Here’s an easy Halloween craft idea for an autumn or fall centrepiece, or a spooky home decor display! These DIY real pumpkin candle holders are simple to make, but add atmosphere to any Halloween table or fireplace mantel.

All you need are a few mini pumpkins (available in most supermarkets from October onwards), a traditional potato peeler, a cocktail or BBQ stick, taper dinner candles and some decorative bats and flowers.

Core out the centre of the pumpkin so that you can securely slot in the taper candle. If you are worried that you might make the hole too big or too small, use a pencil to draw around the base of the candle onto the pumpkin before making an incision.

Pull out the pumpkin stalk and slot in your candle. If your pumpkin doesn’t lay flat on the surface area, slice off a bit of the base so your candle stays upright.

Here, I’ve decorated my white pumpkins by glueing on black paper bats that I have cut out on my Cricut machine. However, you can also purchase mini glue-dot bats on Amazon or print out a bat template from Google, resizing it so it’s small before cutting it out on paper.

Alternatively, prick your pumpkin to create small holes all the way around, then insert some small stems. Gypsophelia works well, while skeleton-frame dried flowers really add to the spooky effect!

Arrange down the middle of a table for a seasonal floral centrepiece, or place around the home on shelves, sideboards or mantels for an atmospheric home decor display!