Faux Pumpkin Carving
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1-3 hours
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Beginner
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- 50-100
Carving pumpkins is be a traditional Halloween activity, but there are other ways you can display your autumn artistry – without having to wield a sharp knife or dig out pulp and seeds. Faux pumpkin carving will give you the same festive look as a traditional jack-o-lantern, but there’s less to worry about in terms of safety and cleanup. If using a knife and removing pumpkin guts aren’t a concern, you can also try scraping, an alternative to carving that results in a very similar look.
Scraping
Scraping away part of the outer layer of a pumpkin is another alternative to traditional carving, but you will have to remove the top, seeds and pulp to create the look. Start by cutting away the top and scraping out the pumpkin’s insides. Use a stencil or draw freehand the pattern you want for your pumpkin. With a router or Dremel tool, follow the pattern to scrape away the outer skin of the pumpkin to reveal the lighter flesh underneath. Be careful not to go through the rind. Once complete, light a candle inside the pumpkin; the light will show through the thinned parts of the rind.
Acrylic Paint
On a clean, dry pumpkin, use regular acrylic paint and a brush to create an appropriate jack-o-lantern face. You can also paint other Halloween-inspired pictures, like black cats or spider webs if you want something besides the traditional face. If you need to, draw your design first with a pen or marker.
Spray Paint
Spray paint can also be used and works especially well to coat the entire pumpkin in a particular color. After the spray paint dries, you can paint a face or picture over it with another color.
Chalk
To use (and reuse) chalk on your pumpkin, give it a coat of chalkboard paint. After this dries, you can use chalk to create designs or write messages on the pumpkin. If you mess up, just erase it and try again!
Glue-ons
Practically anything can be glued onto a pumpkin to give it the look you want. Try buttons, sequins, ribbons or faux gems. Use the glue-ons to create faces or other designs. Start with a clean pumpkin, and then use a hot glue gun to attach your craft pieces.
Glitter
Make your pumpkins go glam this year with a sparkling coat of glitter. Clean and dry your pumpkin, and then brush a coat of white glue or sealant over the surface. While the glue is still tacky, liberally sprinkle glitter over the pumpkin. Allow to dry before displaying.
Leaves
Take the autumn look even further by adding a layer of colorful leaves. Collect an array of leaves that aren’t completely dry and are still somewhat flexible. Use a brush to apply a thin layer of white glue or a sealant to the pumpkin. Add another thin layer to the back of a leaf, then press the leaf onto the pumpkin. Add as many leaves as you like, and then brush on another layer of glue or sealant and allow to dry.
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![Perry Carpenter]()
Perry Carpenter is a freelance writer living in Springfield, Missouri. Her love of everything DIY was instilled from an early age by her mother. Growing up, creativity was encouraged, and Christmas prep involved making lots of homemade presents. Perry has been a successful freelance writer since graduating from Missouri State University with a degree in journalism. She has worked on dozens of home renovations, completing projects from garage rebuilds and asbestos removal to shower installation. She has covered everything from auto repair to plumbing for DoItYourself.com. In her spare time, Perry enjoys traveling, especially abroad. Her best friend since kindergarten has lived in many places around the world, giving Perry and her husband lots of vacation destinations. She currently has plans to visit Germany and Italy, followed by Scotland and England. Scotland especially holds a special place in her heart because of her deep Scottish roots. In fact, her profile picture was taken in Fort William, a town in the western Scottish Highlands. Perry loves to cook for family and friends and can often be found prepping for the next big get together, whether it is a family birthday, or just another NFL Sunday. She also volunteers by coaching youth volleyball, as well as by raising money for her father’s memorial scholarship fund.![H.R. Helm]()
H.R. Helm is an accomplished DIY craftsman. He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. He built every permanent building on his current homestead and did all the plumbing and electrical work. He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. He currently has a home shop where he sharpens and rebuilds saws, repairs lawn mowers, mobility scooters, hydraulic jacks, and anything else that comes along. He also builds custom tools for metal working. Invention prototypes are another of his many accomplishments. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. H.R. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. He is committed to outdoor cooking in a Bar-B-Q pit he welded together several years ago. He maintains fruit and nut trees along with helping his wife with a vegetable garden. He farmed commercial garden produce for several years. It helps to have over 50 years of farming and ranching experience. Employment/Education Highlights ASE Certified Master Auto Technician Certified Welder Cross country truck driver -- over dimensional freight Design Engineer/Project Manager for injection molded plastic company Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) BS in Industrial Technology
