8 ways to decorate your pumpkin that don’t involve carving

After making your annual Halloween pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch (think of it as October-specific forest bathing), you’re probably left ruminating over a few issues, but namely: “What exactly do I do with all of these pumpkins?” Obviously, you could carve them, but if you don’t have the nimble dexterity required to yield an X-Acto knife (same), or if you already have one jack-o’-lantern too many, there are tons of other beautiful and mood-boosting pumpkin-decorating ideas right under your nose. (Hint: they’re all on Instagram.)

After scouring through a lot of pumpkin hashtags (holy gourds), I’ve uncovered the best ideas in ‘Gram-land, ranging from easy-to-master crafts to downright brilliant works of art. Any of them will transform your healthy home’s windowsill or porch into a seasonal sanctuary.

Get inspired with these 8 Halloween pumpkin ideas—no cutting required.

1. DIY some autumn mood lighting

2. Dot it with flowers

3. Make a work of art inspired by your favorite artist

4. Give your gourd an on-trend marble makeover

5. Use soft colors to turn your pumpkin haul into a centerpiece

6. Create some sleepy plant holders

7. Give your succulent planters a fall-friendly makeover

8. Celebrate the return of Stranger Things

Get into the full swing of the season with some trendy autumn nail art or spooky and witchy Netflix picks.