Halloween Fun: Pumpkin Painting

Everyone can agree that carving a pumpkin is a messy endeavor. Sometimes it may seem to take longer to clean up the mess than it it did to carve the pumpkin itself! Is there a way to experience the fun of Halloween without all the hassle? You bet!

A recent Halloween trend is to paint the pumpkin instead of carving a jack-o-lantern. This is half the mess but just as fun; not to mention you get plenty more options of what to do with your subject, the pumpkin. One of the best things about it is that painted pumpkins will outlast those which are carved.

I have seen painted pumpkins at every fall craft fair I have been to, and you may have seen them yourself. They always seem to stand out from the "typical" pumpkins, but can be quite costly to purchase. An "artful" pumpkin can sell anywhere form $30 to $60! Now I know that I can buy a pumpkin for around $5, the paint can't cost more than a few dollars as well.

This means your total expense can be as low as $8.00 - $10.00 and you'll walk away with an activity that can fill your evening with fun. Why not start a new family tradition and paint your own faces on your pumpkins this year? The kids will love it and it is fun. Carving a jack-o-lantern takes work and is slimy and messy. Painting is all around fun for the entire family. You won't have to worry about any carving knives around the children, so pumpkin painting is also much safer!

Take a look at how easy and fun this can be:

You will need some acrylic paints in many colors, spray paint, and a spray gloss sealer. Toss in some cheap paint brushes with a healthy dose of imagination and you are on your way.You can use the spray paint to customize your pumpkins background color. Draw your funny face or artistic look on your pumpkin and begin to add the color. Once you are done lightly spray the sealer and you have created a painted pumpkin face!

Don't forget to accessorize.

One cool thing about painted pumpkins is that you can use accessories! Regular jack-o-lanterns would never allow this due to the open flame. Add some straw for hair or a hat and beads. The possibilities are endless as is the inspiration. Do a quick search online for "painted pumpkin" or "pumpkin painting pictures" and just look at all the potential! Remember it's not about being an expert but about having good clean family fun!