Currently my front porch is all decorated up for Fall. But soon I’m going to be swapping out my fancy floral wreath for decor that is a little bit spookier! This year my Halloween theme is “Witchy Wonder” and I am having so much fun with it.

While brainstorming different DIY decorations I could make it seemed only fitting that a witchy porch would need a bubbling cauldron, right?

Overall I’m pretty happy with this Halloween craft because I think it’s adorable and it was super cheap to make. And hands on time is pretty minimal. In fact, the longest part of the whole project is waiting for the previous layer to dry.

Are you sold? Do you want to make your own?

Supplies Needed to Make Your Bubbling Cauldron:

Black Plastic Cauldron
Expanding Foam for Cracks and Gaps
Acrylic Craft Paints
Chalk Paint
Small Plastic Globe Christmas Ornaments
Scrap Cardboard
Gloss Polyurethane

The main filler of the cauldron is insulation foam. You can find this at hardware stores or at big box stores in the adhesives area of the hardware section.

The color of the chalk paint doesn’t really matter for this project. I had some trouble with the dried foam taking paint and chalk paint was the perfect primer. You can also use something like Kilz or a spray (just be ready to tape off your plastic cauldron).

All of the supplies from this craft can be purchased in one stop at Walmart. There I got my cauldron for $6, foam for $3 and was able to use paints from my craft stash. My small plastic ornaments for my witch cauldron came from the Dollar Tree for $3.

Tools Needed:

Utility Knife

How to Your Bubbling Cauldron:

To keep the cauldron lightweight and to use less foam, cut up and fill the inside with cut cardboard. This doesn’t have to be fancy or jam packed.

Spray insulation foam into the cauldron filling the gaps in between the cardboard.

Continue adding foam to make it look like the witch cauldron is boiling over.

*Note – any drips on the sides of the cauldron will easily come off once dry.

Add Christmas ornaments to the still wet foam. Leave the top center free (we will be adding more foam there). Allow the first layer time to dry. Remove and clean the spray tube/nozzle.

*Note – I didn’t think about the texture of my ornaments until after I started painting the piece. While not all that noticeable in their original state, once painted the texture became far more noticeable. Look for solid ornaments (smooth or glittered) as they look the best.

Painting Your Witch Cauldron:

Prime your foam and ornaments using chalk paint or primer. This may take 2-3 coats of paint/primer as it sort of separates from the foam as it dries.

If you would like to paint your handles a different color (I painted mine silver) prime those with chalk paint as well.

Once the foam is well primed follow up with a solid coat of green craft acrylic paint.

While the paint is still wet add accents around the bubbles by adding light dabs and strokes of lighter green, yellow, and white paint.

Once the paint has dried finish with a heavy coat of gloss polyurethane for a wet liquid look. And you’re done!

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1

Equipment

Utility Knife

Ingredients

Black Plastic Cauldron
Insulation Foam
Acrylic Craft Paint
Chalk Paint or Primer
Small Round Christmas Ornaments
Cardboard
Polyurethane

Instructions

To keep the cauldron lightweight and to use less foam, cut up and fill the inside with cut cardboard. Spray insulation foam into the cauldron filling the gaps in between the cardboard.
Continue adding foam to make it look like the witch cauldron is boiling over.
Add Christmas ornaments to the still wet foam and allow to dry. Once the first round of foam has dried completely add a blob of foam only at the top/center. Fill the foam with your remaining ornaments.
Prime your foam and ornaments using chalk paint or primer. This may take 2-3 coats of paint/primer as it sort of separates from the foam as it dries. Once the foam is well primed follow up with a solid coat of green craft acrylic paint.
Embellish the still wet paint with lighter green, yellow and white paints to create highlights on the bubbles. Seal with a heavy coat of glossy polyurethane for a wet look.