We’ve carved the classic jack-o’-lantern year after year. They’re cute, but now it’s time to level it up and spark your family’s imagination by turning a simple pumpkin into a cozy fairy cottage.
Grab the glitter, craft tiny furniture, tweezers and sticks, and let your imagination run wild. Think whimsical. Think magical. Ask yourself: What would I want if I were a tiny fairy living inside a pumpkin?
Must-Have Supplies and Tools
- Pumpkin (small or large, but keep in mind that smaller pumpkins are easier for small hands to manage)
- Super glue (classic Elmer’s glue is OK if being used by children, but keep in mind that it will take longer to dry) or a hot glue gun
- Tweezers
- Placemat or disposable tablecloth to allow for easy cleanup
- Carving tools (scooper and knife)
- Candle or miniature LED lights for inside of pumpkin
- Scissors
Let’s Get Started
- Twigs and sticks: Tie them with twine or dab them with some glue to build tiny ladders, window frames, doors, benches or fences.
- Doors and doorknobs: Cut a door out of cardboard and glue on a bead for a knob. Or reuse the hard pumpkin shell piece you cut out for the doorway and anchor it with a jewelry wire.
- Natural touches: Grab fresh flowers, fallen leaves, pine cones or acorns to decorate the home’s front entrance. For example, use a fallen leaf and stick to create an umbrella.
- Fake moss: Glue green moss and small flowers around the base of the pumpkin, on its door frame and window sills and wherever else your heart desires. You can order the moss on Amazon or buy it at craft stores like Michaels.
- Pebbles: Use small rocks to recreate a stone path to the house.
- Roofing: Use tree bark scraps or pinecone scales glued in overlapping rows for miniature roof shingles.
- Light it up: Place a battery-powered LED tea light inside so the house can glow at night.
- Store-bought extras: Shortcut the extra work by purchasing tiny accessories (benches, furniture, doors, garden gnomes) on Amazon or at craft stores.
- Add some magic: Sprinkle biodegradable craft glitter along the doorstep to imitate fairy dust.
Always supervise children while crafting.