DIY Halloween Bucket

Any guesses what our Halloween costumes are going to be this year?!? I've had a lot of fun putting together all of our outfits for the upcoming holiday, so I thought I'd share just one (of the many) DIY projects I've been working on.  The costume idea came directly from the girls wanting to dress up as their current favorite disney characters. I was pretty happy with the choice as its one of my favorites too. 

Raleigh decided she would be the one to be Winnie the Pooh so as I thought up of what to add to this character the first thing that came to mind was his love for honey. A "hunny pot" for pooh would be the perfect fit for gathering and carrying around all that candy! 

When I was figuring out how to make the shape of Pooh's lovable honey pot, the balloon came to mind! 

The first items you'll need to start out are:

-Scissors

-Strips of paper or newspaper

-Modge Podge (or you can mix water and Elmers glue together to form the same thing)

-A few sponge brushes

-String to tie on at the end

-A balloon

Step one: Start cutting or ripping up your paper into strips. I found that it was better to make them smaller once assembling them to the balloon to make less air bubbles or creases, but you'll still get quite a few. I kinda liked the rustic, DIY look of the creases in the paper so it didn't bother me too much. 

Step Two: Blow up your balloon to the size you want for the bucket. I knew Raleigh would be carrying it around her shoulder so I didn't want it to be overwhelming her petite size. I filled the balloon to about half of its normal size. 

Step Three: Dip your sponge brush into the modge podge and spread it over a small section of the balloon so the glue doesn't dry too fast on you. Add the small strips of paper over the glue and try to spread it out as evenly as possible, making sure the paper is covering all the glue. Then add more modge podge on top of the paper, mostly the edges, to firm it down onto the balloon and take its shape. 

Continue doing step three until you have the full shape of the bucket that you want. Leave an area on top and bottom for an opening. The bottom opening will need a flat piece of cardboard taped onto it later to close it up and help it stand on its own. 

**Tip: I used a cup to put the balloon on as I layered on the paper. It made it easier to move around the balloon to keep it from sticking to the table. 

Step Four: Once you have the balloon covered in your paper to the shape you want your bucket, continue putting on layers of paper so the bucket will be thick enough to hold up in the end. I layered about 4 or 5 times. This takes some time and can be kind of tedious, so be warned :)

Once your layers are done, do another round of modge podge all over the paper again to make it secure and take its shape. 

Step Five: After a couple hours of drying, you are ready to pop your balloon! I did this carefully since I wasn't sure how it would end up. I poked a small hole in the balloon and let it sit there to let the air out. Slowly cut out the balloon from the paper until its fully removed. 

Step Six: Now you're ready to make it pretty! You can make your bucket however you like at this point to match whatever costume you or your little ones have. I copied a picture of Pooh's hunny pot to paint onto the paper. Pretty simple and Raleigh loved it!

Step Seven: One of the last things I did was cut out a thick piece of cardboard into a circle to attach to the bottom of the bucket. I taped it up real good inside the bucket for security and so you wouldn't see all the tape layers on the outside of the bucket. 

Step Eight: Lastly, I poked holes into the side of the bucket and tied on some thick jute so Raleigh could sling it over her shoulder like a little purse when walking around. 

This project was fun for me to do knowing I was saving some money rather than going out and buying another halloween bucket. Plus the fun of it is making it unique with your own personal touch.  If you decide to make one yourself please share! Tag me on Instagram or use #coleykuyperart. I'd love to see all the different ones you come up with. 

Enjoy!