We scoured our archives to round up our favorite pumpkin decorating ideas.
Jason Donnelly
We’ve shared a lot ofpumpkin ideassince we first published our magazine 102 years ago.
Cooking, decorating, andgrowing pumpkinswe’ve covered it all.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
Detail-Oriented
Matthew Benson
Channel your innerProject Runwaycontestant with these ribbon-wrapped pumpkins.
Theyre easy to makeno carving tools required.
Cut lengths of ribbon and trim to wrap from stem to bottom.
Credit:Matthew Benson
Then apply quick-setting glue along the pumpkins natural ribs to adhere the trim.
Leaf It Out
Pete Krumhardt
Decorate your doorstep with a design that works all season.
To keep the stem intact, open and clean the pumpkin from the bottom.
Credit:Pete Krumhardt
Fall for Foraging
Tree huggers, rejoice!
The materials list for this nature-inspired pumpkin display is down-to-earth, literally.
Collect leaves, dried flowers, and sticks.
Credit:Kelsey Hansen
Glue your natural materials on pumpkins to create different patterns and shapes.
Fresh-Cut Flowers
Kelsey Hansen
Turn to yourlate-season bloomsas inspiration for these etched floral motifs.
Add detail by etching away just the skin in some spots and carving completely through the rind in others.
Credit:Dane Tashima
Fringe Forward
Dane Tashima
Do you love to throwa boo bash?
Tinsel wigs (on Amazon) turn these gourds into party animals.
Cut a hole in the wig to slip over the stem and give it a trim.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
For eyes, use table tennis balls with black sticker pupils and halved mini cupcake liners as eyelids.
Cut teeth from craft foam and secure everything with glue dots.
Making Faces
These ghouls just want to have fun.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
Once dry, remove paper towels and the cutouts.
Let Me Go!
Jostle your funny bone with this jack-o- lantern that just captured a skeleton.
Credit:Adam Albright
Carve the word and eyes using our templates, then add posableskeleton handsfrom a Halloween store.
Trace the stencil onto your squash.
Etch the teeth and round border, then carve away the eyes, nose, and cheeks.
Credit:Carson Downing
Wind a toy snake through the eye sockets to up the fear factor.
Pick a Blue Hokkaido squash or Hungarian blue pumpkin for a bone-gray base.
Paint pumpkin with a 2:1 blend of decoupage medium and water, then apply shapes.
Credit:Kara Whitten
Color Pops
Kara Whitten
These 80s-inspired gourdsare totally tubular.
Useacrylic painton faux pumpkins so they last from year to year.
Color-block, then add geometric details.
Credit:Carson Downing
Abstract Artistry
Express your Jackson Pollock side with these splattered squash.
Check Mates
Jim Franco
Checkerboard print is a classicand adds a little spirit to these stoop-sitters.
The simple cutouts, when grouped in patterns, create a satisfying, clean-lined look.
Credit:Jim Franco
Sophisticated Spiders
Embrace simplicity with thesenot-so-creepy crawlers.
A sleek white base is the perfect backdrop for thin-legged wire spiders.
When night falls, theyll light up your porchthe spiders bodies are made with LED string lights.
Credit:Adam Albright
Here are some pumpkin facts and findings:
