My roommate's dad sent the six of us, who live in a small little pod, a gift:

Six pumpkins.

I'm not talking about the cute tiny little pumpkins you can hold with three fingers. No. I mean the eight-pound pumpkins that you need two hands and a knee to hold.

At the moment, across the room from me sits six pumpkins in a large pile on the ground right under my roommate's bed.

Me, being the control freak that I am, cannot stand seeing bare pumpkins lying around. They're practically naked and think decorating these is the best way to go. Also, I have a feeling I may not be the only one with a pumpkin in my dorm. Decorating a pumpkin should be a Fall thing and not just a Halloween thing. So here are some ideas for Fall Pumpkin Decorating:

1. Carving

Nothing is more fun than carving a pumpkin because there are so many things you can do with a marker, a knife, and some inspiration. There are so many spooky, funny, and sweet faces to come up with to bring some holiday cheer to the front doorstep. (Or in this case, dorm door). Carving a pumpkin doesn't have to stick to a face. It can be cartoon characters, real people, Disney princesses, sports teams, school logos, animals, or landscapes.

I had a friend who carved Cinderella's Castle, and another one who carved Scooby-Doo. A pumpkin can be anyone's carving canvas, so maybe this idea is something my five roommates can think about.

2. Paint

No one ever said painting pumpkins is for kids, so why stop now? In fact, since we've gotten older, we can probably think of a lot of great ideas for the pumpkin. Pumpkins are circles, and there are just as many options for painting as there are for carving. In fact, there are probably more things you can do for painting a pumpkin because you don't have to worry about making the pumpkin top heavy or have so many holes that it just breaks apart. Putting paint on a pumpkin can reduce all that hard work of carving. Besides, what college student has something other than a butter knife in their dorm?

3. Glitter

Whether you're a male or female it really doesn't matter because glitter makes everyone happy. Pick up some glitter at a local crafter store, grab some liquid glue, and be prepared to pick up glitter off of the floor for the next semester. You can make the glitter pumpkin rainbow or a specific color scheme for whatever you are feeling. Whether you want to write something in glitter or make glitter leaves across the pumpkin, it creates a classy and colorful addition to your pumpkin.

4. Bedazzle

This is fairly time-consuming, so I understand if this is a craft you would most definitely rather skip. However, if you want to ignore the fact that you have an exam to study for or have an essay to write, this is super fun. (This doesn't have to be done all at once either). There are so many designs you can choose from as well. With Thanksgiving not too far away, you can really be creative. Creating a pilgrim is an idea, or maybe if you want the winter season to come sooner put on some bedazzled frost on the top of your pumpkin. The possibilities are endless.

5. Eat It

I don't necessarily mean the entire pumpkin, because although I love pumpkin pie, I don't think I would be able to eat an entire pumpkin. Though, if you have a recipe for just a plain pumpkin and have an idea on what to do with it go crazy. As a college student, my ability for cooking goes just a little beyond microwavable ramen. And yes, this is something you can do in your building's microwave. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

I love pumpkins seeds, and they're probably my favorite part of a pumpkin. (Minus pumpkin spiced lattes of course). And you can do just about any with them because they're fairly bland.

I'm also a crunch lover and prefer that over anything gummy like Gummy Bears or Twizzlers. (So I like potato chips, popcorn, and crackers). Pumpkin seeds offer the same satisfaction, and it's not difficult to get. Simply put some pumpkin seeds on a microwaveable plate from your gutted pumpkin, sprinkle a little salt on it, and place it in the microwave for a minute. Continue adding the minutes until the pumpkin seeds are golden. (If you can put the microwave on the highest temperature setting, I've noticed it gives an extra crunch). But if you're the select lucky few who have a working oven in their building or dorm room, feel free to use that.

6. Make a Face Mask

For those of you who want their skin looking great, here's an idea what you could do with the entire pumpkin. Simply put it on your face. (And no, don't throw it at your friend's face). Smash it up a bit and make a little facemask out of it. Anyone could improvise with a knife and maybe a spoon to break up a pumpkin, but it's possible. When your pumpkin is happily mashed up in a little bowl, you can mix up whatever oil or product you want into the paste to get a nice and soft facemask. Plus, you can, of course, put it into a container and use it as much as you like, or if you feel like sharing it use it as a little Fall gift.

7. Melt Crayons

If you have leftover crayons that you are prepared to throw out, DON'T, this idea is perfect for you. Unwrap all those pesky crayons you don't want and place them on top of your pumpkin. Bring out your hairdryer and watch the magic happen. The crayons will start to melt and the melted crayon will drip down your pumpkin. Add more crayons and colors you want for the desired effect.

Feel free to try out any of these ideas for your post-Halloween pumpkin. If you come up with an idea yourself that's fantastic, but these were the ideas I thought about for the six pumpkins currently on the floor in front of me that you can definitely try out. They seem fun enough to me, and a bit relaxing after mid-terms finally coming to a close. I wonder what my roommates and I will decide to do because of all of these sound fun. I may mix up a few. Perhaps carve the pumpkin and eat the seeds. You may feel free to do so as well.

Enjoy the Fall season. Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean the fun is over!