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How to Paint Your Own Pumpkins

Read more articles on Let Me Share With You and Holidays.

October 19, 2007

Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz

About This Editor: Karen has enjoyed her many varied experiences in corporate business management, dance education, and preschool assistance. She hopes to write about these past lives-and more-from her home in Pittsburgh, PA, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and 3 cats.

         

You’ve probably seen them in grocery stores and farm markets by now-those “real” pumpkins with Halloween and Thanksgiving images or sayings on them. If you’ve ever wondered how to do it yourself, here are a few easy steps to creating your own works of art:

First, clean the pumpkin thoroughly if you’ve picked it from a patch. (This goes without saying, but just rinsing it may not be enough, especially if your design will stretch towards the stem or bottom.) Then, use a pen to sketch your design onto the front-the place where the pumpkin sits most evenly and appears the most symmetrical. If you plan on having decorations around the other sides as well, now is the time to draw them onto the pumpkin.

Next, go over your picture with acrylic paint, using small brushes for small pumpkins and details. Note that some shades of yellow, and of course, orange, will not show up on a typically orange pumpkin. This paint is very user friendly; it washes out of clothes, and if you don’t like your pumpkin when it dries, just wash it off. The color will go, but your ink lines will remain for the next attempt.

If you want to add lettering, it may be easier to do so with a fine-line permanent black marker instead of paint and a brush. (However, take care, as it is not easy to fix mistakes.)

Now, even though acrylic paint dries fairly quickly, make absolutely sure the pumpkin is dry before the next step or the paint will smear. Glaze it with Mod Podge, found in craft and variety-type retail outlets. You may apply with a brush, but it you are doing more than one pumpkin, it’s actually easier and faster to dip your fingers into the jar and rub your hands all over each pumpkin. It will take about 15-20 minutes to dry.

As a final touch, you may squeeze glue onto areas and sprinkle glitter onto them, or tie a ribbon, mini-flag, or other novelty tag onto the stem.

Voila! You now have a great centerpiece or gift that will last during the entire fall holiday season!

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