How to Make Pumpkin Carving Ideas Easy!

The key to making Pumpkin Carving Ideas Easy is to have some imagination! Decorating and decor should be all about having fun and making the space something you’re excited to enjoy. Some of the best decor comes from the simplest of ideas. You have to make the space something that makes you internally happy! 

Some people get a high from working out and eating right. Some get a high from shopping and finding the best deals. And some get a high from seasonal decor and turning a space into a new oasis! The point is people enjoy many different highs. Whatever your “high” is, you have to see how easy this cute decor is. I PROMISE IT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! 

This post may contain affiliate links, which means, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please read my Disclaimer for more information. 

How is anything that involves carving easy? 

Trust me on this one. This “carving” is not your traditional orange pumpkin, messy guts, and possible injuries type of carve. It’s actually much cleaner, prettier, and reusable! Did I mention how affordable it is too? You’re going to have to pick your jaw off the floor when I tell you this entire thing only cost me $25.00, in total, to make. LEGITTAMLY $25.00! No bluffing or fabricating here… I will always give you the full truth because that’s just how we roll here at Kicking It With The Kerners. 

The carving on this project is minimal and can be done using a normal utility razor blade. I highly recommend you use a new blade though so it’s sharper and makes the entire “carving” process easier! 

So What Do I Need to Make this Pumpkin Carving Idea Easy? 

The first thing I need to mention is that we are not using a real pumpkin here. This means we don’t have to worry about any rotting, mold, or gutting of the pumpkin, and it can be used year after year! Plus it allows it to stay versatile so if you change your color scheme or are tired of the look it’s 100% changeable! 

Below see the following Tools needed for this Pumpkin Carving Idea…

• Utility Knife – I used this Dewalt Utility knife, highly recommend it!
• High Temp Glue Gun – I used this Mini High Temp Glue Gun, it’s super easy to use!
• Glue for the High Temp Glue Gun – don’t make the mistake and think you have the glue, then realize you used it up on your last project… been there, done that! 
• Some sort of poster board, garbage bag, or towel that you don’t care about getting spray paint on. Note a kitchen garbage bag does the trick!
• Wire cutters – make sure you get a strong pair that will cut floral stems! 

Materials you need to make Pumpkin Carving Ideas Easy!

• Cardboard Pumpkin – I found this one at Hobby Lobby!
• 1 Floral Foam Block – The one pictured is from Dollar Tree. 
• 2 Brown Pinecone Picks – The ones pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• White Pumpkin Pick – The ones pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• 1 Dried Wood Pumpkin Pick – The ones pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• 1 Frosted Green Lamb’s Ear Spray – The ones pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• 2 Flocked Greenery Sprays – The one pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• 1 Pack of White and Natural Branch Ball Stems – The ones pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• Small Blue Floral Pom Poms – The ones pictured are from Dollar Tree.
• 2 Small White Velvet Pumpkin Stems – The ones pictured are from Dollar Tree.
• 1 Green Pumpkin Patch Wood Ornament – The ones pictured are from Hobby Lobby.
• 1 Can of Rust-Oleum Flat White Spray Paint – The exact one I used is attached here! 

First Things First…The Carve!

The first thing you are going to do is cut the stem off of the cardboard pumpkin. I highly recommend you do this step first BEFORE painting the pumpkin so you don’t have to go back and do any painting touch-ups. I used my Dewalt Utility Razor knife to cut the small stem off. 

DISCLAIMER…

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE CAREFUL! If you are someone who should be supervised, please make sure that you are. It’s always important that you are following proper safety protocols! 

Second things second… The Fit!

When cutting the stem off, make sure you do NOT make a super large hole. This pumpkin is hollow, so you should be able to see right to the bottom after cutting the stem off. The next thing you want to do is fit the floral foam block to the hole you just created. 

Shave the hole a little at a time so the foam block can be inserted in place of the stem. Once it’s a snug fit take the hot glue gun and fill in around the edges between the foam block and the pumpkin. I was able to use hot glue to fill the gaps. I also did a little extra to ensure that it was very secure. 

NOW WE PAINT!  

After the floral foam piece has been fitted into the pumpkin, and ALL of the hot glue has dried. Take your pumpkin and bring it outside for spray painting! 

Make sure that you place either a garbage bag, plastic, poster board, cardboard, etc., under the pumpkin to protect your area from being stained with spray paint. Remember, the goal here is to only paint the pumpkin, not everything else around it! 

For this project, I chose to go with a flat white paint because it matched my aesthetic and other decor. But, if you want to do a different color base, all power to you! This is where you can feel free to get creative and really customize it to your home decor and style! 

A Tip for Making Pumpkin Carving Ideas Easy… 

I highly recommend using the Rust-Oleum brand spray paint that has both paint and primer in it. This cuts down on extra steps and Rust-Oleum’s brand always lasts a long time! Plus their color selection is SPECTACULAR!

The Fun Part… 

Okay, so now comes the fun part of the entire project… adding the “STUFF”! After your pumpkin is fully dry and painted to your liking, it’s time to start adding the decor! 

This is where you get to take all of the beautiful floral and fall pieces you gathered and create a one-of-a-kind arrangement! Now if you’re reading this and thinking… “Nicolette, you must be crazy. How am I supposed to make this look pretty and store-bought… I’m not creative!” Yeah, I’m here to tell you DON”T KNOCK IT UNTIL YOU TRY IT! 

NO JOKE… the floral piece pictured in this post is my VERY FIRST EVER floral piece. SO DO NOT DOUBT YOURSELF! I promise you can do this! 

Tips to Help You Create a Floral Masterpiece!

1. It will look weird and not right at first. BUT… the more you add to it the better it looks! 
2. Start with adding the outer greenery that you want and work your way towards the center.
3. Don’t be afraid to split the greenery stems or floral pieces to have more pieces. 
4. Give yourself a layout/game plan. It’s better to take the pieces and hold them together, as if they were a bouquet, to make sure they all work well together. This will help create a vision for you to work from when creating your masterpiece. 
5. Don’t be afraid to trim pieces after it has been placed. You can always use the smaller trimmings to fill gaps at the end. 
6. Don’t panic, it’s not permanent. You can always take it out and move it around! 
7. It doesn’t always have to be a floral piece, you can add in small signs, or other fun details too! 
8. Make sure you decide if the arrangement is going to have a clear front and back, or if it’s going to be seen from all sides. 
9. Fill the gaps! Don’t leave blank spaces or visible holes, you want it to look full! 
10. Have a variety of sizes. Keep it interesting, don’t have everything the same size, and don’t be afraid to use different textures! 

The Final Product! 

After you have arranged the pieces the way you like, the final step is to show off your beautiful new decor! The absolute best part of this whole project is that it can be used for years to come! Since it’s not a real pumpkin there is no risk of rotting, or smelling. Plus, you can always change out the floral pieces to evolve with you and your style! 

If you try this project comment some of your photos below! I would love to see your gorgeous creations come to life! As always I love hearing from you all and look forward to sharing more! Again comment below your ideas or other DIY projects you would like to see! I’d love to try them out for you! 

If you liked this post, check out some of my others…

10 Home Life Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind

5 Tips for Decorating a Guest Bedroom on a Budget

The Best Homemade Pizza Muffins Ever!