Don’t make your pumpkins go under the knife! With some imagination and creativity, you can transform your orange fruit into a masterpiece. These easy no-carve Halloween pumpkin ideas are sure to impress your guests.
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Pom-Pom Pumpkins
Kids of all ages can glue colored pom-poms to a plain or painted pumpkin. Attach ¼- to ½-inch pom-poms to pumpkins using tacky glue (like Aileen’s Original).
For a surprise, slice off the top fifth of a pumpkin, scoop out the insides, and prop it open with toothpicks in the back. Glue small black pom-poms to large white ones for eyes.
For a moon or a ghost, first paint your design with acrylic paint. Let dry, then glue on the pom-poms in a tight configuration.
Steven Randazzo
Pumpkin Silhouettes
This no-carve alternative allows you to have pumpkins that look more polished without the mess. Apply a coat of white paint to a pumpkin and let it dry completely. Then, tape on a Halloween stencil and use black paint to create the spooky silhouette.
Jim Franco
Smashing Pumpkins
After you take the kids to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect gourd, break out your arts and crafts supplies and let the pumpkin painting begin! Whether you’re going for naughty or nice, traditional or glam, you are bound to be inspired. Prepare to have the coolest front porch on the block!
Jim Franco
Polka-Dot Pumpkin
This polka-dot pumpkin requires no clean-up. All you need for this craft are colorful gems and some craft glue or glue dots. Place the glue in a random pattern on the pumpkin and then stick the gems on for an instant pumpkin makeover.
How to Make Pumpkin People
Jim Franco
Crystal-Covered Pumpkins
This design idea is simply sweet. Brush on a thin coat of glue, then roll your pumpkin in coarse or fine sugar crystals for a look that is sure to sparkle deliciously.
Kim Cornelison
Pumpkin Centerpieces
Turn a pumpkin into a flowery arrangement for fall entertaining. Cover the gourd with your favorite (real or fake) flowers using a hot-glue gun. This is a great solution to give post-Halloween pumpkins a new autumnal look.
Jim Franco
Candy Corn Pumpkin
Jazz up your jack-o’-lanterns by putting cute edible faces on them. Grab some candy (like candy corn), toothpicks, and glue to make your pumpkins come to life with silly expressions. Warning: the results might be downright silly!
How to Make Ghostly Gourds
Alison Miksch
Ghostly Gourds
Choose different sizes of butternut squash and then paint them with ghost white (or a light shade of blue). Next, use grey and black paint for the eyes. Finally, dress your gourds up with quirky glasses, funny hats, or whatever fun accessories you can find around the house.
Jim Franco
Glitter Pumpkins
Bring your pumpkin outside and let it shine. Apply craft glue in stripes and sprinkle on fine glitter in the colors of your choice. Your pumpkin decorating duties will be done in a snap!
How to Make Painted Pumpkins
Don’t want to carve pumpkins with the kids this year? Try our easy, painted pumpkin projects!
Alison Miksch
Pumpkins in Disguise
Your kids aren’t the only ones who are totally adorable in disguise. Set the mood for a costume party by dressing up your front-door pumpkins in masks, hats, crowns, and more. Glue on paper strips for hair and foam pieces for noses. How scary you make them is up to you!
Alison Miksch
Pumpkin Witch
Make a welcoming witch for your trick-or-treaters. Set a pumpkin on its side so the stem becomes the perfect crooked nose. Add a tall black hat (buy one or make one out of paper or felt), glue on paper strips for hair, add a paper mask decorated with gems, and paint-on a wicked smile to complete the look.
How to Make a Witch Pumpkin
Alison Miksch
Pumpkin Spider
Don’t forget to grab a mini pumpkin when you go to the pumpkin patch — to make a scary spider! Paint the mini pumpkin black, then glue on black chenille stem legs, googly eyes, and a mouth made from white craft foam.
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Mummify Your Pumpkin
Transform your pumpkin into a mysterious mummy by simply opening up your first-aid kit. Wrap a round pumpkin in self-stick gauze and add some googly eyes to complete the look. You’ll have the cutest scary pumpkin in town.
Greg Scheidemann
Humpty Dumpty Pumpkin
Is your garden lacking in Halloween spirit? A pumpkin dressed up as Humpty Dumpty makes the perfect wall topper. Make the springlike legs out of construction paper, paint on simple facial features, and add a painted funnel for a hat.
Greg Scheidemann
Granny Gourd
Decorate your pumpkin to look like a funny old lady. You’ll need a fringe lampshade, old reading glasses, and buttons or costume brooches. The lampshade becomes a hat, the reading glasses can perch on her stem nose, and the buttons or brooches make for boo-tiful eyes (earrings).
Jim Franco
Painted Pumpkins
Set up an outdoor painting station so kids can add funny faces to their gourds. Let them use both sides of the pumpkin to get creative. Your children are bound to come up with some unique designs this Halloween.
Scott Little
Pumpkin Phrases
Got a lot of pumpkins to spare? Paint a letter on each one to spell out words or phrases, such as “Boo” or “Trick-or-Treat,” then line them up in a row on a table, windowsill, or porch. If you’re worried about free-handing letters, you can’t go wrong with stencils.
Peter Krumhardt
Patterned Pumpkins
For a fun, multicolored twist to painting your pumpkin, add patterns into the mix. Attach squares of paper using double-stick tape, and then cover the pumpkin in the paint color of your choice. Once the paint is dry, remove the paper to reveal a pretty pattern.
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