Pumpkins are a staple of the fall season and in the past few years, pumpkin decorating has become it's own art form. Wow your Halloween guests with these creative ideas.
Carving
The traditional way of decorating a pumpkin is carving pieces out of the skin to make a face, or design. Common tools to use would be knives, pokers, and markers. If you want to branch out and make your creation come to life, then try using a drill to add a sparkly effect or try sculpting your design into your pumpkin. Light orange pumpkins have thinner skin than dark orange ones. If you plan on using a sculpting technique, buy a pumpkin with very thick skin. Carved pumpkins will rot in about 7-10 days after carving. To help prevent your pumpkin from collapsing on Halloween night, use a fake candle instead of a real one. The flame from a real candle will speed the rotting process. Add a fun spin and use a glow stick to add a splash of color to your carving!
No-Carve Decorating
A not-so-traditional way of decorating pumpkins is painting them. Painted pumpkins can be great for in-doors decorations where they can be admired fully. One type of painted pumpkin to put outside are ones made with glow in the dark paint. These pumpkins will take longer to rot, so if you plan on leaving for Halloween or like to make decorations early, this is a great option for you. Other ways to decorate your pumpkins are to use glitter, puffy paint, decorative tape or even melted crayons.
Pumpkin Tips
- Don't just throw out your pumpkin guts! There are great recipes for pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pies or soups that you can make. Remember to shop local and organic if you can!
-There are many ways to preserve decoration-only pumpkins. One way is to soak the pumpkin in a diluted bleach solution, and spray the inside of your gutted pumpkin with the same bleach solution. The bleach will kill most of the bacteria that causes rot.
-If you're not planning on eating the fleshy part of your pumpkin, use it for compost! (Note: do not compost if you bleached the pumpkin)
-Always supervise children who are decorating their own pumpkins and keep sharp tools out of their reach.
If you're looking for more inspiration, follow us on Pinterest, where we have a board set up full of pumpkin decorating ideas. Happy decorating!
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