One of our favorite holidays is almost here and although we always look forward to the idea of pumpkin carving, we always end up cursing our sore fingers and all the pumpkin guts that go along with it about an hour into the “fun”.  This year we decided to skip the sharp objects and guts, but the gorgeous pumpkins at Trader Joe’s were too festive to resist, so we had to get creative.  So now we present 10 no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas to try this halloween, brought to you in part by our lack of will power…

All That Glitters…

Gold glitter and glue make for for a super glam collection of mini pumpkins perfect for your desktop.

Here’s the before and after:

Aztec-Inspired Painted Pumpkins

All you need for this one is a Sharpie paint pen, some pretty heirloom pumpkins and a little patience.

This perfectly green “fairy tale” pumpkin came from Trader Joe’s…

and so did these sweet little honeynut squashes.

Don’t bother trying to make these perfect; working with the the lumps, bumps and imperfections are part of the fun!

Donut Pumpkins

Zero calorie donut-y goodness!  These look good enough to eat and all it takes is the paint colors of your choice (and a little painters tape if you’re as much of a perfectionist as Maddie).

Sweet sprinkles make these guys come to life…

…it’s like a party on a pumpkin!

Scenes by the Seaside

When Holli saw these felt waves at the craft store she knew they were the perfect homage to our seaside upbringing!  A glittering sun and sailboat complete the scene.

Flower Power

Whether you choose the rhinestone variety or craft flowers, this is a super easy (and less messy, kid-friendly) option that comes together in no time.

EEK!

Rhinestone strips can be used to write out a number of spooky phrases.  Painting the pumpkin white first makes the colorful jewels pop!

A few more of our favorites from around the interwebs…

Pun-kins

These chic and clever little guys had us laughing out loud!  Check them out over on Studio DIY.

Office Supply Room Pumpkin

Raid the supply room (or Office Depot) for this idea: all you need are some pushpins or brass fasteners.  More details on A Subtle Revelry

Black Widow

Never has a spider looked more glam than done up in rhinestones on a pearl-glazed pumpkin.  Get the tutorial on Oopsey Daisy.

Mummy Dearest

Equal parts spooky and adorable, these little mummies come together with just some white streamers and white map tacks.  See how on Martha Stewart.