It is that time of year again. The time of year that pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns start popping up in windows and on porches.  Sometimes taking a knife to your pumpkin just won’t cut it (excuse the pun). Either you are not too handy with a knife, you are a klutz with said knife (like me), or you are just to young to use a knife (such as my two year old daughter). Whatever be the reason, here are some ideas to make a statement with your pumpkins this year.

If you have a little one, let them join in in the fun. Set up a “paint station”. By using non-toxic paint they can go crazy!

At some point during painting, my daughter decided that using her fingers was a lot easier than the paint brush. Make sure that your children are wearing a paint shirt or clothes you do not mind getting dirty! Also to save the surface they are painting on, take a paper or plastic bag or newspaper and tape it down with painters tape. That way their work station will not move.

Another idea for older kids (or mom) is to take fabric puffy paint and using dots, “dot” a design on your pumpkin.

Taking a pencil, lightly draw on your design. I chose to do lots of swirls. Next, using your puffy paint, carefully make dots covering your entire design. Make sure you let your paint dry before moving. Otherwise, your dots will smear and you will not have the desired affect. You could also use gold or black thumb tacks to outline your design.

Another simple way to decorate a pumpkin without using a knife would be to tape off a design (such as the traditional jack-o-lantern face) and spray paint the entire pumpkin. After the spray paint dries, carefully peel off the tape.

Need more ideas using pumpkins? Check out Kat’s article on Decorating with Pumpkins!