Since Clara is still a few years away from handling knives, we always look for toddler-friendly ways to include her in our pumpkin decorating. When she was five months old we traced her hand to inspire a sweet, hand-shaped Jack-o’-Lantern. It was a gentle, memorable way to involve her even at that age.
Last year, with better coordination, Clara finger-painted pumpkins we had taped off ahead of time to reveal simple designs once the tape was removed. It was a great mix of sensory play and seasonal craft, and she loved the process of applying paint with her hands.
This year we put a small twist on that idea and made tissue-paper “sticker” pumpkins. Anyone who follows our family knows Clara is obsessed with stickers, so creating customizable tissue-paper dots felt like the perfect compromise: all the sticker fun without the mess of actual adhesive stickers, and with colors we could control.
We used leftover tissue paper from Clara’s pink-and-orange birthday party and cut circles in two sizes. A roll of electrical tape served as a quick template—tracing the outside made the larger dots and tracing the inside produced the smaller ones. The goal was to use what we already had around the house, keeping the project simple and inexpensive.
To assemble the pumpkins, I brushed a thin layer of Mod Podge over the surface and let Clara press the tissue dots wherever she wanted. Toddler placement is delightfully unpredictable, and the result was bright, playful, and uniquely hers. The Mod Podge acted as both adhesive and sealer, and a light coat over the top later helped the edges stick down and gave a glossy finish.
We picked up lightly colored pumpkins so the tissue colors would pop. These weren’t stark white pumpkins but had a subtle orangey-pink tone that made the colorful dots stand out nicely. As an added bonus, we appreciated that some of the pumpkins were part of a charity effort that supported breast cancer research.
The tissue did wrinkle a bit when applied—toddler fingers on a bumpy pumpkin surface won’t give a perfectly smooth result—but the texture added charm rather than detracting from the look. I dabbed extra Mod Podge on a few spots to secure loose edges, which helped the dots stay put without changing their appearance.
Clara was completely invested in the project. She wasn’t posing for photos because she was so focused on placing each dot just right. She asked several times that night if we could do it again, and later continued to play with the leftover tissue dots—sorting them, lining them up, and turning them into little props for imaginative play.
We did two pumpkins in total and saved many tissue circles for more play. The craft area was covered in craft paper to protect the table, and although I ended up with more Mod Podge on my arm than Clara did, the glue washed off easily with water since it behaves much like school glue.
After Clara was in bed, Sherry applied a full coat of Mod Podge over each pumpkin to make sure every edge was sealed and to give the pumpkins a smoother, glossier finish. That extra step made the colors richer and helped preserve the tissue pieces for a longer display life.
We love how these turned out: a quick, affordable, and toddler-friendly way to make custom “stickers” for pumpkins using items we already had on hand. If you have a little one who adores stickers, this is a simple weekend project that encourages creativity and fine motor skills. Tissue paper is inexpensive, the supplies are minimal, and the results are festive and unique.
I tried to get a still photo of Clara next to her creations, but she was more interested in swinging on the glider-bench and singing “Rock-A-Bye, Baby” to her pumpkins than sitting for pictures. She even found a broom and promptly switched activities—because when a toddler decides it’s time to sweep, everything else is immediately less interesting.
Psst — Sherry mentioned she’s attempting some DIY costume elements for Clara and Burger this year. We’ll share photos when they’re ready, likely around Halloween.