5 Alternatives to Carving a Pumpkin

While some people use plain pumpkins to decorate their homes for Halloween and Thanksgiving, many others like to add personal touches. Traditionally, this comes in the form of pumpkin carving, but this certainly isn't your only option. Here are 5 fun alternatives to carving pumpkins that you might want to try, especially if you have kids in your family who aren't old enough to use a knife.

Paint

Pumpkin painting is an increasingly popular autumn activity and is a very simple alternative to pumpkin carving. Once your pumpkin has been cleaned and dried, it becomes an excellent surface to paint. If it helps, draw your design on with a marker first. Any design you choose will be enhanced with a pumpkin for a canvas, and the result will be a colorful decoration that will brighten up your home for the holidays. If you want to both paint and carve a pumpkin, try using a sealant to keep the paint from chipping off. As a general rule, acrylic paints are the most effective.

Paper

Paper is a familiar medium for most kids and is one of the most versatile craft supplies out there. Construction paper can be used to make colorful facial features and other accessories and shapes. Glued-on tissue paper can have a lovely, pastel look. Pasted strips of newspapers can create a surface that you can paint or draw on.

Glitter

For what could either be a showier or more subdued form of pumpkin decoration, try glitter. Brightly colored glitter, perhaps paired with rhinestones or sequins, can turn your pumpkin into a flashy highlight in the window of your Halloween party. On the other hand, a little gold or silver glitter sprinkled on the top of the pumpkin around the stem can give your decor a more elegant look.

Fabric

As with paper, fabric can be used to dress up a pumpkin. You can even make Halloween costumes for your pumpkin, such as a cape or a witch hat, or turn it into a Thanksgiving turkey using pieces of felt.

Odds and Ends 

One of the most creative options for kids is to let them collect whatever odds and ends they'd like. These pieces of decor could be leaves and acorns from your yard, string and Popsicle sticks from your craft drawer, or even bottle caps and other scraps from your recycling bin. Sharp objects like nails and pins can be pushed right into the pumpkin, and a good glue can attach anything from buttons to macaroni to feathers. These objects could form a face, a scene, or a design, or they could simply be placed in a fun, random assortment.
There are no limits to what you can do to personalize a pumpkin for the holidays. In fact, you don't even have to decorate the exterior. Try cutting your pumpkin in half and filling it with a festive scene or a spiderweb, or scooping it out and using it as a holder for flowers or candy. Make it your own!
Whether you're looking for a fun Halloween decoration or a beautiful Thanksgiving centerpiece, there's a pumpkin waiting for you at a pumpkin patch in Kansas City, MO. Take your time to find the pumpkin that best suits your intended means of decoration, or, if you don't have any specific plans for a pumpkin, find one that inspires your creativity. The search for the perfect pumpkin is half of the fun!