We went pumpkin picking this past weekend and the kids are so excited to carve them. For some ideas I looked through the October issue of Food Network Magazine where I discovered some no-mess ideas for decorating holiday pumpkins. We used gumdrops, candy corns, marshmallows, cotton candy, M&Ms and royal icing to make pumpkins as cute as they are creepy. The best part? Some of the designs require little or no carving, so you and your family can have a blast without the mess.

To create the Mad Scientist Pumpkin:
For the hair: Pull apart cotton candy and attach small tufts to the pumpkin with royal icing.

For the eyes: Separate 2 chocolate sandwich cookies and, using royal icing, attach the 2 pieces that have filling on them to the pumpkin, filling-side out. Stick 1 M&M into each cookie filling.

For the ears, nose and mouth: Attach Circus Peanuts with royal icing for the ears and nose, then draw a mouth and eyeglass rims with the icing and cover the lines with red and black licorice strings.

To create the Alien Pumpkin:
For the eyes: Use a spoon to carve out small holes, then push in gumballs so they fit snugly. Draw pupils with an edible marker. For the eyelids, attach pieces of sour belt candy with royal icing.

For the ears and mouth: Attach 2 sour watermelons with royal icing for the ears, then add a sour apple ring or a peach ring for the mouth.
For the antennae: Push 2 lollipops into the top.

To make Royal Icing:
Sift 2 tablespoons meringue powder (found in the baking isle or at craft stores) and 1 pound confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. Beat in 6 tablespoons water with a mixer until glossy with soft peaks. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag; snip the tip of one corner to pipe.

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