Pumpkin Crafts for Kids: Easy Ideas by Age

Pumpkin Crafts for Kids

Pumpkin crafts give kids a way to decorate for fall without carving a real pumpkin. These ideas use paper, paint, glue, cardboard, and a few supplies you may already have at home. Most take between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on drying time.

Set up one work area with a washable mat, a few paper towels, and small containers for paint or glue. I like to prepare the pieces that need cutting before kids sit down. Then they can focus on choosing colors, adding faces, and making each pumpkin their own.

For more short projects, see these easy fall crafts for kids or try a few ideas from these fall crafts for preschoolers.

1. Paper Plate Pumpkin

This is a simple first pumpkin craft with a large surface for painting or gluing.

Supplies

• 1 white paper plate
• Orange washable paint
• 1 paintbrush
• Green construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Black marker
• Newspaper or a washable mat

Steps

1. Paint the front of the paper plate orange. Leave the paint to dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Cut a small stem and one or two leaves from green construction paper.
3. Glue the stem and leaves to the top of the plate.
4. Draw a jack-o’-lantern face with a black marker, or glue on paper eyes and a mouth.
5. Add stripes with a darker orange marker if you like.

For younger children, draw the face first and let them paint over or around the lines. The finished plate can hang on a wall, door, or refrigerator with a small piece of tape.

2. Torn Paper Pumpkin

Torn paper makes a textured pumpkin without a paintbrush. It also works well when several children are sharing one table.

Supplies

• 1 sheet of white cardstock
• Orange construction paper
• Green construction paper
• Glue stick
• Black marker
• Pencil

Steps

1. Draw a large pumpkin shape on the cardstock with a pencil.
2. Tear the orange paper into pieces about 1 to 2 inches wide. The pieces do not need to match.
3. Cover the pumpkin outline with glue.
4. Press the orange paper pieces onto the glue, leaving small gaps if you want a patchwork look.
5. Tear or cut a green stem and leaf, then glue them above the pumpkin.
6. Add a face after the glue has dried for 10 minutes.

Use several shades of orange for a striped pumpkin. Brown paper can stand in for the stem, and green crayon lines can add vines around the outside.

3. Pumpkin Seed Mosaic

Save clean, dry pumpkin seeds for a small mosaic. If you do not have seeds, use dried beans or small pieces of paper instead.

Supplies

• 1 sheet of cardstock
• Pencil
• Pumpkin seeds
• Orange, green, and brown washable paint
• Paintbrush
• White glue
• Black marker
• Small bowl

Steps

1. Draw a pumpkin shape on the cardstock.
2. Paint the seeds orange. Paint a few green for leaves and brown for the stem.
3. Let the seeds dry for 20 minutes.
4. Spread glue inside the pumpkin outline.
5. Place the orange seeds close together across the shape.
6. Add the green and brown seeds to make leaves and a stem.
7. Leave the mosaic flat until the glue dries completely, then draw a face or vines around it.

This project works best with a small amount of glue at a time. A cotton swab can help spread it into corners.

4. Cardboard Tube Pumpkin

A cardboard tube becomes a small pumpkin with a few folds. This craft is useful for decorating a shelf or making a row of pumpkins in different colors.

Supplies

• 1 clean cardboard tube
• Orange paint
• Paintbrush
• Green paper or green pipe cleaner
• Glue
• Scissors
• Black marker

Steps

1. Paint the outside of the tube orange. Let it dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Press the tube flat.
3. Cut the flattened tube into rings about 1 inch wide. An adult should handle the scissors for younger kids.
4. Open each ring and pinch the sides slightly to make an oval shape.
5. Glue three or four rings together at their sides to form a round pumpkin.
6. Add a paper stem and leaf, or twist a short green pipe cleaner into a curl.
7. Draw a face on the front ring.

Use a glue dot or a small amount of craft glue where the rings meet. Hold each section for a few seconds so it stays in place.

5. Pumpkin Suncatcher

This paper suncatcher uses clear contact paper and tissue paper. It is light enough for a window and needs no paint drying time.

Supplies

• Clear contact paper
• Orange tissue paper
• Green tissue paper
• Black construction paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Pencil

Steps

1. Draw a pumpkin outline on the paper backing of the contact paper.
2. Cut the pumpkin shape out, leaving a wide border around it.
3. Cut or tear orange tissue paper into pieces about 1 inch wide.
4. Peel the backing away and place the contact paper sticky-side up on the table.
5. Arrange orange tissue paper inside the pumpkin shape.
6. Add a green stem and leaf.
7. Cover the craft with a second piece of contact paper, sticky-side down.
8. Trim the edges and tape the pumpkin to a window.

For a jack-o’-lantern, cut the eyes and mouth from black construction paper before adding the top sheet of contact paper. Keep the shapes large so they are easier to place.

6. Painted Paper Bag Pumpkin

A paper lunch bag can become a pumpkin decoration or a small treat bag. Use it for a craft table activity, then fill it with paper leaves or other light items.

Supplies

• 1 brown paper lunch bag
• Orange paint
• Green construction paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Black marker
• Newspaper

Steps

1. Place newspaper inside the bag to keep paint from soaking through.
2. Paint the front and sides orange. Leave the bag open while it dries for 30 minutes.
3. Cut a green stem and leaf, then glue them near the top.
4. Draw a pumpkin face on the front.
5. Remove the newspaper and fold the top edge down once.

Do not fill the bag until all paint and glue are dry. A few crumpled sheets of paper inside can help the pumpkin hold its shape for display.

7. Pumpkin Handprint Card

A handprint turns into a pumpkin shape with a few added lines. For more keepsake ideas, see these fall handprint crafts that grow with kids.

Supplies

• 1 sheet of white cardstock, folded in half
• Orange washable paint
• Green washable paint
• Paintbrush
• Black marker
• Paper towel and water for cleanup

Steps

1. Paint the palm orange and the fingers orange, leaving the thumb free.
2. Press the hand onto the front of the card, then lift it straight up.
3. Wash the hand or wipe it clean.
4. Paint the thumb green and press it above the pumpkin as a stem.
5. Let the card dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Add a face, leaves, or a short message with a black marker.

Make one print on scrap paper first if you want to test the amount of paint. A thin, even layer gives clearer lines than a thick coat.

8. No-Carve Painted Pumpkin

For a real pumpkin, choose a small, dry pumpkin with a smooth surface. Keep the design simple so kids can take part in each step.

Supplies

• 1 small pumpkin
• Damp cloth
• Acrylic or washable paint
• Paintbrushes
• Paint palette or paper plate
• Black marker
• Newspaper

Steps

1. Wipe the pumpkin with a damp cloth and let it dry.
2. Place it on newspaper.
3. Paint stripes, dots, stars, or a face.
4. Leave the pumpkin undisturbed until the paint is dry. Drying time depends on the paint thickness, so follow the paint container directions.
5. Add details with a marker once the paint is dry.

Skip the carving tools for this version. If you want more ideas for a painted pumpkin display, see these cute pumpkin painting ideas.

Easy Ways to Change the Designs

A pumpkin can be orange, but it does not have to be. Let kids choose yellow, pink, blue, or purple for a different display. Add paper shapes instead of drawing faces, or make a family of pumpkins in different sizes.

For a calm activity, leave the faces off and focus on stripes, dots, leaves, and vines. For a group project, cut the pumpkin shapes ahead of time and place the supplies in separate trays. Kids can finish one craft before moving to the next.

If you are decorating real pumpkins, keep the designs on the outside and use paint, paper, or markers. These pumpkin decorating ideas can help when you want a more detailed display.

A Simple Pumpkin Craft Setup

Plan on 10 minutes for setup, 20 to 30 minutes for most crafts, and another 10 minutes for cleanup. Put paint in shallow containers, give each child one brush, and keep a small bowl nearby for scraps.

Cutting, small loose pieces, and paint cleanup need closer adult help for young children. Keep the craft flat while glue dries, and store finished pieces on a high shelf until the table is clear.

For a quiet follow-up activity, add fall coloring pages for kids to the table. Kids can color pumpkins while painted pieces dry.