Life
I remember last fall like it was yesterday. I wanted to be the "cool mom" who let their kids do "cool things" like carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating. Little did I know, however, that when it came time to actually carve said pumpkins, it would be the most impractical and slightly terrifying experience of my life (don't worry, no toddlers where harmed in the making of our pumpkins, but the potential was frightening enough). Carving knives (even the "kid safe" kind) and toddlers don't mix well and so, finding pumpkin decorating ideas that don't require a carving knife was my M.O.
Luckily, I didn't have to search very hard, because creative ideas for decorating pumpkins are everywhere. If you, like me, are scared that your kid might carve more than just the pumpkin, lose the knives and stick to more kid-friendly options. Not to mention the fact that your biceps will thank you too — carving through that shell was more of a workout than I intended.
These DIY (knife-less) pumpkin decorating ideas are just as simple, more creative, and even more beautiful than your run of the mill Jack-o-lantern and they'd make the perfect addition to any front porch, stairway, mantle, or bedroom. Most importantly, you don't need to worry about an emergency situation during your fall decorating session.
1
Party Animal Pumpkins
Although admittedly not very festive for fall, these DIY party animal pumpkins from Studio DIY are very festive in every other sense of the word.
2
Embellished Pumpkins
Want a pumpkin that's even more adorable than a Jack-O-Lantern with 99 percent less effort? Try embellishing yours with fake flowers and a hot glue gun, as per the amazing ladies at A Beautiful Mess.
3
Balloon Dipped Pumpkins
For an adorable color blocked look, try these DIY balloon dipped pumpkins from Paper N Stitch. If you'd rather have spookier pumpkins, opt for black balloons only.
4
Doughnut Pumpkins
Have a sweet tooth? Paint your pumpkins as doughnuts with this tutorial from Burlap and Blue and you'll have a hard time not taking a bite out of them.
5
Mud Cloth Pumpkins
For the most aesthetically pleasing and on trend pumpkins of all time, DIY your own mud cloth pumpkins with this tutorial from Homey Oh My.
6
'Hocus Pocus' Quote Pumpkins
Keep your pumpkins in their natural state and color with an added dose of humor with these Hocus Pocus quote pumpkins from Lovely Indeed. All you need is a few pumpkins and a sheet of letter stickers.
7
Foliage Decoupage Pumpkins
Your kids will have a blast finding plants and decoupaging them to their pumpkins and you'll love looking at them. Use the tutorial from The Merry Thought to make your own.
8
Lace Pumpkins
These lace covered pumpkins from Natalme are eerily classy. Although the blogger behind the post uses store bought pumpkin covers, you could easily DIY the same things using lace scraps.
9
Succulent Pumpkins
Have your kids create unique patterns on their pumpkins using succulent leaves and hot glue. Yours may not look as neat and tidy as the pumpkins from The House That Lars Built's tutorial, but you can't really go wrong when succulents are involved.
10
10.Sequined Polka Dot Pumpkins
Classy but still fun, these sequined polka dot pumpkins from Sugar and Cloth are perfect for kids and still great to display.
11
Watercolor Pumpkins
Very kid-friendly and safe, these watercolor painted pumpkins from Paper N Stitch are ideal for families with young kids. Make them more Halloween-appropriate with black, white, and orange paint.
Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:
Check out the entire Romper's Doula Diaries series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.
