Pumpkin Pails and Tissue Paper

This seemed like a simple idea to pull off when it popped in my head. It turns out it wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be, but in the end, the results are beyond my expectations. I was inspired by this idea thanks to what should have been Midsummer Scream’s theme for 2020.

The goal was to capture the feel of an old illustrated home magazine or a vintage Halloween postcard. Even though there’s loads of resources and vintage inspired decor out there, I also didn’t want to break the bank.

Looking over any old photos and illustrations I could find; die cuts, pumpkin pails and tissue paper seemed to be the key to this look. I’ve been wanting to overhaul my Halloween decor collection anyways and this was the perfect timing to do it. Lucky for me, tissue paper and crepe paper streamers are very budget friendly and I had a ton of fall-colored fabrics in my stash to contribute. Such as this orange cotton fabric that I draped over our entertainment console.

I shared some of the things I made via reels on Instagram, such as box folding the streamers that connect the large pumpkin pail to the smaller ones in the front or creating the paper fans out of tissue paper sheets. Most things though, I just looked up how to do so it seemed wrong to present a tutorial that someone else put the time into creating already, so I’m just showing how I utilized all the different techniques I learned into what you see.

I adore how the pumpkin pails look hanging from the ceiling. Tape, command hooks, scissors and crepe paper streamers were the main tools. Both sized pails came from Target and the streamers from Dollar Tree. All in all, this project only cost $13! With lots of streamers still left over..

My sewing cabinet became a display for some of the vintage-inspired decor I’ve been collecting over the years as well as the handful of things I added this year. I hemmed up the fabric that covers the shelf, but I think I’ll sew the yellow stripe into the green for next year instead of just draping it over. I didn’t think it would work so well, but the green is a great contrast and help from going too overblown with the orange.

I wish I could claim I made the die cuts I hung in the windows or the tissue paper pumpkin garland, but nope. Thank you, Beistle Company!

I’ll cover more on this countdown calendar I painted with Little Monster in another post, but I’m so happy with how it turned out. If you were following my IG stories, you’ll know that I got quite frustrated over this little Haunted House.

Lastly is the doorway to our bedrooms. I wanted to make it a fun place to escape to at the end of the day. I also hung up any Halloween cards I’ve received so far this year. I think they look great there and will probably repurpose it for Christmas time too.

The wall beside it will be an ongoing project for the future. The idea is to have costume accessories from your basic costumes hanging there for decoration. I can’t add more than what I’ve already got there, but the idea has started and I’m in love with it.

Have you ever dreamed up a vintage-themed Halloween look? Any particular details you’d love to share with me?