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Halloween is my favorite holiday ever. I look forward to it like most people look forward to their birthdays, or Christmas.
I probably shouldn’t even admit this, but I started putting up Halloween decorations at the end of August this year. To be fair, 2020 has been, well, not so great. Okay, it’s been pretty awful.
In any case, I’m sure you can gather that Halloween is kind of a big deal around here.
But even as much as I love this holiday, there’s one time-honored Halloween tradition that I just don’t care for: carving pumpkins.
Yeah, I know that jack-o-lanterns are really cool. I love looking at them. But when it comes to actually carving them, it’s going to be a no from me.
So, what do you do when you’re tired of carving jack-o-lanterns, or you just don’t like it? What if we just did something a little different with our pumpkins this year?
The easiest answer? Paint your pumpkins instead of carving them! The possibilities are endless. You can paint your pumpkin a solid color, or give it a face. Paint a quirky pattern, or create an entire scene. Painting isn’t just limited to brushes, either. Pick up some paint pens for fine lines and less mess.
Of course, you don’t have to stick to just paint. Add some extra sparkle to Halloween with craft glitter. You can adhere glitter directly to wet paint, or paint your pumpkin with a clear medium like Mod Podge. Smaller pumpkins can be dipped into a bowl of glitter, or pour glitter directly on the pumpkin — just do it over a paper plate for easy cleanup.
No good with paint? That’s okay, you can decorate with super cute washi tape instead! Do simple stripes, or put together a repeating pattern.
If you’re good with a permanent marker, try your hand at doodling all over a pumpkin. Give your pumpkin a good base coat if you’d prefer something other than orange, or you can draw directly on the pumpkin itself for a traditional black and orange color scheme.
It doesn’t get much easier than this. All you need is a pumpkin (painted, if you prefer) and a bunch of metal pushpins.
Another really easy — and potentially kid-friendly — way of decorating a pumpkin? Turn your gourd into a spooky mummy by sticking on some googly eyes and wrapping it in gauze.
Even dollar store artificial pumpkins and old plastic candy pails can get an upscale makeover this Halloween, just by simply wrapping them in any fabric of your choice. These work best for indoor decorations, or decorations on a covered porch that aren’t at risk of getting wet.
