24 Creative No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas for Halloween

Drip Pumpkins

This idea has endless room for interpretation: Stay with a Halloween-color scheme or use a wider range of shades that look festive all season long. Pick your favorite style—spooky, metallic, rainbow, or whatever—and get to work. Don't worry if it's not perfect: The "splatter" effect is all about getting a little messy.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Acrylic paint
• Pliers
• Long-reach lighter
• Crayons (preferably well used)

Steps

1. Paint your pumpkin with a base color and let it dry. While waiting, remove the wrapper from each crayon.
2. Use pliers to hold each crayon above the pumpkin, and then use the lighter to melt it, allowing its wax to drip down the side of the pumpkin.
   

Developed by Morgan Levine.

Spider Web Pumpkins

For this one, a hot glue gun works like a paintbrush. Just let your hands squeeze the trigger, and start designing: The hot glue gun does the rest! And don't worry about excess glue strings, because the more melted glue and glue strings, the better.

What You Need

• Pumpkins
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Spray paint in dark blue, teal, and aqua

Steps

1. Using a hot glue gun, create spider web designs on the pumpkin. Create large, medium, and small webs, and even a spider hanging from a web.
2. Once the design is set (the glue dries quickly), apply spray paint in a well-ventilated area over the webs. Make each web a different color or create an ombre effect over one large web.
3. Wait about 20 minutes for the paint to dry, and then carefully peel the hot glue webs off the pumpkin to reveal your cool web design.

Pun-kins

If your wit relies on wordplay, have a little fun by hand-writing your favorite Halloween puns on these pumpkin-turned-punkin decorations.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Highlighter
• Paper towels
• Paint pens in at least two colors

Steps

1. Using a highlighter, sketch a punny Halloween-themed phrase on the pumpkin, and use a damp paper towel to erase any mistakes.
2. Using a paint pen, trace over the guidelines and fill in the letters. Outline each letter with a paint pen in a contrasting color.

Chalkboard Pumpkins

Can't commit to one look for the season? Thanks to chalkboard paint, nothing needs to be permanent.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Chalkboard spray paint
• Chalk

Additional Supplies for Our Cat Design

• Pencil
• Scissors
• Black construction paper
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Steps

1. Hold the pumpkin by the stem and spray its entire surface area with chalkboard spray paint.
2. Allow the pumpkin to dry, apply a second coat, and let dry for at least 24 hours.
3. Once dry, take your chalk and start drawing.

Additional Steps to Create Cat Ears

1. Trace two triangles on a piece of black construction paper and cut them out.
2. Make a ¼-inch fold on the longest side of each triangle, and then cut a slit in the middle of each flap. This allows the ears to sit on the rounded pumpkin.
3. Glue ear flaps on either side of the stem.

Metallic Pumpkins

Give this year's harvest the Midas touch. Pumpkins dressed in gold, silver, or bronze are sophisticated enough to sit on the mantel or step in as a table arrangement.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Metallic spray paint
• Paint pens

Steps

1. Holding by the stem, spray the entire pumpkin's surface until every inch is covered.
2. Allow the pumpkin to dry and then apply a second coat, or more for a darker color. Let dry for at least 24 hours.
3. While the metallic look is special enough on its own, feel free to use paint pens to draw over it with your own design.

Developed by Morgan Levine.

Thumbprint Pumpkin

It's time to let the kids get messy and leave their mark for the cutest, most colorful mini-monsters ever! No fingerprints are too small, too large, too round, or too thin for this project.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Acrylic paint in pink, yellow, green, blue, purple, and red
• Paintbrush
• Sharpie marker in black

Steps

1. Choose a color, paint a thin-to-medium layer of paint on your thumb or fingertip, and then press it on the pumpkin.
2. Continue until the pumpkin is covered in polka dots of fingerprints.
3. Once the paint is dry, use the Sharpie to draw silly faces, eyeballs, feet, spiders, and wobbly hands.

Stamped Pumpkins

As easy as stamping, this no-carve pumpkin idea is a great activity for the whole family. Give each kid a pumpkin, distribute paint, and let the creative juices flow.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Makeup sponges in a variety of shapes
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint in a range of colors
• Scrap paper

Steps

1. Choose a variety of makeup sponges in geometric shapes, or use a pair of scissors to trim sponges into different shapes.
2. Dip the sponge into a shallow dish of acrylic paint, and then blot on a scrap piece of paper until the sponge is evenly coated with a thin layer of paint. (For a bolder look, paint the pumpkin first, let it dry, and then stamp on contrasting colors.)
3. Stamp the sponge onto the pumpkin surface, starting near the stem and working down to the bottom of the pumpkin. Reapply paint to the sponge as needed.
4. To change colors, wash the sponge thoroughly or switch to a fresh sponge.

Dotted Pumpkins

For a zany look that works any time of year, decorate your pumpkin with a colorful assortment of polka dots. Draw different sizes for a whimsical pattern, the same size for a neatly organized design, or trace circles within bigger circles for a creative spin.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Acrylic paint
• Paint pens
• Paintbrush
• Circle template ($7, amazon.com)

Steps

1. Paint your pumpkin a solid color as a base. (White makes colors show up best.)
2. Choose a color scheme, and use a circle template to trace dots on the pumpkins.
3. Fill in the circles with your paint pen.

Developed by Morgan Levine.

Pumpkin Turned Vase

Trendy foliage inspired by a non-traditional fall color palette makes this no-carve pumpkin centerpiece swoon-worthy. An added bonus is that this pumpkin can be made prior to company arriving, and the flowers will last forever.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Foam paintbrush
• Chalk paint
• Faux floral stems, such as eucalyptus, cotton, peony, mum, rabbit's ear, and maroon tree leaves
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Steps

1. With the foam paintbrush, paint the pumpkin with chalk paint. Let dry and paint one more layer.
2. Once the chalk paint is dry, hot-glue leaves onto the base.
3. When the base is full, top off the pumpkin with the flowers. Play around until you like what you see, and begin to glue in layers.

Splatter Paint Pumpkins

Splatter paint may be the most fun option for decorating your pumpkins. Go wild and be prepared to love the results. For a more dramatic effect, look into glow-in-the-dark paint.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Acrylic paint in at least two colors
• Paintbrush
• Natural sea sponge (found at craft supply stores)
• Scrap paper

Steps

1. Paint the pumpkin a solid color and let dry completely.
2. Choose paint in a contrasting color, and slowly mix in a small amount of water.
3. With a loaded paintbrush in hand, use a flicking motion to splatter the pumpkin with paint. (If the paint isn't thin enough to splatter, slowly stir in more water.)
4. To add sponge prints to the pumpkin, dab a natural sea sponge into the paint, blot the sponge on a scrap piece of paper, and then press it onto the pumpkin.

Pushpin Pumpkin

Give a favorite home office supply new turf to play on. Designing with pushpins is a tedious task, but the outcome is incredibly cute. Personalize your pumpkin with a monogram, a house number for your front porch, or an original pattern.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Colorful or patterned pushpins
• Acrylic paint or spray paint
• Dry erase marker

Steps

1. Paint your pumpkin with acrylic or spray paint, and let it dry.
2. Outline your chosen pattern lightly with the dry erase marker. (You can skip this step if you don't need the lines to be perfect.)
3. Push the pins into the surface of the pumpkin.

Developed by Morgan Levine.

Black and White Pumpkins

A classic black-and-white scheme really stands out amid all the fall colors. Add a monogram, write your favorite Halloween quote, or draw a woodland scene. In ours, we used a white Sharpie on top of the black paint to draw the fur and eyelashes on the mama bear.

What You Need

• Pumpkins
• White spray paint
• Black acrylic paint
• Sharpie oil-based paint marker
• Paintbrush

Steps

1. Spray paint the pumpkin white.
2. When dry, use a fine-tipped paintbrush with black paint to draw a design on the pumpkin.

Floral Stenciled Pumpkin

For the steady-handed, a pumpkin with a pretty floral print is a great craft with beautiful results.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Floral stencil
• Acrylic paint
• Foam dabber or small sponge

Steps

1. Holding a floral stencil securely against the pumpkin surface, dab on a thin layer of acrylic paint using a foam dabber or small sponge.
2. Continue working one small section at a time, holding the stencil securely in each area. Wait a few minutes for each section to dry before moving to the next.

Geometric Pumpkins

Geometric patterns and metallics make these no-carve pumpkins feel ultra modern, or go spookier with a different palette. Since the pumpkin is round, we recommend paint pens to easily draw stripes or triangles freehand.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Acrylic or spray paint
• Paint pens – metallic or black, orange, and gold

Steps

1. Paint or spray-paint your pumpkin, and let it dry.
2. Use paint pens to draw a freehand geometric design.
   
3. After the paint pens dry, embellish corners or edges with thumbtacks or other crafts from your stash.

Developed by Morgan Levine.

Mini Pumpkin Cactus Garden

This DIY mini pumpkin cacti garden is a great option for the artistically challenged. Using cacti-patterned paper napkins, the end result is a lovely cacti garden that won't poke anyone!

What You Need

• Mini pumpkins
• White acrylic paint
• Foam paintbrush
• Cactus napkins
• Mod Podge
• Scissors
• Terra cotta pots

Steps

1. Paint the pumpkins with two coats of white acrylic paint.
2. Separate the thin, top layer of the napkin from the other layers. (It likely has two or three plies, and each layer is easily separated.)
3. Cut out the cactus design from the napkin. (The cut doesn't need to be perfect, and you can cut around the cactus, leaving some of the excess napkin.)
4. Once the paint on the pumpkin is completely dry, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge (the size of the napkin's cactus design), gently press the cactus onto the pumpkin, and then carefully smooth out the edges and bubbles with your finger without tearing the napkin.
5. Paint a moderate layer of Mod Podge over the entire cactus. (Initially it appears milky white, but don't worry, it dries clear.)

Falling Leaves Pumpkins

Go full-fall with this no-carve pumpkin idea that celebrates fallen leaves. Make the colors as autumnal or as spooky as you wish.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Acrylic paint and paintbrush
• Collected leaves (or a leaf stencil)
• Ballpoint pen
• Paint pen

Steps

1. Paint the pumpkin a solid color and allow it to dry completely, about 1 hour.
2. Collect fallen leaves, and then use use a ballpoint pen to trace their outline onto the pumpkin surface.
3. Fill in the outlines with acrylic paint and let dry. If desired, outline the leaves with a paint pen and draw on veins.

Boo-tiful Pumpkin

Your no-carve pumpkin will be glowing in no time with this DIY neon sign, with no electrician required. If you can curve wire, use a hot glue gun, and load batteries in a small battery pack, you can light up the night and your pumpkin this fall.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Black acrylic paint
• Wire, pliable with hands
• Neon el wire, 9 feet
• Hot glue gun and hot glue
• Velcro (optional)

Steps

1. Design the word "Boo" on Microsoft Word in a script font, and then print.
2. Trace each letter with the wire, so it looks just like the printed word.
3. Hot-glue the el wire to the "Boo" script wire. You can cut the excess wire (not at the battery pack end) or wrap the wire at the back of the pumpkin.
4. To keep the wire sign in place on the pumpkin, make small hoops with the end of the wire on each side of the word, and use a tack to hold it in place.
5. Velcro the battery pack to the back of the pumpkin, or set the battery pack behind the pumpkin on the table.
6. Turn it on and watch it glow.

Sweet Pumpkin

This is a perfect repurposing for an extra stash of Halloween candy. We picked a floral pattern to repeat across the pumpkin but for you, the sky's the limit. Just one thing: Don't eat the craft materials!

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Dry erase marker in a light color
• Candy: black and white licorice pinwheels, coconut jelly beans, and black licorice jelly beans
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Steps

1. Use a dry erase marker to create a design: Draw, erase, and repeat as necessary.
2. Once happy with your pattern, use a glue gun to adhere candy to the pumpkin's surface.
3. Set aside to dry for at least 24 hours to set the candy in place.

Plaid Pumpkins

Move over, Scotch, there's a new tape in town. Washi is similar to masking tape but available in tons of patterns and colors. Ready, get set, stick!

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Dry erase marker in a light color (avoid black)
• Scissors
• Washi tape

Steps

1. Using the dry erase marker, create your design to use as a guide for placing the tape. This type of marker lets you erase and redraw until you get it just right.
2. With your design set, apply tape to the pumpkin's surface. (Use longer strips when possible, because piecing together too many short strips creates a sloppy look.)
3. To recreate our design, begin at the stem and run your tape down the side of the pumpkin—erasing markings as you adhere strips to the surface—and finish at the bottom of the pumpkin.
4. Stick with a vertical-stripe design, or apply tape around the circumference to create a plaid pattern.

Paint-Free Pumpkin

Look what just landed on your pumpkin! For this project, we recommend sticking with classic icons that are easier to recognize and draw, like ghosts, cats, and spiders. (For more ideas, look over our pumpkin-carving stencils.) The best part is that no paintbrush (or paint) is required.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Paper and pencil
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Permanent Chisel Tip Sharpie in black

Steps

1. Draw and then cut out a design on any scrap of paper.
2. Tape the paper template to the pumpkin.
3. Trace your "stencil" with the marker, remove the paper, and use that same permanent marker to color within the lines.

An Easier Jack-o'-Lantern

Come on, we couldn't go a whole season without seeing this smile. This one's just like Jack, but creating his toothless grin is much easier (and less messy) than carving.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Black tissue paper
• Scissors
• Dry erase marker in a light color
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush

Steps

1. Cut three triangles—two for the eyes and a smaller one for the nose—out of the tissue paper, and then make a paper half-moon shape for the mouth, carefully cutting out for missing teeth.
2. Using the dry erase marker, mark the pumpkin where you'd like to place the features.
3. Dip the brush into the Mod Podge, apply it to one side of each piece of tissue paper, and adhere tissue to marked positions.
4. Once thoroughly dry, apply a top coat of Mod Podge and allow 24 hours to dry.

1980s Pumpkin

The '80s are back with this totally rad pumpkin made with bright vinyl cut into funky geometric shapes. It may help to listen to an '80s playlist while you design this pumpkin, and wear neon leg warmers or sweat bands…or not.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Vinyl, bright multi color pack
• Scissors

Steps

1. Cut vinyl into geometric shapes such as triangles, rectangles, and circles. To shadow the shapes with black, cut the bright and black vinyl pieces at the same time so the shape is the same.
2. Peel the backing off the vinyl and press it onto the pumpkin. The more colors and shapes, the better!
   

Button Pumpkin

Are you a fan of repurposing? This cute-as-a-button design puts your stash of unclaimed, mismatched buttons to use. These playful polka dots don't need a specific order, so have fun sticking them wherever you please.

What You Need

• Pumpkin
• Buttons
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Steps

1. Apply hot glue to the back of a button, adhere it to the pumpkin's surface, and hold in place for 5 to 10 seconds to secure.
2. Set aside to dry for at least 24 hours.

Modern Painted Pumpkins

Transform an old-fashioned pumpkin into a modern work of art. Choose shades that match your fall décor to color-block, splatter, smear, and blot your way to a pumpkin-shaped masterpiece. We used primer as a base coat to help absorb decorative layers of paint.

What You Need

• Pumpkins
• Primer spray paint
• Paintbrushes
  
• High gloss paint (in various colors)
  

Steps

1. Spray the pumpkin with primer and let dry.
2. Paint geometric or modern-art-inspired patterns and motifs on the pumpkin.