Carving pumpkins is fun and definitely deserves a spot up in the top ten best Halloween activities, but I can’t help but dread it every time it actually comes down to the reality of pumpkin carving. It’s messy, it’s cold (even if doing it indoors, the goo inside is cold), it takes a good chunk of time, it’s always more difficult than I anticipate, it smells, and it’s a heck of a lot of work for something that will only last a few days. Some may argue that it’s tradition, and many traditions come with tedious and unbecoming aspects. I however, would like to argue that there are far less tiring decoration techniques when it comes to pumpkin décor--activities that don’t involve cutting the pumpkin open, and therefore expand the life of that decoration by weeks!
Glitter
All that is needed to achieve a glittery masterpiece of a pumpkin are:- Elmer’s Glue
- Glitter
Any design you can come up with, simply draw it on with glue and add glitter! You’ll definitely want to draw out small sections at a time in order to get portions of glitter on before it dries! You’ll also likely want a “glitter catcher” to pick up the excess glitter for reuse, something like a cookie sheet would work perfectly. 
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Add-Ons
Depending on the critter or design you have in mind, the materials may differ. Some commonly used crafty items are:- Felt
- Construction paper
- Googly eyes
- Athletic tape or gauze (for mummies)
- Pipe cleaner
- Paint (for a base color)
It’s easy to find ideas on Google or Pinterest, but it’s especially fun to use your imagination and a whole slew of arts and crafts and just see what happens! I think some of my favorites I’ve seen are pipe cleaner spiders, wrapped up mummies, and adorable critters like an owl or fox!
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Paint
Even though paint is often used for the base of an add-on pumpkin creation, I wanted to give painting pumpkins its own category. Painting designs or faces, writing letters to spell out something haunting, or solidly painting a variety of colors to accessorize your porch in a playful way are great uses of paint on pumpkins! I dare say this is the most kid-friendly pumpkin decorating method, and I certainly look forward to letting my kiddos go to town with paint on their pumpkins! Also, this is a quintessential activity where a child apron comes in handy. 
PC: The Classy Housewife