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MacKenzie Childs Dollar Tree Stacked Pumpkin Dupe

One of my favorite things to do during the fall season is take an inexpensive Dollar Tree find and turn it into something that looks much more high-end. This stacked pumpkin makeover was especially fun because it gave me the opportunity to combine a few different techniques—paint, hand-painted patterns, decorative molds, and a glossy finish—to create something completely custom.

I picked up one of the stacked pumpkin decorations from Dollar Tree for about $5 at my local store. Prices can vary by location, but even if you find them for a little more, they still make a great base for an affordable fall DIY.

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The orange version was the only one available when I went shopping, so the first thing I did was completely change the color.

Starting with a Fresh White Base

I began by spraying the entire stacked pumpkin with white primer. After that dried, I went back over it with white spray paint to make sure I had a nice, even finish.

This gave me a clean canvas to work with and immediately made the pumpkin look a little more sophisticated.

If you happen to find the white version at Dollar Tree, you may be able to skip some of this prep work depending on the finish.

Adding a Hand-Painted Designer-Inspired Look

For this makeover, I took a little inspiration from some of the more neutral and elegant MacKenzie-Childs-style pumpkins.

I wanted the finished piece to have that collected, hand-painted feel without looking overly busy.

On the bottom pumpkin, I painted wide cream and white stripes by hand. I intentionally decided not to use painter’s tape.

Since the pumpkin is plastic and had already been spray painted, I was concerned that tape could pull some of the finish back off. Plus, the slightly imperfect hand-painted lines actually work beautifully with this style.

The middle pumpkin stayed completely white, which gave the overall design a little breathing room.

For the smallest pumpkin on top, I added a classic checkerboard pattern.

Again, I painted the entire pattern freehand rather than trying to make every square absolutely perfect. I think that handmade quality is part of what gives this project so much charm.

Adding Decorative Clay Leaves

This is the part that really elevated the project.

While the paint was drying, I pulled out some air-dry modeling clay and decorative molds I already had in my craft supplies.

One of the molds had beautiful grape leaves that were the perfect size for the pumpkins.

I pressed the clay into the mold, removed the leaf shapes, and while the clay was still soft, gently shaped them against the curved surface of the pumpkins.

That is one of the best things about working with air-dry clay. While it is still pliable, you can form it around curved surfaces so the pieces look like they were made specifically for your project.

I attached the leaves with a little wood glue because that was what I had on hand and then allowed everything to cure overnight.

Painting the Gold Details

Once the clay pieces were completely dry, I painted each leaf with a small brush.

I took my time during this step because I wanted the gold accents to stay crisp without getting paint onto the white and cream areas of the pumpkins.

These metallic details made such a difference.

The pumpkins went from looking like a simple seasonal decoration to something that felt much more decorative and collected.

Giving the Pumpkins a Ceramic-Like Finish

Because I used several different paints and finishes throughout the project, not everything had the same sheen.

To bring the entire piece together, I finished it with a clear gloss coat.

That final layer gave the pumpkins a beautiful ceramic-like appearance and made all of the different painted elements feel much more cohesive.

I especially love the combination of the white, warm cream, metallic gold, and checkerboard pattern. It feels elegant without being too formal and works beautifully with a more traditional or sophisticated fall color palette.

An Easy Dollar Tree Fall Decor Upgrade

This is exactly the kind of Dollar Tree makeover I love.

The original piece was inexpensive and very simple, but with paint and a few embellishments, it turned into something completely different.

You could easily customize this idea to work with your own decorating style too. Instead of gold, you could use an antique brass, muted green, soft brown, or even a weathered finish. You could also change the checkerboard pattern to stripes or keep all three pumpkins more neutral.

The basic idea is simply to look past the original finish and think about what the shape could become.

Want to See Even More Dollar Tree Dupes?

This stacked pumpkin makeover is only one of the Dollar Tree dupes I created.

If you enjoy taking affordable finds and giving them a more high-end look, make sure you watch the full video because I’m sharing even more Dollar Tree fall dupes and transformations that aren’t included in this post.

Watch the video below to see all of the projects and get even more budget-friendly fall decorating inspiration!