No-Mess Pumpkin Decorating

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

17 Oct 2008 09:22 PM

Make that minimal mess. Either way you avoid the sloppy, goopy, labor-intensive task of gutting a pumpkin in an effort to create a bucktoothed jack-o'-lantern.

This kid-friendly pumpkin decorating project doesn't involve a single knife or razorblade. Rather, you and your children can go wild with a little paint (potentially messy, yes, but easier to wash out of hair than slimy pumpkin guts).

This year say goodbye to the monstrous mess and hello to these adorable pumpkin characters made from inexpensive materials that can be found around your house.

PUMPKIN LADY

Materials:

Pumpkin

Fake eyelashes

Straw hat

Ribbon

Silk flowers

Red raffia

Acrylic paints in red and pink

Paintbrush

White craft glue

Directions:

Wash the pumpkin and allow it to dry completey.

Remove backing from fake eyelashes. Apply to pumpkin, slightly above the center. Use paints to add a nose, cheeks, and a mouth. Let the paint dry.

Glue raffia to the inside of the hat to resemble hair. Glue a ribbon around the hat. Add silk flowers. Set the hat on top of the pumpkin.

VEGGIE PUMPKIN HEAD

Materials:

Pumpkin

Quilting pins

Lettuce

Red peppers

Black olives

Yellow peppers

Hot glue gun

Thread

Needle

Directions:

Wash the pumpkin and allow it to dry completey.

Pin lettuce leaves on top of the pumpkin for hair. Add olive eyes, a yellow pepper nose, and red pepper ears and mouth. Add yellow pepper earrings. Glue all the veggie pieces in place using hot glue. For a necklace, string olives on thread and drape around bottom of pumpkin.

SEQUINED PUMPKIN

Materials:

Pumpkin

Tape measure

Silver and black sequins on a string

Scissors

Straight pins with black heads

Silver cord

Directions:

Measure the pumpkin from the stem to the bottom. Use this measurement to cut lengths from pre-strung sequin strings.

Using the pumpkin seams (the ones nature provided) as guides, pin the sequins vertically on the pumpkin, alternating colors.

Wrap the stem with silver cord. Use pins to secure the ends.

Michele Cheplic writes about red-hot celebrities in POP CULTURE, fiery topics in PARENTS, sizzling recipes in FOOD, calorie burning exercises in FITNESS, and hot new kid-friendly crafts in FUN. Check out all of her articles here.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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