Carve a Pumpkin Into a Candy Jar

How to make a chalkboard Halloween pumpkin candy dish out of a plastic or foam pumpkin. 

Foam-Pumpkin-Carving-Ideas-Candy-Jar-on-feet-made-from-cabinet-knobs

Previously I posted two foam pumpkin carving ideas here on the blog. I carved my street address in one pumpkin and the other one I made a pumpkin tote for kids of any age to take out Trick or Treating to gather and hold the candy the get.

Today, I have one more to pumpkin carving idea to share that you can complete before the first Trick or Treater rings your doorbell on Halloween.

Here is what the plastic pumpkins looked like before carving:

Fake-Pumpkins-at-Michaels

The small pumpkin in the photo is now my third creative pumpkin carving idea.

Pumpkin--Carving-Ideas-Candy-Jar-with-lid-and-feet-using-cabinet-knobs

Isn’t it cute?  I re-purposed it into a footed chalkboard candy jar.

If the feet on the pumpkin look familiar, it is because they are kitchen cabinets knobs. They make perfect feet for a candy jar.

I filled my pumpkin candy jar with candy corn and peanuts, but you can fill it with mini candy bars or anything you like.

How to Make a Halloween Pumpkin Candy Jar

supplies needed:

  • Foam or plastic pumpkin
  • Craft knife or Hotknife
  • Black chalkboard spray paint
  • Awl and/or screwdriver
  • 5 cabinet knobs and screws – the screws that come with the knobs may be too long. You can get shorter screws very inexpensively at the hardware store
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Clear glue
Hot-Knife-Foam-Carving-Tool

1.  Cut top of pumpkin with a Hotknife or craft knife to make the lid.

Pumpkin-Carving-ideas-with-foam-pumpkins

2. Smooth cut edges with fine grit sandpaper.  Spray paint pumpkin inside and out with black chalkboard paint and let dry. Apply a second coat if needed.

3. The top of the stem may be uneven. Use sandpaper to make it level so you can glue a knob to it.

how-to-carve-a-foam-pumpkin

4. Mark where you want the feet to go with a piece of chalk and use an awl or a Philips head screwdriver to punch a hole in the pumpkin for each knob/foot.

5 Cabinet knobs going to be used to make feet for a pumpkin candy jar

5.  Remove the screws from the back of each knob.

How-to-add-cabinet-knob-feet-to-a-foam-pumpkin

6. Working from the inside of the pumpkin, place a screw into each hole so the end goes to the outside. Place a knob on each screw and tighten.

how to attach feet to a pumpkin candy jar

When looking into the pumpkin, the heads of the screws will look like this.

Pumpkin-Carving-Ideas-Candy-Jar-with-feet

7.. Glue a cabinet knob to the top of the stem, let dry.  Use chalk to write “candy” on your pumpkin.

8. Fill with candy.

A fake pumpkin made into a candy bowl. Text overlay says Fake Pumpkin Candy bowl.

More Decorating With Pumpkin Ideas:

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15 Comments

  1. Sheryll & Critters. says:

    Thank you ever so much Diane. I am going over to check them out right now.

  2. Sheryll & Critters. says:

    I love it. I especially love the glass knobs. I would like to have them for my curtain rod finials. I am going to use metal conduit pipes from Home Depot for my new curtain rods, but have not found finials for them yet. I need four knobs. Where did you find these?

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Sheryll – I got the knobs from VanDykes Restorers about 15 years ago. I think they still sell them. They come in two different sizes are acrylic and gold tone. You can check out their website: vandykes .com

  3. This is a great idea, so elegant!

  4. julie jamison says:

    What an adorable idea! I love how this concept can be used with any holiday item too! Thanks for sharing!

  5. love love love how you re-purposed the handles super cute candy dish

  6. Miss Charming says:

    Such a cute idea for a fancy candy dish!

  7. Loving this idea my dear!