Uniquely Different Ways to Decorate White Porch Pumpkins

I love white pumpkins, and over the years I have been mixing a collection of orange, and white pumpkins around my doorsteps for fall décor. If you carve them they won't last through Thanksgiving, so I've tried to find unique ways to decorate my pumpkins, which allow them to brighten my entry, from September through November.

As described in my article "4 Great Pumpkin Crafts for Toddlers" under the "Decorated Porch Pumpkin" craft; painting (or felt-penning) a jack-o-lantern face is much safer than carving one, and gluing on multi-colored leaf-hair inspires limitless toddler creativity. As fun as this is for a kids project, no one was allowed to touch my beautiful simple, white pumpkins.

There is something so elegant, about these beautiful alabaster-white pumpkins, just left alone, were always good to offset the myriad of over-decorated orange pumpkins, annually gracing my porch steps. Lately however, I have been seeing beautiful ways to decorate white pumpkins, elegantly without carving them up, and found these to be the best.

Arachnophobic's Delight

If you're planning any sort of Halloween gathering, your kids might enjoy turning a white pumpkin into a spider's nest, as seen in Better Homes and Gardens online. Using a black permanent, felt-tipped marker pen, it is easy to draw lines following the curves of the white pumpkin downward, and then "scalloped" across, as seen here. Complete this arachnophobic delight by adding several really creepy spiders, with some fake, pull-apart webbing, or a can of silly-string webs.

Intricate Filigree & Lace Designs

I will share the secret to getting the same elegant look of these intricately detailed, filigree carved white pumpkins, as shown on Martha Stewart's website here. You will need to lightly tack a paper doily over the pumpkin stem, and smooth it out. Spray paint, or carefully brush paint over the doily, removing when dry, for a lacy ring around the top of your white porch pumpkin.

You could also tack doilies around the pumpkin, paint and dry, for an all-over lace design. See the other filigree looks possible, by painting over a doily, mid-lace strip all around, from Martha Stewart's pumpkins.

Early Americana Nailhead Designs

As seen in My Home Ideas online, using upholstery nails with a large, etched head, and short nail base, you can hammer out the most beautiful, white porch-pumpkin Americana designs, I've ever seen. See my favorite designs posted here.

These elegant designs can be quickly hammered into your white pumpkin, right on the porch, and then arranged gracefully to the side of your front door steps. For more involved crafting, using smaller nails on small white pumpkins (with hollowed-out core) make indoor taper-candle holders, like these. See the recommended upholstery nails to choose from, and then select similar, when visiting your local upholstery shop, as shown here.

I'm after the "Early Americana" nailhead look this year, for quick and easy elegance to grace my doorsteps this fall. I'm not sure these pumpkins will be safe to eat after removing the nails, but I do know they will last longer than a carved up jack-o-lantern. I am just not very good at carving pumpkins anyway!