It's Pumpkin Time!

No Mess Decorations

Fall is such a fun time of year, but it can also be quite messy. You know what I mean if you've ever carved a pumpkin, or cleaned up one that's been smashed in front of your house. Unfortunately, some kids take a little too much delight in Halloween pranks.

Don't let mess and mischief spoil your fun this season, there are other solutions that don't have to cost a fortune.  Drawing fun faces on mini pumpkins is a great project for little ones who are not ready to tackle
pumpkin cutting yet. They can draw with pencil first so that mistakes can be erased, and then you can help them go over their drawing with a Sharpie permanent marker.

Our pumpkin family is placed on our front porch next to the door, which helps reduce the temptation for vandals. (Also the small pumpkins are not as much fun to smash up.) I've never had much time for holiday decorating but I like to be creative, so I tend to create quick and easy solutions like this one.

Make A Poster

Another easy way to decorate is to make a poster. Of course you could probably buy a poster, but if you like creating digital art I recommend Craft Artist by Serif. It's so easy and fun. If you or your kids are really good artists maybe you can draw & paint your own poster, but that does involve some time and mess to clean up. What I like about creating things with Craft Artist is that I can be original without scraps of paper, glue or paint to clean up.

I can print my creations on my own printer, or change them to a PDF or JPEG file and take them to a professional printer for a larger size. I can also send them to my friends and family as email cards. With a few minor adjustments to make room for photos I can also use this poster as a scrap book page. Craft Artist is very versatile for lots of different craft projects, it even comes with templates for gift cards, gift boxes, invitations, name place cards, and party decorations.

I hope you have fun decorating this fall, please share your projects too!