Now that fall is here, pumpkins are everywhere and we don’t think we could possibly be happier about that! There’s just something so festive and homey about autumn pumpkins and their use in home decor. Just because it’s October, however, doesn’t mean that you have to do the standard thing with your pumpkins and make a jack-o-lantern. There are actually kinds of different DIY ways that you can decorate (and also decorate with) pumpkins, and we’ve been scouring the Internet lately to find some of our favourites.
Are you feeling just as curious as we were, if not more, about the idea of learning how to decorate your pumpkins in unique ways this fall? Check out these 15 fantastic ideas, designs, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration and guidance!
1. Pumpkin carving tips and tricks
Just because there are other ways that you can decorate your pumpkins doesn’t mean, of course, that you can’t make yourself an awesome jack-o-lantern or two this year! Just in case you’d actually really like to keep things classic but you haven’t carved a pumpkin in years and you feel like you need a bit of a hand, here’s an awesome tips and tricks guide from The outspoken Yam.
2. DIY crayon drip pumpkins
Even during the spooky season, when everyone else is concentrating on orange and black, are you the kind of colour loving person who really likes to incorporate rainbows into your seasonal decor whenever possible? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Thrifty Jinxy made this fantastically bright drip art pumpkin using colourful melted crayons!
3. Neon paint dipped pumpkins
Did we actually really catch your attention when we started talking about the idea of working with bright colours and creating a dripping effect across your pumpkin, but the crayon idea just doesn’t quite speak to you? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at this neon paint dipped idea outlined step by shockingly simple step on A Night Owl instead!
4. Carved and painted ghost pumpkin
Are you actually feeling a little bit torn between the idea usual tradition of making a jack-o-lantern and the idea of doing something more unique with paint but you’re having trouble deciding between the two? Well, who ever said you have to choose? Instead, take a look at how The Pinning Mama made this awesome carved and painted ghost pumpkin that gives you the best of both worlds!
5. Amazing eyeball porch pumpkins
Are you actually a little more advanced in your DIY skills particularly when there’s hand painting involved? Then we think you just might be the perfect person to give these fantastically creepy and very impressive eyeball pumpkins a try! We love the way Woman’s Day outlines the whole process in detail (and we promised it’s actually a little easier to do than you might think).
6. Cool leaf pumpkin etching
Maybe you’ve always been the kind of DIY enthusiast who prefers art the requires a lot of patience, some attention to detail, and a steady hand? Then if you’ve never tried pumpkin etching before, as opposed to pumpkin carving, then we’re very sorry indeed to tell you that you’ve been missing out on something awesome! Take a better look at this tutorial on From China Village to see how they created these whimsical but still autumnal fall leaves across the surface of their pumpkin, etching just closed enough to the hollow inside that the design doesn’t poke through but that you can still see the glow of the candle inside.
7. Mickey Mouse pumpkin made with mini pumpkins
Are you actually looking for something that you can make with your kids that, despite being a celebration of Halloween, isn’t actually all that spooky, since they’re still quite young? Well, if your household are even half the Disney fans ours are, then we think you’ll get a real kick out of the way Instructables used two mini pumpkins, some skewers, and some paint to make this adorable Mickey Mouse pumpkin, complete with the iconic ears!
8. Easy mummy wrapped pumpkin
Maybe you’re looking for a kid-friendly idea that will help you decorate your pumpkin but without using absolutely any kind of sharp or pointy tool at all? Then we think you’ll really appreciate the way Everyday Reading made this funny toilet paper wrapped mummy pumpkin design that, besides glue, doesn’t even use anything classically messy either. These are an awesomely quick idea to make last minute as well!
9. Super easy pumpkin carving for kids
Did we actually really catch your interest in a big way when we started talking about tips and tricks resources for carving pumpkins but you’re kind of hoping to come across something even simpler because you’d really like to carve pumpkins with your kids for the first time? In that case, we really think you’ll find this guide from New Mom at 40 that was written specifically to make carving pumpkins with kids easier very useful indeed.
10. Pumpkin carving with simpler shapes for beginners
Are you absolutely the kind of beginner pumpkin carver that we described above but you’re also hoping to get some kind of simple help with making other classic shapes besides just the usual triangles? Then we think you’ll be rather pleased indeed to find out that that’s precisely the kind of thing Blast Aloud has outlined for you in their tutorial! Following their steps is actually how we learned to more neatly and carefully make circles and other rounded shapes in pumpkin carving, rather than just straight lines.
11. Kid-friendly owl shaped jack-o-lantern
Do you always find yourself looking at the shapes and pieces that you’ve carved out of your main pumpkin design and thinking about how they look like they could be useful for something other than just being discarded once you’ve cut them free? Well, Mad Mum of 7 was definitely operating along the same wavelength as you, which is why they show you the steps for using the pieces they cut out of this cute Halloween owl design to give their bird funny little feet at the bottom, almost like a pumpkin sculpture!
12. Easy drilled pumpkin project
Just because you want to creative some holds in your pumpkin for a candle’s light to shine through doesn’t actually mean you have to reach for the usual carving tools and start making faces and characters on your orange surface. In fact, One Little Project has an idea that doesn’t involve cutting different shapes at all! instead, they show you how to use differently sized drill bits to put all kinds of holes through the sides of your pumpkin, drilling all kinds of different circular patterns that can glow from your steps on Halloween night.
13. Advanced cannibal pumpkin
Maybe we’ve actually got you feeling rather torn between the ideas of doing a bit of pumpkin etching and the concept of using more than one pumpkin to build on your bigger base one and structure something really unique? Well, once again, there’s actually a way for you to involve both those elements without having to choose between them at all. Take a look at this amazing but slightly advanced tutorial from Chop Chow that shows you how to make a pumpkin that looks like it’s eating a smaller one!
14. Painted brad pin no-carve pumpkin
Perhaps you’ve actually still finding yourself scrolling through our list but thinking about the idea of making something a little more colourful and a little less spooky? Well, if you also feel like using unconventional tools that you’ve probably never used in the pumpkin decorating process before, then we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at how A Subtle Revelry painted some brad pins and stuck them through the surface of their pumpkin all over to make it look brightly polka dotted and rather friendly!
15. Fabric decoupage pumpkins
Are you actually the kind of DIY enthusiast who usually prefers to work with softer materials like fabric but you were feeling rather convinced that fabric and pumpkins simply don’t go together? Well, believe it or not, eHow is here to prove that theory wrong! We’re completely in love with the way they outline how to make stunning patterned pumpkins using simple fabric decoupage techniques.
Have you made other kinds of awesome alternative pumpkin decor projects before that were a huge hit in your house but that you don’t see on our list? Tell us all about what you created and how you did it or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!
