Watching the show Halloween Wars entices me to carve a pumpkin into a work of art. But not all of us have the time and many of us have children who do not have the coordination to handle sharp knives even for a regular pumpkin.

Don’t Just Give in to Normal

For parents, the easiest and safest idea for carving a pumpkin is having your child make the markings and you – the adult – do all the cutting. But how about going in a different direction?

Creating an Awesome Pumpkin Differently

Beaded pumpkins can be pretty or scary. It’s as simple as using straight pins, beads and your imagination. Image courtesy of Handmadehappyhour.com.

Bling your pumpkin easily with adhesive-backed rhinestones and baubles. Top with a ribbon. Image courtesy of Sugarbeecrafts.com.

Decopage your pumpkin using a white glue/water recipe and most any material (paper, fabric, wallpaper, etc.). Image courtesy of Confessionsofaplateaddict.blogspot.com.

Cover your pumpkin entirely with fabric – such as burlap for a rustic look. Image courtesy of Factorydirectcraft.com

A Frozen-inspired pumpkin: Spray paint, add adhesive bling, and an inexpensive tiara. Image courtesy of apumpkinandprincess.

Doily pumpkin magic: White doilies glued on pumpkins can work well for weddings. Black doilies – can make it more Victorian. Image courtesy of Domainehome.com

Duct tape your pumpkin: There are endless possibilities with sheet duct tape, slim rolls, and in a multitude of designs and colors. Image courtesy of sophistishe.com.

Foil your pumpkin: Add regular silver foil, easily color your foil (tutorial at Firstpalette.com), or buy specialty foils. Wrap and make rib lines with marker. Image courtesy of Onbetterliving.com

Glitter your pumpkin: A little white glue and glitter turns a regular pumpkin into a sparkling marvel. Image courtesy of Blog.smartyhadaparty.com

Glow-in-the-dark your pumpkin: There are several glow-in-the- dark paints at craft stores. Please check the reviews and glow ratings to fit your needs. Image courtesy of Jaderbomb.com

Crayon your pumpkin: This gives you an opportunity to use all those broken crayons laying around. All you need is to unwrap, use a blow dryer on them, and watch them melt away in groovy designs. Image courtesy of Craftymorning.com

Paint and prop your pumpkin: A little paint and a small prop (such as hat, spiders, etc.) can go a long way. Image courtesy of Blog.thecelebrationshoppe.com

Embroider your pumpkin: This can work by easily using a metal skewer to make the holes and “sewing” away. Image courtesy of Bobvila.com.

Nylon your pumpkin: These fishnet stockings work great, but I bet those fancy designed ones would still work well. Image courtesy of Bobvila.com

Salt your pumpkin: Kosher salt and white glue “crystallizes” a pumpkin. I bet it even works well to keep the mold away. Image courtesy of Bobvila.com.

Tack or pin your pumpkin: You’d be surprised at the effect over-lapping thumb tacks can have. To jazz up the design, throw in some ball-end straight pins for color. Image courtesy of Bobvila.com.

String your pumpkin: It can be as easy as making a web and adding a plastic spider or take it further and wrap colored string, twine, or rope around the entire outside. Image courtesy of J Palmisano at diynetwork.com

Tattoo your pumpkin: Easily found tattoos during Halloween can be used on pumpkins too. Transform your average pumpkin into a creepy or funny creature. Image courtesy of Blog.tattoosales.com.

If you’d still rather carve a pumpkin, here are a few free template sites to help you on your way:

78 Geeky Pumpkin Templates140 Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns
A 100+ Free Pumpkin Carving Stencils