It’s officially pumpkin patch season, so it’s time to get carving and painting.

And while everyone else in your neighborhood may be showcasing traditional designs on their doorsteps, you can feature these pickleball-themed ideas. 

Pickleball Pumpkin Carving

Get a little messy and carve a pickleball jack-o'-lantern. Find a round, plump pumpkin to start. You could even pick out a yellow-green gourd to match the color of a pickleball if you want to create a ball design. 

Then, prepare the pumpkin like a traditional jack-o'-lantern. Carve and scoop out the insides. Save the seeds, too, if you want to bake them with your favorite seasoning for a homemade fall snack.

Once the pumpkin is all cleaned out, you can get as creative as you like with your carvings. Poke holes into the pumpkin like an actual pickleball. Or if you’re confident with your skills, you could carve a pickleball paddle. Carve a jack-o'-lantern face like this where the pumpkin has a pickleball in it's mouth. Or make the eyes pickleballs. 

Let your imagination run wild. 

Pickleball Pumpkin Painting

If scooping out pumpkin guts and carving isn't your thing, try painting your pumpkin.

I went that route since I live in a small apartment with limited space to properly clean out a pumpkin.

Grab some brushes and craft paint – I used acrylic paint – and use the pumpkin as your canvas to paint a cool pickleball design.

I decided to paint two ghosts playing pickleball. 

Paint pickleballs all over the pumpkin, or paddles, or a court. Paint a jack-o'-lantern face with pickleballs for eyes or spiders and bats around a pickleball court. You can be as spooky as you want.

It’s important to note: Using a pumpkin as your canvas might seem intimidating with its uneven texture, but it’s much easier than it looks. And, because of the pumpkin’s waxy surface, you can easily take a damp paper towel and wipe off the designs if you mess up and want to try again. 

There’s no better fall decoration than pickleball pumpkins.