Genius Pumpkin Decorating Ideas to Try This Halloween

From pumpkin recipes and spiced beverages to jack-o'-lanterns and mums, everyone knows that fall and pumpkins are practically synonymous. You might not know, though, that you can truly transform the bright orange seasonal staple into absolutely anything you please, from lanterns to votives to, yes, even a wood-burning stove. Let your crafting skills shine this October 31 and think outside the box with these genius Halloween pumpkin decorating ideas.

Be it a monogrammed front porch fixture, adorable DIY animals, or prize ribbons made from mini pumpkins. Make downright gourd-geous decor for the inside of your home, too—you’ll want to leave the pumpkin bookshelf tree, staircase liners, and pumpkin-carved flames for your fireplace on display all season long.

As always, we had to throw in the most refined and rustic country touches, including a Mason jar pumpkin lookalike, a cross-stitch pumpkin, and best, of all, a quilted pumpkin—enough said. Whether you go with one of the multiple classic pumpkin carving ideas or opt for an easy painted pumpkin, your gourds will give neighbors pumpkin to talk about. In addition to these pumpkin decorations, try your hand at one of these wickedly wonderful Halloween decorating ideas. You porch, party, and seasonal decor will be the talk of the town!

These DIY shimmering leaves look great on blue-hued or green pumpkins such as Jarrahdale, Blue Doll, Blue Moon, and Fairytale.

To make: Attach silver leaf with sizing to one side of fake or real leaves (alternatively, you can spray paint leaves silver). Once dry, spray adhesive spray on the back of the leaves and attach to pumpkins.

Little hands will love helping create this sweet little gourd cottage and keeping an eye out for the gnomes that are surely going to move in.

To make: Cut a hole in the bottom of a medium-size blue Hubbard squash; scoop out the pulp and seeds. Cut out the door and circular door window. Etch lines in the door with a linoleum carving tool, and insert toothpicks (shortened if necessary) to create window muttons. Lightly draw flower design on either side of door with a pencil, and use linoleum carving tool to etch out. Insert the door into the opening and hold in place with toothpicks. Hot-glue mini glass balls into acorn caps to create lights; attach to pumpkin with hot-glue. Cut half to two-thirds off of a wood round; attach to pumpkin, above the door to create an awning.

Cut a hole in the bottom of a small brown or green acorn squash; scoop out the pulp and seeds. Cut a circular window, and insert toothpicks (shortened if necessary) to create window muntins. Lightly draw flower design around window with a pencil, and use linoleum carving tool to etch out. Stack pumpkins and add wood round steps and ginkgo leaves.

Three different night sky scenes will light up your front porch or party table with seasonally appropriate motifs.

Harvest Moon: Cut a hole in the bottom of a medium heirloom pumpkin; scoop out the pulp and seeds. Cut a round opening in the front of the pumpkin. Cut a piece of white vellum paper that is just larger than the hole and draw the craters of the moon on it with a gray paint pen. Center the vellum to the inside of the pumpkin and attach it with straight pins. Attach a few lengths of twine around the opening with hot-glue. Wrap a bundle of dry wheat or grass with twine, and attach to the pumpkin with hot-glue.

Crescent Corn Moon: Cut out a crescent moon shape from a piece of cardboard. Remove the kernels from a few ears of flint corn, and attach to cardboard with hot- glue. Glue a piece of colorful twine around the edge of the moon to cover up the cardboard. Glue a loop of twine to the back of the cardboard, and loop around the stem of a pumpkin to hang.

Stars and Constellations: Cut a hole in the bottom of a medium heirloom pumpkin; scoop out the pulp and seeds. Lightly draw constellation shapes with a pencil. Using an awl or electric drill with a small bit, drill main points along the constellations. Thread orange waxed twine between the points with a large-eye sewing needle. Use a large and medium drill bit to create single stars and a linoleum carving tool to create starbursts.

What's more country than a warm and cuddly quilt—even if it's made with tape!

Make the pumpkin: Draw a quilt pattern on a piece of scratch paper. Cut lengths of washi tape to fit pattern, attaching them to a medium-size white pumpkin as you go.

We've brought old school country to the pumpkin! Get your paint pens out and get drawing.

Make the pumpkin: Lightly draw a stencil pattern around the center of a medium- size white pumpkin. Use black, orange, and yellow paint pens to cover drawing.

Layer different colors, widths, and patterns of washi tape to create a simple plaid pattern.

Make the pumpkin: Layer different colors and widths of washi tape vertically and horizontally on a medium-size orange pumpkin to create a plaid pattern.

Raid the craft closet to create these fun reverse painted pumpkins.

Make the pumpkin: Lay down lengths of painter’s tape, overlapping the lengths so they stick to one another, on a self-healing mat, creating a “sheet” that is slightly larger than the image you wish to create. Draw desired image (we did a lantern, cat’s face, and headstone) on tape. Cut out drawing using an X-Acto knife. (You can go back and add details such as the cat’s eyes, RIP, and lightning bolts later using a paint pen.) Carefully adhere cutouts to the pumpkin, being sure the edges are pressed down firmly. Cover pumpkin stem with painter’s tape. Paint pumpkin with black spray paint; allow to dry completely. Once dry, carefully remove painter’s tape. Add details with paint pen and lengths of black pipe cleaners with hot-glue for cat’s whiskers.

Wrapped in gauze with differing sized eyes, you better watch these little stinkers. They might just wiggle over and steal some candy.

Make the pumpkin: Wrap a small white pumpkin with strips of gauze, holding strips in place where necessary with hot-glue. Attach two differently sized black buttons with hot-glue to create eyes. Tack down a length of thin black twine with staple-gun staples to create a mouth.

Pretty enough to eat this stacked pumpkin just requires buttons and load of hot-glue.

Make the pumpkin: Stack three flat orange pumpkins. Attach buttons of varying shapes and sizes—yellow on the bottom pumpkin; orange on the middle pumpkin, and white on the top pumpkin—with hot-glue to create a candy corn shape.

This sweet button pumpkin is guaranteed to not scare anyone!

Make the pumpkin: Lightly draw “BOO!” on a pumpkin. Outline the letters by chiseling out a small amount of pumpkin. Attach small black buttons in outline with hot-glue.

Channel the 60's with these yarn art beauties.

Make the pumpkin: Lightly draw a leaf pattern on a pumpkin (in our example, the white pumpkin is a maple leaf and the orange pumpkin is an oak leaf). Press 3/4-inch nails halfway into the pumpkin at the points and dips in the leaf. Wrap yarn around nails, working across the leaf to fill in the center. Insert nails in the center of the leaf as desired, and wrap with a second color yarn to create “veining.” Wrap outside nails with a second or third color of yarn to outline the leaves.

Modern quilt squares made from washi tape come together to make this oh-so-country pumpkin.

Make the pumpkin: Starting in the center of a large white pumpkin, cut lengths of washi tape to create a square. Use a thinner width of a second color of tape to make another square within the first one. Add a square of tape in the center, and top with a smaller square. Continue making squares, varying the designs as you go.

Two common craft supplies, paint and a paint brush, are all it takes to make this visually arresting whitewashed pumpkin.

Make the pumpkin: Use a flat craft brush and off-white acrylic paint to whitewash a Jarrahdale pumpkin, allowing the paint to streak and not fully cover the pumpkin.

So simple and so impactful turn a plain-ole pumpkin into a colorful display.

Make the pumpkin: Fully cover a small or medium pumpkin vertically with lengths of washi tape. Once covered, attach a piece of twine around the base of the stem, holding it in place with hot glue.

Shop the sewing section to create this sweet pumpkin.

Make the pumpkin: Attach lengths of sewing trim to the top and bottom of a pumpkin, allowing it to sit in the pumpkin’s natural grooves, with hot-glue

Braided lengths of soft yarn will keep you pumpkin warm come October 31.

Make the pumpkin: Glue four strands of yarn together and to the top of the pumpkin just below the stem with hot-glue. Braid stands together, using two strands per plait. Glue braid to the bottom of the pumpkin with hot-glue. Repeat, spacing braids about one-inch apart, until covered.

Creepy crawly spiders love to make home in a pumpkin adorned with a rickrack web.

Make the pumpkin: Attach horizontal lengths of large gray rickrack around the top three-fourths of a medium-size white pumpkin with hot-glue. Attach vertical lengths, allowing them to sit in the pumpkin’s natural grooves, with hot-glue. Attach mini plastic spiders with hot glue.

No carving necessary to create this sweet pumpkin face.

Make the pumpkin: Lightly draw a simple pumpkin face on a pumpkin. Use lengths of black rickrack to cover the drawing, attaching it with hot-glue. Attach small white buttons to the corner of each eye with hot-glue. Cut pumpkin-shaped leaves from green felt and lengths of green rickrack to create tendrils; attach at the base of the pumpkin stem with hot-glue.

An extra large pumpkin makes a perfect home for a witch hat made from buttons, string, and ribbon. Display on the front porch with a mini broom and bowl of candy!

Make the Pumpkin: Lightly draw a witch hat on a large white pumpkin. Attach thin black twine along drawing with hot-glue. Attach a length of twine in a zigzag pattern down the point of the hat with hot-glue. Attach medium-size buttons on top of string at even intervals and where the zigzag meets the outline with hot-glue.

Is he friendly or is he not?!?! With rickrack spool bolts how could he be anything other than sweet & cuddly.

Make the pumpkin: Cut a length of extra-large black rickrack. Cut a piece of black felt the same length and attach it to the rickrack so that only the bottom “ruffles” are showing. Attach the top of a flat-shaped heirloom pumpkin for hair. Attach two small black buttons to the center of the pumpkin with hot-glue for eyes. Attach a length of thick black cording above the eyes with hot-glue for eyebrow. Attach lengths of medium-size black rickrack to pumpkin with hot-glue for scar and mouth. Wrap two wooden spools with green rickrack and attach to the bottom sides of pumpkin with hot-glue for bolts.

Wrap and oblong pumpkin with large black rickrack to create the wires of a spooky birdcage. Friendly crow friend optional!

Make the pumpkin: Remove the stem from a large oblong pumpkin; reserve. Attach lengths of large rickrack to the top and bottom of the pumpkin, spacing evenly, with hot-glue. Attach two double layers of large rickrack horizontally at the bottom and top third with hot-glue. Fashion a door from black pipe cleaner, and attach lengths of rickrack to the back; wedge under one of the vertical lengths of rickrack. Attach pumpkin stem to the center of a black ceiling light canopy, and place on top of pumpkin. Hot-glue a toy crow to the pumpkin and set on a black plate or cake stand.

Creepy spider made from buttons, string, and pipe cleaners slither about pumpkins. The very idea is sure to make your skin crawl!

Make the pumpkin: Thread red string through the holes of a large or medium-size black button in a crisscross pattern; knot or glue in the back to hold in place. Cut eight 1- to 2-inch lengths of black pipe cleaner and glue to the back of the button with hot glue with four on each side; shape into legs. Attach a smaller black button with hot-glue to make a head. Repeat as desired. Attach a black string to the back of the larger button with hot-glue, and hang spider around stem or attach directly to a pumpkin with hot-glue.

A full moon watches over a swarm of bats in this farm scene painted pumpkin.

Make the pumpkin: Lay a large oblong pumpkin on its side and lightly draw a line the length of the pumpkin one-third of the way from the bottom. Lightly draw a farm scene (barn, windmill, moon, tractor, and hay bales) above the line. Paint the bottom third of the pumpkin with black acrylic paint, using the line as a guide. Use a white paint pen to color in the moon. Use a gray paint pen to add detail to the moon, if desired. Use black paint pen to color in the scene, free handing corn stalks and flying bats.

This pretty pumpkin will look right at home on your holiday table or lining a kitchen shelf.

Make the pumpkin: Separate sections of lace trim or use flower appliqués and attach to pumpkins with hot-glue.

If you can't get enough of mason jars, you'll love this idea. Remove the stem of a medium pumpkin and set it aside. Use wired twine to spell out “fall” and hot-glue to the pumpkin. Paint the pumpkin and twine with light blue craft paint. Let dry completely. Place a 9-to-10-inch tart pan upside down on the pumpkin. Hot-glue the stem to the center of the pan.

Here's a prop that looks like it was taken from the vintage candy store of our dreams! Who knew pumpkins could be used for so many fun, fall-centric purposes?

Make the Dispenser: Trace the bottom of a glass bowl or storage container onto the front of a medium pumpkin. Cut out around tracing then scoop out pulp and seeds. Insert bowl, making the hole slightly bigger if necessary. Attach a piece of thick rope around the edge of the bowl with hot-glue. Fill bowl with candy.

Remove the stem from a small delicata squash and set it aside. Hot-glue small wood rounds on the top and bottom of the squash. Wrap the squash with yarn, overlapping to keep it in place. Hot-glue the stem in the center of the top wood round.

Here's one decoration idea that'll bring you right back to your childhood! Inspired by Candy Dots, this sweet, retro-looking pumpkin is anything but ordinary.

Make the Pumpkin: Paint metal pushpins with blue, pink, and yellow nail polish. Once dry, insert into a small white pumpkin as shown.

Vintage wrappers and a bit of Mod Podge brings these pumpkins to life. They're so cute, we could just eat them up!

Make the Pumpkins: Print copies of candy labels from Pinterest; cut into 1-inch strips. Attach to pumpkins using Mod Podge, working to line up the design as best as possible.

This sweet "cake," looks almost good enough to eat. To make this pumpkin, start by using white craft paint to paint a drippy-looking glaze on a Musquee de Provence pumpkin, which naturally mimics the shape of a bundt. Display your delicious looking creation on a cake stand along with a mini pumpkin prize ribbon.

You've already seen so many of the same pumpkin carvings year after year. Here's one that'll really throw you—and your guests—for a loop!

Make the Honeycomb Pumpkin: Cut a hole in the bottom of a medium orange pumpkin; scoop out pulp and seeds. Draw a honeycomb pattern on the front; etch out. Cut out a few of the combs and paint the remaining combs with yellow craft paint. Lean a honey dipper against its side.

Tear or cut a patchwork patterned fabric into small squares. Working one square at a time, brush Mod Podge on the fronts and backs of squares with a craft brush. Attach them to the pumpkin, brushing more Mod Podge on top. Repeat, overlapping squares as you go, until pumpkin is covered.

Sure, it can't actually churn butter—but who cares? This unbelievably cute decoration will delight your fellow country-dwelling guests.

Make the Churn: Remove the stem from a large white pumpkin. Draw a vintage-looking number and an oval around it on the front of the pumpkin with a pencil. Attach blue twine over drawing with hot-glue. Create two stripes on the top of the pumpkin with blue washi tape. Glue a 1" dowel where the stem was.

Pumpkin decorations don't have to be complicated to be lovely and sophisticated. This simple twine ball proves it.

Make the Ball: Drill a hole at edge of a wooden round; insert stick. Attach a black wire hook; hang scissors. Wrap a small pumpkin with twine and place on round. (Alternatively, you can stick faux spiders on the twine “web.”)

Use red, orange, yellow, green, and blue craft paint to paint stripes on small white pumpkins. Once dry, spray the pumpkin with a spray adhesive and sprinkle with clear glitter. Cover a 3-inch-high rectangular cardboard box in colorful craft paper. Poke 2-inch holes, corresponding to the number of pumpkins you have and spacing evenly, in the top of the box. Place snow cone paper holders in holes and fill halfway with white sand. Place pumpkins on top.

Bet you've never seen a pumpkin craft idea as fun—or creative—as this one! Here, vintage soda labels take center stage.

Make the Bottles: Print copies of soda labels from Pinterest; cut out. Pop off stems of small butternut squash. Spray-paint squash brown or green. Once dry, add band of washi tape around center. Attach cut out with Mod Podge. Attach stem to mini tart mold with hot-glue; place on squash.

Okay, so maybe it doesn't exactly work. But we're pretty sure we'd use this pumpkin scale anyway.

Make the Scale: Cut a large hole in back of a medium pumpkin; scoop out pulp and seeds. Remove all flesh so it’s light enough to hang. Trace scale template on pumpkin, sizing up or down as needed. Etch out where indicated. Paint over remaining design with black oil pen. Attach peel-and-stick numbers. Drill holes in two sides of large ice scoop. Attach two equal lengths of chain with small S hooks. Attach third length to handle; attach to bottom of pumpkin with T-pins. Drill small hole in top of pumpkin. Cut a 1" dowel the width of inside top of pumpkin. Tie rope around dowel, insert dowel in pumpkin, and feed rope through hole; hang.

Tickets, please! Begin by separating a roll of raffle tickets into individual tickets. One ticket at a time, brush glossy Mod Podge on fronts and backs with a paint brush. Attach to a pumpkin, and continue to add more, overlapping them as you go and finishing with Mod Podge on top. Repeat until the entire pumpkin is covered.

You love pumpkin season. You love Mason jars. Think about it: This craft's an obvious choice!

Make the Jars: Print pumpkin and apple templates on removable tattoo paper. Attach to small white pumpkins per package directions. Remove the stems from pumpkins. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit into the opening of a wide-mouth Mason jar ring. Attach a round of gingham fabric, centering it, to the cardboard. Glue pumpkin stems in centers. Attach lids to tops of pumpkins.

Your pumpkins will take the top prize when you deck them out with this winning idea.

For each ribbon, cut two paper rounds—one two inches and one one and one-half inches larger than a mini pumpkin—from paper in the color of your choice.

Next, trim the edge of the small circle with pinking shears. Place the smaller circle in the center of the larger circle and attach with craft glue. Cut two rectangular strips of the same color paper and notch the bottoms. Add a decorative border using a gold or silver paint pen. Glue rectangles to the back of the larger circle, overlapping at the top center, but angling out at the bottom.

Cut a third circle, about one a half-inch smaller than the pumpkin; use a small hole punch to make a hole in the center and add a decorative border with the corresponding color paint pen. Hot-glue large circles and tails to the back of pumpkin and thread small circle over the stem (use hot-glue to hold in place, if necessary).

Here's a way to play with your favorite season! We love using this sweet craft for your next family game night.

Make the Game: Paint 32 squares on a large (roughly 30-inch) wood board with burnt orange craft paint. Use mini white and orange pumpkins as game pieces.

What's better than pumpkins, you ask? A pumpkin with more pumpkins in it, naturally!

Make the Basket: Cut off the top quarter of a flat pumpkin (this is a Musquee de Provence variety); scoop out pulp and seeds. Attach lengths of grapevine just below the opening with T-pins. Attach a grapevine handle just inside the opening with T-pins. Nestle mini pumpkins in the basket.

Wrap a pumpkin with bulky yarn, overlapping the yarn to keep it in place, and covering as much as desired. Thread knitting needles through the yarn for a fitting finishing touch.

How adorable is this? We can't think of a better way to show off your apple picking finds.

Make the barrel: Cut off the top quarter of an extra-large pumpkin; scoop out pulp and seeds. Hot-glue three strips of ribbon around outside of pumpkin. Stuff pumpkin three-fourths full with Poly-Fil. Insert burlap fabric into the opening and fold over outside of pumpkin; hold in place with upholstery tacks. Fill with apples or desired items.

The best part of this fun craft? You don't have to write "come on in"—include whatever message makes you happiest!

Make the Sign: Cut a large hole in back of an oblong pumpkin; scoop out pulp and seeds. Remove flesh so it's light enough to hang. Etch outline of desired phrase on long side of pumpkin. Color center of letters with a black oil-based paint pen. Paint two 2" by 1" boards black; once dry, use white paint for desired phrases. Hang from bottom of pumpkin with chain. Cut hole in oblong top of pumpkin. Cut 1" dowel the width of the top inside of pumpkin (parallel with words). Tie rope around dowel, and feed rope through hole; hang.

Okay, so this isn't a pumpkin, but it might be the cutest decorated squash we've seen. Start by adding stripes to a red Hubbard squash, which naturally mimics the shape of a hot-air balloon. Use varying colors of electrical tape and overlap as necessary to create desired width. Next, thread string through a mini basket and attach to the pointy end of the squash with a nail or thumbtack. Fill basket three-fourths full with plastic packing material as this will keep it from getting too heavy. Then, top with mini pumpkins. Finish by inserting a hook into the stem end of the squash; tie rope around the hook to hang.

This creative idea doubles as a game you can play with your kids! Start by cutting large holes in the bottom of two pumpkins; scoop out the pulp and seeds. Download and trace the face template on the pumpkins, then cut out the faces. Stack the pumpkins and use skewers to help hold the top pumpkin in place. To play, toss beanbags into mouths—10 points for bottom, 20 points for top.

Trace the Wagoneer template on plaid fabric, scaling up or down as necessary, and cut out; attach to a pumpkin with small map tacks. Cut the wood panel from wood grain-patterned Duck Tape, and attach to the wagon. Use hot-glue to attach silver cording to the wagon to outline the windows and wood panel. Glue a small spiral of cording to create the gas cap and a zigzag to create the bumpers. Hot-glue small wood slices for the wheels and small twigs to the roof to create the roof rack. Top with a toy canoe and oars.

Hop to it! First, download our ears and top nose templates and trace on gray felt. Feel free to scale up or down as necessary to fit your pumpkin. Then, cut out. Trace nose “button” on pink felt, again, scaling up or down as necessary and cut out. Hot-glue pink nose button on the center of a white pumpkin. Use craft glue to attach twigs from wheat stalks to the back of the gray nose top; glue on top of pink button, overlapping slightly. Outline the bottom of the nose with brown twine, using hot-glue to attach. Attach ears and acorn tops for eyes with hot-glue.

Let those classic Pendleton patterns inspire these motifs, all created with colorful washi tape.

Get the templates.

Tear corn husks (or tamale wrappers, if you'd like) into one-fourth to one-half-inch strips. Cover a pumpkin in the color of your choice with strips, hot-gluing in place on the top and bottom. Hot-glue smaller strips around the stems of pumpkins. You'll need about 25 strips for a small pumpkin and 75 for a large pumpkin.

Scale the dartboard template up or down as necessary. Use template to cut 10 triangles from white contact paper and 10 triangles from black contact paper. Adhere to the pumpkin, lining up the edges, as shown above. Use template to cut rings from black, red, and green contact paper. Adhere the large black ring on the outside of the triangles, overlapping the edges slightly. Adhere the red ring along the inside edge of the black ring, overlapping edges slightly. Adhere the green ring on the dartboard. Use the template to cut small circles from green and red contact paper; adhere to the center of the board. Hot-glue silver cording along the seams of the white and black triangles. Adhere white vinyl stick-on numbers on the black ring. Add darts as desired.

Photograph your subject from the side. Scale photo as needed, then cut out profile. Trace and cut profile from black craft paper. Using Mod Podge, adhere cutout to a white paper circle cut to fit interior of a black doily. Secure unit to pumpkin. Glue trim to edge of white paper.

Begin by running green twine in the creases of a medium and small pumpkin, using hot glue to hold it in place at the tops and bottoms. Cut pointy collars (on a tomato, this is technically called a “sepal”) from green felt and attach with hot glue. Wrap a piece of twine around the stem of the small pumpkin and hang from the stem of the medium one. Insert metal food picks to mimic pins.

Start with a white pumpkin, such as a "Lumina." Cut out the design from our template to create a stencil of desired quilt pattern. Tape the stencil to the pumpkin and use a foam stencil paintbrush and acrylic paint to create the pattern. Repeat as desired. Take note: You don't have to put your pumpkins out to pasture once Halloween is over. Display your handiwork year after year with artificial, carvable pumpkins.

A produce section staple this time of year, acorn squash is an obvious pick to mimic the classic nut, so squirrel away this easy idea. Cut a 4-foot piece of thin tan twine, and attach one end near the stem of the squash with a small map tack; wrap the twine around the top third of the squash, applying hot-glue intermittently. Adhere end with hot-glue, and trim excess twine.

No cabin evening is complete without a roaring fire. To assemble yours, cut a hole in the bottom of an extra-large pumpkin, and scoop out pulp and seeds. Trace the door template on the pumpkin, scaling up or down as necessary. Chisel out the outline, and use a knife to cut out the windowpanes. Paint the pumpkin (excluding chiseled section) black. Fill with sticks longer than the hole, and top with battery-operated tea lights. Remove the stems from four small pumpkins, and paint pumpkins black; place stove pumpkin on top. Rest a piece of solid, expandable drain pipe over the stem; attach pipe to the wall or ceiling to help it stay upright.

Start with two small white pumpkins or paint regular pumpkins a matte white. Use a knife to remove the stem from one and stack both as shown, using wooden skewers to secure. Cut a rectangular piece of faux sheep fur (often called "Sherpa Fur") and shape into a snout, gluing ends together with fabric glue. Stitch or hot-glue pink embroidery floss onto the tip to finish the nose. Cut two triangular shaped ears from the same material and attach both nose and ears to top pumpkin using hot-glue. Wrap knobby white yarn around three fingers, three times. Slip the loops off fingers and tie one end together with a piece of yarn. Clip the opposite loops with scissors to create a tassel. Repeat until you have enough tassels to cover the top pumpkin, then attach to the top pumpkin using hot-glue. Trim as necessary. Hot-glue two horns as shown and two black buttons in place for eyes.

Remove stem from a large pumpkin. Attach two pieces of wood in an inverted "V" shape using l-brackets. Attach a triangular-shaped piece of wood in the top corners of "roof" with hot-glue; cover the wood with wood-patterned paper. Attach stem to the wood roof with hot-glue to create a chimney. Use pinecone scales to create overlapping shingles on roof (secure with hot-glue). Insert a piece of thin wire into the chimney, and wrap a puff of batting around the wire to create smoke. Rest the roof on top of the pumpkin. Create a window by gluing twigs in a 4-pane window shape. Pleat two small pieces of fabric, and hot-glue to the back of the window to make curtains. To make the door and threshold, use an l-bracket to attach two small pieces of wood perpendicular to each other. Use hot-glue to attach twigs for the door frame. Attach leaves to create a wreath. Make a "walkway" with small rocks.

Pull out a paintbrush and whip up a speckled country classic. Paint a pumpkin a crisp white. When dry, use a paintbrush and blue paint to create various-sized blobs for spatter effect as shown.

Cut a hole in the bottom of two to three pumpkins, and scoop out pulp and seeds. Trace the templates onto pumpkins. Use a knife to cut out the petals and leaves. Starting in the center of the sunflower, use hot-glue to attach different colors of twine in a spiral pattern. For the stalk, attach green twine in a tight zigzag pattern with hot-glue. Remove the stem from the bottom pumpkin(s); stack as shown.(No wilting sunflowers here! Use wooden skewers to secure your stack.)

Put a friendly face on this clever fella with playful coiled yarn. Outline face onto the surface in pencil, using image as a guide.

For eyes, hot-glue black and orange yarn in a spiral pattern directly onto pumpkin surface. Hot-glue a continuous piece of white yarn in a teardop pattern, repeating until space is filled. Outline the eyes with rust yarn as shown, then add a black yarn mouth and a black pom-pom nose.

For ears, glue felt on cover-weight paper backing. Cut into triangles, trim with rust yarn, and adhere to pumpkin with glue.

First, download and trace our fish template on the side of a mini pumpkin, scaling up or down as necessary. Chisel out the fish. Insert a mini black thumbtack for the eye. Fill a small plastic bag with water and place the pumpkin on top. Tie the bag closed with colorful twine.

Make several color copies of grain sacks, adjusting pattern size as needed. Cut the copies into 1-inch-wide strips. Using a medium-strength adhesive like Mod Podge and a wide, flat paintbrush, adhere the strips to the pumpkin, replicating the pattern as best as possible and trimming any excess as you work. Once the pattern is complete, use the same technique to cover the remaining pumpkin with plain white strips of paper. You can use this grain sack technique for any paper printout, from photocopied book pages (hello, Edgar Allan Poe!) to photos.

Turn an oblong pumpkin on its side, then trace the template. Use a potter's needle tool to indent the outline. Chisel out the truck's window and outline using a small potter's ribbon tool, then paint truck desired color using acrylic paint. Stain three mini wooden craft sticks with wood stain; cut off rounded ends (reserving two) and cut one in half. Use hot-glue to attach the sticks on truck bed (trimming as needed) to create the railing and rounded ends to create bumpers. Hot-glue buttons for wheels. Attach a toy trailer and fill with mini pumpkins. Take a trip to the hardware store to make a silo. Top a length of 6-inch semi-rigid flexible duct with a 3-inch storm collar then a 1-quart galvanized funnel (tube removed).

TIP: Before you grab those carving tools, give your pumpkin a good cleaning with a mild soap and water to help keep mold at bay.

Hang a piece of wood around a pumpkin stem to point guests to a campsite, party, or to simply say "Welcome." Download our campsite template. (Adjust template size as needed.) Trace template on a piece of wood or bark, and paint white. Drill two small holes in the top of the wood sign, and insert a piece of pliable wire to create a hanger. Hang around stem.

Because these retro relics often feature fall scenery—tree-lined trails, babbling brooks—you can find them gracing the heart-pine paneling in plenty a cabin. To create the ones you see at left, photocopy your favorite works of art (or simply Google "vintage paint by numbers" and print your favorite scenes, scaling them up or down as necessary). Cut paper printouts into half-inch strips, and attach to white pumpkins using Mod Podge. (Line up the image as best you can, taking heart in the fact that some imperfection adds charm.) Attach twig "frames" with hot-glue.

Add homespun charm to your decor with our tent and campfire. Download and print our cross-stitch patterns. (Adjust pattern size as needed.) Tape onto artificial, carvable pumpkins. (Trust us: You'll want to display these year after year.) Punch through the pattern's cross-stitch points with an awl. Use a jab saw to cut an opening in the bottom of both pumpkins large enough for your hand to work inside. Cross-stitch using a tapestry needle and yarn. For tepee support poles and campfire logs, adhere twigs with hot-glue.

Squash the pumpkin competition with this clever no-carve fella. Cut out a piece of white felt, and hand-stitch a border using brown embroidery floss. Attach two small light brown felt circles to the white felt piece with hot-glue to create nostrils. Hot-glue white felt piece to lower portion of butternut squash. For each eye, sew a dark button to a slightly larger white felt circle (use white thread to mimic the pupil of the eye) and glue to squash as shown. Download our moose ear patterns. Pin patterns to brown felt, and cut out two of each template. Use brown embroidery floss to sew matching pieces together, leaving a small opening. Insert cotton stuffing and hand-stitch closed. Hot-glue ears to top of the squash.

FOR THE HEN: Cut a hole in the bottom of a large pumpkin, and scoop out pulp and seeds. Trace the hen template. Use a knife to cut out the body and a pencil to lightly trace the comb. Paint comb with red acrylic paint. Tie together several strands of raffia and hot-glue in place to create the tail. Insert a piece of white chicken wire behind the hen's body, then adhere twigs with hot-glue to create legs and feet.

FOR THE CHICKS: Trace the chick template onto a smaller whole pumpkin. Use a potter's needle to indent the outline, then chisel out using a potter's ribbon tool. Insert a black pushpin for the eye; adhere twigs with hot-glue for the feet.

Old MacDonald's got nothing on you! Download our cow ear and nose templates and trace on brown leather, scaling up or down as necessary, and cut out. Download our forehead pattern and trace on a corn husk, again, scaling up or down as necessary; cut out. Hot-glue ears, nose, and forehead to the bottom of a pumpkin. Be sure to place the nose just below center. Paint two pumpkin seeds with black craft paint. Hot-glue seeds for nostrils, black buttons for eyes, and dried bunny tail grass tops for horns.

Light up a trick-or-treater's way with this bright spin on a jack-o'-lantern. Cut a hole in the bottom of a large pumpkin, and scoop out pulp and seeds. Download our lantern template. (Adjust template size as needed to fit your pumpkin.) Trace the template onto pumpkin in pencil. Use a knife to cut out the "glass" portion of the lantern, then paint image desired colors. Insert armature wire into the sides of the pumpkin as shown to create a decorative handle. Place candle inside and light.

We produced this pastoral idyll by photocopying toile fabric. To re-create the effect, begin by painting a faux pumpkin with two coats of flat acrylic paint, in a shade that matches the background of your fabric; let dry. Meanwhile, photocopy the fabric in color, making enough copies to completely cover your Funkin and resizing the pattern if desired (we shrunk this one by 25 percent). Cut out individual scenes from the toile, leaving about a quarter inch of white space around each. Using our easy découpage technique, cover the entire Funkin.

Hoo-hoo wouldn't love this wide-eyed winged pal? Hot-glue two white (lumina) pumpkins together to create the head and body. For each eye, cut out a small brown felt circle, then glue a slightly smaller yellow button on top, followed by an even smaller brown button. Hot-glue eyes to top pumpkin. Create loops from a thin twig and tie in place with wax twine to create eyeglasses shape. Hot-glue fir sprigs to glasses to create eyebrows. Spray-paint two oak leaves and a baby pinecone a similar color to pumpkin. Hot-glue leaves to pumpkin to create wings and pinecone to create a nose. Make a bow tie from ¼-inch plaid ribbon. Hot-glue to pumpkin.

This pumpkin looks at home sitting under the tree that inspired its pattern. When the pumpkin is illuminated, a subtle glow adds to the elegant artistry.

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No carving required? Now that's an idea we can cozy up to! Start with a white pumpkin, such as a lumina (or paint a regular pumpkin a matte white). Wrap electrical tape in green, red, yellow, and blue around the pumpkin, taking care to make sure all lines are evenly spaced and that all seams meet in the same area. For black lines, cut 5-inch-long pieces of electrical tape in half and apply to pumpkin as shown.

How adorable is this little family? Begin by downloading and tracing our ears and nose templates on pink felt, then cut them out. Cut out inner ear pieces (they should be slightly smaller than the felt) from patterned pink craft fabric. Use craft glue to attach the paper to the felt. Hot-glue the ears and noses to the pumpkins. Paint two pumpkin seeds with black craft paint. Hot-glue seeds for eyes for mama and small black buttons for mama’s nostrils and piglets’ eyes and nostrils. Twist pink pipe cleaners in coils; hot-glue one to the back of each pumpkin to create tails.

Go with the grain! Carve out a gussied-up "false wood" gourd. Download our faux bois pattern. (Adjust pattern size as needed.) Transfer to pumpkin, and trace over lines with a carving tool.

Challenge the family to a spirited seasonal competition. Cut numbers (three “10s,” two “5s,” and one “1”) from colorful paper. Attach to small orange and white pumpkins with double-sided tape. Stack pumpkins—10s on the bottom, 5s in the middle, and 1 on top. To play, toss small wooden balls to knock down pumpkins.

Trick-or-treaters will get a real hoot out of this wide-eyed bird. Use hot-glue to secure head and body pumpkins together.

Cut out two circles (roughly the size of a cupcake liner bottom) from light brown paper and insert them into two white liners. For the pupils, add two smaller round black dots. To create lashes, cut a brown cupcake liner in half and glue each half to the side of each white liner.

Hot-glue completed eyes to the pumpkin. For wings, cut a brown and a white liner in half and paste to sides of bottom pumpkin as shown. Cut triangle beak and feet from black card stock. Glue to body.

Personalize your pumpkin with a little embroidery. Cut a hole in the bottom of a large pumpkin and scoop out pulp and seeds. Using an erasable wax pencil, draw a series of Xs to create your desired letter. (Try the alphabet tool at stitchpoint.com for inspiration.) Use a small drill bit to pierce holes at the "corners"of each X. Using a large needle, thread butcher's twine through the openings in an "x" pattern to create a cross-stitched effect.

Teach a pumpkin to recite Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" by spelling out a few lines with stick-on letters, affixing them in a spiral pattern that starts at the top. To give the dark words even more presence, first use a foam brush to cover your pumpkin with two coats of white or pale-gray acrylic paint, as we did, allowing 30 minutes of drying time per coat. For the accompanying raven, simply apply the decal to a second pumpkin.

This ode to the iconic Ball Mason jar features "fireflies" courtesy of string lights. Cut a hole in the bottom of the gourd and scoop out pulp and seeds. Tape transfer paper onto the surface, followed by our downloadable jar sketch. Trace design using a pencil; remove papers. Using an X-Acto knife, follow the transferred image to chisel the outline of the jar onto the pumpkin, then use a linoleum cutter to gently shave the surrounding area as shown. For fireflies, cut several holes with a small clay hole cutter, then illuminate with battery-powered lights.

We love this naturally brilliant idea from shopterrain.com. Just use ModPodge to découpage a white gourd with pressed leaves. You can harvest the foliage from your own backyard.

Create a tack-o'-lantern with this office store staple. Paint pumpkin desired color in a matte finish. Write letters with an erasable wax pencil, then use a hammer to tap in nailheads along the script. (The shorter the word, the more clearly it will read.)

We're over the moon for these dotted odes to country icons. Cut a hole in the bottom of a large pumpkin and scoop out pulp and seeds. Mark off a pattern with an erasable wax pencil, then use a medium drill bit to punch out a dotted outline of your image. Leave approximately the same amount of space between each hole.

Get the template.

For this modern take on a classic quilt pattern, download our motif and print out in color. Determine how many stars you'll need to span the circumference of your Funkin and make color copies of the motif, resizing if necessary.

Cut out and set aside. Paint the Funkin with two coats of flat white acrylic paint; let dry. Using our découpage technique, apply the stars in a band around the Funkin.

New York City stylist Marissa Corwin put a cheeky spin on the very word jack-o'-lantern with her three glowing silhouettes of old-school lamps. "They're a bit more sophisticated than your average spooky face—something adults can appreciate, too," she said.

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Wrap tree branch "antlers" with yarn for a colorful woodland creature. Start with a plain white pumpkin, such as Lumina. Wind yarn tightly around branches in a color-blocked pattern, using image as a guide. Secure loose yarn ends to branches with hot-glue. To insert antlers, drill two holes into the upper third of the shell, angling the drill bit down so ant-lers stick up, not out. Attach button eyes, a triangle felt nose, and pin-ched felt triangle ears with hot-glue.

Tie on country charm with this rustic fabric. Secure a strip of narrow burlap ribbon to the top of the shell using hot-glue, then run ribbon along the side of the pumpkin and secure it to the bottom with glue. Repeat as desired. Twist ribbon to add two curled tendrils at the top. Secure with hot-glue. (Wired or coiled ribbon will hold its shape best.)

Let revelers know they're at the right address by emblazoning your house number—and hometown—on pumpkins.

First, you'll need number stickers, as well as a decal in the shape of your state. Use Fiskar's star punch to mark your location on the state decal. Apply it to one pumpkin, and the numbers to another, then use a foam brush to cover both pumpkins with two coats of acrylic paint, allowing 30 minutes of drying time per coat.

Remove the decals and discard. If you'd like the numbers or state to be a different color than natural pumpkin orange, fill in using a small paintbrush and contrasting acrylic paint, as we did for the green-and-white pumpkin.

A sturdy bookcase provides the structure needed for this painted-tree idea to take root.

Step 1: Begin by experimenting with the placement of pumpkins on your shelves. Your tree should gradually widen toward the top, with multiple smaller gourds on higher shelves. Also, if there's a good deal of space between two shelves, you may need to stack pumpkins to fill it (as we did on the bottom shelf here). In that case, trim any stems that interfere with stacking stability. Concerned about the heft of pumpkins on a particular shelf? Opt for lightweight, faux Funkins.

Step 2: Using this photo as a guide, draw the outline of a tree onto the pumpkins with a felt-tip pen. Start at the bottom and branch out as you move up. (You may need to use a stepladder to reach upper shelves.)

Step 3: Working one shelf at a time, remove the pumpkins and fill in your outlines with a fine-tip brush and black flat acrylic paint. Let dry and replace pumpkins in your bookcase.

Give even the smallest gourds a cultivated air by selecting a floral fabric with a petite pattern, which will disguise overlapping seams. Our pick: a cotton calico. Photocopy the fabric in color, making enough copies to cover your Funkin. Measure the distance from the bottom center of the Funkin to the base of its stem. Cut the photocopies into strips of this length, each about one inch wide. Using our découpage technique, cover the entire Funkin with the strips, working from the base of the stem down and overlapping the paper slightly as you work.

A twinkling twist on typical carved decor. Cut a hole in the back of a large pumpkin and scoop out pulp and seeds. Coat the surface with chalkboard spray-paint and let dry; season as instructed. Use white stick chalk to mark the Big Dipper, then drill through the points with a medium drill bit. Insert a battery-powered string of lights in the constellation points. Use white chalk to connect points, and draw additional stars on pumpkin.

Paul Lowe, a New York City stylist, found inspiration in a classic toy for his celestial creation: "I wanted to mimic the look of a Lite-Brite, so I punched holes to create a simple crescent moon—shaped image, then added a string of tiny bulbs to make it glow," he said.

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Drooling yet? This food-inspired DIY is the greatest Halloween trick (and treat!) of all time—no one will be able to tell from afar that it's made from a pumpkin.

Get the tutorial at Studio DIY.

Black is the new orange! Display a spooky message or motif with this easy how-to. Coat the surface with chalkboard spray-paint. Let dry, then use a white chalk marker to add a festive phrase or illustration. Hosting a Halloween party? You can also write your menu on a pumpkin and display it on a sideboard alongside the eats.

A passel of pumpkins provides the backdrop for a quaint village scene.

Step 1: Carve a hole in the bottom of each pumpkin, scoop out the pulp, and return the cut pieces.

Step 2: Print out these house templates. Resize on a copier, scaling the images to fit your pumpkins.

Step 3: Cut out stencils as directed on the templates and affix to pumpkins with masking tape. Trace on the designs with a felt-tip pen.

Step 4: Remove stencils, then carefully carve along the drawn lines of the houses' windows with an X-Acto knife. Fill in the designs using a fine-tip brush and black flat acrylic paint; let dry. Affix a battery-operated votive candle in the base of each pumpkin with adhesive putty.

This diorama pairs materials from your own yard with an 11¼"W x 14"H black Funkin. To get started, print our carving templates; cut, as indicated, to create stencils for the tree-framed opening and moon at the back. With a felt-tip pen, trace the designs onto your Funkin, then carve. Spray-paint the Funkin's interior black; let dry one hour. Place a green Styrofoam disk inside the faux pumpkin as a base. Using our photo as a guide, stick twigs into the base to form trees, then cover the base with moss. Finally, hot-glue a wolf figurine to a rock, and set it and other rocks atop the moss.

The secret to these moth-adorned marvels? Weather-resistant vinyl decals. Show them to their best advantage against white pumpkins: Use a foam brush to cover each pumpkin with two coats of acrylic paint, allowing 30 minutes of drying time per coat, before applying decals.

This set takes the throne as the cutest no-carve pumpkin we've ever laid eyes on.

Get the tutorial at Simple as That.

You can create all of these nifty designs using acrylic paint and painter's tape. For a two-tone, dipped look, bisect a pumpkin with a strip of tape (angle the tape for a diagonal effect).

Use a foam brush to cover one section of your pumpkin with two coats of acrylic paint, allowing 30 minutes of drying time per coat. Remove the tape and discard. Stop there, or repeat the steps to add another color to your pumpkin.

To form chevron stripes—whether two or tons—link short strips of tape to make the zigzag patterns, using our photo as a guide. Use a foam brush to cover your pumpkin with two coats of acrylic paint, allowing 30 minutes of drying time per coat. Remove the tape and discard.

Clean up the edges with a cotton swab if necessary. If you'd like the second color to be different than natural pumpkin orange, fill in using a small paintbrush and contrasting acrylic paint, as we did for the black-and-white pumpkin.

Part cobweb, part creeping vine, the effect of black lace on painted pumpkins is thoroughly macabre. Begin by painting faux pumpkins; we opted for Farrow & Ball's Green Blue. Once they're dry, use our photo (left) as a guide to cut out pieces of lace; brush matte Mod Podge onto the back sides, and adhere to your pumpkins. Finish by sealing each with a topcoat of Mod Podge.

This gourd gets its graphic appeal from Pictorial Webster's—a volume filled with cool black-and-white illustrations. Choose your favorite drawings from the book (we used approximately 120 for a medium-size Funkin, or faux pumpkin), then photocopy them onto off-white cover stock paper. Next, carefully tear out each photo-copied image, leaving about half an inch of white space around it. (The rough edges will give your finished product added interest.) Using our découpage technique, cover an entire Funkin with the images, overlapping their edges as you work.

A smart alternative to pumpkin carving from artist Laura Zindel's Vermont home: Spell out a message with paint.

Savannah stylist Liz Demos skipped the carving knife and went straight for a paintbrush to fashion these graphic pumpkins. "With a stark black-and-white palette," Demos said of her trio of bold designs, "you can make any pattern, even creepy insects, look downright chic."

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Set your hearth ablaze with these pumpkin-carved flames.

Step 1: Begin by experimenting with the placement of pumpkins in your fireplace. Once you're satisfied with the arrangement, trim any stems that interfere with stacking stability, then determine how many flames each gourd should get. (Use this photo as a guide.) Note where each pumpkin goes and dismantle the arrangement.

Step 2: Carve a hole in the bottom of each pumpkin, scoop out the pulp, and return the cut pieces.

Step 3: Print out our flame templates and resize on a copier, scaling the images to fit your pumpkins.

Step 4: Cut out stencils as directed on the templates and affix to pumpkins with masking tape. Trace on the designs with a felt-tip pen.

Step 5: Remove stencils, then carefully carve along the drawn lines with an X-Acto knife. Affix a battery-operated votive candle in the base of each pumpkin with adhesive putty. Finish by restoring your arrangement.

These carvings look as if they're reaching from beyond the grave.

Step 1: Select a pair of pumpkins to form each arm-hand combo. Determine which gourd will serve as the arm (usually the taller one) and trim its stem so the other pumpkin can rest securely on top. Carve a hole in the bottoms of both, scoop out the pulp, and return the cut pieces.

Step 2: Print out our skeletal templates and resize on a copier, scaling the images to fit your pumpkins.

Step 3: Cut out stencils as directed on the templates and affix the arm stencil to the bottom pumpkin with masking tape. Trace on the design with a felt-tip pen. Repeat the process on the other pumpkin, using the hand template.

Step 4: Remove stencils, then carefully carve along the drawn lines with an X-Acto knife. Affix a battery-operated votive candle in the base of each pumpkin with adhesive.

Spell out your greeting in mini pumpkins gathered at a prominent location.

Step 1: Pencil letters on hollowed pumpkins (carve out the opening from the bottom).

Step 2: Using a drill with a half-inch bit, bore holes to form each letter.

Step 3: Hang strings of Christmas-tree lights, gathered in small bunches, to illuminate each pumpkin (unscrew bulbs where the string descends to the next row).

A shallow leaf pattern is the perfect seasonal motif for this pumpkin. Use a linoleum cutter to cut out the design, leaving small pieces to suggest leaf veins.

TIP: Don't hollow out the pumpkin if you don't want to illuminate it.

For added elegance, pick your pumpkin's theme from a china pattern. The thorny vines on this antique transferware platter suggested the delicate design on this 'Blue Hubbard' pumpkin.