Helpful Tips for Painting or Decorating a Halloween Pumpkin

Although carving pumpkins a popular Halloween tradition, sometimes it's more fun to just decorate an intact pumpkin. Painting and decorating pumpkins can be a great alternative to carving, especially for families with young kids who really can't participate in the actual carving of pumpkins for safety reasons. Additionally, some kids really do not enjoy scooping out the slimy insides of a pumpkin, so the task then falls to parents who likely only bought the pumpkins in the first place as a special activity for the kids. Choosing to paint or decorate a pumpkin instead of carving can solve this problem. If you are thinking about foregoing pumpkin carving this year, and instead would like some tips for painting and decorating your pumpkin, you may find the following tips helpful!

Get some decorating ideas for your pumpkin - Look for magazines at the grocery store in the Fall which feature Halloween ideas. There are usually several, and they often have at least a few pictures of Pumpkins which have been painted or decorated. Also, scour the Internet for some photos and directions for various decorated pumpkin designs.

Decide which art supplies you will need - There is virtually no end to the different types of art and craft supplies that you can use when decorating your pumpkin. Consider acrylic paints, construction paper, self-adhesive googly eyes, pipe cleaners in various colors, Easter grass or shredded gift bag filler material, brown paper bags, streamers, feathers, glitter, and craft sticks. Don't forget glue sticks or a hot glue gun!

Create a workspace - Painting or decorating your pumpkin can feel like less mess and hassle than carving it, but you will still need to set up a covered workspace for your project. Consider grabbing a plastic tablecloth at your local dollar store, because paint, glue, glitter, and other craft supplies can get pretty messy. With a plastic tablecloth, you won't have to worry about paint seeping through onto the surface below. Plus, when you are finished, cleanup is a snap!

Choosing to paint or decorate a pumpkin instead of carving can make this Halloween activity much easier, and much more fun. Another added bonus is that when you decide to paint or decorate, you can purchase your pumpkins as early as possible, because they will not begin to rot after a few days like carved pumpkins do. Additionally, most of us are pretty limited when it comes to pumpkin carving skills, whereas painting or decorating a pumpkin can leave even an amateur with a really great looking Halloween pumpkin.