This October, decorate your porch or lawn with a carved pumpkin! You’ll need a carving knife, a wooden spoon, a pencil, and a cordless drill with various-sized drill bits. Try these crafty pumpkin ideas if you haven’t set one out yet.

Carve a Pattern: Instead of carving a creepy face, try a tasteful pattern to add Halloween cheer to your porch. Turn standard Halloween pumpkins into decorative votive holders that are embellished with polka-dot cutouts, or other patterns you choose. The possible patterns are endless, and kids will love the chance to be creative.

Etched Pumpkin: Etching will leave an artful and tasteful design on your pumpkin without having to carve out the insides. Leaving the pumpkin intact will also help it last much longer. Finish with a coat of petroleum jelly or vegetable oil to protect the pumpkin’s exposed flesh.

Illuminating Fall Leaf Pumpkin: To create an illuminating Halloween pumpkin, first, find your favorite leaf design. Using a pumpkin-carving tool, cut out the traced leaf design. Cut the bottom off a pumpkin, and remove the seeds and pulp. Cut pieces of yellow vellum, and pin them to the inside of the pumpkin over the leaf openings. Add a battery-operated candle.

Message Pumpkin: This carving idea is definitely not for beginner-pumpkin carvers. First, create your message on a computer program using the font of your choice. Then, print out your template and tape it to your pumpkin, using a needle to imprint the font outline onto the pumpkin’s skin.

Pumpkin Face: Stick to geometric shapes with clear outlines, like squares, circles, stars, and triangles. A triangle nose is easy and classic. Freehand this simple design, or cut templates using a computer and printer.

And don’t forget to join us for our Pumpkin Painting Class for Kids on October 29^th at 10 A.M. Call to reserve your spot today!