Can't Carve a Pumpkin? Try These Pumpkin Decorating Tricks instead for a Treat this Halloween.
October 8, 2024
If your loved one has osteoarthritis, his days of carving up intricate pumpkins for Halloween decorations may be over. Osteoarthritis of the hand affects the joints when the cartilage around the joints begins to deteriorate. That action causes the bones to rub together, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling. Everyday activities that depend upon twisting and straining the hand muscles may become too much to do and lead to more pain and swelling. But just because your loved one can no longer carve a pumpkin on his own, it doesn’t mean he can’t still have his porch filled with jack-o’-lanterns to greet his upcoming trick-or-treaters.
Pumpkin Carving Alternatives
Here are some fun ways to keep the “spooky” spirit alive this Halloween.
- Painting pumpkins. One fun and creative way to decorate all of those pumpkins is to use paint to create the image that you’d like. From scary faces to fun images and even words, your loved one might find he can be even more creative with paint than he could with the knife. Look for acrylic paint because it dries quickly and is durable. (Just remember to keep your pumpkins out of the rain!)
- Using Stencils. Stencils can be another fun way to decorate pumpkins and can be used with paints to create intricate patterns and unique shapes. They can also be used with permanent ink markers and can be helpful if your loved one has shaky hands due to osteoarthritis.
- Purchase a pumpkin decorating kit. Some kits come with cardboard pieces that you can push into the pumpkin to create shapes like animals or monsters. If your loved one can’t push the sticks into his pumpkin, having someone help him with this step can prevent him from hurting his hands.
- Googly Eyes. It’s pretty basic but can be cute. Simply buy some large googly eyes and place them on a bunch of pumpkins set outside with other fall decorations. It’ll add some life to the display!
- Stickers. Who doesn’t love playing with stickers? Many companies sell sets of stickers that contain numerous eyes, noses, and mouths that can be placed on several pumpkins to give the illusion that they have been carved without the work of carving them.
- Add fabric. Let the creativity flow by gluing fabric on the pumpkin for décor. It might be country-looking with some flannel or maybe a little sinister with some black lace.
Enlist Some Help and Make it Fun
If your loved one has family nearby, especially any younger generations, having them come over to help with decorating pumpkins can be fun and a great way to take away the need for them to carve. Older teens can help with carving while younger kiddos might love painting or stickers.
If family is far away but your loved one still wants to get into the spirit, a trained companion care at home provider can work with him to create the mood he’s seeking. Having someone come to the home to provide companion care at home is a great way for your loved one to stay connected and continue to celebrate the things he enjoys even when his hands refuse to participate. A companion care at home provider can help carve and then place heavier pumpkins where they need to go.