Using pumpkin carving patterns can be easy, however, creating carving inside a pumpkin can be a bit messy and unsafe. Especially, unsafe for children if the carving knife is not handled properly can cause injuries. So, a safer way to decorate pumpkins is using paint colors. It doesn't matter if you are an artist or not, today there are many different interesting stencils available which you can use to create some cool looking painted pumpkins. For creating painted pumpkin faces, or shapes on pumpkins or scenes on pumpkins, it is important that you pick the best pumpkins. Small-sized pumpkins work best as they are easy to handle, faster to finish painting on, require less material and can be perched on a desk or on a shelf too. So, buy small-sized pumpkins. Also, they stay in shape for longer compared to larger pumpkins. If you are picking pumpkins from a patch, then cut the pumpkins with 2-3 inches of the vine still sticking to the stem of the pumpkin. Look for pumpkins which don't have any gashes or blemishes. You can use blue, orange or white pumpkins for painting. Pumpkin painting stencils can also be ordered online, or you can find them in superstore during the season time or in stationery stores. You can also find some cool face painting stencils for kids, which you can use to apply neat makeup to match the children's Halloween costume. They cost very less and you can find a set for just a few dollars. One stencil pattern can cost around a dollar or two. These are very easy to use stencils, and all you have to do is just place them on the pumpkin and apply paint to create cool looking painted pumpkin crafts. Or you can take inspiration from the above pictures and create simple drawings on paper and use them as stencils. There are various paints available which can be used on pumpkins to create some spooky shapes. Once you are done cleaning the pumpkin with wet wipes you can start painting on it with black paint or metallic paint. Or you can paint it completely with a matte base paint, so that it creates a surface on which other materials and paints can adhere easily. Use sequin, lace, craft foam to give the pumpkin a better look. You can also use glow in the dark paint, so that your pumpkins look even more scary. If you have bought the Halloween pumpkin stencils from a store, then using them is very easy. All you need to do is do is place the stencil neatly on the pumpkin. Either you can hold the stencil with your free hand, or ask somebody to hold it for you. Then use acrylic painting colors or one solid black color and with the brush fill up the hollows in the stencil. Then slowly and carefully take out the stencil and let the paint dry. If you wish to use the prints you took of the Halloween stencils you found on the Internet, then use these tips. Stick the paper to the pumpkin neatly with a sticky tape. Then use a push pin, and mark along the outlines of the shape. Then remove the paper and you will have an outline of the shape, which you can fill with color.

• You can use an upside down bat stencil to paint a bat on the pumpkin. Then use few twigs and place them on top of the pumpkin to give an illusion of the bat hanging from the stencil.
• Since, you will be using stencils and not carving the pumpkins, you can use glow in the dark paint with Jack O' Lantern stencils. This will add a good depth on the pumpkins.
• You can draw faces on the pumpkins, and use craft foam to give a dimension to the face. Add hair outline, or ears, or tail, whiskers, etc. to the face using craft foam.
• You can take small star shapes and glow in the dark white paint, to paint loads of glowing starts on a black painted pumpkin.
• A great way to add web-like structure to your Halloween decorations is using spun sugar. It is easy and fast to create. On a pumpkin paint tiny spiders. After that, place some spun sugar on it.
• Make sure you use plenty of candles to give an eerie look to your decorations. You can use colored glass votive to keep it safe.

Make sure you pick good quality pumpkins, and if you are keeping the pumpkins outdoors, then get them inside during nighttime to avoid them from freezing.