Disco Disco Shiny Disco... Pumpkin? Upon seeing some of the fun and colorful Halloween decorations from the stores this year I decided to do a funky Halloween Tree. I am going with a some vibrant colors and disco balls! I did find some disco ball pumpkins that I could modify into a tree topper but they were just not big enough for a tree topper. So after some more searching I found his pumpkin that already was carved (and had a fun quirky smile) and it lit up! So here is the process and the tips (learn from my mistakes) on how to create a disco ball pumpkin tree topper! Or in my case create a wonderful disco ball Jack 0'lantern tree topper and then decide to use it for the "presents" under the tree instead.
Supplies
If you choose a pumpkin that is already carved and has a light will save you time and most likely money. This pumpkin cost me around $15 at Pop Shelf while a carve-able pumpkin can easily start at that price or higher. If you didn't choose a pumpkin similar to mine make sure to find a carve-able pumpkin that is also heat resistant as a light will need to go into it.
The hole for the light was on the back of the head and I decided to keep it there (I was originally going to fill it and cover it) and drill a hole into the bottom of the pumpkin so there was room for the tree top to go into. I used a Kreg jig but a Forstner bit might have been easier. Make sure the head is clamped down so it doesn't move or have someone help you hold it down.
Safety Tip: Be careful using power tools and secure any objects down so they don't move.
I then did a quick sanding so the spray paint would stick to it better
Mask up and put on your gloves because next step is the spray paint. I used a cardboard box outside to keep the back spray to a minimum and help with ventilation. I honestly didn't care to much about drips as I knew this would be covered with mirrored tiles but if you are doing just the chrome take your time to prevent drips. Sweeping back and forth movements helps too. I used Ironlak Chrome Spray paint to cover the pumpkin and honestly I almost stopped there because it looked pretty awesome with just the chrome. So maybe buy two pumpkins! You could probably forgo the sanding and the paint but I chose to do this incase there were any gaps between the mirrors.
This step took forever. I initially cut larger strips of the mirrored tiles with my scissors (next time I am going to try a razor blade, eventually the scissors got gunky and it was hard to cut anything with them). These mirrored tiles come in a large sheet and the back of them are sticky. This made placing them pretty easy. The tedious part was making sure they laid down correctly. If I was to do this again I would start in the middle of his face and work my way out and use smaller strips. I was able to lift up the tiles and tear them from the rest if they didn't lay correctly and reposition them.
Put the light back in and put him on your tree or under!
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