37 No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Ideas to Try This Halloween
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Whether you're a fall fanatic or passionate about Halloween decor, pumpkins are the go-to gourd for adding a festive and timeless look all season long. While many opt to carve jack-o'-lanterns each Halloween, the process can be messy and unsafe for children and adults with less-than-stellar knife skills. This year, why not explore a variety of creative, no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas? They foster artistic flair by swapping sharp tools for craft supplies like paint, faux flowers, felt, googly eyes, and more.
With a few basic supplies, playful imagination, and a free afternoon, you can transform a basic pumpkin into something special, such as a spooky skull, a seasonal floral display, or even a tribute to your favorite food (hello, donut pumpkins!). You can also paint your pumpkin a vibrant teal to indicate that trick-or-treaters with food allergies will find safe treats at your home. The best part? These no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas will last longer and be less attractive to critters, increasing the chances of your jack-o'-lanterns remaining intact on your front porch until October 31. If you decorate a faux pumpkin, you can even store it away for use next year!
Below, we're rounding up all the inspiration you need to elevate your Halloween display all season. Check out our favorite no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas for Halloween 2024—and don't forget to deck out your front porch and cozy up your home for fall!
Additional copy by Hadley Mendelsohn, Kelly Allen, and Arricca Elin SanSone.
Welcome Pumpkins
Write out your favorite seasonal (or evergreen) greetings, then display them on your porch to greet guests instead of a lawn sign.
Fingerprint Pumpkins
Encourage little ones to leave their mark—in more ways than one—with this clever craft. They can simply dip their finger into white paint and dot a pumpkin with fingerprints to create everything from ghosts to skulls and crossbones.
Get the tutorial at Handmade Charlotte.
Floral Moon Pumpkin
Spotlight the moon on your pumpkin this season. With a craft pumpkin and faux flowers, you can create a design you'll use to decorate your porch year after year.
Get the tutorial at The Merrythought.
Mummy Pumpkin
Head to your first aid cabinet for this mummy pumpkin—you're going to need all the bandages you can find! Truth is, this gory gourd couldn't be easier—simply wrap fabric around the entire thing, leaving a slit open in the front, then glue on a set of googly eyes to complete the look.
Get the tutorial at Everyday Reading.
Googly Eyes Pumpkins
As far as DIYs go, this is perhaps as easy as it gets. All you need to do is glue a pair of googly eyes onto your pumpkin. If you want to go more creepy than cute, glue a handful of eyes all over instead.
Neon Drip Pumpkins
Drip designs have been popular for years now, but the neon color scheme on these gourds makes them look totally fresh. To really make your design pop, give your pumpkins a fresh white base coat before using acrylic paint to create the drip effect.
Get the tutorial at A Night Owl Blog.
Pumpkin Animals
Lia Griffith always offers some of the best DIYs, and these animal pumpkins are no exception. Create a black cat, fox, or owl mask and simply attach it to a faux (or real!) pumpkin of your choice. Don't forget a felt tail!
Get the tutorial at Lia Griffith.
Corn Husk Pumpkin
Here's an easy way to give your pumpkin a new texture: Cover it in corn husks. You can use floral foam for a base, as the blog Paint Me Pink did here, or consider attaching them to a real or craft pumpkin.
Get the tutorial at Paint Me Pink.
Sticker Face Pumpkins
For minimal effort, use stickers to decorate your pumpkin. Order cute face decals like the ones seen here by Personalized Planet Co. on Etsy. Or head to your local craft store and stock up on a bunch of fun stickers to completely cover the pumpkin (which could be a fun activity for kids!).
Shop Now Pumpkin Faces Vinyl Decals (Set of 4), $24
Confetti Pumpkin
A confetti pumpkin can liven up any space. Plus, it's much easier than trying to paint perfect circles. All you need is a plastic pumpkin, paper confetti, and Mod Podge.
Get the tutorial at The Crafted Life.
Blue Porcelain Pumpkins
Take your favorite china pattern to your pumpkins. All you need is a stencil and paint marker to re-create every detail.
Get the tutorial at Craftberry Bush.
Concrete Pumpkins
These molded concrete pumpkins go with any color scheme or season and look lovely on your porch, in your entryway, or as a centerpiece.
Get the tutorial at Sugar and Charm.
Flower Sash Pumpkin
After coating your gourd in a bright new hue, add some texture with fresh seasonal blooms. Autumn favorites such as chrysanthemums, dahlias, and ranunculus make it particularly stunning.
Get the tutorial at Good Housekeeping.
Sequin Polka Dot Pumpkins
These pumpkins favor glam over gore. By using a plastic pumpkin from the craft store, you can break these chic decor pieces out for years to come.
Get the tutorial at Sugar & Cloth.
Sprinkle Doughnut Pumpkins
Make mini gourds look good enough to eat by painting on some vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry frosting—complete with rainbow sprinkles, of course.
Get the tutorial at Studio DIY.
Monochrome "Punkins"
Cheesy puns aren't just for Valentine's Day sweets. These cheeky messages will win over even the grimmest trick-or-treater. Laughs are better than scares anyway, right?
Get the tutorial at Studio DIY.
Seasonal Lettered Pumpkin
Spell out spooky messages by painting over stickers and then peeling them away. If you run out of messages, spray paint one of your pumpkins to look like candy corn instead.
Get the tutorial at Woman's Day.
Creature Silhouette Pumpkins
Instead of painting on your design, try going around it with the help of stencils. The final product? Pretty orange designs surrounded by whatever color you choose. We love the graphic impact of these.
Get the tutorial at Woman's Day.
Black and White Pumpkins
For a super-chic Halloween display, skip the orange and opt for black-and-white pumpkins. Use the template to trace a bug specimen or freehand a creepy silhouette of your own.
Get the tutorial at Country Living.
Stamped Pumpkins
These intricate motifs are less painstaking than they look. Use stencils for neater (and faster) painting, right down to the fine lines.
Get the tutorial at Good Housekeeping.
Chalkboard Pumpkins
This has to be one of our favorite pumpkin decorating ideas: You can write a new spooky message every day with the help of a versatile coat of chalkboard paint. Better yet, you can display a countdown until Halloween or a menu for an eerie dinner party.
Get the tutorial at Country Living.
Negative Space Pumpkins
Strategically scratch off a coat of spray paint to reverse the classic black-and-orange color combination. You can even turn them into vases and place flowers inside.
Get the tutorial at Good Housekeeping.
Spooky Tree Pumpkins
Here's some motivation to finally declutter your bookshelf. A floor-to-ceiling pumpkin display definitely wows—and the faux raven is a nice touch.
Get the tutorial at Country Living.
Black Lace Pumpkins
Give your pumpkins a gothic look by dressing them in lace. It mimics a spider web—or vines—in an unexpectedly eerie way.
Get the tutorial at Country Living.
Matte Hue Pumpkins
Get a textured finish courtesy of trendy chalk paint. These mini pumpkins by The Casual Craftlete can do double duty at the center of a Thanksgiving table too.
Cacti Pumpkins and Gourds
These cacti pumpkins and gourds are there for you when you're missing summer hard. Plus, they're perfect for people who love bright colors.
Get the tutorial at Aww Sam.
Gold Stud Pumpkin
Add texture to an otherwise smooth surface with triangle studs. If you constantly give off an edgy vibe–whether it's in your decor or clothing–you'll love this trendy pumpkin decorating idea.
Get the tutorial at Cuckoo 4 Design.
Teal Pumpkin for Food-Allergy Awareness
The color teal may not be a common autumn hue, but it still looks pretty stunning on your front porch. Even better? It serves a purpose that helps kids who have food allergies enjoy Halloween. The Teal Pumpkin Project has encouraged more than 100,000 households to let trick-or-treaters know they have allergy-friendly goodies to give out by placing a teal pumpkin on the porch.
Get the tutorial at Practically Functional.
Chevron Pumpkin
This classic print looks great on any pumpkin. Create perfectly even lines by painting over a taped-on pattern.
Get the tutorial at My Sweet Savannah.
Owl Pumpkin
This owl pumpkin inspired by Mexican sugar skulls for Dia de Muertos is too cute. Paint yours black and draw on the design using a thin silver permanent marker to make every detail pop.
Get the tutorial at Lil Blue Boo.
Silver Leaves Pumpkin
Nestle some metallic spray painted leaves around your pumpkin. You could call it your Black Swan pumpkin—or just call it elegant.
Get the tutorial at A Home for Design.
Spiderweb Pumpkins
These black-and-white pumpkins adorned with spider webs and skeleton bones are fun, not gory. Even better, they're super easy to make using paint or stretchy silver cord.
Get the tutorial at Magia Mia.
Balloon Dipped Mini Pumpkins
You'd never guess how easy these bright mini pumpkins are to make. A latex balloon stretched over the bottom is the secret to the color-blocked effect. You just need a few in a color that looks cute with orange and scissors to snip off the end.
Get the tutorial at Paper & Stitch.
Summer Flower Pumpkins
Refuse to believe summer is actually over? Deck your pumpkins out in florals so you can keep up with the changing of the seasons but still represent the one you love the most.
Get the tutorial at The Pretty Life Girls.
Doodle Pumpkins
Look no further than a box of colorful Sharpies for inspiration. Apply white spray paint, then use your markers to draw on patterns.
Get the tutorial at Savannah Smiled.
Sports Fan Pumpkin
Have a favorite sport? Turn your pumpkin into anything from a baseball to a soccer ball.
Get the tutorial at Jennifer Allwood Home.
Spider Pumpkin
Want something a bit more 3D and spooky? Simply glue tiny plastic spiders all over your pumpkin. If you're feeling ambitious, you could try to make the pumpkin look like it's rotting by carving a few chunks out and scraping it up a bit.
Get the tutorial at The Kim Six Fix.
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