Not all of us want to get out our knives and carve out jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins. It could be the mess or for some other reason. Lucky for us, we don’t need to carve pumpkins this Halloween. Here are no-carve pumpkin ideas to try instead.
Transform your pumpkins into spooky bats or creepy cats. Start by painting the pumpkin black and then attach a tail, ears, and bat wings.
Another great idea is to transform your pumpkin into a mummy. Simply cover it with pieces of cheesecloth and viola! Your mummy pumpkin is done. Here’s the tutorial.
How about creating a jack-o-lantern Frozen style? Paint the pumpkin silvery blue. Then, add some faux rhinestones and a tiara for some sparkle. Poof! Your pumpkin ala Frozen is done. Here’s the complete tutorial.
If you prefer, you can decorate your pumpkins to look like your favorite pop characters. For instance, here’s Olaf.
Of course, you can create other characters like Frankenstein, Minions, Humpty Dumpty, and more. Check out this post for links to tutorials on specific pop characters.
A bare pumpkin with a black lace stencil using a doily or a piece of tulle will give you a that Gothic, racy feel. Or you could simply wrap an old pair of fishnet or lace tights around the pumpkin and add a silky bow at the stem or a witch’s hat like the one pictured above.
To re-create this Cinco de Mayo-inspired pumpkin, follow this tutorial.
Another great decoupage pumpkin idea is this blue-and-white chinoiserie-patterned pumpkin by betweennapsontheporch.net. Check out the tutorial here.
Go with a floral theme and paint flowers on your pumpkins. All you need are some paint and brushes.
Paint, sequins, glue, and a little creativity are all you need to create this DIY project. If you need help, here’s the tutorial.
Could a no-carve pumpkin project get any easier than this? Simply grab a couple boxes of thumbtacks and go thumbtack crazy on your pumpkin until its partially or fully covered. Whatever you want goes. Studs would also work great.
Upcycle your old sweaters and use them to dress up your pumpkins for Halloween.
Or get some yarn and use this to create a pumpkin. Here are the instructions.
If you have a lot of mason jars in your home, this DIY is for you. You’ll need about 25 of those, some vintage paper, and cinnamon sticks. Here’s the tutorial.
Fancy a harlequin or polka dot design? Go ahead and put it on your pumpkin. You could also go for some stylish chevrons and paint your pumpkin in the colors of fall. Check out grandinroad.com for some stylish design inspirations.
This donut pumpkin, dubbed donutkin by creator Erica Sams, is simply adorable. You can create your own donutkin, too. Follow the steps here.
Create this marbled effect on a pumpkin. Follow the steps provided by creator Laurel of A Bubbly Life here.
This is an easy-to-do project that needs only black paint and a paint pen. You can freehand this or download BHG’s free templates. Whatever method you choose, you should end up with a fun cat-and-mouse chase scene.
Doesn’t this pumpkin remind you of fairy tales? Bring this colorful and bright pumpkin set to life using pretty pastel paints and embellish with lacy trims and adhesive gems.
Make your pumpkins look like Zorro or masked bandits. Here’s how. You can also use the mask templates here.
Add sparkle and shimmer to your pumpkins with glitter and faux gems. Here‘s how to decorate with glitters. Here‘s how to bling out your pumpkins.
Get three pumpkins, roughly about the same size. You can either attach moustaches on them or paint them with different hues of your favorite color for an ombre effect.
The ideas for a no-carve pumpkin are endless. The only limit is your imagination. So go on and start creating.