Instead of breaking out the carving tools this year, check out these awesome ideas for real or faux pumpkin design from people who have no-carve decor down to a science. There's no end to the creative possibilities once you start thinking outside the pumpkin.
Geometric Bean Pumpkins via Hometalker Delineate Your Dwelling
With an assortment of colorful beans, you can create your own geometric pattern and bring some fresh color to your seasonal pumpkins. Just follow this simple design with a little hot glue and some patient placement, and you'll have a no-mess, porch-worthy pumpkin in no time.
2. Mod Podge Leaves and Fronds
Botanical Pumpkins via Hometalker Uncommon Designs
One of the great things about no-carve pumpkins is the way you can bring in other fall motifs to help suggest autumn in your decoration. This pumpkin design gets a taste of fall foliage, with some beautiful bright faux fall leaves and fern fronds. Gather details that would be fall yard worthy, and have your mod podge ready to go!
3. Decoupage Using Decorative Napkins
Decoupage Pumpkins via Hometalker Suzy H
If you want a riot of color for your fall porch or mantel, this decorative napkin decoupage is a great colorful alternative to a classic carved orange pumpkin! Take your pumpkin and add fun colors and patterns, by decoupaging it with napkins, and getting all the colors you could ever want using just one paint brush.
Thumbtack Pumpkins via Hometalker C.R.A.F.T.
Even though you're not carving your pumpkin, keep in mind that it's great pincushion material. Stick colorful thumbtacks in your pumpkin for a no-carve, no-mess design that allows you to create any image you want. This Hometalker used black and white thumbtacks to make her pumpkins Halloween-ready!
5. Add Glittering Chevron
Chevron Pumpkin via Hometalker Laura Trevey
Carved pumpkins were never so glamorous! Add some glue and glitter for a chevron pattern that will add a sparkling "WOW" factor to your porch or fall mantel. With painter's tape, glitter, and spray on glue, you can create your own one-of-a-kind enchanting pumpkin with any variety of patterns and shapes.
Spruce-Up Pumpkins With Grapevines via Hometalker Town and Country Living
If you're a fan of the clean and classy look, go sincere and simple, with small pumpkins wrapped in grapevines. This design is quick and easy, but the effect is simply lovely. To embellish on your decor, arrange dried hydrangea along the vine wreath.
7. Add a Little Spice With Cloves
Pumpkin Pomanders for Fall via Hometalker Home-ology Modern Vintage
This design doesn't just look festive for fall, it brings some of your favorite fall scents into your home decor. As one of the key spices in many pumpkin dishes, cloves are a great way to add a burst of fall into the air. Use real or faux pumpkins, arrange cloves in any design, pattern, or picture you like, and enjoy the beautiful detail and the aromatic autumn addition.
8. Detail Using Vinyl Decals
No-Carve No-Mess Pumpkin via Hometalker DIY Show Off
Keep that Halloween integrity of classic orange with a black silhouette, without cutting into your pumpkins, by decorating them with vinyl cutouts. Create shadowy images or haunting profiles to give your pumpkins a classic fall makeover without the mess and fuss of carving.
Bejewelled Pumpkin via Hometalker Setting for Four
If you're the kind of decorator who likes things to sparkle and shine, this no-carve idea is perfect for you! Dazzle family and guests, with autumn pumpkins fit for a jewellery store display window, by giving your pumpkins a solid coat of white paint and then adding a sprinkling of rhinestones.
Love these community tips for fall decor? Get more ideas by checking out our Halloween decorations topics page!
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.