DIY Mini Playhouse Pumpkins

Anyone else think the playhouse that Elsie made for Nova is not just the cutest thing ever?! These DIY mini playhouse pumpkins were inspired by that fun playhouse, and look so cute all lit up with the light shining through the windows! I am not great at carving pumpkins, so these little guys use a combo of paint and carving. That way you get the cute colors and shapes of playhouses, but with little cutouts for the windows and doors for the candle light to shine through.

Supplies:
-snowball pumpkins
-acrylic craft paint
-craft paint brush
-sharp paring knife
-spoon
-tealights

Begin by washing and drying your pumpkins if you are using fresh pumpkins. This project can also be made with small craft pumpkins instead. Next, start painting little playhouses on the pumpkins. I went with a few different designs in my favorite fall colors, but feel free to use your imagination here!

Once the paint has dried, use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the pumpkins and then scoop out all the pumpkin guts. For carved pumpkins to last, try spraying the inside of the pumpkin with a bleach and water solution to keep mold at bay.

Once emptied, use the pairing knife to cut out the windows and doors for your playhouses. I used a small round metal cookie cutter for the round window and the knife for all the other windows and doors.

Once they have all been cut, you may want to dry off the pumpkin a bit and paint the sides of the cutouts, and add details to the windows and trim. I used both paint and sharpies to add the fine details to the windows and houses.

Once they are all cut, fill them with little tea lights (battery operated ones would be ideal) and display your cute DIY mini playhouse pumpkins for a playful Halloween vibe. xo. Kara

Credits // Author and Photography: Kara Whitten. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.