DIY Reversible Halloween Decor

It’s the first day of October, so it’s officially Halloween season! If your house isn’t already decked out in spooky decor, use this tutorial to make what my wife dubs the Pumpkin/Ghost blended family.

Pumpkin/Ghost Blended Family

Skill Level: Novice
Estimated Time: 2 hours + overnight drying

Materials Needed:

• Scrap wood in varying sizes (ranging from 5”-12”)

• Wood glue

• Paint (orange, white, black)

• Small tree stick

• Green ribbon

• Hot glue

• Chopsaw

• Sandpaper

• Optional: Walnut wood stain

Steps for Reversible Pumpkins:

1. Cut wood - Each pumpkin will need two equal sized pieces. Use a chopsaw to make the cuts. If making multiple, cut into varying sizes, as long as each pumpkin has two equal sized pieces.

2. Laminate wood - For each pumpkin, glue the equal sized pieces together using wood glue and clamp together overnight.

3. Sand - Once the glue is dry, remove the clamps and lightly sand everywhere until smooth.

4. Paint- start by painting all surfaces orange other than the bottom. Once the paint is dry, use black paint to add the jack-o’-lantern faces. You can also use a black Sharpie marker if you are worried about precision.

5. Sand corners - Very lightly sand the corners to expose the bare wood for a more rustic look. My wife also added a titch of walnut wood stain to the now exposed corners to add contrast.

6. Add ribbon and tree branch- Cut your green ribbon about 8-10 inches and cut a small hole in the center big enough to stick your tree branch through it. Use a chopsaw or handsaw to cut the tree branch to about 3-5 inches for each pumpkin. Put the tree branch inside the hole in the ribbon. Use hot glue to adhere the tree branch to the top of the pumpkin. Curl the green ribbon the way you like and use hot glue to keep it in place.

And that’s it! Once Halloween is over, you can turn these pumpkins to the side without jack-o’-lantern faces for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Pumpkins

Steps for Reversible Ghosts:

1. Cut wood - the ghosts do not need to be laminated, so you only need one piece of wood. Use a chopsaw to make the cuts. Cut into varying sizes if making multiple.

2. Sand - Lightly sand everywhere until smooth.

3. Paint- start by painting all surfaces white other than the bottom. Once the paint is dry, use blank paint to add the ghost faces. You can also use a black Sharpie marker if you are worried about precision.

That’s it for these ghosts. Leave the other side blank - at Easter I’ll show you how to make the other side bunnies - including removable ears.

Ghost reverses to Easter bunny

Arrange the family of pumpkins and ghosts as desired. This is a lovely and easy way to decorate for the holidays!