of the Dollar Tree Jenga game blocks. They’re the perfect little wood blocks for all kinds of projects! If you don’t have letter stamps and/or a stamp pad, you could use the tiny letter stickers at Dollar Tree for this step!

Finally, I hot glued the “pumpkins” piece into place and added a little black paint around the edges of both the word piece and the entire sign. This gave a distressed look that I like!

And that’s all it took to transform a canvas into an adorable piece of fall decor!

I’d love for you to share this pumpkin sign project with your friends, or pin it to Pinterest to help others find it!

And, if you love fall crafting, check out some of my other great fall craft ideas in my holidays gallery!

-Bre

April 1, 2019 by Bre

Dollar Store DIY Bunny Planters

Sometimes life gets in the way of creative time, and that has definitely been the case for me recently! Our bathroom remodeling projects (follow along with those on Instagram), coupled with work obligations and the kids’ spring break has pinched my crafting time. I finally made it a priority over the weekend (it helps keep me sane), and just LOVE these adorable Dollar Store DIY Bunny Planters that I am sharing with you today!

They are a speedy project, which is great when you don’t have a lot of leisure time. Plus, they add a cute touch to your spring and Easter decor.

Supplies Needed

Small white planters (purchased at Dollar Tree)
Pink and gray multi-surface acrylic paint
Small paint brush
Craft moss (purchased at Dollar Tree)
Faux succulents (purchased at Dollar Tree)
White and pink felt
Fabric scissors
Multi-surface glue, like E6000 brand
Clothespins
Optional: bunny ear templates that you draw onto paper or card stock

How to Make DIY Bunny Planters

I started with the cutest little white planters that I got at Dollar Tree. I just love these with their facets and iridescent shimmer! They came in other colors, too, like pink and turquoise, but I think white is best for this project.

I used a small paint brush to paint a pink nose and gray whiskers onto the planter. I used multi-surface acrylic paint to make sure it adheres well!

Next, I drew bunny ear templates onto scrap card stock and cut those out. I drew a large ear and a smaller ear. Then, I used the larger ear template to cut out two white felt ears. I used the smaller template to cut out two pink felt ears.

I glued one pink felt ear onto each white felt ear.

Next, I placed a thin line of muli-surface E6000 glue around the inner rim of the planter. I pressed the ears onto the glue, and held them in place temporarily with clothespins. Once the glue hardened, I removed the clothespins.

I filled the planter with craft moss to help hold the faux succulent in place. This stuff makes a mess, so have your broom or dust buster ready! 😉

And for the final touch, I placed a faux succulent into the planter.

These little bunny planters make me so happy; I think they’re just darling! They are a great spring or Easter craft project, and make for a sweet Easter hostess gift or addition to your spring decor!

If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love for you to pin this project to Pinterest and help spread the love!

And, if you are looking for other Easter or spring craft projects, maybe you’ll want to check out this Vintage Paper Mache Bunny Craft

or this Dollar Store Salt and Pepper Shaker Bud Vase Craft!

-Bre

December 4, 2018 by Bre

How to Make the Cutest Paper Christmas Tree Garland

I don’t know about you, but Christmastime brings out my desire to craft like no other time of year! Whether it’s making decor for my house or gifts for someone else, I just want to make make make! Unfortunately the added time constraints of this season can leave little time for crafting, but as creative people, WE MUST MAKE!

So, for this week’s edition of the More Merry, Less Stress Holiday Action Plan, we’re taking time to indulge our inner craft gods and goddesses and create something special – even if it’s a super quick craft like this adorable Paper Christmas Tree Garland I’m going to show you how to make in this post! Taking a little bit of time to create will help you feel more fulfilled and less stressed – trust me.

Supplies Needed for a Paper Christmas Tree Garland

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Cardstock in colors of your choice (note: make sure to buy cardstock that’s colored on both sides – unlike scrapbook paper, which is usually white on the back.)
Paper cutter (or scissors and a ruler)
Glue Dots or other permanent, double-sided tape
Chipboard stars
Hot glue gun and glue
Twine or string

How to Make a Paper Christmas Tree Garland

Okay, I was so creatively uninspired and sorting through my craft supplies (since I vowed not to buy any additional craft supplies until 2019), to see what I could make for a Christmas craft. I found a whole bunch of 8.5″ x 11″ rainbow cardstock that I bought for who knows what reason. I grabbed it and my paper cutter and started messing around. A little while later, I figured out how to make these adorable paper Christmas trees and I decided to make this garland. It’s so easy!

Begin by cutting four, 11″ long and 1″ wide strips of cardstock. If you have a paper cutter, this is SUPER easy! (If you don’t have a paper cutter, you need to get one! I bought mine back in 2005 when I was wedding planning and I have used it so much since then!) If you don’t have a paper cutter, you can either measure with a ruler and cut with scissors, or just eyeball it and cut freehand.

Next, shorten these strips of paper as follows:

For larger paper Christmas trees: keep one strip 11″ long, cut one down to 9″, cut another down to 7″, and cut the last one down to 5″.

For smaller paper Christmas trees: cut one strip down to 9″, cut one down to 7″, cut another down to 5″, and cut the last one down to 3″.

Next, use the Glue Dots or double-sided tape to attach each strip together at the ends to form rings.

Then, take the largest ring and press it down in half, so that the folds are crisp. Place more of the double-sided tape in the middle. Repeat this process with the other rings and stack them one on top of the other. For the smallest ring, push it into a point at the top so that it looks like the top of a Christmas tree!

Repeat this process until you have a forest of paper Christmas trees. At this point, adorn the tops of the trees with chipboard stars, add glitter to the edges to look like snow, glue on sequins to look like ornaments – whatever you want!

After the trees are complete, tie them together with twine or string to create a darling paper Christmas tree garland.

This garland is so unique! I haven’t seen any like it online, and I love the festive touch it adds in my kitchen.

This simple project did not take much time at all, and I’m so glad I made it a priority because crafting is what lessens my stress!

Taking time to do things I enjoy is part of what helps me keep my head on straight during the hectic holiday season. I hope you will do the same for yourself!