DIY Dollar Store Boho Pumpkin Makeover is an inexpensive and easy craft to usher in the fall season!

I’m not a DIY or decor maven, and typically not someone who frequents the dollar store. (You can find my DIY Fall Burlap Wreath here though!) However, I occasionally see things on Pinterest or Instagram and tuck it away into my mind as something worth doing.
This project is just one of those things! Although I cannot recall exactly where I first saw it, there are a TON of step-by-step tutorials out there. Remember, I am not a DIY or crafting blogger should notify you to the fact that these “instructions” could be imperfect. Consider yourselves warned, and proceed at your own risk!

Here’s the thing about the Dollar Store where I live: it’s inconvenient, frequently dirty, and usually only half stocked with stuff. I don’t know if this is the Dollar Store MO nationwide, or if it’s just the one near me, but because of these issues I don’t go often. Just hard to justify dragging kids there if I don’t know I’ll even find what I’m looking for, you know?
Lucky for us, the day that we went it was being freshly stocked with all the Halloween goodies! We got first pick, which was just one of those little unexpected blessings of 2020. Find the good where you can, you know?
Here’s what we got at the Dollar Store: 3 styrofoam pumpkins (they are BRIGHT ORANGE) and a few sprigs of cloth faux flowers and leaves. That’s it! I figured we’ll see how it goes before investing too much more, so we traded $5 for the supplies and left.

Full disclosure: I got the Rustoleum chalked spray paint at Walmart for $6, bringing the total for this specific craft up to $11. Still a great deal if you ask me! Here’s the thing though: the pumpkins are SO BRIGHT ORANGE that you will need to account for several (2-3) coats of the spray paint, or use Kilz on them first. After doing our 3 pumpkins I had used about half of the can; I plan on using the rest on a cute wreath or something later this month.
Unofficial instructions: I spread a trash bag out on an old table, and then sprayed about 2-3 coats of the spray paint per pumpkin. Make sure you get the bottom part as well! Let the pumpkins dry for about 20-30 minutes between coats, then let the paint dry overnight before doing anything else. I don’t have a reason for this other than that’s what I did and it worked out well!

Now the great thing about these pumpkins is that the stems come off easily! I’m all about the little things that make life easier, you know? Plus it provided little holes that were already there for the flowers and leaves!

Cut (likely using wire cutters) the cloth flower stems so that you can stick them in the hole where the stem was. I ended up using a little hot glue to help them stay put, but there were a few flowers and leaves I didn’t have to do anything to.
Friends, that’s it! These are super light weight, so I definitely do not recommend using them as porch decorations. They work really well on mantles, bookshelves, around fireplaces, and more – and for essentially $8 for three of them? It’s a win in my book!

So tell me – what are some fun fall crafts you’ve done? Feel free to drop links to your own too!

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