The past couple of years I have worked hard in my studio to create painted pumpkins for Halloween to feature on morning TV. And I never compiled them all into one post! There are so many ways to paint, and new products in art and dollar stores make the job pretty simple, albeit sometimes messy! (You can just be a painter as a costume). Whether you are going for stylish painted pumpkins or using the activity to help your toddler express their creativity, I like painting pumpkins much better than carving. (Though you don’t get to roast the seeds afterwards). Be careful, also, not to throw your painted pumpkins into the compost or recycling bin, depending on what products you use on them. 

The Poured Acrylic Pumpkin

This one is so fun. The trick is just to make sure it’s dry before you move it. You add acrylic paint to acrylic pouring medium (I used Liquitex). Pre-mix paint and pouring medium in mixing cups using 1/2 tablespoon of colour to 1/2 cup of medium as a basic ratio. Simply pour the paint, one colour at a time, in a circular motion areound the stem of your pumpkin. Stunning!!

The Cheater-McGeeter Ribbon Pumpkin

This one is pretty easy and makes a great table centrepiece as well. Paint, let dry, and glue bands of ribbon along the ribs of the pumpkin.

The Drilled Pumpkin

This one is super easy with a large drill bit! I painted it first – make sure it’s super dry before you drill. The butterfly drill bit is a great option as well!! A special touch is to use gold paint or gilt on the stem.

The Pastel Pearlescent Pumpkin

These are so beautiful. Imagine an array of pastel pumpkins in all colours. I used Jacquard Pearl Ex Pigments and mixed them into paint bases. The hardest part was applying gold leaf to the stem. You need to be patient as it’s rough, and then make sure to let it dry well. Use a dry bristled brus to gently press the foil into place.

The Poetry Script Pumpkin

This is another easy one. Use a silver or gold pen on a matte black pumpkin and write anything and everything. This is a great one for the kids to help with! I glued sequins on the stem.

The Positano Pom Pom Pumpkin

When we were on the Amalfi Coast last year there were tassels and pom poms everywhere. I thought I’d incorporate the playfulness into Halloween. The dollar store has bags of pom poms, and a glue gun does the trick. For this and the next idea I actually used plastic pumpkins from a craft store so that I could keep them year after year.

The Rhinestone Glitter Pumpkin

This one is even easier. I just got rhinestone stickers from the dollar store and popped them onto the plastic pumpkin. Elsa would be proud!

The Fancy Baroque Glitter Pumpkin

This is a bit like a Faberge egg. After a glossy black base, I drizzled designs with my glue gun. The I used gold, orange, purple and burgundy glitter to create ornate designs.