Modern Painted Pumpkins 3 Ways
3 techniques for DIY painted pumpkins using spray paint, metallics, and dirt to create concrete, antique brass, and black earthenware looks.
Definitely broke my “fall decorating” rule on this one. That’s what rules are made for, right? 😉
But when it comes to using materials I already have (yay free!) and getting creative with different painting techniques, you can’t really blame me, can you? Can you?!
I walked past the Target (non) Dollar Spot the other day… for real, very few things in there are actually $1… and scooped up 3 fake pumpkins because I remembered in that moment that I had an entire cabinet of paint just begging to be used.
I don’t like going pumpkin crazy in my fall decor, so keeping it to just a couple is my absolute limit.
Sometimes you just need a day of getting creative with the paint brush.
What’s a $3 pumpkin gonna hurt? In the process, I came up with 3 SUPER cute modern paint techniques that you can use on any pumpkin or vase or knick-knack… whatever needs a transformation on the cheap.
(BTW if you want to see more fun paint ideas, you can see all of our past paint projects here.)
3 Modern Paint Techniques for Fake Pumpkins
Antique Brass Pumpkin
(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)
Supplies Used:
- Spray primer (optional but I used it anyway being that I already had it in case it might help its sticking ability)
- Gold metallic spray paint
- Antique gold Rub n Buff
The Steps:
1. Spray with primer and let dry.
2. Spray with gold metallic spray paint and let dry.
3. Use an old craft brush to apply the Rub n Buff and wipe off any excess with a paper towel once dry.
Look how pretty! It totally looks like antique brass (but can still be chucked across the room by my toddler without lethal consequences).
Concrete Pumpkin
Supplies Used:
- Plaid FolkArt Concrete Hobby Paint (I still had this leftover from this past project, but you could always make your own by using light gray and medium gray bottles of craft paint and mix a little sand into them for texture.)
- A chip brush
The Steps:
1. Paint the entire pumpkin with the light gray paint first.
2. While the light gray coat is still wet, dapple on the dark gray shade to make it look splotchy like the texture of real concrete.
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Let dry and display. It looks like a little concrete pumpkin figurine!
Black Earthenware Pumpkin
Supplies Used:
- Spray primer (optional but I used it anyway just in case for durability)
- Flat black spray paint
- A cup of dirt from your yard mixed with 2-3 tablespoons of water to make a thick mud
- Paper towels
The Steps:
1. Apply spray primer all over the pumpkin and let dry.
2. Spray the flat black paint all over and let dry.
3. Apply a layer of mud and let dry several hours / overnight.
4. Rub off dried mud for an earthy look.
Honestly, I might go back and remove a little more of the dirt on mine so it’s not quite THAT earthy. But it’s a look I’m seeing on lots of vases and lamp bases lately thanks to this technique started by Jaci Daily.
Which of the three is your favorite? Robert loves the black earthenware one, but I’m diggin’ the brass one the most.
And in the future, all three of these paint finishes would be so pretty on so many different decor accents.
I think I hit the max on my pumpkin quota for the season… famous last words. Haha!
If you want more fall decorating and DIY ideas, you can see all of ours here.
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