There's a kit for that — store-bought options do the pumpkin decorating for you

Posted by Sara Shepherd October 22, 2012 at 10:29 a.m.

There's a kit for that — store-bought options do the pumpkin decorating for you

While Go! editor Katie Bean was out shopping for materials to create the Stocking Pumpkins in today's Go! cover story, something else caught her eye: No-carve pumpkin decorating kits.

Katie might have been tempted by these all-in-one options, but she stuck with her mission to find patterned black hose for our original plan.

For chronic craft-failers or people who are too busy for the whole crafting thing to start with (nothing to be ashamed about), she shares some of the easier options to be had out there.

I’m a fan of DIY, but I don’t always have time to do the projects I want to do.

As I was shopping for supplies for the stocking pumpkin I made for our Go! cover story this week, I found that stores have anticipated the trends in pumpkin decorating we saw online. There were several examples of pumpkins like the ones we had discussed for the story pre-made and many kits that eliminate the running around for different supplies. Here are a few examples from my shopping trip.

I was most surprised to see full kit options. Some seem to involve painting; others just have pieces you stick on. Here are a few examples I saw:

Hello Kitty pumpkin decorating kit. by Katie Bean

Angry Birds pumpkin decorating kit. by Katie Bean

Dinosaur pumpkin decorating kit. by Katie Bean

Witch pumpkin decorating kit. by Katie Bean

Kits to give your pumpkin a body. by Katie Bean

There were also pre-decorated pumpkins available in the same styles we saw on Pinterest.

Glitter pumpkins. by Katie Bean

Metallic foam pumpkin. by Katie Bean

Sparkly crackle pumpkin. by Katie Bean

There were many faux pumpkins available in different shapes, sizes and colors. If you choose to invest the time and money (they were a little more expensive than fresh pumpkins), you can have a decoration that will last for years. We do not recommend keeping real pumpkins for years — they have a long shelf life, but not that long.

We found that faux pumpkins typically cost more than real ones, but they will last more than one season. by Katie Bean

Faux pumpkins are available in different sizes, shapes and colors. by Katie Bean

Black and white faux pumpkins provide a different look. by Katie Bean

However you choose to decorate your pumpkin, take a picture and share it with us and other readers in the decorated pumpkins of Lawrence photo gallery.