Creative Pumpkin Crafts for Halloween

Wish someone a happy fall with a sweet note tied to a tiny pumpkin. The free design is available, below.

Orange pumpkins are great but these multi-hued paper pumkpins mix and match with your decor. This easy halloween craft can be put together in minutes starting with strips of scrapbook paper. Cut 1-inch strips of patterned paper, form the strips into a circle as shown, and attach using a brad at both the top and the bottom. Paint a wine cork the same color as the pumpkin and hot-glue the cork to the top for the pumpkin's stem. Embellish with ribbon and jewels for some stylish pumpkin decoration.

Black pumpkin silhouettes on a creamy white tablecloth bring an elegant touch to a Halloween table.

Look again, these jack-o'-lanterns weren't picked from the pumpkin patch. These guys are actually papier-mache pumpkins crafted from orange tissue paper. With three face patterns to choose from, you can make a whole family of Halloween gourds.

This pumpkin-shape pillow isn't just for Halloween. Its applique message declares the approaching Thanksgiving season as well.

Paint a stemmed bell cup (available at crafts stores) orange; let dry. Use a permanent marker to draw a jack-o'-lantern face on the painted bell cup. Stack large wooden beads to make a pedestal, ending with a round flat bead for the base. Paint beads as desired; let dry. To adhere the beads, dot around the edges of the holes with glue (avoid getting glue in the holes). Press the beads together, aligning the holes. Thread the stem of the bell cup through the beads. Squeeze glue into the top bead hole; let dry. Flip over the cup and fill the bottom bead hole with glue; let dry.

Tin cans destined for the recycle bin get reused as Halloween luminarias. Make a bunch of these pumpkin lights and display outside to illuminate the way for trick-or-treaters.

Silly-face pumpkin pincushions are sure to elicit smiles from any sewer. They also can be used as decorations -- whip up a whole patch of these goofy guys and display in a basket for Halloween.

No need to be a Monet or Van Gogh to paint this fun pumpkin picture. Just rely on the paint-by-numbers technique you learned as a kid. Our directions and free pattern will be your guide to painting this Halloween masterpiece.

This grinning jack-o-lantern holds place cards for a Halloween table. To make, roll a piece of aluminum foil into a golf ball-size sphere and cover with a thin layer of polymer clay. Form the pumpkin stem and leaf from smaller pieces of clay; add details to the stem, leaf, and pumpkin with a clay tool. Draw the pumpkin's face with the clay tool, using a Sharpie cap to form the eyes. Bend a 5-inch 18-gauge wire into a coiled place card clip and insert into top of stem. Bake the pumpkin according to the package directions. Paint the pumpkin with acrylic paint. Finish with an equal parts mixture of brown paint and water; wipe clean with a paper towel.

Take a step back in time with a vintage-inspired garland. Search the Internet for free vintage Halloween clip art. Print your favorite images on cardstock, cut out, punch a hole on each side, and string together with orange ribbon. Hang the garland on your fireplace mantel, inside a window, or along the edge of a table as shown here. (PS: Our table is covered with a length of sheer black Halloween fabric over an inexpensive white plastic tablecloth.)