Today we are going to be sharing some super easy tips for YOU to host a pumpkin decorating party in your home!

This type of party doesn’t need to be fancy, big or even elaborate! You can host one with just your neighborhood friends, a few of your child’s classmates or just use these tips for a great family night together this Halloween season!

BONUS on this post – we have some PUMPKIN CARVING WINNER BADGES for you to download, print and use at your party as well! Keep scrolling to score those!!!

Year after year, it always surprises me how popular my “Toddler Fun – Painted Pumpkins” tutorial gets this time of year. So with keeping that in mind, I decided to make a quick post piggy-backing on that particular idea and in turn, share some quick tips on how YOU can host the perfect pumpkin decorating party of your own!

Like I mentioned above, this DIY party idea doesn’t need to be elaborate or extra crazy. Kids will love decorating their pumpkins regardless and you are going to be making memories that will last a lifetime too! Best part? Adults can join in too, without feeling like it’s too childish to participate {because everyone loves decorating and/or carving a pumpkin this time of year, right?}

So let’s get to my simple tips and tricks on hosting your own pumpkin party {big or small – that is!}

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YOUR WORKSTATION

Plastic tablecloths are very ideal for your working area at your party. My biggest suggestion is hitting up Dollar Tree for these. You can’t beat the price and when you are done crafting, just roll it up and toss them in the trash with no guilt.

Another tip – keep in mind the floor your group will be crafting near or on. Tile or wood floors are best for something like this. Maybe even your garage or patio would be perfect. If you are crafting on a carpet area, I would suggest laying a couple table cloths or painter’s cloth, on the floor for added protection. But of course – I’m also going to encourage you NOT to craft in a carpeted area to begin with but I know sometimes we are dealt with what we have :-) I also suggest you pick an area that is really close to a sink, so cleanup is easy too.

If you can’t get tablecloths, large trash bags are a good alternative as well. Best part on using them? When done painting and the party is over, just pull the trashbags off the tables and use them to collect all the trash left behind. This will make your investment a TWO-FOLD and we love the thought of that!

Newspapers and recycled magazine pages are also great for resting pumpkins on. This will make your pumpkins more stable and less likely to roll off your table. Plus kids won’t have to fear laying their paint covered brushes on them.

PARTY PREP

If you are providing the pumpkins for your party, make sure they are clean and ready to go before the event. I personally love large foam pumpkins for adults, while the mini pumpkin gourds you find in grocery stores, are inexpensive for kids.

Fake foam pumpkins should be dusted off so the surface is ready for painting. If using real pumpkins, wash them before hand with some dish soap and water & pat them dry. These steps will allow your embellishments and paint to stick to the pumpkins with no problems.

Also make sure your pumpkins are free of any stickers or any removable markings.

If pumpkins need to be a full color {like black for a bat or green for Frankenstein} my suggestion is to pre-paint the pumpkins the night before {spray paint is great for this!} this way, no colors will bleed and no frustration will come the day of the party!

THE RIGHT ATTIRE FOR ATTENDEES

When inviting your guests to your party, make sure you remind them to wear old clothes to your event, that can get messy and possibly thrown away afterwards. Although it’s fun to wear costumes to any and all Halloween parties during the month October, it’s not ideal for a craft event like this.

Also if you have some, provide some aprons and plastic gloves for wearing. Plastic gloves are great to keep on the table, if there are any craft supplies that are known to stain hands. Nobody wants their child {or themselves} to have black hands for the next week or two :-)

And although this isn’t “attire” per say, I’m going to add BABY WIPES to this section on what you should have on hand for guests. Of course your sink should be in an easy-access place for kids {and adults} to wash their hands BUT baby wipes are the quickest and easiest thing to keep on the table for wiping up spills & cleaning hands instantly. This way, while they are on their way to the sink, you can get off as much as you can from their hands, which means less changes of getting something you DON’T want paint or glue on.

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Now this is the fun part because there really is no wrong or right way when it comes to what you place on the table! My suggestion is to check out our NO-CARVE Pumpkin Roundup and pick a few of your favorites, then go from there. Dollar Tree is a great place to stock up on your craft supplies on the cheap – FYI! You can also dip into your recycling bin or cabinets for materials that are outside the box.

As for the basics that everyone should have for their party, think of grabbing scissors {I say at least one pair per two people} a hot glue gun, carving tools {if needed for real pumpkins} large adhesive glue dots versus school glue, paper plates and tons of various acrylic paint colors & foam brushes to use. It also doesn’t hurt to ask your guests to bring some of their basic supplies to share as well. Maybe you can ask them to bring extra scissors or a glue gun. They also might have something you didn’t think of, so be sure to pick their brain before hand as well!

Other things to have on hand that are great for a party like this, is glitter, pom poms, craft feathers, thick tip Sharpie markers, puffy paint, craft felt, fabric scraps, googly eyes, decorative flower pieces, various scrapbook stickers, duct tape, tissue paper – basically ANYTHING you can think of that someone might be able to use to decorate a pumpkin. Even recycled plastic lids, spider webs from your decorations, newspaper or gift paper wrap can be used to decorate a pumpkin.

One last thing – having a blow dryer on hand and plugged in close by is perfect for “drying” pumpkins faster {especially if guests want to take their pumpkin home that night!}

And if all this sounds elaborate, trust me – if you just put some glue and recycled tissue paper on a table, kids will know what to do!

MAKE IT A FRIENDLY COMPETITION

Of course, your pumpkin decorating party should be all about having fun and just crafting along side your friends & family BUT if you would like to add an extra element to your event, we also have some fun “Pumpkin Awards” you can give out when everyone is done decorating.

These are designed by me and you can enjoy them by just downloading the FREE file HERE, printing it out on white cardstock that you later trim out to make award badges. Then select a panel of “judges” who will use these to mark their scariest, silliest, cutest and overall favorites, at the end of the night.

Some ideas for winning prizes – small ice cream cone/coffee gift cards, candy, plastic toy trinkets, small craft supplies etc. Again, I highly suggest Dollar Tree or even the Target Dollar Spot for easy and affordable prizes. You could even stick to the themes of the award and do gifts based around that. Cutest – maybe some fun hair bows or Halloween print socks. Scariest – a scary movie DVD or movie tickets. Silliest – silly string or a joke book. Overall Favorite – a gift card or cash prize. 

Hopefully this tidbit and printable sparks some extra fun to your event!

FINALLY, JUST HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Now you have the pumpkin decorating aspect figured out and you are wondering what else to include. Don’t fret my friends! Remember – this party doesn’t need to be any more complicated than it needs to be. Just have some easy finger foods like popcorn or ghost cookies laid out for guests and play The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown movie in the background for easy entertainment.

You can also make some quick Halloween party favors {using our free and easy printables found HERE} for guests to enjoy during or afterwards.

Overall, it’s EASY PEASY! Just how I like it on our site!!! Hopefully this quick and down to the point post comes in handy for you this Halloween and fall season! If you don’t mind sharing pictures with us of your grand decorating party, please join our private Facebook group and share them there. You can also tag us on your favorite social media sites or use the special brand hashtag #gluedtomycrafts for us to see! We can’t wait to see those images pour in!

Happy crafting and throwing the BEST and most EPIC pumpkin decorating party ever, my friends!!!