Painted Pumpkins That Will Rock Your Autumn

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Discover creative and fun pumpkin painting ideas perfect for Halloween and fall decorations. No carving needed! Great for kids and adults alike. Get inspired today!

Have you decorated pumpkins yet?? I certainly hope so, though a lot of people love waiting until the last minute. While I love carving pumpkins, I really love painting them!

There’s something to be said for buying a faux pumpkin at the craft store and doing something unique with it. Paint is a huge part of that, but Mod Podge is as well. I always use it to seal my creations.

Of course you can use any of these pumpkin designs for real pumpkins, too. It’s not going to make the gourd last any longer, but it’s still pretty fun!

Ideas for Painting Pumpkins

For this Halloween decor roundup, I picked some of my favorite no carve projects, and I think you’re going to love them as well.

When you don’t carve a pumpkin, your best bet is to either paint it, or decoupage it, or both. That’s what we’re doing with all of these ideas. Some are one, the other, or a combination!

Best Paint for Pumpkins

If you’re wondering what kind of paint to use, I can help you – because I’ve tried them all. You can use the following types of paint on pumpkins, real or fake:

• Chalk paint – I recommend FolkArt Home Decor Chalk
• Acrylic craft paint – I recommend Apple Barrel, FolkArt (including multi-surface)
• Spray paint
• Tempera paint
• Latex paint

The outside of a pumpkin (whether it is really or fake) is really smooth, so I find that watercolors (or anything runny) isn’t as great for painting them.

My favorite type of paint is FolkArt multi-surface. It works well in terms of sticking to the surface of the pumpkin, and the colors cover well and remain vibrant (plus can tolerate some weather).

Spray Painting

Spray painting pumpkins is totally possible and not hard to do, though you need some patience. Place the gourd down on a paper bag and spray at least 12″ away.

You’ll want to spray several times, using a light coat every time you spray. It’s pretty standard spray painting, but you have to be careful around the curves. You also have to wait until the top dries so that you can get the bottom.

Pumpkin Painting Stencils

You can use any stencil, however, my favorite are the flexible or adhesive kind because of the curves. The cardboard or paper stencils only work well if you have a l-a-r-g-e pumpkin surface on which to use them.

Stenciling on punkins is pretty easy to do and fun. I usually like to basecoat the entire gourd, let dry, and then stencil using complimentary colors.

Are you ready to dive into these pumpkin painting ideas? Let’s roll!

1 plaidonline.com Color Shift I wrote all about color shift paint and how amazing it is – so I'm starting with this pumpkin because it is so perfect for the holidays! Looks great on big and mini pumpkins. Get the Tutorial 2 plaidonline.com Marbled Pumpkins You've probably seen marbling with nail polish, and this is the same effect – but with paint. Get the Tutorial 3 plaidonline.com Day of the Dead I kind of love the idea of making a face entirely out of stencils, and that's what this Dia de Los Muertos pumpkin features. Get the Tutorial 4 Courtney Sanchez R2-D2 and C-3PO Star Wars Pumpkins You might hear these say “beep boop” or, “It’s against my programming to impersonate a deity.” I'm thinking that this Star Wars theme with R2-D2 and C-3PO is one of my favorite pumpkin painting ideas! Get the Tutorial 5 plaidonline.com Oh Deer Pumpkin Bambi's never been as cute as he is in pumpkin form! I love that the antlers were made with craft sticks, and the ears are felt. Get the Tutorial 6 plaidonline.com Falling Leaves Half of this pumpkin is crackle painted . . . did you know I love crackle paint??! Then there are Mod Podge fabric leaves, and the result is so cute I can hardly stand it. Get the Tutorial 7 plaidonline.com Blood Drip Chalkboard A black chalkboard pumpkin isn't that spooky – but somehow things are kicked up a notch with the addition of the blood drips! It's red paint. But wouldn't it be perfect for a party? Get the Tutorial 8 Chalk Painted Pumpkins Create simple pumpkin decorations with chalk finish, diamond dust, and Mod Podge! This craft idea is so easy and perfect for fall. I personally think these would look fabulous with either vintage or farmhouse decor. Get the Tutorial 9 plaidonline.com Monogrammed Pumpkin “Is that a door knob???” I squealed out loud when I first saw this project. And yes, this pumpkin stem is a door knob. The monogram and the color palette gives this pumpkin decor a sophisticated touch. Get the Tutorial 10 plaidonline.com It’s Fall Y’all I just love the bright blue and orange of this happy “it's fall y'all!” pumpkin! If you're going for colorful seasonal decor, this could be pretty cool on your porch. The thumbtacks are a fun addition, and I love the hand painted font. Get the Tutorial 11 plaidonline.com Black Cat I have quite a few cat loving friends that would appreciate this Halloween black cat pumpkin! It reminds me of vintage Halloween art, and I adore it. Get the Tutorial 12 plaidonline.com Glow Vintage These designs have a great retro holiday feel that I just love. Get the Tutorial 13 plaidonline.com Neon Paint Drip If you're looking for eye-catching painted pumpkin ideas . . . you've arrived! I suppose this gourd has more of an 80s vibe, but somehow it's timeless. I don't think anything is too bold for a pumpkin, including this. Get the Tutorial 14 plaidonline.com Polka Dot Spider Let kids practice their polka dots with this giant pumpkin spider! The other fabulous part of this project – you get to use giant pipe cleaners (winning!). Get the Tutorial 15 plaidonline.com Ikat Metallic I love this ikat pumpkin because it's *really* hard to mess it up! The addition of the metallic paint over the top of the spots completes the look. You can customize this pumpkin to your decor or color palette. Get the Tutorial 16 plaidonline.com Spooky Tree There's a bit of mixed media happening in this pumpkin project! You'll use a combination of paint, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, and book pages to make it. Get the Tutorial 17 plaidonline.com Funny Vampire Every time I look at this vampire pumpkin, I smile! Even if you don’t have advanced painting skills, this face is simple enough for you to paint. A paint pen can help you with the thin lines. Get the Tutorial 18 plaidonline.com Glow-in-the-Dark Pumpkin Tree I couldn't list my favorite painted pumpkin ideas without including a little glow in the dark! You'll need three faux pumpkins for this project, as well as black and glow-in-the-dark paint. It's incredibly fun and easy to do. Get the Tutorial 19 plaidonline.com Spooky Sailings I've got to be honest, a pumpkin hot air balloon is something I've never seen before! I pretty much love it. And that clay pot basket?? I'm squealing. Get the Tutorial 20 plaidonline.com Gold Studded Pumpkin Tired of orange and black for Halloween décor? Make a statement with this gold studded pumpkin with a chalk finish! Get the Tutorial 21 Simple Sparkle Skeleton This is a pumpkin project I painted a long time ago, but I still love it. I'll show you how to transfer any design to the surface of a pumpkin (and then paint it!). I added Sparkle Mod Podge when all was said and done because, of course. Get the Tutorial 22 plaidonline.com Diorama Pumpkin Graveyard There's a lot of fun going on with this Halloween pumpkin! One of my favorite things is what's inside of the pumpkin – those tombstones and stiffy ghosts make the project. Get the Tutorial 23 plaidonline.com Pumpkin Ice Bucket This punkin' doubles as a party cooler/wine chiller, which I think is one of the coolest uses for a faux pumpkin I've seen. Get the Tutorial 24 plaidonline.com Stenciled “Happy Words” Pumpkin You don't need advanced craft skills to make this pumpkin, but you do need patience. You'll use peel n' stick stencils with your favorite words. I love this pumpkin for the Thanksgiving table. Wouldn't it be an awesome centerpiece? Get the Tutorial 25 plaidonline.com Spunky Kids This pumpkin reminds me of JoJo Siwa, with a big bowl on her head! This Halloween themed pumpkin is perfect for kids to make, since it's kind of wild and easily customizable. Get the Tutorial 26 plaidonline.com Howls of Delight Craft foam is perfect for adding dimension to your projects, and that's how it goes with this werewolf pumpkin! The foam is used for the snout, ears, and teeth. Get the Tutorial 27 plaidonline.com Gold Geometric Painter's tape will be your best friend in this project! That means all you have to do is tape a white painted pumpkin (real or fake) and paint the rest of it in gold. Then remove the tape. You can do it, can't you? Get the Tutorial 28 plaidonline.com Chalkboard Label Painted pumpkin ideas don't have to be complicated – and that's what I love about this idea! Use chalkboard paint and attach a bow . . . boom, you're done. Get the Tutorial 29 plaidonline.com Sugar Skull Pumpkin Use multi-surface paint and peel-and-stick stencils to create a pumpkin that honors the Dia de los Muertos tradition. Click through to get the free pattern to make this whimsical face. Get the Tutorial 30 plaidonline.com Elegant Leaves Painted pumpkin ideas don't have to be complicated to be beautiful. This stenciled pumpkin is perfectly neutral, and it would look amazing with Fixer Upper style decor. Simple yet pretty! Get the Tutorial 31 plaidonline.com Sparkly Geometric This sparkly pumpkin reminds me of disco and David Bowie! If you're feeling a little Ziggy Stardust this holiday season, might I recommend a silver pumpkin sealed with Sparkle Mod Podge? Get the Tutorial 32 diycandy.com Painted Harlequin Pumpkins These awesome harlequin painted pumpkins are so easy to make – the perfect last minute DIY project for your Halloween or Thanksgiving decor. Get the Tutorial

Which of these pumpkin decorating ideas is your favorite? Do you have any questions about these projects or any techniques? Let me know in the comments!

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