8 Creative Pumpkin Decorating Ideas with the Family

The beautiful season of autumn means crisper days, cozy sweaters, bumpy hayrides and of course, trips to the pumpkin patch.

Pumpkins not only offer a vibrant splash of color to our fall decorating scheme, but there are also many other creative ways to enjoy them both in and outside of our homes.

Here are eight cool ways to have fun with pumpkins that even the Great Pumpkin would be proud of.

1. Chalkboard Paint: Paint your pumpkin with black or green chalkboard paint and then decorate with a rainbow of colored chalks. 

2. Googly Eyes: Head to your local Dollar or Craft store and stock up on a variety of googly eyes or Halloween eye balls. Just hallow out the spot for the eyes on your pumpkin and glue the eyeballs in place. Draw on a silly smile and now you have a much easier version of a jack-o-lantern.

3. Glow-in-the-dark paint: Paint your pumpkin with glow-in-the-dark paint and then use a stencil to create the look of a carved pumpkin with a candle.

4. Push Pins: Grab all your pretty push pins and multi-colored thumb tacks and gently insert into a painted pumpkin for instant pizazz.

5. Dripping Crayon Pumpkin: If you’ve got lots of broken crayons in your house, this is a great way to use them up and have a beautiful designer pumpkin. Just melt crayons with a blow dryer and let them drip down your pumpkin.

6. Pumpkin Planter: Cut the top off of a pumpkin, scoop out the insides and fill it with soil to use as a fall planter. Or, place a small vase inside the pumpkin that can hold beautiful fresh flowers.

7. Pumpkin Pot of Stew: Thanks to Organic Authority for this great, edible idea! Small sugar pumpkins make cute and seasonally appropriate bowls for serving a hearty fall stew. Just cut off the tops, scoop out the seeds, rub the insides with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the pumpkins and their lids, right side up, for 25 minutes at 350 degrees on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Remove lids, turn pumpkins upside down and bake another 25 minutes. Let cool and then fill with your favorite fall stew. The pumpkin provides an edible bowl and sweet-savory taste addition to your choice of stew, and looks fantastic on the table!

8. Photo Fun: Decoupage your favorite family photos right to your pumpkin. Use color copies of the photo, not the originals. This is a great way to lend a personal touch to your pumpkin décor without all the fuss of carving. You can also use wrapping paper, napkins and copies of your child’s artwork for fresh and fun looks.