Over forty years ago, there were colorful painted pumpkins in our family’s Halloween decorations. That was back when it was commonplace for us all to carve pumpkins for our Halloween decor without being told we were celebrating the devil’s holiday because we dared to decorate our homes and porches with pumpkins with carved faces and a candle inside them.

My uncle, who was a talented hobby artist, was obviously ahead of his time, and he decided one year to paint faces on the pumpkins rather than carve, so they’d last longer. They were colorful, and extremely creative. Unfortunately I have no pictures of them, because “back then” we didn’t memorialize such things.

I am fairly certain that if my uncle had lived to retirement age, he would have spent those golden years painting all sorts of wonderful things, as well as pumpkins, along with his hobby of bird carving.

Fast forward to now. 

It seems like every year Halloween decorations come out earlier and earlier. This year they were out by the end of August! And along with the truly Halloween decor are the pumpkins. Now we can get not only real ones, but craft pumpkins that we can decorate with all manner of designs, and even better, we can keep them from year to year to use over again in different displays. 

And as a crafter, I really do appreciate that. If I have to succumb to fall and all of its decor styles, then I can at least do something creative and fun with it. Here are two I made a couple of years ago.

It seems like all kinds of things can be used now. Flowers, chalk paint, feathers, glitter on stems, acrylic paint, decals, glue-on jewels, even nail polish that’s mixed with water to produce colorful swirls.

Or try a unicorn birthday cake topper for two little girls’ special pumpkins?

How about a headband with gold deer antlers, deer ears and leaves for the top of a very special little boy’s first Halloween pumpkin?

And another mermaid cake decorating set for a mermaid pumpkin for two special granddaughters in their mermaid bedroom at Grandma and Papa’s house?

Two years ago we gave our granddaughters their own little pumpkins to decorate themselves. They had a really good time. And they were very proud of their creations!  (So were Grandmom and Papa!)

Yes, if I have to go into the fall season, and let’s face it, what choice do I have, at least I can use some creativity to make it a bit more fun.

What fall decor have you done this year?