8 Ways To Decorate Your Jack-O-Lantern With Pumpkin Guts!

Decorating a jack-o’-lantern using its own innards can be a creative and fun way to reduce waste and give your pumpkin a quirky, unique look. Here are several ways you can use the pumpkin’s guts to add spooky flair to your design:

1. Dripping Guts Look

• How to: After carving your jack-o’-lantern, scoop out the stringy pumpkin guts and seeds. Drape the guts around the mouth or eyes of the pumpkin, making it look like the pumpkin is “melting” or oozing. You can position the guts so they spill out of the eyes, nose, or mouth for a creepy effect.
• Tip: Add some fake blood or red food coloring to the pumpkin innards for an extra gruesome touch.

2. Pumpkin Brains

• How to: Instead of discarding the innards, carve a brain-like pattern on the top of the pumpkin’s head. Fill the inside of the carved area with the stringy pulp and seeds, arranging them to look like the pumpkin’s brains spilling out.
• Tip: Lightly coat the “brains” with oil to keep them shiny and looking fresh.

3. Spewing Pumpkin

• How to: Create a “sick” jack-o’-lantern by carving an exaggerated open mouth, then have the pumpkin guts spilling out of it as if it’s vomiting. Arrange the innards in a pile in front of the pumpkin for a dramatic effect.
• Tip: Make the pumpkin’s expression match the theme by carving tired, closed eyes to complement the spewing look.

4. Spider Web Pumpkin

• How to: Use the stringy bits from the pumpkin’s innards to mimic a web-like texture inside the pumpkin. Stretch the pulp across the inside of the jack-o’-lantern’s face, particularly over the eye or mouth holes, for a creepy, cobweb effect.
• Tip: Add some small toy spiders to the “web” for a full spooky vibe.

5. Seed Teeth or Eyes

• How to: Use the pumpkin seeds as teeth for the jack-o’-lantern. Press them into the edges of the mouth or glue them onto the pumpkin for a toothy grin. You can also place seeds inside the carved eyes to give them a unique texture.
• Tip: Roast the seeds lightly to give them a crunchy appearance or paint them for added effect.

6. Innards Hair

• How to: Instead of carving the top of the pumpkin as a lid, carve a “hairline” and have the pumpkin’s stringy innards poke out from the top like a messy hairstyle. Let the strands fall freely for a wild, untamed look.
• Tip: Dye the guts with food coloring for colorful, monster-like hair.

7. Pumpkin Wound

• How to: Carve a jagged wound or “cut” into the pumpkin, then stuff the stringy guts into the wound to give the illusion that the pumpkin is injured and bleeding pumpkin guts.
• Tip: Use red or orange food coloring to enhance the “bloody” appearance.

8. Pumpkin Tongue

• How to: Carve a mouth with a long slit and have the stringy pumpkin guts arranged like a tongue sticking out. You can make it as long and droopy as you want for a playful or creepy effect.
• Tip: If you want to go the extra mile, you can shape the innards to look like a snake’s tongue or even add googly eyes for fun.

By using the pumpkin’s innards, you not only add an eerie touch to your jack-o’-lantern but also embrace a zero-waste decorating approach. Happy carving!