Easy Paper Bowl Pumpkin Craft for Kids

This paper bowl pumpkin craft is easy for preschoolers and kids of all ages to create and the 3D effect of the pumpkin face popping of the page makes it fun to display at home or school for a Halloween decoration.

I’m always on the hunt for fun ways to use simple materials we already have on hand at home in a resourceful way for crafting. Here’s a fun and simple way for kids to turn a paper bowl into an easy pumpkin craft this Halloween.

Paper bowl pumpkin craft propped up on an angle in center with two more pumpkin crafts out of focus in the background.

What I love most about this fun pumpkin craft is how the paper bowl raises off the colored cardstock background giving it a three-dimensional rounded effect. It helps make the jack-o-lantern face come to life.

Square image showing three completed paper bowl pumpkin crafts laying with each other on a pink background.

How to Make an Easy Paper Bowl Pumpkin Craft for Kids

We created a pumpkin face template for kids to use to mix and match and create the jack-o-lantern face of their choosing. Or children might enjoy cutting out and creating their own face for their pumpkin crafts.

Read our easy step-by-step instructions below for how to create your own paper bowl pumpkin craft. We also have a video tutorial inside this post you can watch before you get started.

Supplies needed for this easy pumpkin craft:

  • Pumpkin Faces Template (optional) <—– Get the printable template Here
  • 20 oz. paper bowls
  • orange paint
  • black paint (optional, can also color pieces with crayons, pencils or markers)
  • paint brush
  • colored cardstock paper
  • brown cardstock or construction paper
  • scissors
  • glue

Instructions for making your paper bowl pumpkins

1. Turn your paper bowl face down and paint it completely with orange paint. We love using a sponge brush for painting paper bowls. It helps the paint easily spread around all the different crevices of the bowl. Set your paper bowl aside to dry completely.

2. Download and print out the pumpkin faces printable template on white cardstock paper. Place the paper face down and paint it with black paint. Let it dry completely.

If you don’t want to paint the face pieces, children can also color the pieces with black crayons, pencils or markers. You could also color them yellow to look like they are lit up from the inside.

See Also: Pumpkin Patch Art Project for Kids

Four image collage showing adult painting bottom of paper bowl with orange paint, painting the back of pumpkin faces template with black paint and then cutting out the face pieces when dry.

3. After your painted pumpkin face pieces are completely dry, cut out the pieces from the template you want to use to make your jack-0-lantern. Then use the scrap pieces to cut out a triangle shape for your pumpkin, if desired.

4. Use a glue stick or school glue to glue your pumpkin eyes, nose and mouth onto the painted paper bowl.

Four image collage showing adult gluing pumpkin face on painted paper bowl and then gluing the paper bowl and brown stem onto cardstock paper.

5. Add a generous amount of extra strength glue stick or school glue along the rim of the paper bowl. Place the paper bowl pumpkin down on a sheet of colored cardstock paper. Use your fingers to press the rim down onto the cardstock so the glue adheres to the paper.

6. Cut out a rectangle shaped pumpkin stem from brown cardstock or construction paper. Glue it at the top of your paper bowl pumpkin.

Related: Circle Stamped Preschool Pumpkin Craft

Paper bowl pumpkin craft glued onto green cardstock paper, laying on pink background with a sheet of green polkadot scrapbook paper in the corner.

Your paper bowl pumpkin craft is complete!

There are so many fun ways children can customize their pumpkin craft starting with the colored background they choose. Halloween colors like green, black, purple or gray are fun to use and a group of several different colors would make a fun Halloween display in the classroom.

Close up image of paper bowl pumpkin craft taken from an angle that shows the bowl popping off the cardstock paper.

Children might also want to cut out and create their own jack-o-lantern face for their pumpkin instead of using our template. Kids may choose to paint or color their shapes with yellow so it looks like their pumpkin is lit up on Halloween night. Either way, each child’s pumpkin is sure to turn out unique and special.

You can easily make this craft with paper plates instead of paper bowls. Our friend, Melissa, over at Fireflies and Mud Pies has an easy paper plate pumpkin craft tutorial.

Four image collage showing four different versions of the pumpkin craft with the words "Paper Bowl Pumpkins Halloween Kids Craft" in the center.

More Easy Pumpkin Crafts for Preschoolers

This easy 3D pumpkin craft is another fun way to make a three-dimensional craft for Halloween. Glue several in a row to look like a pumpkin patch.

Here’s a fun way for kids to paint their knuckles and print them on a paper to make a gorgeous pumpkin patch art project.

Practice sewing skills all creating a fun fall decoration with this plastic lid pumpkin sewing craft. It’s also another fun way to re-use what you have on hand at home.

Vertical two image collage of paper bowl pumpkin craft with each image taken at a side angle showing the paper bowl popping off the cardstock with the words "Paper Bowl Pumpkin Craft" in the right center of the image.

Looking for more fun fall and Halloween arts and crafts ideas? Check out our full list of over 125 fun and easy fall crafts for kids.

Fall crafts for Kids -Fun and easy arts and crafts projects. Pumpkin crafts, fall art projects, Halloween crafts, fall leaf crafts for kids of all ages.

Two 3D paper pumpkin crafts laying one on top of the other on a pink background with a piece of green polkadot scrapbook paper laying behind it.

3D Pumpkin Craft

Close up image of the completed color mixing activity on a pink background with red, blue and yellow Testors paint bottles laying next to craft on a pink background with colored poms scattered around.

Color Mixing Activity for Kids