Holiday Planning & Ideas Halloween Halloween Projects & Crafts Halloween Pumpkin Ideas How to Make Pumpkin Owls Add these sweet feathered friends to your porch this fall. By Blythe Copeland Blythe Copeland Blythe Copeland is a contributing writer with more than a decade of experience as a lifestyle writer. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 31, 2023 Carved-pumpkin owls may not be as creepy as the eerie jack-o'-lanterns your teens make, but these cute and festive creatures make a perfect porch decoration in the weeks preceding Halloween. Use a large pumpkin for the body and mini gourds and pumpkins to make the eyes, beak, ears, and feet; then carefully place string lights so the entire bird gives off a friendly glow. 26 No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas That Anyone Can Try What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Drill with 5/8-inch bit or large hole cutter Pen Electrical tape Wood gouge or linoleum cutter Serrated knife Materials String lights Toothpicks Rubber bands Tall glass Instructions Use mini pumpkins to make eyes: Prepare the pumpkin: Cut a large hole out of the top of a pumpkin and scoop out insides, keeping the top (to plug hole later); cut a 1- to 1 1/4-inch hole in the back for ventilation. Make eye holes: Mark locations of eyes with a pen. Then drill with a 5/8-inch bit or cut with a large hole cutter. Make the eyes: In the tops of two mini pumpkins, cut holes slightly larger than eye holes; scoop out insides. Drill a small hole in the bottom of each mini pumpkin. Add lights: From inside the larger pumpkin, push four lights through each eye hole, securing the bottom of the bundle with a rubber band to keep the bulbs from touching one another. Use toothpicks to attach mini pumpkins over lights. Wrap more lights around a glass, securing wires with tape, and place inside body. Add feather texture: Use a wood gouge or linoleum cutter to make half circles in the skin of the pumpkin, creating the look of small feathers. Add feet, ears, and beak. Cut ear, nose, and feet shapes by sectioning other small pumpkins with a serrated knife. Attach with toothpicks.