Materials

• A twig pumpkin frame or a plastic pumpkin (be sure that you are able to puncture the plastic without too much effort in order to attach decorations)
• A selection of the following: plastic gourds, pumpkins and artificial leaves in various shapes and sizes
• Tools: paddle wire or twine, hole punch, scissors, knife

Directions

1. Start with a twig pumpkin frame or a plastic pumpkin. A twig pumpkin frame is easy for kids to work with because you can simply wrap the nearly invisible wire around the branches.
2. Use large gourds for the ears and smaller gourds to create eyebrows and a nose. Smaller pumpkins make nice eyes or mouths. Carrots make ideal noses. Use twigs to fashion limbs for your pumpkins. Leaves can be used as hair or bow ties. Whole peanut or walnut shells make good eyes or shirt buttons. Dried corn husks can be made into hair or clothing. An adult can cut materials into specific shapes if needed (pumpkin triangles for cat ears, for example).
3. To make a tuft of hair, layer craft leaves or artificial corn husks together, punch a hole through them and attach them to the stem. Don't limit yourself to the seasonal aisle, browse the art supplies section.
4. Once you have selected your embellishments, the next step is to actually attach them. Tooth picks or wooden skewers work well for larger items such as gourds or mini-pumpkins. Paddle wire or twine work better for more fragile or awkwardly shaped items.