Easy Painted Pumpkin Ideas

Painted pumpkins are a fun twist on the traditional pumpkin carving. If your little one isn't quite ready to start carving, or you're getting an early start this Halloween and want your pumpkin to last, you may be looking for painted pumpkin ideas. Or maybe your kid just wants his pumpkin to really stand out this year, and carving won't quite cut it. While traditional pumpkins (the orange kind) seem to inspire those warm and fuzzy feelings and mesh perfectly with the changing fall colors, colored pumpkins, particularly around Halloween, are pretty cool, too.

Easy Painted Pumpkin Ideas: Ghosts

One idea for your Halloween pumpkin is to transform it into a ghost. Do this by painting (using acrylic paint) the entire pumpkin white (including stem), then carve out or paint on eyes and a spooky "oh" mouth. To complete the look, drape a white pillowcase or sheet over a small round table or step to act as the ghost's body.

Easy Painted Pumpkin Ideas: Spiders

Use a relatively circular pumpkin or one with a flatter top to make your Halloween spider. If working with a small pumpkin, you can use black pipe cleaners to make the legs. If using a bigger pumpkin, stuff long black kid's socks to make your spider legs. To insert your legs, drill holes on either side. If you don't want to worry about it molding, simply tape or staple your legs. Cut off the pumpkin stem. Then paint your pumpkin black. String cobwebs around for more effect.

Easy Painted Pumpkin Ideas: Frankenstein

To create your Frankenstein pumpkin, select a pumpkin that is relatively oval shaped. The longer your pumpkin is the better. Paint your pumpkin green. Don't remove the stem. Shape a large Styrofoam ball into a square and then spray paint black. Stick it on top of the stem to create Frankenstein's signature skull. Insert bolts along the bottom of your pumpkin. Draw heavy brows and droopy eyes. This way no matter where your artistic talents rank, your pumpkin will still be recognizable as Frankenstein.

Easy Painted Pumpkin Ideas: Basic Stencils

Stenciling your pumpkin is a quick and easy way to paint your pumpkin. Paint your pumpkin black, leaving room to paint a large yellow moon. Then stencil a witch on a broom, bats, ghouls, or ghosts across your moon. Find pumpkin stencils HERE.