These Pumpkin Painting Ideas Are Cuter Than Any Jack-O'-Lantern (2024)

FAQs

What is the best paint for painting pumpkins? ›

Thomas agrees and recommends acrylic paint instead of oil-based when painting pumpkins. "It's quick-drying, easy to use, and clean-up is a breeze," she says. "Because acrylic is water-based, if you mess up, you can wipe it off with a rag and start over! Oil-based paint takes a long time to dry and can be fumy.

Consider one these adorable ideas like pastel faces, pretty rainbows and glitter pumpkins or a creepy creation like spider webs, floating ghosts and flying bats. Draw inspiration from your favorite characters, keep it simple with painted stripes or go for a vibrant, solid shade.

When Irish immigrants brought this folklore to America, they discovered that pumpkins, abundant in the New World, were ideal for carving. Thus, the tradition of carving faces into pumpkins was born, which symbolized the souls trapped between worlds, like Stingy Jack.

Choose an aerosol or brush sealant and cover your pumpkin in a thin layer of the product. Because pumpkins are round, you may have to spray one half with the sealant and wait for it to dry before spraying the other half. It won't necessarily preserve the pumpkin itself, but it can help with seamless paint application.

Paint 90% of the pumpkin green. Paint triangle shapes or a black zig zag around the top of the pumpkin and fill it in for the hair. Add two black circles for eyes. Using your finest paint brush (or the back end of it), paint a small smile not quite the width of the eyes.

Using POSCA pens, it's never been easier to get ready for trick-or-treaters! Our ceramic pumpkins are a great alternative to using regular pumpkins and give you the freedom to have your Halloween creations on display for longer.

The Squash of Abundance

Well the bigger is literally the better, since the pumpkin represents abundance and prosperity! The whole pumpkin represents the world we live in now, and is literally filled with blessings waiting to be granted.

By those who made them, the lanterns were said to represent either spirits or supernatural beings, or were used to ward off evil spirits. For example, sometimes they were used by Halloween participants to frighten people, and sometimes they were set on windowsills to keep harmful spirits out of one's home.

"When [colonial farmers] couldn't manage to produce wheat or cabbage or any of the foods that they were used to having, they could often substitute the very prolific pumpkin because it grew like a weed," she added. Essentially, the pumpkin became associated with an old-fashioned way of making a living off the land.

How do you get paint to stick to a pumpkin? ›

3. Use a sealant or primer. 'Priming your pumpkin before painting is optional, however, it might help your paint job last longer,' Rachel says. Choose any craft-grade sealant such as this highly rated, quick-drying sealant on Amazon and apply liberally to your clean, cry pumpkin's surface.

Acrylic paints also adhere well to a pumpkin's uneven and textured surface with a smooth and even finish. It's non-toxic and allows for easy cleanup with soap and water, making it a great kid-friendly choice.

Though this is optional, applying a sealer to the pumpkin's surface before painting will help the paint better adhere to the surface. Purchase a craft-grade sealer at a hobby or craft store.

Spray paint is the quickest way to paint pumpkins, whether they are foam or real. I picked up an assortment of foam pumpkins from Dollar Tree and gave them a makeover so they coordinated better with our front porch.