Welcome Back to The Distressed Princess – Let’s Get Crafty with Pumpkin Painting!
Hello everyone! I’m Rhonda, and today, we’re headed to one of my favorite fall spots—Taylor Farm Pumpkin Patch in Viana, Illinois. Every year, they offer a fantastic pumpkin patch experience, and this year, I’m searching for the perfect pumpkins for my first-ever pumpkin painting project!
I love how they have an incredible variety of pumpkins in all shapes, sizes, and colors. This year, I discovered yellow pumpkins, and I thought it would be so cute to combine them with white and orange pumpkins to create a candy-corn-themed display. So, with my pumpkins in hand, it’s time to dive into my DIY budget-friendly pumpkin painting project!
Getting Ready for My First Pumpkin Painting Attempt
For this project, I chose three small pumpkins, about two or three pounds each, that were only $3 each. I got my inspiration from some painted ceramic pumpkins I saw online. I thought, “Why not try painting real pumpkins instead?”
I’m using Apple Barrel acrylic craft paint in these colors: pumpkin orange, beachcomber beige, milk chocolate, country gray, pewter gray, black, and white. To make things easier, I decided to remove the pumpkin stems so I could attach flowers on top without any obstruction. After cleaning the pumpkins, I was ready to begin.
Raccoon Pumpkin: Step-by-Step
My first critter pumpkin was a raccoon, and I started by painting the entire pumpkin with country gray acrylic paint. After two coats, it looked great! I then painted a white half-circle for the mouth area and used pewter gray for the raccoon’s signature mask. I finished with black eyes, a little jelly bean-shaped nose, and some white fur details on the head.
Bear Pumpkin: Simple and Fun
Next up was the bear pumpkin, which was super easy. I painted the entire pumpkin in milk chocolate brown, with a beachcomber beige half-circle for the mouth area. After adding black eyes and a nose, I was done! This one took two coats but came out looking smooth and adorable.
Fox Pumpkin: The Trickiest One Yet
For my fox, I learned that chalk paint worked best for a solid base coat. After applying orange chalk paint, I used beige to paint large butterfly-wing shapes for the face. The fox has smaller eyes and nose details, but once the second coat was on, it looked fabulous!
Adding the Finishing Touches: Ears and Flowers
No critter is complete without ears! I made mine out of felt—gray and black for the raccoon, orange and white for the fox, and brown and pink for the bear. After a bit of trial and error (and discovering that hot glue doesn’t stick well to pumpkins), I pinned the ears in place and covered the pins with flowers.
I added white flowers for the bear, pink for the fox, and a mix of greenery to give them a woodland vibe.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love how my little critter pumpkins turned out, and I had so much fun creating them! If you’re nervous about pumpkin painting, don’t be. These designs are super simple and can be done with just a bit of practice. Plus, you’ll have unique decorations to enjoy all season long!
Thanks for joining me on this crafty adventure! If you’re feeling inspired to paint your own pumpkins, I’d love to see what you create. Stay tuned for more DIY fun, and if you’re looking for more crafting ideas, click the link below for more inspiration.
See you next time!