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No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas for Kids

No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas for Kids

Try one of these no-carve pumpkin ideas if carving jack-o'-lanterns is something you want to avoid.


Let's face it, Halloween just isn't Halloween without jack-o'-lanterns. But with little kids in the house, carving pumpkins might be on your "to avoid" list. You could break out the paints and paint brushes and let your kids imaginations run wild. Or you could go for something a little out of the ordinary and try one of these no-carve pumpkin ideas that kids can do or help with to make your own Halloween decorations.

Michaels Kids’ Monster Pumpkin

monster pumpkin

You’ll Need

  • 1 pumpkin
  • Scissors
  • Craft glue
  • 1-inch foam brush
  • White felt
  • Black Sharpie marker
  • Black pipe cleaners
  • Green Acrylic paint
  • Large wiggle eyes
  • 10mm pompoms

Directions

  1. Paint the pumpkin with green craft paint. Let dry. Apply a second coat. Let dry.
  2. Cut out teeth from white felt and adhere using craft glue.
  3. Use craft glue to adhere wiggle eyes onto the front of the pumpkin.
  4. Use craft glue to attach pompoms around the pumpkin.
  5. Curl three chenille stems by wrapping each one around a chenille stem and pulling off. Attach pompoms to the end of each stem with craft glue and let dry.
  6. On the bottom of each chenille stem, wrap a small circle the size of the pumpkin stem. Secure the circle by wrapping the end of the stem around itself. Slide these circles onto the pumpkin stem and adjust the direction of the stems.
  7. Embellish the face with eyelashes, etc. using a Sharpie marker.

Check out other crafters’ Michaels projects and share pics of your little pumpkin monster with #MadeWithMichaels

Hardware Faces from Lowes

Lucky-Number Pumpkin

number pumpkin

What's your lucky number? Try this simple idea: Decorate a plain pumpkin with house numbers. Start with a white pumpkin. Drill pilot holes in the pumpkin to make attaching the numbers easier. Not sure which numerals to display? Use your address number, and place it near your front door to greet guests. Or, add your favorite digits and use it inside.

Goofy-Eyes Pumpkin

goofy eyes pumpkin



Want a pumpkin that will make everyone smile? Add goofy eyes with bolts and washers. Finish off the face with decorative upholstery nails for the smile and eye screws for hair.

Mr. Pumpkin Head

mr potato head pumpkin

Try using Mr. Potato Head pieces to decorate your pumpkins! Just drill holes (Mom or Dad, you may want to do this part) where the pieces will go, and let your tots push in the face.

Duct Tape Pumpkins

duct tape pumpkins

Our favorite sticky craft supply: Duct tape. There really is no way you can mess this up. Don't like what you did? Just unstick the tape and start again!

No Carve Pumpkin Animals

Experiment by making all sorts of creatures from pumpkins, squash, and other vegetables to add fun to your Halloween party. And when you have finished you can still cook and eat everything you have used! Excerpted from My First Gardening Book, Ryland Peters & Small, $14.95; rylandpeters.com

pumpkin animals

You Will Need

  • Pumpkins and squash in any shape, size, and color
  • Selection of other vegetables—carrots, Brussels sprouts, eggplants (aubergine), and zucchini (courgette) are all great
  • Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, fresh ginger root, bay leaves
  • Sharp knife
  • Chopping board
  • Toothpicks (cocktail sticks)
  • Wooden skewers

Directions

  1. Lay all your vegetables out on the table so you can see what you have. Start thinking about which animals you would like to make and play around with different arrangements to create some crazy creatures!
  2. Push one end of a toothpick (cocktail stick) into the vegetable you would like to use, such as a carrot, and then push the other end into your pumpkin.
  3. Push seeds into pumpkins to make eyebrows, teeth, nose, etc.
  4. Seeds make great spikes for hedgehogs. Push them into a squash, using the pointed top of the squash as a nose.
  5. Use a sharp knife and chopping board to cut slices of vegetables. (Remember to keep your fingers out of the way or ask an adult to help you.) The slices make great eyes when held in place with toothpicks.
  6. Push half of one of the wooden skewers into a squash to join one onto the other.
  7. Push another squash onto the rest of the skewer to join two together.
  8. Make antlers, ears, arms, and eyes by attaching vegetables to the squash with toothpicks—Brussels sprouts make great ears!
  9. Bay leaves are a good shape to use as hair or headdresses and decoration on your creatures. It is easy to push toothpicks through them, which can then be pushed into the pumpkins.

Here at NYMetroParents, we've got everything you need to have a safefun, and festive fall and Halloween season.  Whether it is pumpkin or apple picking, getting lost in a corn maze, making Halloween crafts or finding costumes and decorations, we're here to help. 

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