Okay, you've gone to the farm and done the hayrides, mazes, games and activities and found yourself the PERFECT pumpkin (or you went to a local fresh market and bought one, same difference) and now it's time to carve and/or decorate it into a beautiful jack-o-lantern! Super exciting, right!? Until you remember you're giving your small children knives, things are about to get super messy and tears are bound to be involved. Or maybe your kids are older and are excited to get to use carving tools this year... so they line up their design, start poking the holes and accidentally make a wrong cut... insert tears! Here are some easy, cheap ideas to decorate your pumpkins and still have a blast!
1. Pumpkin Decorating Contest: Take a basket and walk around your house, paying careful attention to items in your junk drawer, scraps from old crafting items that you swore you'd use again, raid your crafting cabinet and don't forget the bowl in your laundry room with random items that fell out of pockets. Now, put this bucket in the middle of the table, give a time limit (I'd recommend 20-30 mins) and let the family get creative! Be sure to assign a judge or ask a neighbor or grandparent to come by and be the unbiased judge and watch your family have a blast!
** If you need more ideas, think markers, sequins, felt, pipe cleaners, lipstick, nail polish, thumbtacks, washy tape, socks, google eyes, etc. You could even go outside and collect different colored leaves, acorns, pine cones, sticks, etc.
Total Cost: $0
2. Paint Your Pumpkins: If you have a stash of paint laying around from old projects or even non-toxic finger paints for the little ones, pull them out! You could paint the entire pumpkin a solid color and decorate over it (or carve it if you dare!), allowing little ones to use stickers you may have lying around the house or you can make your own stamps using a sponge and a cookie cutter! Just take a marker and trace the cookie cutter onto the sponge and cut it out. If your little one needs a handle yet, you can glue an old toilet paper roll, bottle cap from a plastic water bottle, or a dried out marker lid that you were going to toss anyways to the back of the sponge! Easy peasy!
Total Cost: $0
3. Cookie Cutter Carving: All right, this one is going to take some muscle... and a hammer. Are you ready? You will need some METAL cookie cutters of your choosing and a hammer - sorry to repeat myself, but it is also a tool here! If you like this idea but do not have metal cookie cutters I saw a couple of 2-packs in the Halloween section at Walmart for under $2. Decide where you'd like your cookie cutters to go, line it up on your pumpkin, and gently tap the top, bottom, and sides so that the cookie cutter doesn't need to be held in place. Slowly (and gently) work your way hammering in the cookie cutter until it goes all the way through. Repeat with as many cookie cutters as desired. If you have a younger kiddo that wants to use this method but you aren't comfortable handing over a hammer, you could try a rubber mallet.
Total Cost: $1.44 for 2 cookie cutters, Free if you already have some! 
4. Pumpkin Pushins: Pushins are wooden pieces that can be pushed into a pumpkin with most of the image sticking out... like cat or bat ears, a tail, arms, wings, etc. I also saw these for sale at Walmart on my visit today, however if you don't want to pay for them you could easily make your own using wooden skewers and felt, card stock paper, popsicle sticks, etc.
Total Cost: $2.97- $3.87 depending on which you choose, Free if you create your own!
5. Pumpkin Surface Carving Kit: Okay, this final one was another discovery I made while at, you know it, Walmart. With this kit, you don't actually cut into the pumpkin, but rather scoop out about a half an inch or so of the skin! I haven't seen this before, but thought it really is quite genius! If you wanted to take it a step further and really build a scene, you could do a surface carving and then paint the image!
Total Cost: $3.87
So there you have it! Five creative ways to handle your pumpkin this season! What's your favorite way to decorate your pumpkin? What are you interested in trying? I hope I've sparked a little creativity in your day!
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