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Jack-o-Lantern Shenanigans

Not all jack-o-lanterns are created equal, but don’t worry. You don’t have to be a French sculptor or even a good artist to create funny, spooky, or beautiful jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins.

If you’re feeling crafty, grab a knife, some glue, and maybe some glitter and try out some of these pumpkin decorating tips.

If you want funny …
Some people don’t like digging out a gourd’s innards with their hands, and that’s okay. A simple solution is simply using the yucky to your advantage! Cut out some eyes and a mouth, and let the seeds and slime slip out of the mouth like your jack-o-lantern has had healthier days. You don’t have to touch the seeds, and your pumpkin basically decorates itself!

For those who want to use that same “sick” sense of humor at the table, empty out a small pumpkin, give it a face, and replace the seeds with guacamole. It’s up to you, however, to convince diners that the joke is in good taste!

If you want kid friendly …
Avoid knives and get some pumpkin decorating items from your local craft or dollar store. Stickers, pom poms, googly eyes, rubber bugs … The list goes on. If it can be glued, taped, or pressed onto pumpkin skin, it’s fair game.

You could even let kids simply paint pumpkins with puffy or latex-based paints. They can paint faces or Halloween scenes, write their names, give their jack-o-lanterns stripes, and so much more. Let their imaginations do the work.

If you want pretty …
In recent years, designers and pumpkin professionals have turned jack-o-lanterns into a classy affair, decorating pumpkins with lace, beautiful ribbons, and jewels.

Paint your pumpkins with black chalk paint, or spray them silver and then add glitter in patterns. Or keep the pumpkin orange and glue on buttons so they spell out “boo,” “spooky,” and other Halloween phrases.

You can even carve patterns into your pumpkin—forget faces! Carve out circles or triangles in a pattern and have a pretty jack-o-lantern. Scrape the pumpkin, don’t pierce it through with the knife, and you can make intricate tattoo-like patterns that light will shine through.
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When it comes to creating a memorable jack-o-lantern, your options are endless. With a little creativity—and maybe some glue—you can turn an ordinary pumpkin into a personalized masterpiece.

Enter today to win a $125 gift card to The Container Store for all your Halloween decorating needs.

Click here for rules and entry details.

Ends 12/31/16.