How to Make Pumpkin Bucket String Lights (& Bring Back a Little Halloween Nostalgia)

If you grew up trick-or-treating with those classic plastic pumpkin buckets, I have a fun DIY for you! 🎃

I wanted to add some friendly Halloween decor outside without spending a ton of money, and turning inexpensive pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets into string lights ended up being such a simple project, and it brought the perfect nostalgic whimsy once they were hanging!

pumpkin bucket string lights hanging in a tree

The best part? You only need a few supplies, there’s nothing particularly complicated about it, and you can do the whole project in an afternoon (I’ve fallen for that line before too, but I promise you you can!).

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Materials Needed

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two people holding trick or treat pumpkin buckets in front of their faces
How to make pumpkin bucket string lights

1. CUT THE HANDLES OFF EACH PUMPKIN
Use utility scissors to snip the handles off each pumpkin.

cutting handles off of pumpkin trick or treat buckets

2. MAKE AN OPENING IN EACH PUMPKIN
Use the spade drill bit to drill a hole at least 1″ wide in the bottom of each pumpkin bucket. This will allow rain to drain out of each bucket.

using a spade drill bit to make a hole in the bottom of pumpkin bucket for rain drainage

3. ADD THE LIGHTS
Put one light into each pumpkin bucket so that the bulb sits inside the pumpkin. Insert a zip tie into each of the holes where the handle was and wrap them around the string light rope.

I would advise tightening the zip tie enough to secure it but not all the way so you can adjust as needed as you hang them.

attaching string lights to pumpkin bucket with zip tie

4. HANG YOUR PUMPKIN LIGHTS
Hang the finished strand across a porch, patio, fence, or like I did… in a tree! Use hooks or string or whatever works best for your location. Tighten the zip ties as you get the lights spread out and hung where you want them.

pumpkin bucket string lights hanging in a tree

5. WAIT FOR IT TO GET DARK
Make sure to place the solar panel in a spot where it will get the most sunlight then wait until nightfall and enjoy a little Halloween glow! 🎃

pumpkin bucket string lights hanging in a tree lit up at dark
An Easy Halloween DIY You Can Use Every Year

This is exactly the kind of seasonal project I love: simple, inexpensive, and something I can pull back out year after year.

During the day, the pumpkins add a fun pop of orange to our front yard for spooky season, but at night when they’re all glowing is when they’re really good.

And because they’re made from classic trick-or-treat buckets, they have that nostalgic Halloween feel without being complicated or overly expensive.

If you’ve been looking for an easy outdoor Halloween decorating idea, this is it!