Set this kitty cat pumpkin on your porch for an adorable Halloween display. You can make it out of a few simple items. I’ll show you how to make a Black Cat Pumpkin for Halloween that everyone will love.
Pumpkin Design Ideas: No Carve Pumpkins Cats and Painting Pumpkins
Need pumpkin design ideas? Ready for Halloween fun and carving pumpkins? Been wanting to try some no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas, pumpkin painting ideas for kids, or need easy to carve pumpkin ideas? We have great pumpkin crafts and super cute no carve pumpkin ideas for cat family that makes fun Halloween kids’ activities!
EASY PUMPKIN DESIGN IDEAS FOR KIDS
If you’re so over the mess of Halloween pumpkin carving (even though you love those yummy roasted pumpkin seeds ), there are many creative and easy pumpkin ideas that don’t involve pumpkin carving! And, these pumpkins are great alternatives to pumpkins painting ideas!
ENTER: No carve pumpkin decorating ideas.
Pumpkin Ideas That Don’t Involve Carving
Fun ideas for pumpkin decorating for no-carve pumpkins:
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- Get creative with pumpkin painting ideas and paint pumpkins (including painted pumpkin faces!)–don’t miss our Pumpkin Painting Tutorial below
- Do a crayon-drip pumpkin
- Create a glitter pumpkin
- Make a fall pumpkin display of decorated, ornamental pumpkins
- Wrap pumpkins in fabric and ribbons
- Make pumpkin mummies (pumpkins wrapped in gauze with eyes glued on)
- Use no carve kids pumpkin decorating kits
- Use jack o’lantern stencils on pumpkins to make kids pumpkin patterns
- Use pumpkin stickers for jackolantern faces (or all over decorations!)
- Use Mr. Potato Head parts on your pumpkins
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Benefits of No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas
Pumpkin ideas no carving are good because:
- No sticky pumpkin guts / pumpkin clean-up
- Toddler-friendly (although if you’re wondering How do you carve a pumpkin for a toddler? there are safe pumpkin carving kits for younger kids)
- Safer for younger kids—no giant knife or risking injury!
- No-carve pumpkins last longer than carved jack-o-lanterns
- Can be less time consuming
- It works for a group of kids at all ages and stages
- Pumpkin ideas easy for crafts
- No-carve pumpkins are just as fun and cool looking!
(Keep scrolling for the kitty cat pumpkins!)
Can you paint real pumpkins?
Yes! You can paint real pumpkins. The best paint for pumpkins is either spray paint or acrylic paint with a sealant.
(see full how do I paint a pumpkin directions below)
What paints to use on pumpkins?
- One of the easiest ways to decorate pumpkins with paint is to use spray paint. (And, BONUS, that you can get them in all kinds of cool Halloween paint colors!) Spray the pumpkin outdoors and allow to dry. Then, decorate with stickers or stencils.
- You can also hand paint pumpkins, but you’ll want to use acrylic paints with a sealant for a better result.
(Don’t miss our cat designs on pumpkins later in the post!)
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Kid Printables Coloring Pages & MORE!
Cat Pumpkin Carving Tools
Once you decide which cat pumpkin design you want to make, you’ll need to get the right supplies. Here’s a list of things you may need to carve the purr-fect cat-o’-lantern this Halloween:
Halloween Pumpkin Carving Kit
For any pumpkin carving design, you’ll need a good carving kit. Most will include several different sized knives, an etching tool, a drill, and a pumpkin scooper. Some carving kits even come with stencils. Having a good set of carving tools will make your pumpkin cat carving much more successful.
Cat Pumpkin Carving Stencil
Not everyone is an artist. Having a cat pumpkin carving template is much easier than drawing freehand and there are endless cat pumpkin designs to choose from. This is also a great way to get pumpkin carving cat ideas.
Construction Paper, Glue, and Toothpicks
Depending on the cat pumpkin design you choose, you may need a few sheets of black, white, and pink construction paper, as well as a good pair of scissors and some crafting glue or a hot glue gun. You might also need toothpicks to attach cat ears and feet.
Black Paint
To make a black pumpkin cat, you’ll need some quick-drying black glossy acrylic paint. It’s also important that it’s non-toxic and can easily be washed off of skin, clothes, floors, fur, and furniture. You can use other paint colors for eyes, nose, ears, and whiskers if you wish.
Ribbons
One way to jazz up your cat pumpkin is with some festive ribbons. Simply attach using a few dabs of crafting glue. You can also use these ribbons to tie around a pumpkin in a bow.
Plastic Sheet or Tablecloth
Carving pumpkins is messy, especially if you are dealing with glue and paint. Be sure to cover your workspace and preferably do the carving outdoors.
5 Pumpkin Cat Carving Designs to Try at Home
You can find hundreds of different cat pumpkin designs when you search for them. There are pumpkin cat carving stencils for anything from funny Cheshire cat pumpkins to spooky black cat pumpkins. Here are five different pumpkin cat carving ideas to help you ramp up your Halloween decor this year. We tried them out, and we’re already receiving so many compliments on them!
Simple Cat Pumpkin
This first one would be considered an easy cat pumpkin carving and can be done without a cat pumpkin stencil on just about any size pumpkin.
First, cut open the top and hollow out the seeds as you would to carve any other pumpkin.
Next, pick out the best side of the pumpkin and draw the cat’s eyes, nose, ears, and whiskers. You can use quarters or a cap from a small jar or vitamin bottle to make circles for the eyes.
You can draw directly on the pumpkin or sketch out your cat face on a piece of paper, tape that to the pumpkin, and use it as your guide. Then, carve out the design.
That’s it! Drop in a candle and you are ready for Halloween!
Cat with 3D Feet and Ears Pumpkin
This next one is a really cute cat face pumpkin with adorable ears and cute little cat feet. You’ll want to use a bigger pumpkin for this design since there are some smaller details that would be difficult on a smaller pumpkin.
This one is perfect if you’re looking to carve a huge cat pumpkin. You also won’t need pumpkin carving cat templates for this.
Follow the same steps as the Simple Cat Pumpkin, but for this one you’ll be using part of the top to make the ears and feet.
When it comes to making the ears, draw little triangles on the removable lid of the pumpkin. Do the same thing for the feet. Then cut them out.
We suggest taking the feet and ears from the back of the lid so that you won’t see that they are missing when you close the pumpkin.
Attach them to your pumpkin with toothpicks and you’re done!
Black Painted Construction Paper Pumpkin
If pumpkin carving isn’t really your thing or you just want some variety to your Jack-o’-lantern collection, you can make a cat face on a pumpkin. Any size pumpkin can be used for this.
Paint the whole pumpkin black, including the stem. Then use construction paper to make the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and whiskers.
After the paint is thoroughly dried, use crafting glue or a hot glue gun to attach the cut outs to the pumpkin. For the ears to stand up, tape toothpicks to the back of the paper and insert them into the top of the pumpkin.
You can have a lot of fun with this one and can try as many times as you like to create the perfect cat face since there is no carving involved! Feel free to get creative.
Kitten Collection Pumpkin
What’s cuter than kittens? Pumpkin kittens! This adorable kitty collection will surely catch the attention of your neighbors. You will need one big pumpkin and a few tiny ones for the babies.
Start by hollowing out the big pumpkin. Add some flair with some fun Halloween ribbon, which can be attached with crafting glue or a hot glue gun.
To make kitten faces on the tiny pumpkins, use construction paper for the eyes, noses, and whiskers. Attach the cut outs to the pumpkin with crafting glue or a hot glue gun.
Fill the big pumpkin with Poly-Fil or cotton, set the tiny kittens inside, and then angle the lid on top. Adorable!
Black Spooky Cat Pumpkin
If you’re searching for the ultimate black cat Halloween pumpkin, look no further. For this one, you will need a gourd with a long “tail” and a smaller pumpkin to be used for the cat’s head. Start by painting everything black.
Once the paint is thoroughly dry, attach the head to the body using toothpicks. If you want it to stay on extra tight, you can squirt some glue onto the head before attaching it to the “body.”
Next, paint the eyes with a different color. Pink, yellow, green, red, or orange work best. You can also use construction paper for the eyes, which we did for ours. For the ears, use black construction paper and attach them with toothpicks taped to the back.
Lastly, tie a Halloween ribbon into a bow around the cat’s neck for a festive collar. What a masterpiece!
Cat Pumpkin Carving Tips
Carving a cat pumpkin can be a bit of a challenge, especially for kids. But the good news is that you don’t have to be a crafty DIY expert in order to pull off carving a great cat pumpkin. Here are a few tips that will help your pumpkin cat carving adventure be a little easier and more enjoyable:
Pick the right pumpkin. You’ll want to have your cat pumpkin design picked out before buying a pumpkin. Look for one with a good shape, a good “face” for your design, and a pumpkin without too many deep ridges, which can be difficult to draw over and cut around. Also be sure that the pumpkin is firm and that there aren’t any soft spots, which could mean it’s starting to rot.
Get the right tools. Having the right carving tools is key to good cat pumpkin carving. For more intricate designs, you’ll need different sized blades and if they aren’t brand new, you may want to sharpen the blades.
Hollow it out. Thoroughly hollow out all of the seeds using a good quality pumpkin scraper. If your pumpkin has a thick shell, you can scrape some of it away from the inside, which will make it easier to carve, especially for more intricate designs.
Draw it first. If you are drawing out the cat face by hand and not using a cat pumpkin carving template, you can first sketch it out on a piece of tracing paper or even on a paper towel. Once you get the drawing just how you want it, transfer the paper to the pumpkin and attach it with tape. You can then trace your drawing onto the pumpkin by pricking small holes around your design. Remove the paper and carve your pumpkin following the pinprick outline.
Make a Black Cat Pumpkin
Are you looking for fun ways to decorate for Halloween? Check out some of my other posts…
- Over 30 No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas
- Over 30 Craft Ideas for Fall and Halloween
- Over 19 Hilarious Skeleton Displays
Tips and tricks for making your stacked painted pumpkin:
- Before purchasing your pumpkins, make sure the tops and bottoms are as level as possible for stacking
- I like to use Rustoleum spray paint – I think it sticks to the pumpkin better. Other paint might flake off
- Only use spray paint in a well-ventilated area – outdoors is best
- protect your work surface with a tarp or sheet
- Paint the pumpkin in a couple of different steps. Let the pumpkin completely dry, roll it over, and spray the bottom
- If it’s close to Halloween and you are not worried about it perishing, then you can drill a hole into the top of the bottom pumpkin and the bottom of the top pumpkin for inserting a dowel, or pipe for securing them together
- you can also use hot glue for helping to secure pumpkins together
Are you ready to make this adorable Halloween Black Cat Pumpkin? Let’s make sure you have everything you’ll need:
Here are the supplies you’ll need for this Halloween Decorating Idea:
- 2 large pumpkins – One oval pumpkin that will stand upright for the body, and one squatting round one for the head.
- One can of black spray paint – I recommend Rustoleum Satin Enamel Spray Paint. It doesn’t flake like the others
- Optional – one can of glitter blast spray paint – black (I found mine at Michaels Craft Store)
- 1 roll of Wide Halloween colored ribbon for the bow
- 3-D fabric paint for the eyes – I used glow in the dark paint that I found in the paint aisle at Michaels Craft Store
- 1 little pink pom-pom for the nose
- Optional witch hat –
- Black felt or foam for the ears – cut into cat ear shapes
- 1 sheet of self-adhesive black foam for the whiskers – cut 6 little strips for the whiskers
- 1 large chenille bendy for the tailor twist several together
- low temp glue gun and glue sticks or tacky glue, such as Fabri-Tac
Instructions:
- Remove stems from the bottom pumpkin
- Spray paint both pumpkins black – I used Rustoleum Satin Enamel Spray Paint
- If you’re using glitter spray, wait for the black to dry and apply glitter – let dry
- Take the pumpkins to your display area
- Stack the short pumpkin onto the bottom tall pumpkin and steady them
- Paint cat eyes onto the top pumpkin
- Attach pink pom-pom for the nose
- Peel the adhesive backing off of whiskers and apply 3 on either side of the nose
- If you’re using a witch hat – apply the felt ears to either side of the hat with hot glue- so it looks like they are poking through, and set the witch hat on the cat head
- If you’re not using a hat, apply the felt ears to the top of the pumpkin with your warm glue or tacky glue
- Attach chenille strip for the tail to the backside of the bottom pumpkin – secure with a push pin if necessary
~Melissa – KidFriendlyThingsToDo.Com
