DIY Jack-O-Lantern Candy Holder

October is here, the weather is getting crisp and Halloween is this weekend. My family loves all things Halloween-related, and I think my kids ask me, “Is it Halloween yet?” for almost nine months out of the year. I thought I would take things up a notch with our candy container this year by making a DIY jack-o-lantern candy holder to use instead of the regular plastic pumpkin that I’ve used in years past. There are several versions of this type of candy holder floating around Pinterest, but the one I made was literally SO easy and took about 20 minutes to make!

Materials: large craft pumpkin, Sharpie, pumpkin carving knife, foam mask or other decorative embellishments, hot glue gun

Purchase the biggest craft pumpkin you can find from your local craft store.

I also found a foam mask kit at Michael’s and thought it would be the perfect costume for Jack!

Use your Sharpie to draw a jack-o-lantern face on the pumpkin. Keep in mind that the mouth will need to be larger than a traditional jack-o-lantern because this will be the opening the kids will reach into to get their treats!

Use a regular pumpkin carving knife to carve out the face you drew on your pumpkin. It’s just like carving a regular pumpkin, really! One helpful tip—make sure to do the carving outside as it creates a lot of “dust.” Oh, and don’t worry if your drawing isn’t perfect—mine certainly wasn’t! As long as you cut on the outside of the lines, you’ll be good to go, and you can always make up for any imperfections in your carving.

Complete the carving of your pumpkin and smooth any rough or frayed edges using your knife.

Add a mask or any other decoration you like—I hot glued my mask onto the pumpkin just to make sure it stays put!

Your awesome new jack-o-lantern candy holder is ready for trick-or-treaters! Fill it with the candy of your choice, put it outside on Halloween night and be the envy of your neighborhood!

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