Last-Minute Activity: DIY Fishing Buoys to Halloween Decor

DIY: Upcycle Fishing Buoys into Halloween Decor

One of our members from the Partners of Commercial Fishermen Private Group posted an image of the cutest pumpkin she made from an old buoy! I love this idea for several reasons:

1. It gives new life to old buoys hanging in the yard.
2. Halloween buoys add a playful twist to the holiday, whether you make many or just one!
3. You can turn them into ghosts, Frankenstein, or vampires. Heck, draw a spider web…or even turn one into a spider by adding long legs somehow – maybe with old line!
4. Kids will love it. I don’t have children, but my nephew would be all over it right now!
5. You can post it to your socials with a caption like, “A boo-y to get you in the Halloween spirit” or something like that. Take boo-y and run with it. Make it your thing. 🤪
6. Since your buoy pumpkin won’t rot like traditional pumpkins will, you can store it and your buoy for next year! Whoo hoo!
7. It’s easy AF. #winning

It’s nice to know we can make a small contribution to prevent used gear from going into the dump. It may not be to the level that Net Your Problem does, but it’s a start! (You can read our interview with owner Nicole Baker Loke here!)

Here’s the photo from our FB that inspired the project:

How good is that?! And now, for my humble attempt to do the same. Since Chris uses orange and blue for his fishing buoys, we used paint leftover from the beginning of the lobster season. I think he was pretty excited about the project because he busted out the paint as soon as I mentioned the idea. So, our buoy pumpkin is a teamwork-makes-the-dream-work kind of thing. Chris is out fishing right now, so he won’t see the finished product until he gets back. I hope he likes it!

What you’ll need:

• Old buoy or buoys
• Paint brushes
• Paint (your choice of color)
• Permanent markers (optional)
• Heavy duty or reflective tape (optional)
• Pencil to sketch the face
• Gloves

Directions:

Put on gloves to protect your boo-tiful hands, then paint the entire buoy your desired color and let dry. While the paint dries, do a quick internet search for pumpkin/ghost/Frankenstein/Vampire face ideas if you haven’t aleady. Sketch a face on your buoy with a pencil. Then, use a marker to trace your lines or cut the tape into your desired shapes to make a face. Take pictures to text to friends and family, or post to social media. (Don’t forget to use “boo-y” in your caption.👻) Share this blog post with your peeps so they can make their own. After your badass buoy makes its debut, store your boo-y with your other decor to use for next year. 🐟

Would you try this? If so, what will make from your buoy? Please share in the comments below!

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