Just don’t do it. We all know how that cookie crumbles and trust me: it ain’t pretty. For starters real pumpkins rot. The end.

But seriously. And, investing in the super cheap buttheylooksoreal plastic/paper molded pumpkins from the craft store is not only cheaper, way cheaper, but a recyclably friendly alternative to the natural options which as boo-tiful as they are, sadly don’t tend to last nearly as long.

Most of all: no mess. This is as messy as it gets if you decide to paint.