Transform white pumpkins into the sweetest Fingerprint Pumpkins this Halloween! If you want a mess-free alternative to carving pumpkins, this is an ideal activity to enjoy with young children.
RELATED: Pumpkin Carving Templates
You can create countless adorable designs by fingerpainting pumpkins – we chose jack-o-lanterns, pastel ghosts, witches, and Frankensteins.
We recommend displaying these decorated pumpkins indoors so they remain in good condition through Halloween. Because tempera paint is non-toxic and washes away very easily, these pumpkins are not suited to outdoor conditions.
For a longer-lasting version, use artificial pumpkins and complete the same project steps instead of working with real ones.
Supplies Needed
- Paintbrushes – medium and fine
How to Make Fingerprint Art Pumpkins
Witch
Put green, non-toxic tempera paint on your child’s thumb (fingers can also be used, but the thumb creates the largest print). Then, assist them in pressing a print onto the white pumpkin.
Continue stamping around the pumpkin, then help your child rinse the paint from their hands.
After the green paint is fully dry, add a black witch hat to the top of every dot.
Add orange-painted hair to each witch.
As the final detail, draw a face on every witch with a black permanent marker.
Ghost
Coat your child’s thumb with purple, non-toxic tempera paint, then help them press the thumb onto the pumpkin.
Make several prints across the pumpkin, then assist your child in washing their hands. Continue with blue and pink paint until the pumpkin is filled with pastel dots.
Allow the pastel prints to dry thoroughly, then use black paint or a black permanent marker to add ghost faces to each dot.
Jack-o-Lantern
Cover your child’s thumb with orange, non-toxic tempera paint and help them stamp horizontal prints onto a white pumpkin.
Stamp the design across the pumpkin, then leave the orange paint to dry.
With a fine brush, add green stems to the top of each orange print.
Finish the designs by drawing jack-o-lantern faces on each print using a black permanent marker.
Frankenstein
Apply green, non-toxic tempera paint to your child’s thumb and help them stamp a print onto the pumpkin.paint onto your child’s thumb, then guide them in pressing it onto the white pumpkin.
Cover the pumpkin with more prints, then leave the paint to dry.
With a thin paintbrush or black permanent marker, draw black hair across the top of every green spot.
Next, paint grey bolts on both sides of his head.
For his ears, place a little dot of the same green paint on each side of his head beneath the bolts.
As the final step, use a black permanent marker to draw Frankenstein’s features on every dot.
Your fingerprint pumpkin creations are now finished!
We suggest displaying them indoors, since tempera paint will rinse away when exposed to rain.
You could also make this craft using artificial pumpkins!
