15 no carve decorated pumpkin ideas

You can take your life into your hands trying to carve a pumpkin.  Wielding your sharpest knife while the kids jump up and down demanding Disney characters...

But there is another way.  There are tonnes of beautiful and creative alternative ideas, many of which are child-friendly so they can get involved too.

1. Steampumkin

I saw this stunning pumpkin at a local festival.  It was part of a group collaboration, and all the pumpkins had been painted white.  Simply drape vintage costume jewellery for this glamorous gourd.

2. Glittered pumpkins

This glitzy pumpkin was part of the collection too.  Totally covering the whole fruit and using longer, strand glitter gave a blurred, shimmery effect which was just beautiful.

Or, you could try a child-friendly version like Domestic Goddesque has done using glue and sparkles.

3. Autumn leaf pumpkin

This gives a very natural effect, and makes the most of the beautiful autumnal colours around.  Stick on with PVA glue, and check here for the full tutorial.

4. Sparkly dots

Using glue dots is a mess free way to add glitter to your gourds, and gives a beautiful polka dot effect like Craftulate has done here.

5. Eye Spy

Kids will LOVE sticking googly eyes on.  Get self adhesive ones for a super-fast pumpkin makeover.

6. Spider Pumpkin

Painted pumpkins are great, but Here Come The Girls has taken it to the next level by adding legs and making an adorable spider.

7. Stick on Faces

Peakle Pie shows you can still get the traditional pumpkin face without carving, simply by using black stick-on pieces.

8. Drip paint pumpkins

The Imagination Tree has used shimmery metallic paints to create these beautiful drip detail decorated pumpkins.

9. Crazy hair pumpkins.

OK, so there's a little cutting here, but Sunhats and Welly boots show us how to make cute characters with crazy hair.  Love the changeability of these.

10. Flower vase

If you're happy to cut the top off, then you could make a vase or centrepiece filled with seasonal flowers like Martha Stewart does.

11. Yarn wrapped pumpkins

The Imagination Tree uses colourful wool and yarn to make these gloriously tactile pumpkins.

12. Washi tape stripes

Patterned sticky tape is perfect for decorating pumpkins, and you can tear strips off and let the kids stick it on in any design they desire.

13. Doily Pumpkins

Use old fashioned lace doilies which you can pick up in charity shops and apply with mod podge or PVA glue for a delicate vintage style decoration.

14. Treat Holder.

Martha Stewart again comes up trumps with this novel way to hold and dispense lollies to your trick or treaters.

15. Glitter Grooves.

Take some tinsel strands (lametta type - do they still call it that?) and glue it on to highlight the natural contours of the pumpkin. A simple and effective way to add a little sparkle.

Will you forgo the knife this year and give one of these a try?  Which is your favourite?