How To Decorate Mini White Pumpkins Without Carving

Looking for mini white pumpkin decorating ideas that don’t involve carving? I dressed mine up with upholstery tacks and stick-on dots made from wall protectors—mostly things I already had in my workshop.

These simple additions are a fun way to turn plain little pumpkins into something colorful without scooping out a single seed.

I bought a dozen or so white pumpkins at our local pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago. Buy local when you can, and compare prices with garden centers and discount stores.

Choose firm pumpkins without soft spots or visible mold so you’re starting with pumpkins in good shape.

I had my granddaughter, Sofi, all day, and after she left I went down to the workshop for a little crafting time. I had those white pumpkins, and I needed to spice them up.

I gathered a few things from my DIY supplies to pretty up the pumpkins. At this point I was wingin’ it—seeing what I had to work with and going from there.

Before decorating, gently wipe away any dirt and let the pumpkins dry completely so the stick-on decorations have a clean, dry surface.

I found antique brass upholstery tacks hanging on the pegboard and a few bright gold tacks in a bag. I also had a lot of stick-on wall protectors, large and small.

The small wall protectors had a felt look to them. Who but me would think to spray paint the felt wall protectors—and who would think it would work? You never know until you try!

If you’re trying this with your own supplies, test one first because different materials may take paint differently. Follow the spray paint label’s directions for ventilation, application, and drying.

I selected the blue and orange colors just because I like the color combo…think Florida Gators (insert smiley face) and I live in Tennessee. (insert another smiley face).

If you guys have been around here for a long time, you know some of my favorite color combinations are blue and orange or turquoise and orange.

Supplies for Decorating Mini White Pumpkins:
Gold Stars (similar)
RustOleum Spray Paint- Orange,    Blue
Upholstery Tacks- antique brass,  shiny gold
Wall Protectors (similar)

Once the spray-painted felt pieces were dry, I stuck them on the pumpkins in a random pattern: one blue-dotted pumpkin and one orange-dotted pumpkin.

Let your painted pieces dry according to the paint label before handling them, and leave the adhesive backing covered while you paint. Want to skip the spray paint? Use precolored packaged wall protectors.

I stuck the tacks into the pumpkins just all willy-nilly but in a nice, perfectly imperfect pattern. The tacks really stand out against the white pumpkins. I like the shiny gold tacks the best!

This version doesn’t require carving, but the tacks do puncture the skin. Leave the sharp tacks to the adults, and keep both loose tacks and finished pumpkins out of reach of young children and pets.

After I decorated all the pumpkins, I searched the workshop shelves for cool stuff to display them. My shelves are full of rusty, junky stuff found at my favorite junk shop.

Round, sticky-back black wall protectors make easy polka dots against the white pumpkins. Just peel off the backing and press them onto the clean, dry surface—no paint or sharp tacks needed for this version.

You could try the same idea on larger pumpkins, too, or use black dots on orange pumpkins for a classic Halloween color combo.

For the upholstery tack pumpkins, you can go random like I did or plan a simple design before pushing in the tacks. Try spaced-out dots, a line following one of the pumpkin’s grooves, or a little cluster of gold accents.

Start with a few and add more until you like the look. Who knew tacks and wall protectors could make such cute pumpkin decorations?

How do you display mini white pumpkins? I used a few of my favorite junk treasures, but a mirrored tray on a countertop, coffee table, or buffet works, too.

Group a few decorated pumpkins together and mix in plain ones so the patterns stand out.

For an indoor fall centerpiece, keep them away from heat and direct sunlight, protect the surface underneath, and check regularly for soft spots or leaks. 

I didn’t paint the black foam wall protectors—just stuck them on as they were. My project took about an hour, including spray painting, decorating, and photography.

Your timing will depend on how many pumpkins you decorate and the paint’s drying directions. The peel-and-stick version is the simplest option if you want to skip the painting step.

How fun are they! Do you love them….or think they’re too tacky ….pun intended? I could call them “tacky pumpkins” or “tackful pumpkins”.

For another pumpkin decorating idea, take a look at my “Eclipse Pumpkins” project.

Do you decorate your pumpkins, carve them into jack-o’-lanterns, or go for the natural look? I usually gather several large orange pumpkins and display them on the front porch, along with gourds and mums and my usual junky stuff.

Leave a comment, please. I read them all. Have a great day, Kathy