Not all of us have the artistic skill to do intricately carved pumpkins for Halloween, so here are some easy (really!) ways to decorate pumpkins that will still wow the neighbors. Try painting or drawing with a black Sharpee on white pumpkins to make cool designs like these.
You can punch little holes with a drill bit to create an outline you like. Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin, rather than the top. Stick a string of twinkle lights inside and poke the lights through the holes like a Lite-Brite.
Bigger drill bit and creepy critters. Mouse motel!
Have you ever seen a pumpkin tree before? Be the first in your neighborhood to grow one! Use those plastic pumpkins (Funkins) from a craft store – they are very light. Hang a few lanterns and perch a few black crows. Very spooky.
Forget all that carving. Why not just adorn your pumpkins with masks and hats? What a great idea!
Look at these beautiful gilded pumpkins. Make your own sophisticated display using stickers and gold spray paint.
Squirt some spray mount on small pumpkins or gourds, then sprinkle with colored glitter. Create a sweet display with silver candlestands or a cake pedestal.
If you have lots of pumpkins, why not spell out a spooky message? Just have a few? Spell “boo.”
I love these gourd people! You don’t even have to do the faces, just artfully stack some colorful gourds on your porch.
Look how GORGEOUS this is! Just stick to one color in an assortment of shapes and sizes. The spider pumpkins are just the right touch. And that cool moss doesn’t hurt, either.
How about using gourds or mini-pumpkins as placecards at your dinner party? This could work now all the way to Thanksgiving. Use a stencil or freehand an initial with paint or a Sharpee pen.
Hollow out a place for a votive candle. Line your mantel with these or scatter across your tablescape.
I saved the best for last. These enchanted toadstools made of gourds are my favorite! My daughters were a gnome and a toadstool last Halloween – click here if you want to see how hilariously cute their costumes were.
I’m spending a bit of time here in Phoenix doing some great architectural tours – can’t wait to share that with you when I return home!
i love all of these so cute and creative
I love all of them; so creative!
love these ideas. We have a fall party with a pumpkin carving contest. Very serious competition with great prizes but the carved pumpkins don’t last long. I must try these ideas next year!!!
These are all great! Hmmmm… what to do, what to do?
Love them all but the pumpkins with the mice seriously creeps me out. Looking forward to seeing pictures from Phoenix.
I like the sharpie idea. I’m hopeless when it comes to decorating for Halloween. But I should make an effort this year!
Love all these creative ideas Kristie. It’s fun to come up with new things to do with pumpkins each year.
Warmly, Michelle
I rarely leave comments on blogs (simply lack of time) but this time I decided to stop by and say that I really enjoyed this post. It gave me a few fresh ideas. Some of them are really easy to implement and we all need that, don’t we : create fun for our kids without spending endless hours on decoration. Really neat! Thanks!