Get Creative with These 7 Ways to Decorate A Pumpkin— Without Carving

By Meghen Jones

If you’re a self-proclaimed lover of all things fall, then it’s probably safe to say that you’re into all things pumpkin—pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin patches. Hey, we can’t blame you. The autumn season never seems complete without some sort of pumpkin-related activity – one of our favorites being pumpkin carving.

We’re not alone in our love for a classically carved jack-o’-lantern. Since the mid-nineteenth century, when Irish immigrants familiarized Americans with their custom of carving jack-o’-lanterns, pumpkin carving has been a beloved Halloween tradition. Aside from being a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit, carved pumpkins with candles also chase away evil spirits— according to the Celts, anyway.

Pumpkins are a symbol of the season that rarely goes unnoticed. Like all things, your annual pumpkin carving party can get a little boring, once you realize that you’ve been using the same stencil for three years in a row. This year, uCribs challenges you to step outside of the box with an all-new way to jazz up a plain pumpkin – starting with these 7 suggestions for decorating a pumpkin without carving.

 Minion Pumpkin

Have a weakness for the adorable minions from Despicable Me? If so, ditch a carved pumpkin in exchange for a painted Minion Pumpkin. With appropriate paint colors, glue, and pipe cleaners, you’ll be able to create your own little minion, just in time for Halloween. Although your personal minion pumpkin won’t be doing any funny antics seen in the film’s three movies, it will totally be worth having on display.

Materials:

• Pumpkin
• Canning jar lid
• Long screw
• Wooden skewer
• Hot glue
• Yellow and blue spray paint
• White, black and brown craft paint
• Black pipe cleaners

Directions

1. Wash and dry your pumpkin to prepare it for painting. Then, spray paint the top half of the pumpkin yellow, spray paint the bottom of the pumpkin blue, and allow it to dry. Once dry to the touch, repeat the process one more time, adding a second coat of each color.
2. Take a canning jar lid and pierce a hole in the center. Invert the lid so the white part is showing and insert the screw through the center.
3. Apply hot glue all around the silver ring and attach the lid to it, so the screw band and the flat lid are bonded together. Set aside.
4. With a wooden skewer, pierce a hole into the pumpkin where you would like the center of the canning lid – or the minion’s eye – to be located. In this case, the eye will be in the center of the face. Once you’re happy with the hole’s location, gently push the screw and lid into the hole.
5. After the minion’s eye is successfully in place, paint the black straps of the goggles on either side.
6. With the white, black, and brown paint, color in the details of the eyes.
7. For the hair, use the skewer to pierce holes at the top of the pumpkin “head” and insert the pipe cleaners.
8. To make your pumpkin really stand out, add additional details, such as the mouth, overalls, etc.

Chic Polka Dot Pumpkin

Pumpkins may be associated with fall, but that doesn’t mean that you must stick to dark, earthy colors or seasonal motifs while decorating them. For a little bit of sparkle and shine, try your hand at creating a Chic Polka Dot Pumpkin. This simple, yet eye-catching pumpkin design requires three inexpensive, easy-to-find materials: a pumpkin, loose gold sequins, and craft glue. After you have those in hand, create sequined polka dots on your bare (or painted, if preferred) pumpkin. Perfect for those who love a little shimmer and shine, the golden sequins add just the right amount of glamour to your off-campus apartment.

Materials:

• Pumpkin
• Loose gold sequins
• Craft glue

Directions:

1. Apply the craft glue to the entirety of the pumpkin in a circular motion.
2. Pat a few sequins in place while the glue is tacky, being sure to cover the pumpkin’s whole surface.
3. Allow the sequins to dry, and you’re all set!

Melted Crayon Pumpkin

This next pumpkin idea will take you all the way back to your childhood! Remember those days when you would spend hours coloring with crayons? Well, what if we told you that you can use those very same crayons to create a colorful, decorative pumpkin? The Melted Crayon Pumpkin is a fun, no-carve idea that calls for crayons, tacky glue, and a blow dryer. Of course, you can stick with black and orange colors in honor of Halloween, but in our opinion, a rainbow scheme will take your design to the next level. Whichever way you choose to spin this idea, you’re sure to love the finished product, and your neighbors will, too!

Materials:

• White pumpkin
• Crayons
• Fast-dry tacky glue
• Blow dryer

Directions:

1. First, use a very sharp knife to cut off the crayon wrappers, then cut the crayons in half.
2. Use tacky glue to secure the crayon halves around the top of the pumpkin. You’ll want to arrange them in a circle around the stem. Once glued, allow the crayons to dry completely.
3. Turn the blow dryer on high heat, point it at a downward angle, and melt the crayons. The melted wax will run down the pumpkin and make fun patterns. Make sure to keep the blow dryer pointed in the same direction so that the lines of wax look consistent.
4. Once all the crayons have melted, allow the colorful wax to harden completely.

Confetti Pumpkins

If you ask us, every celebration calls for confetti because it makes everything so festive! So, why not show your “party side” with a Confetti Pumpkin? Confetti Pumpkins only require a few materials to execute it successfully, such as colored paper, Mod Podge, and a paintbrush. This idea is perfect for our Scorpio friends, who have birthdays right around Halloween, and can enjoy making this pumpkin as a fun birthday activity. The only thing you’ll be missing is a slice of Funfetti cake—hopefully, your friends will have you covered on that one!

Materials:

• White pumpkin
• Colored paper
• Hole puncher
• Mod Podge
• Paintbrush

Directions:

1. First, you’ll need to make the confetti. Use the hole puncher to create small dots out of brightly colored paper. Once you’ve punched enough, set your DIY confetti aside.
2. Paint a layer of Mod Podge on the top third of your pumpkin.
3. While the adhesive Mod Podge is still wet, sprinkle the “confetti” onto the pumpkin. You can press each piece of confetti lightly onto the pumpkin to ensure that it sticks.
4. Let the Mod Podge dry for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the pumpkin is dry to the touch, brush an additional layer of Mod Podge on top of the confetti to seal your design onto the pumpkin. Allow the pumpkin to dry for 30 to 45 minutes.

Starry Night Pumpkin

Mysterious, starry skies always seem to be synonymous with the fall season. As the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter, you can’t help but feel compelled to head outside, where you can count the stars spread out across the dark skies, or simply admire nightfall and the calm it brings—unless, your college is located in the city, of course. If your head is stuck in the stars this Halloween season, why not create a pumpkin to match? Design a Starry Night Pumpkin using black acrylic paint, shimmering silver paint, and star stickers. Voila! With the Starry Night Pumpkin, you’ll have the starry skies in the palm of your hand.

Materials:

• Pumpkin
• Black acrylic paint
• Shimmering silver paint
• Small and medium-sized star stickers

Directions:

1. First, paint the entire pumpkin black, then add a second coat of paint. Allow to dry completely.
2. Next, hand paint a crescent-shaped moon. Outline and paint the moon using the silver craft paint.
3. Complete the design by adding as many star stickers as you like.

Unicorn Pumpkin

Allow us to introduce you to the most vibrant, non-carved pumpkin on our list: the Unicorn Pumpkin. As crazy as they may sound, unicorn pumpkins have become popular within recent years. While these mythical creatures may not scream-out Halloween, their magical nature is sure to bring a shimmer of beauty to your Halloween festivities.  The Unicorn Pumpkin boasts adorable vinyl eyelashes, pink artificial flowers, a golden horn, and, of course, white paint. One thing is for sure: this pumpkin is so cute that you might want to display it year-round.

Materials:

• Off-white pumpkin
• White spray paint
• Gold spray paint
• Air dry foam modeling clay
• Hot glue
• Black vinyl eyelashes
• Pink craft paint
• Round sponge, for painting
• Pink artificial flowers

Directions:

1. First, spray paint your pumpkin white and allow to dry.
2. Form the unicorn horn by rolling out a long piece of foam modeling clay. Bend and twist the clay until it resembles a horn with a point at the top. Let the horn dry and harden, then spray paint it gold. Allow it to dry completely.  Once dry, hot glue your horn to the top of your pumpkin.
3. Cut the stems off your artificial flowers, then glue the cut flowers around the top of your unicorn pumpkin. You’ll want to arrange the flowers so that they cover the base of the horn. Think of it as a flower crown for a pumpkin!
4. Apply the vinyl eyelashes a couple of inches below the flowers, then add pink cheeks by dabbing on pink paint with a round sponge. Let the paint dry completely, and you have a masterpiece!

Matte Black Pumpkin

While unicorn and other cute pumpkins can be fun to make, they don’t always exemplify the essence of All Hallows’ Eve. Sometimes, simple Halloween decorations can be effective in setting the mood, as their elaborate counterparts. If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to celebrate the season—without busting out any sequins or flowers—this Matte Black Pumpkin is for you. Created using an artificial pumpkin, matte black paint, and a paintbrush, the Matte Black Pumpkin easily sets the tone for any Halloween celebration with its dark, looming design. Since this pumpkin won’t rot over time, you can use it year after year!

Materials:

• Artificial pumpkin
• Matte black paint
• Paintbrush

Directions:

1. Prepare a painting space by laying down newspaper. Then, place the artificial pumpkin on top of the newspaper.
2. Next, paint the pumpkin with several coats of matte black paint. Allow to dry completely after each coat.

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