Easy Halloween Outdoor Decor: Little Miss Pumpkin Head

Directions

1. Start by gathering your base materials. Locate a small, broken skeleton figure, typically around 30 inches tall, which you can often find at major craft or big-box retailers for roughly $10 to $15. Carefully detach the arms from the torso, making sure to keep the metal rings that connect them intact. You will need these rings to secure the arms to your dress form later.
2. Head to a discount store like Dollar Tree, Michaels, or Walmart to pick up a small foam pumpkin designed for carving. Use a craft knife to carve a classic jack-o'-lantern face into the pumpkin. Once the face is complete, cut a circular opening in the bottom of the pumpkin that matches the diameter of the dress form's neck.
3. Visit a local thrift shop to find a vintage-style dress for a young girl, ideally in a size 7 or 8. Look for something with character, like a smocked design, which you can often find for just a few cents. This will serve as the body for your decoration.
4. Dress the form by sliding the vintage dress over it. Once the dress is in place, gently lower the carved foam pumpkin onto the neck of the form so it sits securely as the head.
5. Position the detached skeleton hands so they appear to be holding a candy bucket. Use zip ties to fasten the wrists together, ensuring the bucket is held firmly in place.
6. Move the assembled figure to your chosen outdoor location. Secure it firmly by driving four garden staples into the ground, placing one staple over each foot of the metal frame to anchor it completely.
7. For an extra spooky touch, take a collection of loose skeleton bones and arrange them on a sheet of cardboard. Spray them with glow-in-the-dark paint, allowing the first side to dry completely before flipping them over to coat the other side. Once dry, scatter the majority of the glowing bones around the base of your pumpkin-headed figure and tuck a few into the candy bucket for a magical effect.