A step-by-step tutorial for making craft pumpkins for fall using thrifted vintage wire bread baskets and mini bundt pan Jello molds.
Accidental “light bulb” moments might be my favorite part about thrifting.
I’ll be walking along, moseying through the shelves of random junk, and get all kinds of ideas just by looking at how platters and lamps and candlesticks and toys and knick-knacks are all tossed haphazardly together. Maybe I just have a weird brain… who knows.
Yeah, yeah that could be it.
But the other day, I saw one of these scalloped wire bread baskets sitting upside-down on a thrift store shelf, and I thought, “Hey! That kind of looks like the top of a pumpkin.”
I see these wire baskets all the time in thrift stores and at yard sales and never thought twice about them until now.
So I scooped up those cute little baskets off the shelf and skipped to the register along with an arm full of mini bundt pan / Jello molds because inspiration is just funny like that.
And I’m sharing it as a sweet thrifty pumpkin centerpiece craft for The Happy Housie‘s Seasonal Simplicity Series in today’s Fall DIY/Craft hop. You can check out 25 more fall crafts and DIY project ideas at the bottom of this post.
DIY Wire Basket and Bundt Pan Pumpkins
Supplies Used: (Some affiliate links are provided below.)
- 2 thrifted wire bread baskets (Mine were $2 at the thrift store, but sometimes you can luck out on eBay or Etsy.)
- 2 sets of thrifted mini bundt pans / Jello molds
- Rustoleum copper spray paint
- Rustoleum Heirloom White satin spray paint
- Loctite Super Glue
- 2 2″ length of wire
- A couple of sticks from your yard
1. I love the look of copper for fall, so I decided to spray paint my wire baskets with the copper spray paint (but you could certainly leave them silver, if you wanted to keep some vintage patina).
2. And for the mini bundt pan / Jello molds, I gave them a couple of coats of the white spray paint just because I’m a sucker for white mini pumpkins.
3. Once they were dry, I secured the two wire baskets together (one upside-down) with some wire.
4. And I applied a nickel sized dot of super glue to attach a stem to the top using just a piece of a stick I found in our yard.
5. To make the mini pumpkins, I applied a little super glue around the edge of one of the bundt pans and placed another on top to attach them together.
6. Then, I just attached a little twig on top with a dab more of the super glue.
So easy! Aren’t they cuuuuuuute?!
I stuck a candle in the middle of the wire pumpkin to make it into a lantern, but you could fill anything in it really.
So now it’s a fun, whimsical fall centerpiece on our breakfast nook table.
If you want to know about any of the sources in our breakfast nook, by the way, you can find them all here.
- DIY wall planter using antique banisters (tutorial)
- Craigslist antique table (this one is similar)
- Lantern pendant light
- French bistro chairs (ours were inexpensive finds from TJ Maxx, but these are similar)
- Macrame table runner
- Wall color: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
- Trim color: Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Door color: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
The greenery is just a couple of eucalyptus bundles I picked up at Trader Joe’s for $3 each. I’m obsessed! It’s my favorite any time of year but especially for early fall.
You can check out all of the other fall DIY/craft projects in the hop from the links below, if you’re craving more ideas for the season:
Sweater Pumpkins at The Happy Housie // Chinoiserie Pumpkins at Shabbyfufu // Wire Basket Bundt Pan Pumpkins at Bless’er House // Plastic Fall Fruit Makeover at Craftberry Bush // Pumpkin Topiary at Inspiration for Moms
Forest Pine Candle at Setting for Four // Wooden Trough at Deeply Southern Home // Thrifty Magnolia Wreath at Home Made Lovely // Pumpkin Vase at Amber Tysl // Autumn Watercolour Place Cards at Finding Silver Pennies
Wooden Pumpkin at The Turquoise Home // Cotton Wreath at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia // No-Sew Burlap Table Runner at Jenna Kate at Home // Cute Pumpkin Plants at House by Hoff // Fall Flannel Quilted Pillow at TIDBITS
Hoop Wreath at Lolly Jane // Tiled Coffee Table Tray at In My Own Style // Pom Pom Garland at Modern Glam // Acorn Garland at Jen Woodhouse // Hello Fall Pillow at Love Create Celebrate
Silk Fall Floral Arrangement at Town and Country Living // Simple Fabric Pumpkins at Confessions of a Serial Do It Yourselfer // Soy Candles at The DIY Mommy // Lighted Pumpkin Bucket at Clean and Scentsible
Handprinted Pumpkin Pillow at Hallstrom Home // Corn Husk Pumpkins at Paint Me Pink // Fall Glam Candle Wreaths at Summer Adams
If you want to save this post for later, you can pin it here:
Love seeing items repurposed in stylish ways Lauren… very creative.
So cute and creative, Lauren! xo
What a clever and beautiful idea, Lauren! They look stunning and are the perfect fall touch!
xo Jenna
These are so cute! I love how this project turned out!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Super creative! And they are perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Oh my goodness, Lauren.
You have done it again! Love the pumpkins, and they look amazing on your table. As I am typing this, I am also smiling and maybe laughing too. 🙂 🙂 I, like you, often think that my brain operates on overload when I look at things totally different than what is for their intended purpose. You know the feeling….. it starts as a light bulb going off kind of moment, and then your heart starts to beat with excitement and before you know it you can barely breathe. Yep! I laugh too, because my sweet husband has learned to recognize my “craft fits.” He will often say, “Breathe honey, just breathe.”
Have a wonderful day! 🙂 🙂
Oh wow absolutely adorable!! You have no idea how many of those large pumpkin bowls I have passed over at thrift stores and yard sales. I’m just sick about it now…lol! I also know that the closest goodwill has a few on hand and I will be heading there today! Love the jello mold pumpkins as well. I actually do buy those and have a good supply on hand. I can’t believe I didn’t think about doing this…I could kick myself…lol.
BEAUTIFULLY DONE,
What an adorable upcycle! LOVE how your dining room is looking too xx
Laura! What a unique and brilliant project this is! I love it!
This is so creative and so beautiful!!!
does your talent know no end!? Completely darling…well,just like you!
Super cute and inventive Lauren…pinning. I have some of those around so may have to do this!
Absolutely adorable, absolutely genius.
Love, love, love this! Great ideas. I actually think I might try them. So pretty on your table
I have to admit I was skeptical when I saw the preview in my email. Everyone is trying to make pumpkins out of things nowadays and some are just ugly. But WOW! I love these! Now I have to go thrift shopping this weekend- Labor Day everything is half off. Thank you for such a cute idea!
clever, clever ! 🙂
SO creative! I love these so much and the whole vignette is beautiful!
Beautiful! I love the white with the metallics and the greenery mixed in!
I just love this, such a creative idea. Now I have to go hunt for some of these. lol
These are just too cute! Thanks for sharing . . .
This is so unique and beautiful, Laura! and have I told you that I’m in love with your dining area!
So fun! I love up cycling and this is just the best!!
I love this idea. I never would have thought of this.
Love this- you have the best ideas!!!
Lauren, these are too cute! You are so darn creative! oxox
Unbelievable! Your creativity astounds me…these are so gorgeous, Lauren!!
Very clever ideas!
If you added Spanish “moss,” which is more like dried string – not true moss – to the bundt pans sunken portion I think they’d look even better – though they are quite awesome as is, too.
Well done!
Is there anything you can not take from ugly, and turn it into totally fabulous? What a brilliant idea. I adore it!
What a pretty centerpiece, Lauren! I think the mini bundt pan pumpkins are my favorite!! XO
You are so creative, Lauren! I love the whole — think outside the basket — idea! Brilliant!
Super cute and so clever, Lauren!
Lauren, you are so creative! I love how you think outside the ‘basket’. 😉
Brilliant ideas! They look so charming and fun.