Forget The Porch Garland: Bring Back Nostalgic '90s Halloween With These Pumpkin Tree Lanterns

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Halloween has changed a lot over the years. Traditional trick-or-treating now shares the spotlight with trunk-or-treat events. The fun (read: over-the-top) commercials have been replaced by boring ads. Plus, today's neutral and minimalist Halloween decor can feel a world away from the colorful, handmade pieces that used to lend a home a unique personality each fall. While you can't turn back the clock, you can still bring some of that old-school charm to your Halloween decorations. One easy way is to trade in the perfect fall garland for minimalists with a collection of glowing pumpkin tree lanterns made from plastic trick-or-treat buckets.

To achieve this, all you have to do is get a few jack-o'-lantern pails and insert battery-operated LED tea lights inside prior to hanging them from trees in your yard. This way, you can use pumpkins in a fun and decorative way for a stunning fall display and welcome the 90s-esque decor with open arms. Plus, you can boast about making your own Halloween decorations without spending hours on a complicated DIY.

That being said, this convenience can be slightly expensive if you don't already have any pumpkin buckets at home, though you may be able to find inexpensive ones at thrift stores or yard sales. You can also check your local Buy Nothing group to keep costs down. The flameless tea lights will further add to the cost, especially if you opt for ones that can be controlled via a remote. For example, a 12-pack of Topstone's Flameless LED Tea Lights is listed for around $15 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Grab as many jack-o'-lantern buckets as you want to hang from your trees and wipe them down with a damp microfiber cloth. Then, set them aside to dry. Use removable mounting tape in a crisscross pattern to secure your LED tea lights to the inside bottom of each bucket. Though this step is optional, doing this will ensure your tea lights (or candles) remain in place and don't go off-kilter when you hang the pail or during strong gusts of wind. Finally, switch on your flameless lights inside and hang the pumpkin lanterns from sturdy branches, making sure their handles are securely attached. In case you don't have enough large trees to hang the lanterns from, gather some dead, broken limbs from parks and your neighbors' garden (with their permission, of course) and place them in large planters by your front door to still make this DIY idea work.

Don't think the lanterns will provide enough illumination outdoors (and will get overshadowed by your neighbors' loud display)? Get your craft knife and cut out the drawn eyes, nose, and mouth from your jack-o-lantern buckets. The openings will allow more light from the flameless candles to shine through. A collection of glowing lanterns scattered around your yard can create a festive Halloween display. You can even spray paint the outside and inside in different shades (like reserve orange for your pumpkin's interior and black for its exterior) to make them stand out. Flickering or color-changing LED lights can give the display an extra spooky touch. And if you're feeling particularly crafty, make a few extra pumpkin lanterns to line your yard this season.