Fall is in the air! I don’t know about you, but I love decorating for holidays and season changes. Oftentimes buying new decorations can come with extra waste which is why I want to share some conscious alternatives! If you’re not into crafting, consider supporting small, local, and second-hand shops. If you are a DIY crafting lover then keep on reading! Below are five of my favorite upcycled / low waste DIY crafts for the fall season.

DIY #1 - Upcycled Pumpkin Container

You’ll need the supplies below for this craft:

Empty container
Paint
Hot Glue Gun
Cork
Finishing touches like ribbon, twine, felt

Pick any empty container you have around. This will be the base of your "pumpkin" shape so keep that in mind when picking one out. I used a candle jar but this can be anything like a mason jar, skincare container, spice jar, etc. Get creative with what you have!

Once you have your container you can paint it orange (or however you’d like!) I painted a white base first since the container was grey. This is optional depending on your preference and container. You can also paint the lid of your container green. I left mine as is since I liked the wood top so this is totally up to you!

While your paint is drying, you can move on to the top of the pumpkin. For mine, I used a champagne cork and glued it right to the top of the lid with a hot glue gun. Then you can add your finishing touches! I used green ribbon, twine, and made leaves out of green felt to glue on. Have fun with this part! Get creative with what you have, make it your own, and have fun with it!

That’s it! This is a super simple and fun upcycling craft. I put a candle in mine but you can add treats or store anything else you’d like in it.

DIY #2 - Wine Cork Pumpkin

For this craft you’ll need:

20 wine corks
Hot glue gun
Optional: Ribbon, twine, felt, paint

Start by grabbing 20 corks. Pick one cork that you want to be the pumpkin stump for the top then put it to the side. With the remaining 19 corks, you’ll be making rows of different lengths that you will then glue on top of each other. Starting from the bottom of the pumpkin and working your way up, make the following rows: row #1- 3 corks, row #2- 4 corks, row #3- 5 corks, row #4- 4 corks, and row #5- 3 corks

Then glue the corks together one row at a time. Once the rows are glued together you will start to assemble your pumpkin! Starting with row #1, glue the rows on top of each other in order. Once they’re all glued up you’ve made your pumpkin! Now we can move onto the top.

It’s time for the cork you set aside for the top to have its moment. See if you’d like to glue it on as is or if you need to trim it down. I trimmed about a quarter of my cork down then hot glued it right on the top. Keep it secure while the glue dries so it stays in place. Once it dries you can add on your ribbon and garnishes. I used the same supplies for this as I did with DIY craft #1 - green ribbon, twine, and felt for leaves. Again, have fun with this part and top as you’d like!

Optional: I decided to let the wine-stained side of the cork show but you can also paint it orange (or any color) if you’d like!

DIY #3 - Scrap Wood Signs

Supplies needed:

Scrap wood
Paper
Glue or double sided tape
Scissors
Pens or markers

Last year, I had some scrap wood and leftover Halloween scrapbooking paper that inspired me to make this low waste DIY. I just cut out the Halloween paper to the size of the wood and attached it with double-sided tape, trimming any pieces of paper that stuck out around the edges. Next, cut a smaller piece of black paper (or any color you want) to write a Halloween pun on it and again use double-sided tape to attach it to the Halloween paper.

And that’s it! This is super easy. If you don’t have scrap wood, see what else you have around! Maybe some cardboard, or if you have a picture frame you can make something for that as well. Get creative with it and tag me so I can see what you come with!

DIY #4: Painted Wooden Cutouts

You’ll need the supplies below:

Wood Cutouts
Paint
Paintbrushes

I was at Target recently and could not resist these adorable pumpkin and Frankenstein wood cutouts to paint! Although this is something that is bought new (second hand and shopping small is a better choice), this is still a better option than some other decorations! At least this isn’t plastic and doesn’t come with any extra packaging. Plus this is such a fun activity! I did a little wine and paint night with it and had a blast!

DIY #5 - Pumpkin Pom Pom Garland

For this pom pom garland, you’ll need the following supplies:

Orange and green yarn
Sharp scissors
Cardboard (to cut out 2 circles)
2 circles to trace, one larger and one smaller (I used a jar lid and a silver dollar)
Twine (optional)

This craft sounds harder than it actually is, so I recommend watching my video tutorial that shows me making this pom pom step by step!

YouTube Video: How to Make a Pumpkin Pom Pom Garland | DIY Halloween Decor

You’ll start by getting a scrap piece of cardboard and your two circles to trace. I used the top of a mason jar lid and a coin. Keep in mind that the size of your pom pom will be about the same size as the bigger circle you choose. Once you select your circles, trace the larger circle on the cardboard and trace the smaller circle in the center, so it looks like a target. Next, you’ll turn this target into a “C” with a 1-inch gap. To do this, cut the bigger circle out and then the smaller circle in the middle. Make sure to cut a slit that is about 1 inch wide. Now your cutout should look like the letter “C”! Repeat this step so that you have two of these cutouts before moving on to the next step.

Place your two cutouts on top of each other with the gap aligned. Grab your orange yarn and start wrapping it around your stacked cardboard cutouts. You’ll wrap this around several times until it starts to get nice and thick. Make sure to cover all of the cardboard on your cutout except for about 0.25 inches from the opening so that the edges are exposed.

When you’re done wrapping, cut a piece of green yarn about 10-12 inches long and put it off to the side. Trust the process, but next, we’re going to cut the yarn you just wrapped around your cutout. It’s important you have sharp scissors or this step will be a bit finicky. Cut the yarn in between the two pieces of cardboard all the way around your cutout. I like to start at the exposed edges and stick one side of the scissors in there as I make my way around. On the inner part of the “C”, hold the pieces of yarn in place as you cut. Be patient with this part! If it’s hard to cut through the space in between the pieces of cardboard because you wrapped your cutout too tight or if your scissors are duller, you can cut some pieces of yarn from the outer part of your “C”. When you’re done cutting, your pom pom shape will start to take form!

Now that you’ve cut your yarn all the way around, grab your green piece of yarn. This is not only the top of your pumpkin but also what keeps your pom pom together. Exactly where you cut the orange yarn, string the green yarn in between the two pieces of cardboard. The ends of the green yarn should come out where your gap in the “C” is. Next you’ll tighten the green yarn on top of where the gap is and tie a simple but tight knot. Once the knot is secured, remove the cardboard cutouts and you have your pom pom!

Don’t worry if it comes out a little wonky because we’re going to give our pumpkin a haircut! Trim off any pieces of yarn that are sticking out so that you end up with a nice clean sphere. And your pom pom pumpkin is complete! You can now tie it onto your garland, a piece of twine or yarn will do. Repeat making as many pompoms as you’d like for your garland, hang it up, and enjoy.

Again, get creative with what you have and have fun with it! If you make any of these tag me on Instagram @its.courtneymichael so I can see your beautiful creations :)