Painting Pumpkins

• To keep your Halloween decor as close to traditional as possible, consider painting faces on your pumpkins instead of carving them. With some normal poster paint and brushes, it is possible to create almost any kind of pumpkin face imaginable. In fact, painting your pumpkin's face gives you more freedom to add expression and detail than carving does. For inspiration, just flip through a seasonal decorating magazine. Painted pumpkins are becoming increasingly popular; they are often featured decor items during Halloween.
  
  

Making Pumpkin Bowls (And Pie)

• Few people can resist pumpkin pie. Cut the shell of the pumpkin in half to remove its contents and make a delicious pie. Next, clean the shells of the pumpkin thoroughly using a spoon, knife and a little cool water. Use the clean shells as large bowls for Halloween candy. For extra flair, line the pumpkin bowls with a little bit of seasonal tissue or wrapping paper. Get your kids involved by letting them choose where to put the pumpkin bowls and filling them with candy.
  
  

Adding Sparkle to Pumpkins

• Decorate the interior of your house with glitter covered pumpkins. This is a particularly popular decorating idea among young girls. Simply slather the pumpkin in washable glue and sprinkle it with with glitter. The glue will dry clear, giving the pumpkin a glossy, glittery finish. As an alternative to covering the whole pumpkin, add only a few glittery accents. Just use the glue to create the desired designs and sprinkle them with glitter.
  
  

Creating Pumpkin Creatures

• For an innovative approach to decorating, use fruits, vegetables and toothpicks to design a pumpkin creature. For example, use baby melons for the eyes, corn to make teeth, a potato to represent the nose and orange peels for the ears. Confections such as licorice, gum drops, candy corn or marshmallows also work well. The only disadvantage of this decorating technique is that it doesn't last as long as carving, paint or glitter. To keep your pumpkin creature looking fresh, opt for food that has a long shelf life and doesn't require refrigeration.