Halloween Decor: Ideas for Carving and Painting Pumpkins

crafts • me • arts & entertainment • holidays

by Jessica Caldiero on October 27th, 2018 | No Comments »

Halloween Decor—Have you been pumpkin shopping? Local pumpkin patches abound and even the grocery stores are offering more of a selection than just your average round orange guy.

If your kids are like mine, they want to get the perfect pumpkin as early into the Halloween season as possible, and then rush home to the carving supplies as soon as possible. The problem with that (beyond the fact that I am not a fan of the mess and smell involved with cutting up those gourds), is that the earlier you slice into your pumpkins, the more decomposed your pumpkins will be by the time trick-or-treaters come calling. Where is the balance between childish excitement and practical decorating? Paint! Weeks ago, we enjoyed a fun family day at the pumpkin patch, even with the dog.

We spent over an hour having a fun family moment and everyone was able to find their perfect pumpkin, or two or three. They even had bales of hay for $7.00! When we got home, we pulled out the paint and stencils that we had previously picked out at the craft store. Acrylic paint is key to sticking to the pumpkin. The thinner the stencil the easier it is to work with, think beyond the typical Halloween items too. Why not have a western-themed pumpkin? This seemed perfect for my horse-loving daughter!

For the more traditional look, crafts stores are currently filled with Halloween stencils. Add some black paint and you have the perfect traditional pumpkin!

Add it all together, with flower containers of different sizes, and you have a Halloween display that everyone in the family will be proud of!

When do you usually carve your pumpkins — weeks or days before Halloween? Do you carve or paint your pumpkins? What pumpkin designs are your favorite?

Jessica Caldiero is am a stay at home mom of two beautiful red head girls (9 and 5). Her husband’s career in finance has had them changing locations and companies more times than they ever imagined! The blogging world has allowed her to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where their current location is.

She loves to find tips and tricks to help her keep my head above water, and save money while she manages their busy household. They all seem to ask each other, “how do you do it?!” as they struggle along. Although she doesn't don’t feel like she is doing it well every day, she is trying her best as she clears the clutter out of their home and lives. How do you keep the clutter cleared from your lives?