40 Pumpkin Craft Ideas for a Festive Fall in 2026
Looking for fun and creative ways to celebrate the fall season? These pumpkin craft ideas are perfect for all ages.
Here are 40 pumpkin crafts for kids, sorted by what you will be making them out of — paper plates, handprints, paint, beads and buttons, or things headed for a windowsill. Most use supplies you already have at home.
Paper Plate, Tube, and Cardboard Pumpkins
The recycling bin does most of the work in this group. Paper plates, paper tubes, cardboard and paper cups all come out of the house you are already in.
Create a fun pumpkin mask by painting a paper plate orange and adding a jack-o’-lantern face, complete with a stick for holding.
Transform a paper plate into a fun pumpkin face using construction paper for the features and a green stem.
Use recycled paper tubes to make adorable pumpkin characters by decorating them with orange paper, jack-o’-lantern faces, and green stems.
Paint a paper plate orange, cut out the center, and decorate it as a pumpkin frame to showcase your favorite fall photo.
Use painted popsicle sticks to create a smiling pumpkin face, complete with googly eyes and a felt stem for a fun and easy fall craft.
Decorate orange paper cups with pumpkin faces and add a leaf on top to create festive table decorations.
Cut a pumpkin shape out of cardboard, paint it orange, and add green paper leaves and a black jack-o’-lantern face for a simple, eco-friendly fall decoration.
Cut out a triangle from orange paper, fold and glue onto a paper plate, and add cotton balls for whipped cream to make a cute pumpkin pie slice.
Handprint and Keepsake Pumpkin Crafts
The ones worth dating on the back and keeping. Little hands change fast, and a handprint pumpkin is an easy way to mark where they were this fall.
Capture the season with this adorable craft by painting your child’s handprints inside a pumpkin outline for a unique and personal keepsake.
Use orange and black paint to turn a handprint into a jack-o’-lantern, complete with a leafy stem for a personal fall touch.
Paint a large pumpkin on paper and add a white handprint in the center for a sweet and personal autumn keepsake.
The the step by step directions on how to make shrinky dink handprints!
Create a layered paper pumpkin, leaving space in the center for a child’s photo, then decorate it with green paper leaves and display it as a personalized fall keepsake.
Painting and Printing with Pumpkins
Apples, leaves and bubble wrap all make good stamps. These are messier than the rest of the list, so they are worth saving for a day you can get the paint out.
Paint smooth rocks with orange and black jack-o’-lantern faces for a simple and charming fall decoration.
Use halved apples dipped in orange paint to stamp pumpkin shapes on paper, then decorate each with a unique jack-o’-lantern face.
Use fall leaves as stencils to paint colorful patterns on a real pumpkin, creating a vibrant and nature-inspired decoration.
Paint a piece of bubble wrap orange, cut it into a pumpkin shape, and attach a green paper stem and leaves for textured, fun pumpkin craft ideas.
Glue real or faux autumn leaves onto a cardboard pumpkin cutout, creating a rustic, nature-inspired pumpkin decoration perfect for fall.
Collage, Beads, and Texture Crafts
Gluing, threading and sticking — good fine-motor practice dressed up as a pumpkin. Buttons, beads, pasta, yarn, torn paper and pumpkin seeds all work the same way.
Cut out a pumpkin shape from cardboard and fill it with natural elements like leaves, twigs, and berries, then glue them down for a textured fall-themed decoration.
Use crumpled tissue paper in orange and green to fill in a pumpkin outline, creating a textured collage craft.
Cut small orange squares of paper and glue them onto a pumpkin-shaped base for a textured and cheerful fall craft.
Arrange colorful pasta shapes on a pumpkin outline and glue them down to create a textured, fun fall craft using pantry staples.
Wrap orange yarn around a small paper plate, securing the ends to form a cute pumpkin, and add a black paper stem for a simple yet textured craft.
Weave orange thread through a paper pumpkin outline and add beads for a textured fall craft.
String orange beads onto wire and shape into interlocking rings to create a charming pumpkin ornament perfect for fall decor.
Trace a pumpkin shape on paper and glue orange beads around the outline for a simple and fun fall project.
Glue assorted orange buttons onto a paper pumpkin cutout for a charming and tactile pumpkin decoration.
Glue dyed pumpkin seeds onto a pumpkin template to create a colorful and tactile mosaic.
Pumpkin Learning Activities and Games
Counting, shape sorting and a poking game — pumpkin crafts that have a skill tucked inside them.
Cut out pumpkin shapes from orange paper, write numbers on each, and glue the corresponding number of pumpkin seeds to create a fun counting activity for kids.
Craft this DIY pumpkin shape sorter toy for toddlers.
Fill an orange balloon with rice, tie it off, and add a jack-o’-lantern face for a fun and squishy pumpkin-themed stress ball.
Create a fun interactive game by filling cups with treats, covering them with orange tissue paper, and attaching them to a large pumpkin-shaped board for kids to poke and reveal surprises.
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Pumpkin Decorations and Party Crafts
The ones that end up on a windowsill, a mantel or a party table rather than the fridge.
Wrap a mason jar in orange fabric, add a jack-o’-lantern face, and place a tea light inside for a cozy fall lantern.
Get the full instructions on how to create this too!
Create vibrant pumpkin suncatchers by layering colorful tissue paper pieces onto a sticky paper , then hang them in the window to catch the autumn light.
Make a festive pumpkin-themed goodie bag by decorating a paper bag with a jack-o’-lantern face and a pop-up black cat.
Transform acorns into adorable pumpkin miniatures by painting them orange and black with jack-o’-lantern faces.
Make hot glue watercolor crafts using our free Halloween templates.
Transform a small terracotta pot into a pumpkin-themed candy holder by painting on a jack-o’-lantern face, perfect for treats!
Cut windows and a door into a pumpkin, then let the kids build a moss roof and press flowers on with petroleum jelly instead of glue so they can rearrange it all week.
More Fall and Halloween Ideas
Free Printable Pumpkin Templates
Whether you are working on one of the 40 pumpkin craft ideas in this post or creating your own, these free templates are here to help. Some of them pair with specific crafts above, so you can download, print, and start straight away.
52 Fall Craft Ideas: Apples, Scarecrows, and Leaves
If you are enjoying these pumpkin craft ideas, there is more seasonal inspiration in the list of 52 fall craft ideas — projects perfect for embracing everything we love about autumn, from apple-themed crafts to charming scarecrows and colorful fall leaves.
Free October Family Fun Checklist
October is the perfect month to enjoy some quality time with your family. The free printable checklist has 20 fall and Halloween activities on it, from pumpkin bowling and caramel apples to crafting with fall leaves and setting up a fall sensory bin.
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