Pumpkin Decorating Ideas for Halloween

Halloween is nearly here once more, and if you're like many people, you'll be making a Halloween pumpkin lantern. Carved vegetable lanterns, or Jack O'Lanterns as they're often known, are part of an ancient tradition that originated with the Celts. However the original lanterns made by the Celts in Europe were usually made from turnips, swedes or mangelwurzels. Halloween lanterns made from pumpkins only became popular relatively recently, after the Halloween holiday started to be widely celebrated in the US, where pumpkins are plentiful. They have since gained popularity elsewhere in the world too, thanks to the relative ease with which they can be carved, and the brilliant orange glow they produce when lit up.

Pumpkins are very versatile and can be carved and decorated carved in any number of ways and it's very easy to produce a lantern that will make a beautiful addition to your Halloween decorations.

Decorating

There are two basic approaches you can take to decorating your pumpkin. The first is to carve a face or other design into the flesh, and the second is to paint the pumpkin's surface. You might then like to embellish it further. Of course, you can always combine these approaches, and produce a more ornate and unusual pumpkin!

Pumpkin Decorating Ideas for Halloween

Carving Your Pumpkin

Halloween pumpkins are usually carved, so they can be used as lanterns. Carving a pumpkin can be as simple as creating a couple of triangular eyes and a mouth, or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can make a more complex pumpkin lantern intricate features or other patterns, such as cats, spiders, ghosts, etc, or even non-Halloween motifs. To carve your pumpkin, cut off the top (if you're going to illuminate it with a candle) or the bottom (to provide access for an electric light cord), scrape out the flesh, draw your design onto the surface of the pumpkin, and cut around the outlines with a sharp knife or other carving tool. You might find it useful to pare the interior surface of the pumpkin back in the areas you will be cutting. Your pumpkin is then ready to be lit up.

You can either design your own pumpkin carving pattern, or you can use one of the many that are available (very often for for free) online. Pumpkincarving.com is one site that I recommend if you're looking for more ideas and inspiration.

Painting Your Pumpkin

Painted Halloween pumpkins are not as common as the carved variety, but they are becoming very popular. Painting your pumpkin gives you more flexibility than carving it, and you can create stunning painted Halloween designs that are guaranteed to get a reaction. Don't worry if you think you can't paint - you don't need to be an artist to create beautiful painted Halloween pumpkins! See my site (link in the resource box below) for details of an excellent guide to pumpkin painting, called Pumpkin Painting, Anyone Can Do It. Really! With this handy guide, you'll be producing brightly painted pumpkin masterpieces in no time! Painted pumpkins are also very popular with children, as - unlike with carved pumpkins - they can create their own pumpkin designs very safely and with minimal assistance.

Embellishing Your Pumpkin Further

If you really want to go to town, you can jazz up your carved or painted pumpkin even more. Try sticking on some glitter or sequins, or draping it with strings of sparkly beads. Just be sure not to use flammable materials.

Employ any or all of these pumpkin decorating ideas, and you'll soon have a beautifully scary Halloween pumpkin that will make a fantastic centrepiece for your home!

Pumpkin Decorating Ideas for Halloween

Melania Karel is entranced by all things supernatural and Halloween-related, and is webmaster of Halloween-o-Pedia, a treasure trove of spooky information and resources, including information about pumpkin painting and other forms of decoration.

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

With the popularity of the recent Disney Pixar Cars movie, chances are that your little boy is wanting Lightning McQueen, Mater, and all their friends to now grace every surface of his bedroom. Decorating a room with a Disney Cars room décor is fairly easy and inexpensive. Merchandise is available all over the web and if you are lucky, you may also find an item or two in the stores. Because of the popularity of the movie, all Cars merchandise has been extremely popular so I have learned that when you find an item you want that isn't sold out, you have to move quickly and buy it.

So what is available for decorating a Disney Cars theme room? Well first, you will have you choice of a couple of beds. A Disney Cars toddler bed is available as is a Lightning McQueen Race Car bed that comes in a twin size. You will also be able to find Disney Cars toddler bedding and twin size bedding sets.

Decorating

It doesn't stop with just beds and bedding though. The amount of Disney Cars room décor available extends to wall art, room decals, lamps featuring Lightning and Mater, and even dresser knobs featuring many of the movie's key characters. You will also be able to find Disney Cars furniture pieces including toy boxes and table and chair sets for your Disney Cars theme room.

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

So if your little boy has been dreaming of a Disney Cars themed bedroom, you will have no trouble coming up with enough Disney Cars room décor to create the Lightning McQueen room of his dreams!

Decorating a Room with Disney Cars Room Decor

© Copyright Rebecca Johnson, All Rights Reserved

Rebecca Johnson is the mother of a three year old son who is a Disney Cars fanatic. She owns a website about decorating rooms for babies and young children. Visit it for more information about decorating a Disney Cars theme room including the best places to find Disney Cars room décor.

Decorating Your Kitchen With A 1940's Retro Theme

These days kitchen décor comes in all colors, sizes and eras. One fun way to decorate your kitchen is with a bit of 1940's nostalgia. Painted cabinets, glass knobs, and vintage linens combined with new appliances that have a retro look can give you a unique and functional kitchen.

You can get a great 1940's look without spending a bundle and still be able to fill your kitchen with some nice collectibles. Here's some ideas on how you can get a 1940's look in your kitchen.

Decorating

Colors

Decorating Your Kitchen With A 1940's Retro Theme

Some popular colors from this era include jadeite and a red and white theme. You can find plenty of vintage accents to fill your kitchen for either one of these color schemes. Why not start a collection of jadeite that you can display in open cabinets as well as use for dishware? You can jazz the place up with vintage wooden handle gadgets that are painted jadite and cream. If you are going for the red and white theme, there are plenty of red vintage kitchen ware gadgets out there and vintage linens can really perk up the place. Another advantage of the red and white theme is you can also add in a fruit theme on top of it like apples or strawberries.

I would leave the walls a neutral color - white of off white so that it does not detract from all
your great accessories. Linoleum flooring in a checkerboard pattern would be perfect.
Some color coordinated throw rugs can add a bit of color to the floor and pull it all together.

Lighting

Simple lighting is best. You can buy vintage ceiling lights and wall sconces if you want a
really authentic look. Of course you'll want to make sure you have enough task
lighting so some modern lights will have to be worked in. I suggest you make them as subtle as possible so they don't look out of place.

Window Treatments

Use vintage curtains for your windows. You can buy them with complimentary colors and great patterns.
If you can't find curtains make some out of vintage dish towels or tablecloths - you can buy tablecloths that have stains in 1 area pretty cheaply and then just use the good area for the curtains! If you are going with a red and white 1940's kitchen decorating theme, you might want to pick either cherries or apples as a secondary theme and look for curtains with those fruits in the motif.

Furniture

Glass knobs will really jazz up your furniture and cabinets and add an authentic vintage look. If you have painted cabinets in either white or cream, try the green glass knobs. Your table and chairs should either be a chrome vintage style dinette (you can buy these new and you can still get vintage ones as well), or a vintage wooden style table with enamel top. If you can't find either of these, you can buy any type table and hide it with a vintage tablecloth.

Accessories

Accessories for 1940's style kitchens can be found in antique malls as well as bought brand new.
Soften up the room by hanging vintage tablecloths and tea towels around. Chrome appliances go well with this look as do the retro style appliances you can buy brand new these days. And don't forget the vintage
breadbox and canisters - every kitchen had them on the counter and you can choose from chrome
or enamel in cream and green, or red and white to complete your look.

Decorating Your Kitchen With A 1940's Retro Theme

Lee Dobbins is the owner of A Kitchen Decorating Idea where you can get more ideas on how to decorate your kitchen on a budget .