50 Ways to Decorate Pumpkins

Pumpkin Painted BlackFor a traditional jack-o-lantern, scoop out the insides of your pumpkin and carve any face you want. Then paint the outside of the carved pumpkin with black poster paint, carefully avoiding the inside eyes, nose, and mouth. [via Holideas]

Painted Circle PumpkinStick round labels on a pumpkin and trace the shape of the labels onto the pumpkin. Remove the labels, paint inside the traced circles with gold paint, and voilá. For a reverse effect, apply the labels and cover the entire pumpkin in paint. When the paint is dry, remove the labels. [via Southern Living]

Night Owl PumpkinThis owl stands out against a night sky, complete with stars and a full moon. Opt for a pale Lumina pumpkin and use the carve-by-color technique. When lit from within, the exterior surface becomes multicolored. [via Martha Stewart]

Bold DesignsPaint the entire pumpkin black. When dry, create a design by scraping off the black paint to reveal the orange pumpkin rind beneath. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

To use a painted pumpkin as a vase, carve out a narrow hole in the center that will fit your vase. Insert the vase into the hole and add flowers.

Mouse MotelThe rooms go fast in these cozy, critter-filled pumpkins, which offer a shudder-inspiring alternative to traditional carving motifs. Draw circles for holes, use a keyhole saw to cut the holes, and fill with rubber mice. [via Martha Stewart]

Caterpillar Painted Pumpkin Paint pumpkins melon green and their stems black. Decorate the body with adhesive-felt dots. Use a pair of googly eyes and curled pipe cleaner antennae for the head. Arrange in a creepy, crawling S shape. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Chevron PumpkinWith a little patience, you can create a delightful chevron pattern. Map out the design with strips of masking tape. Then, using white, blue, or any color paint,cover the entire pumpkin. When the paint dries, remove the tape. [via Feeling Lovesome]

Peekaboo PumpkinsGet some small, inexpensive bowls or lidded dishes. Search flea markets and thrift stores for super cheap options with character. Prime the dishes, if necessary; then spray paint them black or white. Glue googly eyes on miniature pumpkins and tuck the pumpkins in the dishware. [via HGTV]

Trick-or-Treat Tiered PumpkinsUse three short and wide pumpkins of similar size. Print out “Trick or Treat” and transfer one word to each pumpkin in the order you plan to stack them. Use black paint and an artist’s brush to fill in the words; let dry. Stack the pumpkins in an urn draped with creeping vines for a classy porch display. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Rectangle Grid PumpkinStick rectangular labels in a grid pattern onto a smooth, flat-skinned pumpkin. Cover the pumpkin with a shimmering gold metallic paint. When the paint dries, peel off the labels.
[via Southern Living]

Family Pumpkin PortraitAdd a circle of chalkboard paint to one side of each pumpkin and, with chalk, draw some funny faces representing your family, a group of friends, or your pets. [via Houzz]

Not-So-Scary SkeletonThe white hue of a Lumina pumpkin works perfectly for a skeletal-looking face. Simply scoop out the pulp and carve the face. Add colorful flowers, as shown, and you have a beautiful Halloween centerpiece. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Carved with a DrillUse a marker to plan your design. Then drill holes using different-sized drill bits for variations in the design. Scoop out the pulp, and you’re ready for candles or flowers.

To light your pumpkins, use votive candles. In pumpkins with flowers, use six glow sticks. Orange or green glow sticks are brighter than white, but not as bright as votive candles. Drill more-intricate patterns in pumpkins you plan to use with flowers so that the pumpkins let out more light. If you do use votive candles, remove the lids or you’ll have charred pumpkins. [via Crafty Nest]

Vampire Pumpkins Plastic vampire teeth and small red map tacks for devilish eyes turn your smaller pumpkins into perfect Drac-o-lanterns for your holiday mantel. [via Martha Stewart]

Haunted MansionPaint a mansion on the pumpkin, chisel windows in it, and carve a moon behind. Candlelight from inside the pumpkin will bring the haunted scene to life. [via Better Home and Gardens]

Painted Patchwork PumpkinPaint your pumpkin with latex primer and let dry. Then apply a base coat of cream-color latex paint and allow to dry. Mark off squares with masking tape and paint an overcoat of khaki-colored latex paint. When it dries, remove the tape. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Vine and Leaf Carved PumpkinAn artistic autumn scene depicting vines and ginkgo leaves can go well beyond Halloween and would make a beautiful centerpiece for Thanksgiving. [via Martha Stewart]

Flowered PumpkinsUsing an awl, poke a hole into a soft-skinned pumpkin. Cut the stem from a mum plant and insert the flower into the hole. Repeat until the entire pumpkin is covered. To help extend the flowered pumpkin’s life, keep it in the refrigerator until party time.
[via Southern Living]

Halloween Ghost on a Pumpkin GourdThis fully-functional gourd lamp is hand-carved and hand-painted inside and out. It comes complete with a light cord with a switch. Just plug it in and watch the trick-or-treaters smile.
[via Nat’s Kreations]

Upholstery Tacked PumpkinsMap out your design on a white pumpkin. Stick upholstery tacks into the pumpkin in the desired pattern. Mix up the sizes and shapes of the tacks to create variations. Also, try creating your house number or monogram for a personal touch. [via Southern Living]

Thumbtack PumpkinThis is easy. Mark your Halloween message in pencil on a pumpkin and fill in the letters with thumbtacks. [via Deliciously Organized]

Wicked Pumpkins Table TopperPaint small pumpkins, including stems, white; let dry. Adhere black letter stickers to the center of each pumpkin to spell a Halloween word when pumpkins are lined up. It’s so simple yet so dramatic! [via Better Home and Gardens]

Beribboned Sugar PumpkinsAttach double-stick tape to lengths of black, orange, and white patterned ribbon, and wrap the ribbon around a bunch of mini pumpkins. Then, heap them in a rustic bowl for a no-fuss Halloween centerpiece. [via Good Housekeeping]

Sequin Striped PumpkinUse short straight pins or sequin pins to tack a single color of sequins in a band that follows the pumpkin’s vertical ribs. Overlap the sequins slightly to form a solid stripe. Alternate glittery bands of purple, lime green, teal, pink, and black sequins with the plain texture of the pumpkin skin. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Decoupaged PumpkinBrush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the pumpkin where you want to place your leaf. Then brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back side of the leaf and adhere it to the pumpkin. Once dry, brush another thin layer over the top of the leaf.
[via Budget Wise Home]

Black-and-White Tape PumpkinPaint the pumpkin stem lime green and let dry. Wrap zebra-print duct tape vertically around the pumpkin, starting at the stem in the back center and ending at the stem in the front center. Repeat until the entire pumpkin is covered, aligning the zebra stripes as much as possible. Smooth down the tape. The spiders are a nice creepy touch. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Haunted House PumpkinsTo create a row of spooky houses, use tall, oblong pumpkins. Map out your houses and scrape the rind in an up-and-down motion with an linoleum cutter. [via Martha Stewart]

A Little Black MagicThese vases require a knife, but the celestial designs come courtesy of a spoon. Start by cutting off the top of the pumpkin, and remove the innards. Spray-paint the rind a matte black and let dry. Use a spoon handle to scratch away paint to create stars, moons, and spirals. [via Good Housekeeping]

Gauzy-Glow PumpkinWhen darkness falls, this shrouded pumpkin lights up and casts an eerie aura. The secret? Cheesecloth brushed with glow-in-the dark paint. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Sugar Rush PumpkinUsing a dry erase marker in a light color, create a floral pattern to repeat across the pumpkin. With a glue gun, adhere black-and-white licorice pinwheels, coconut jelly beans, and black licorice jelly beans to the design. Let dry for at least 24 hours.
[via Real Simple]

Black and White Painted PumpkinsPaint your pumpkins white and, using a fine-point felt tip pen, fashion stark black-and-white patterns, spider webs, and creepy insects. [via Country Living]

Boo-tiful Button PumpkinPaint the pumpkin stem black. Print a Halloween message in a large font on your computer and cut out the individual letters. Position the letters on the pumpkin and trace around them with a pencil. Using glue, fill each letter with black buttons. To finish, tie a black wire-edged ribbon into a bow around the pumpkin stem. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Crayon PumpkinsSpray your pumpkins with glitter paint. Then melt a variety of colored crayons on them for a different and unique look.
[via The Swede Records]

The Crow’s HideoutCut a round circle in the lower half of a pumpkin. Sharpen one end of a dowel, paint it black, and let it dry. Dot the dowel with white paint drops and let dry. Insert the sharp end of the dowel just below the cutout. Attach a crow to the perch. Firmly press the wire feet of two more crows into the pumpkin top where desired. Add a sign and some straw to the nest. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Antique Mercury Glass PumpkinsAn antique mercury finish gives this harvest season classic a festive glow. You can steal the look by spraying your pumpkins with a shiny silver spray paint. [via Pottery Barn]

Candy Corn PumpkinsUse cone-shaped pumpkins and spray-paint the tops in white and bottoms in yellow to create pumpkins that look good enough to eat. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Lace-Patterned PumpkinsThe designs on these pumpkins, carved freehand, mimic the lacelike openwork of 18th-century pierced creamware dishes, and turn any pumpkin (especially a pale Lumina) into an intricately patterned lamp. [via Martha Stewart]

Lacy PumpkinLay lace fabric over a pumpkin, gathering it tightly at the bottom, to determine the location for the stem. Cut a small circle and insert the stem through the opening. Gather the lace at the bottom, trimming the excess, and secure it using running stitches in a wheel-spoke pattern. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Pumpkin CandlesThis is easy. Fashion a hole in the top of a mini pumpkin, deep and wide enough for a tea light, and drop the tea light into it.
[via Shelterness]

Fall FoliageFor a pumpkin that spans from the beginning of autumn to Thanksgiving, try a leaf motif. Find different types of leaves, trace the shapes on the pumpkin, and paint. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Mad for Plaid PumpkinsUsing a dry erase marker in a light color, create a design. Following your design, apply Washi tape to the pumpkin’s surface, from stem to bottom, using longer strips when possible. When all of the vertical stripes are made, apply tape around the circumference of the pumpkin, creating the plaid. [via Real Simple]

Punched Ceramic Pumpkin LuminaryNo carving required! With an artful take on traditional jack-o-lanterns, these ceramic pumpkins are designed to light up autumnal nights for years to come. [via Pottery Barn]

Pumpkins of a Different ColorWith primer and paint you can create pumpkins that match your dinnerware. If you’re not comfortable painting the design freehand, use pin-stripe tape to mask off the design before base-coating the pumpkin. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Curling-Ribbon Party PumpkinTie a short length of curling ribbon around the pumpkin stem. Curl long lengths of ribbon, and loop-and-tie the ribbon through the ribbon around the stem, adjusting the length of the curls, until you get the desired look. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Gold Leaf PumpkinCoat real leaves with gold spray paint and let them dry. Then attach them to small white Lumina or Cotton Candy pumpkins using Magna-Tac glue. Paint small orange gourds gold to match. [via Ladies Home Journal]

Masking Tape PumpkinsFirst, paint the pumpkins and let them dry. Then give them a graphic edge by wrapping various widths of colorful masking tape randomly around each . . . or tape along a pumpkin’s grooves. For a nice finishing touch, paint the stems in a matching or contrasting color. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Happy Face PumpkinCut three triangles (two for eyes and a smaller one for a nose) out of black tissue paper and make a half-moon shape for a mouth, carefully cutting out missing teeth. Using a dry erase marker, mark the face as you’d like it to appear. Apply Mod Podge to one side of each piece of tissue paper and adhere to the spots on the pumpkin where you’ve made your marks. [via Real Simple]

Pumpkin in a BowSlide a napkin ring over the pumpkin’s stem. Then take long strips of wire-edged ribbon, set the pumpkin on them, draw the two ends of the ribbon up over the pumpkin and through the napkin ring, and fold them down to hold in place. [via Between Naps on the Porch]

Mouse HouseDrill holes in the pumpkin using 1/2-inch and 1-inch flat wood bits. Spray-paint the pumpkin surface light yellow, carefully covering the cut edges of the holes. Place plastic mice in and around the holes. [via Better Homes and Gardens]

Stenciled PumpkinsCut out the center of a paper doily. Spray the back with repositionable adhesive and let dry. Apply the doily to top and/or bottom of your pumpkin, pressing firmly. If necessary, cut slits in the doily so it lies flat against the pumpkin’s surface. Using a stencil brush and dabbing motion, apply small amounts of black paint. When the paint dries, remove the doily. [via Better Homes and Gardens]