The Great Pumpkin: 11 Creative Pumpkin Crafts

These frightfully creative jack-o'-lanterns are so easy to make it's scary.

By Helen Quinn, Photographs by Jonny Valiant from Parents Magazine

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Jonny Valiant
Friendly Frankenstein

Why the sad face? This Frankenstein has real staples stuck in his forehead.
- Learn how to make this Frankenstein pumpkin.
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Jonny Valiant
Gone Batty

Mini pumpkins take flight when you attach a craft foam wing to each side.
- Learn how to make this bat pumpkin.
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Tightly Wound

Turn pumpkins into mummies by wrapping them in white crepe-paper streamers and then gluing on pom-pom eyes.
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Witch Pumpkin

A twisted pumpkin stem doubles as a crooked nose for this sparkly witch.
- Learn how to make this witch pumpkin.
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How to Make a Witch Pumpkin
Watch this video to learn how to dress up your traditional pumpkin for Halloween! Turn a long-stemmed pumpkin on its side for the perfect witch nose!
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Well Spun

Push black brads into the side of a pumpkin and use yarn to spin a spidery spiral.
- Learn how to make this spiderweb pumpkin.
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Freaky Streaks

Kids will adore dripping a few coats of brightly colored paint over round pumpkins.
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Sparkly Squash

Use a paintbrush to spread lightly watered-down glue on your pumpkin and then shake fine glitter over it for a high-shine design.

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Tricked Out

Treat a family of pumpkins to these seriously sweet faces. Use hot glue to attach classic candies, like licorice swirls, candy corn, and jelly beans.
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Ghost Town

Build a multistory pumpkin village where ghosts and goblins can live happily together.
- Learn how to make this ghost town pumpkin.
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Etched Pumpkin

Use a linoleum cutter to etch a playful message for trick-or-treaters into the side of a pumpkin.
- Learn how to make these etched pumpkins.
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How to Make an Etched Pumpkin
Watch this video to learn how to etch letters or numbers into the surface of a pumpkin. It's so easy and there's no messy seeds and pulp to deal with.
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Stained Glass Pumpkin

Let the kids help make the "stained glass windows" by adhering self-laminating sheets to construction paper.
- Learn how to make this stained glass pumpkin.
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How to Make a Stained Glass Pumpkin

Watch this video to learn how to carve a pumpkin to look like stained glass. This is one pumpkin project that you can involve the kids!

Originally published in the October 2012 issue of Parents magazine.

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