Kids are obsessed with Mo Willems. It’s a fact. If you walk into any elementary school library, the shelves where Elephant & Piggie live are usually empty because those books are constantly in some kid's backpack. So, it makes total sense that when October rolls around, Elephant and Piggie pumpkins start popping up on porches and in classroom contests across the country. It’s not just about being "cute." There’s something about the specific, minimalist geometry of Gerald and Piggie that makes them the perfect subject for a pumpkin project, especially if you’re someone who—honestly—is kind of terrible at carving traditional jack-o'-lanterns.
The Secret to the Elephant and Piggie Pumpkins Craze
Why these two? Mo Willems has a background in animation (remember Sheep in the Big City or his work on Sesame Street?), and he designed these characters to be emotionally expressive but physically simple. Gerald is basically a gray oval with a trunk. Piggie is a pink circle with a snout. That simplicity is a godsend for a parent or teacher trying to replicate a beloved character on a lumpy, orange fruit. You don't need a fine arts degree. You just need some acrylic paint and maybe a little bit of cardstock for the ears.
Most people think you have to carve them. Please, don't. Unless you are a master with a linoleum cutter, carving a realistic Piggie into a pumpkin usually ends up looking like a weird, fleshy nightmare. The real "pro move" that most DIY experts and librarians recommend is the no-carve method. Paint is your best friend here.
Picking the Right Gourd
You can’t just grab any pumpkin from the bin. If you want to make an Elephant and Piggie pumpkin set that actually looks like the books, you need to look for specific shapes.
For Gerald (Elephant), look for a tall, slightly oblong pumpkin. He’s the "tall" one, even if he’s mostly just a big head in the close-up panels. For Piggie, you want the classic, squat, round pumpkin. Finding a pair that scales correctly next to each other—where Gerald is noticeably heftier—is half the battle. If you find one of those "Cinderella" pumpkins that are wide and flat, save that for Piggie. It’s perfect.
How to Actually Get the Colors Right
Here is where most people mess up. They buy "gray" paint for Gerald and it looks like a sidewalk. Gerald isn't just gray; he’s a soft, slightly blueish-gray. If you’re at the craft store, look for a color like "Dove Gray" or "Steel."
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Piggie is even trickier. If you use a hot pink, she looks like a neon sign. You want a "Bubblegum" or "Petal Pink."
- Pro Tip: Use a matte finish acrylic. Shiny pumpkins look weirdly plastic and reflect the light in photos, making the characters look distorted. A matte finish mimics the paper texture of the books.
- The Eyes: This is the most important part. Mo Willems’ characters are all about the eyes. They are simple black dots, but the placement is everything. If you put them too far apart, Gerald looks confused. Too close, and he looks angry. Look at a copy of There is a Bird on Your Head! and mimic the eye-to-nose ratio exactly.
Honestly, the eyes are just circles. You can use a black Sharpie or a small sponge brush. Just take your time.
Construction and the "Ear" Problem
The ears are usually where these projects fall apart. A pumpkin is a curved surface, and if you just glue flat paper to it, it looks cheap.
For Gerald’s ears, use stiff felt or heavy-duty cardstock. Instead of gluing them flat against the pumpkin, cut a small slit into the pumpkin skin (not all the way through!) and tuck the edge of the ear into it. This makes them stand out and look three-dimensional. It gives Gerald that worried, floppy-eared look that defines his personality. For Piggie’s ears, small pink triangles made of the same material work wonders.
Some people try to use craft foam. It's okay, but it can look a bit shiny. Felt is better because it absorbs light, much like the illustrations in the books.
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Dealing with the Trunk and Snout
You have two choices for Gerald’s trunk. You can paint it directly onto the pumpkin, which is the easiest route, or you can get creative. I’ve seen some incredible versions where people used a small, curved "crookneck" squash painted gray and attached it to the main pumpkin. It’s a bit extra, sure, but if you're entering a library contest, that’s the kind of detail that wins.
Piggie’s snout is basically an oval. If you want it to pop, use a wooden craft disc (you can find these for fifty cents at most hobby stores), paint it the same pink as the body but maybe a shade darker, and glue it on. Two small black dots for nostrils, and you're done.
Why This Matters for Literacy
It sounds a bit high-brow for a pumpkin craft, but there’s a real educational component here. Schools use these character pumpkins to bridge the gap between "fun holiday stuff" and "reading comprehension." When a kid spends three hours painting a Gerald pumpkin, they are engaging with the character's traits. They talk about how Gerald is nervous or how Piggie is optimistic.
Teachers like Jennifer LaGarde (the "Library Girl") and various literacy advocates have often pointed out that "visual literacy"—being able to interpret and recreate images—is a precursor to traditional reading. So, while you're covered in pink paint and wondering why you agreed to this, just remember: it's technically "educational."
The Longevity Issue: Making Them Last Until Halloween
The biggest tragedy is spending all Sunday on an Elephant and Piggie pumpkin only for it to turn into a moldy pile of mush by Wednesday.
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Since you aren't carving these (seriously, don't carve them), they will last a lot longer. But the paint can actually trap moisture against the skin.
- Wash the pumpkin first. Use a very diluted bleach solution or even just vinegar and water. This kills the bacteria on the surface that causes rot.
- Dry it completely. If the pumpkin is even slightly damp, the acrylic paint will peel off in sheets like a bad sunburn.
- Seal it. Once the paint is dry, hit it with a quick coat of clear matte spray sealer. This protects the paint from rain if you're putting it outside.
- Keep it cool. If you live somewhere like Florida or Texas, keep the pumpkin inside as long as possible. Heat is the enemy of the gourd.
What Most People Get Wrong
People overcomplicate the faces. Mo Willems’ style is "less is more." You don't need to shade the pumpkin or add highlights to the eyes. In fact, adding too much detail actually makes it look less like the characters. Stick to the bold outlines. If you look at the books, the characters have a very slight, sketchy black outline. If you have a steady hand, taking a thin brush and outlining your paint job in black will make the pumpkin "pop" and look like it jumped right out of the pages of Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
Also, don't forget the accessories! Gerald is rarely seen without his glasses. You can make these out of black pipe cleaners. Just twist them into two circles and a bridge, and poke the ends into the pumpkin. It’s a small touch, but it’s the difference between "a gray pumpkin" and "Gerald."
Actionable Steps for Your Pumpkin Project
If you're ready to start, don't just wing it. Follow this sequence for the best results:
- Source the books: Have The Thank You Book or Waiting Is Not Easy! open in front of you as a reference. Don't rely on your memory; your brain will try to make them look like "generic" animals instead of these specific characters.
- Prime the surface: If you have a very dark orange pumpkin, a quick coat of white primer will help the pink and gray stay true to color without the orange bleeding through.
- Sketch with pencil: You can actually draw on a pumpkin with a regular pencil first. It won't show through the paint, and it lets you get the proportions of the snout and eyes right before you commit.
- Glue last: If you are adding felt ears or a pipe-cleaner trunk, wait until the paint is 100% dry. Hot glue will melt the paint if it’s still tacky, and then everything just slides off.
The beauty of the Elephant and Piggie pumpkins is that they don't have to be perfect. In the books, Gerald and Piggie are messy, emotional, and very human (for an elephant and a pig). If your Gerald is a little lopsided or your Piggie has a slightly crooked snout, it just adds to the character. It fits the vibe of the Mo Willems universe perfectly. Get your paint, find a squat pumpkin, and start with the pink first—it's the easiest way to build your confidence before tackling Gerald's trunk.