How to give plastic thrift store jack-o'-lanterns a faux concrete makeover!
I know, it's still August, but now is the best time to find prime Halloween decorations at thrift stores.
Many thrift stores hold onto Halloween donations until the middle of August, so going early guarantees you'll get first dibs on the best donated items.
Over the last couple of weeks, I've found vintage Halloween blow molds and cute plastic jack-o'-lanterns that were ideal for updating. As soon as I saw the jack-o'-lanterns, I knew they would make a fantastic faux concrete Pottery Barn inspired makeover!
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE POTTERY BARN INSPIRED FAUX CONCRETE JACK-O'-LANTERNS
- Inexpensive plastic Jack-o-lanterns (thrift stores, yard sales and Dollar Stores are great sources)
- 220 Grit Sanding Block
- Fusion Mineral Paint (Cashmere)
- Baking Soda
- Paper Towels
I found these two plastic light-up jack-o'-lanterns at a local Salvation Army. One was $1.00 and one was $1.50, but after questioning the price difference I was able to get both for $2.00. Score.
They immediately reminded me of the popular Pottery Barn terracotta jack-o'-lanterns.
Can you see it too?
Last year, I used paint and baking soda to transform a thrift store vase and knew the same technique would work to transform the jack-o'-lanterns. Traditional jack-o'-lanterns are orange, but I'm a neutral-loving girl, so I opted to make mine white. You can make your pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns whatever color your heart desires.
STEPS TO MAKE FAUX CONCRETE JACK-O'-LANTERNS
STEP ONE: SAND AND SPRAY PAINT
I started by lightly sanding the plastic jack-o'-lanterns with 220 grit sandpaper. You want to scruff the surface enough for the paint to adhere, but not so much that you scratch the plastic. After cleaning off the sanding dust, I sprayed each pumpkin with a couple light coats of flat white spray paint.
STEP TWO: MIX PAINT AND BAKING SODA
I mixed leftover Fusion Cashmere paint with baking soda until it was a thick, toothpaste like consistency. If I had to guess, I would say it was about two parts paint to one part baking soda.
STEP FOUR: PAINT PUMPKINS
Generously apply 2-3 coats of the paint/baking soda mixture to the plastic jack-o'-lanterns using a stiff natural stencil brush.
STEP FIVE: WAX
In an effort to give the jack-o'-lanterns a little dimension, I applied cerusing wax to the raised areas and dark antique wax to the shadows and crevices. I played around with layering the two waxes until I was happy with the final look.
What do you think of the faux concrete jack-o'-lanterns? Pottery Barns versions are between $49-$79 and my DIY knock-off cost a mere $1.00. I'd say my little thrift store find was a pretty successful DIY Halloween project!
Do you love Halloween? Click HERE for more creepy projects and decorating ideas that I've shared over the years.
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