6 Toy-Inspired Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Inspire a few squeals of disgust with this toy-mouse-infested “cheese.” To make it, scoop out the pumpkin’s guts, carve circular holes into the flesh, and coat on yellow acrylic paint to make it look like Minnie’s favorite snack.

To craft this miniature zoo cage, cut a rectangular opening out of the pumpkin’s front, discard, and scoop out the insides. Stick in an animal figure and use painted wooden skewers to make the cage. For the sign, top a toothpick with strips of craft paper.

To make these ’80s-inspired jack-o’-lanterns, start with hollowed-out pumpkins and Lite-Brite pegs. Trace out your design with washable marker, then poke the outline with the piercing tool that comes with a pumpkin-carving set (a thin screwdriver also works). Wipe off the marker residue with a damp paper towel, push pegs into the holes, and place a few battery-operated candles inside to make it glow.

Your family’s Lego maniac will go brick wild for this clever twist on a classic jack. Carve a face into a small pumpkin. Once you’ve finished carving, build a Lego staircase to the face and arrange the Lego people so that they appear to be doing the carving themselves. Bonus points for a few construction vehicles bulldozing the seeds!

Look for unusual pumpkins and gourds to give your creation even more character. Then, simply push the Mr. Potato Head parts into the flesh.

Tip: Poke wooden skewers vertically through the pumpkins to prevent toppling!

Delight the troves of trick-or-treating princesses with a pumpkin carved to look like Cinderella’s carriage. Start with a large white pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Carve windows and a door and decorate with stick-on gemstones and glittery paint (Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Glitter Acrylic Craft Paint, $3) on the stem. For wheels, spear four tiny white pumpkins onto skewers and rest carriage on the skewer axles. Toy horses lead the carriage and a princess doll sits inside.