Tag: crafts

 

Many people buy and decorate pumpkins for the fall season. Some carve them, others leave them sitting on their porch steps untouched until they rot, and creative souls (with the new addition of you and I) show their creativity by decorating their homes with unique, no-carve pumpkin art.

I have to admit, over the past few years we haven’t carved many pumpkins, but we have decorated our porch with giant pumpkins in all of their natural orange beauty. This year, after seeing these no carve pumpkin decorating ideas, color me inspired! I hope some of these ideas give you a bit of Autumn inspiration as well.

 

#1 – Use Crayons to Make a Melted Crayon Pumpkin

Do you have a bunch of broken crayons at home? Well, this slight twist on melted crayon wall art is fun for the whole family and creates a really neat effect. For even less mess, do it upside down. Find a jar, place your mini pumpkin upside down with the stem inside the jar, place some crayons on top of your pumpkin, and use a hair-dryer to melt your crayons!

 

#2 – Turn Your Pumpkin into a Cute Party Cooler

This idea is sure to impress at your Fall get-together. Just choose a large, wide pumpkin, cut off the top third with a serrated knife and scrape out the pulp and seeds. Line the gourd with a glass or plastic bowl to prevent it from becoming water-logged. If the pumpkin opening is a bit too small for the bowl, carefully shave the inside edge with a spoon. Finish by filling the bowl with ice and wine, beer, or bottled drinks.

 

#3 – Decorate Your Pumpkin with Gems, Glitter, and/or Paint

Simple, and sure to immediately add class to any pumpkin project, is this art deco idea. To make it kid-friendly (as opposed to a huge glittery mess on your new hardwood floors), paint the pumpkin yourself. When it dries, let the kiddos decorate it with colorful gems, stencils and spray paint, fake jewels, ribbon, seashells, and lace. The more you trust your kids, the smaller the decorations you give them. If you have toddlers, large bowtie macaroni should do the trick.

 

#4 – Use Your Pumpkin as a Succulent Holder

If you’re anything like me, natural elements in the home have the ability to put you in a state of relaxation. Dazzle your guests with a fall centerpiece featuring a pumpkin topped with succulents. As a (tiny) shortcut, you can plant the succulents in a normal pot and set it inside your real (or faux pumpkin) and then you don’t have to worry about re-potting down the road! It’ll be so nice to have a seasonal succulent centerpiece that will last through Thanksgiving, and they aren’t too difficult to make.

 

#5 – Be Your Pumpkin’s Fairy Godmother

You don’t need a fairy godmother to turn a pumpkin into a carriage. All you need is a pumpkin, a furry toy animal, and a quick trip to Michael’s or Hobby lobby and you can make the rules. This artist used clay for the door, but you can just as easily use small barbie princess parts. Just spray them with gold paint. If you have extra time, hollow out the pumpkin, place a candle inside, and cover the hole with a door. For extra fantasy points, make a curly-cue stem out of Papier-mâché.

 

#6 – Create Fake Food Out of Your Pumpkin

Using acrylic paints, turn your pumpkin into something everyone will want to eat. You can use any tool you like to paint: paintbrushes, cotton swabs, sponges, or cotton balls. Keep a damp cloth at your side to quickly clean off any mistakes. Pretend that you’re just painting an ordinary canvas. *For the popcorn bucket, add a plastic bowl and fill the bucket with real pumpkin spice topped popcorn to wow your guests.

 

#7 – Fill Your Pumpkin With Real Food

Pumpkin stew, pumpkin casserole, pumpkin creme brûlée…the possibilities are endless! My favorite idea happens to be individual “Pumpkin Mac&Cheese” inside of adorable mini pumpkins. For kids parties you can even fill the pumpkins with trail mix, potato chips, pumpkin seeds, or Holiday candy.

 

#8 – Let Your Pumpkins Convey Your True Feelings

Everybody loves emoticons, and experts say that a well-placed emoji has the ability to change a recipient’s mood. These pumpkins are a must-try. Spray-paint your pumpkin yellow, or keep it the original orange, and either paint faces, *or keep sticky pieces of felt in a bowl and change your emoji’s mood daily.

If you use mini pumpkins, you can line a small window sill with these little fellas and be the talk of the neighborhood.

 

#9 – Make Beautiful Fall Centerpieces

Pumpkin centerpieces will be your inspiration this Autumn. You can make pumpkin flower vases, pumpkin trees, or stick candles in your pumpkin to create a large candle holder. Then, add some lose pumpkins, squash, and other Fall veggies for a breathtaking dinner or reception table. Add some cranberry vines, pine boughs, or cones for a contrast. If you’re planning on hosting more than one Fall get-together, there are limitless possibilities to decorate all the tables in your home.

 

#10 – Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?

Of course you do! Paint your pumpkin white, or just find white pumpkins. Then, all you need to add are a few felt pieces, a scarf, and a top hat to make your neighbors wonder how your snowman hasn’t melted under this California sun. For the kids, and with just a little extra effort, you can even turn your snowman into Olaf (from Disney’s Frozen), BB-8 (from Star Wars), or Jack Skellington (from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas).

 

#11 – Cover Your Pumpkin in Fabric & Gift to a Friend

Looking for an easy gift that won’t break the bank? Just cover your pumpkin in fabric: lace, tulle, silk, cotton, or any fabric you can find. You can either sew a closing, or leave it raw and add a decorative tie, and that’s it. You have an easy gift that you can give to kids, coworkers, family, and friends.

Hope you’ll give at least one of these ideas a try. And send a photo of whatever you make for a feature on my Instagram Page!😊