How to Make a Mr. Pumpkin Head

Everyone carves pumpkins before the big night of Halloween, but everyone knows if you cut out your pumpkins much too early they rot before you get to show them off to Trick-or-Treaters. Here is a way young children can create a Mr. Pumpkin Head and redesign their pumpkin anytime they get bored with it. It is a fun, interactive way to enjoy pumpkins even more this year.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Permanent markers
• Adhesive-backed felt
• Cereal box cardboard
• Flat metal thumbtacks
• Toothpicks

1. On adhesive-backed felt, draw three sets of eyes. Make a set of round eyes, arched eyes and oval shaped eyes. You can make them different shapes, sizes and colors.

2. Using more felt; create three different shaped noses, long, short, fat, round like a clown or pudgy like a pig’s nose.

3. Now, make three different kinds of mouths for your Pumpkin Head. They can have happy, scared, or wiggly smiles or any other emotion.

4. In addition, to the basic face parts your child can make a crown of hair, mustache, or thick eyebrows. Be creative and see what you can come up with on your own.

5. Once all the shapes are created use cardboard from old cereal boxes to make an identical shape for each part. The cardboard pieces will have flat thumbtacks used as fasteners. The felt pieces will then be glued over the matching shape. By creating the thumbtack backing your child and re-create their Pumpkin Head anytime they wish.

6. If you want ears to stick out, instead of putting a thumbtack in-between the earpieces you can place a toothpick between the two and stick the ears on by pushing the toothpick into the pumpkin.

7. If you do not have time to make the Pumpkin Head pieces do not fret, there is another option. You can purchase plastic face pieces from your local Wal-Mart or other department store and create awesome Pumpkin Heads. (See photo above.)

Tips & Warnings

• You can make human or animal faces for your pumpkin.
• If children already have a Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head they can use these parts on their pumpkins.
• Always supervise children when using thumbtacks. Babies and toddlers like to stick everything in their mouths, so avoid using these items around them. It can poke them or worse choke them.

Resources

• Mini Jackolantern Pizza Recipe
• How to have a Happy Halloween with Toddlers
• How to Play Batty Words Halloween Game
• Interactive Pumpkin Crafts
• Pumpkin Head Pieces from Wal-Mart

[jenng]

on 10/31/2009 GREAT ARTICLE ON How to Make a Mr. Pumpkin Head 5*