Make a Haunted Pumpkin Fairy Garden

Create a haunted gnome house in your garden this year using a pumpkin and materials you already have around your house or yard. This project is flexible - your gnome house can be as simple or elaborate as you like - so it's fun to do with kids of all ages.

You can use almost anything to create your gnome house, but there are a couple of things you will definitely need. A pumpkin or gourd for the body of your house and glue to attach everything to the house. Hot glue or other glue that isn't water soluble is best. Try to use supplies that won't be ruined if they get a little wet from dew. Sticks, pinecones, moss, leaves, paint, brushes, markers, clay, string, wax paper, wire and fabric are some of the many things that my also come in handy for your haunted house.

You can create windows quickly and easily by cutting a window shape out of wax paper. You can create rectangle windows, pointed windows or even round windows. You'll need twigs to create the window frame, and you may want a piece of black fabric or waxed paper to go behind the window. The black will give the illusion that your window leads to a room behind it instead of the orange wall of the pumpkin.

Break or cut the sticks to sizes that fit around your window. Glue the sticks to the edges of the wax paper. Don't worry if some of the wax paper sticks out from behind, you can trim it down when you are done gluing. Once the glue is dry, add the black paper to the back. If you want to make your window last a bit longer you can seal it with acrylic medium or other waterproof sealant.