Decorating pumpkins is one of the best parts of fall and the Halloween season. Still, it's a little bit of a challenge.
Not everyone loves the idea of their kids wielding even semi-sharp objects in the name of carving. Even when the kids aren't handling the cutting, you have to deal with them hovering while you do. If they're on gut-scooping duty, you can expect to have to retrace their steps for a second clean after, lest you miss any pumpkin guts and they turn into a foul smell trapped under a hallway rug.
Enter no-carve pumpkin ideas, perfect for parents who are looking for a little less mess and a lot more creativity. There are limits to what you can do with carving unless you're a real pro. These techniques let you skip the guts and get to the fun of making simple but surprisingly cool pumpkins for the family to enjoy.
Let Your Imagination Run Wild With Paint
There are so many cool ideas to try out with pumpkins and paint. You can keep it simple and paint silly, spooky faces. You can opt for a paint-splatter pumpkin, or even paint a silhouette to get a similar effect as carving but with less mess.
Grab the Gauze
Make a mummy pumpkin easily with some gauze or cheesecloth. Tape down one end, then have fun wrapping it around the pumpkin in all different directions. To give it an extra-special touch, add some googly eyes.
Grab Your Glue Gun and Some Buttons
Buttons can be a fun way to decorate a pumpkin. You can make a mosaic, faces, or any other creative things that come to mind. Colors, shapes, and sizes can really make this the perfect accessory to bring a pumpkin to life.
Print Some Decals
You can make a very attractive pumpkin by printing decals. This can be a particularly fun approach for the family who can't get enough of their Cricut.
Sticker a Whole Pumpkin
Stickers are endlessly fun, and they've really made a comeback. If your kid's tablet and laptop are covered in stickers, why not take a pumpkin and sticker it, too? You can stick to a theme or make a truly random creation.
Turn It Into a Hedgehog or a Porcupine
You can use toothpicks or candy corn to turn a pumpkin into a porcupine or hedgehog. These spiky friends stand out from the crowd and bring some new life to a pumpkin.
Turn It Into a Collage
A collage can be a collection of any kind of media, not just cut-and-pasted pictures. While it can be fun to cover a pumpkin with photos and Mod-Podge over it, you can also take the opportunity to pull out any and all odds and ends from your art supply stash and see what the kiddos come up with.
Make a Marbled Pumpkin
There are a few different ways to marble your pumpkin, depending on what supplies you have on hand. Some people use acrylic paint, while others try it out with nail polish. Whichever way you choose will create a pretty, striking pumpkin that stands out from the patch!
Dress It Up
Playing dress-up with pumpkins allows you to make pumpkin people. Take elements of old Halloween costumes, clothes that don't fit, and anything else you may have lying about to bring your pumpkin people to life.
Make Chalk Pumpkins You Can Decorate Again and Again
Got some leftover chalk paint lying around? Paint your pumpkin for a canvas your kids can decorate again and again!
