Painting Pumpkins: Find Your Inner Artist This Halloween
A friend recruited me to paint a pumpkin for her child's school fundraiser and it turned out to actually be fun. Not only that, but it is a clever way to sneak some branding into your fall Instagram content.
Inspired by my own pumpkin painting adventures, I grabbed my phone, filmed a couple of Instagram Reels (Part 1 and Part 2) and now I'm here to spill the pumpkin-painting secrets. Trust me, it's easier than you think, and it's a fun way to let your creative juices flow.
Supplies & Sketches
First things first, let's round up the essentials:
Pumpkin: Real or faux, doesn't matter. Just make sure it's clean and ready for its artistic debut.
Brushes: A couple of trusty paintbrushes will do the trick. I like a big one for base coats and a smaller one for details.
Acrylic Paints: My go-to is Golden Acrylics (avoid the slow-drying ones unless you're really patient).
Mixing Palette: Fancy palettes are great, but I'm all about repurposing those little plastic trays from takeout containers. A paper plate works too!
Before you go wild with the paint, let's do a little brainstorming. Sketch out a few ideas and pick your favorite. A simple color palette with 3-4 colors will keep things manageable and give your pumpkin a cohesive look.
I used Golden Acrylic Paints (do not use the slow drying paints unless you want a longer drying time).
Let’s Get this Pumpkin Party Started
I snagged a plastic pumpkin from Target and gave it a good scrub. Then, using my big brush, I slathered on a creamy off-white base coat. It played nicely with the orange peeking through and created a warm, inviting canvas.
Tip: The first coat might look a bit patchy, but don't stress! Once it's dry, add a second coat for a smooth finish.
Apply a base coat to your pumpkin.
Once the base is dry, it's time to let your creativity shine. I started off by painting my largest shapes— spiders and leaves. Add your chosen designs with a small paint brush. Remember to give each layer of paint ample time to dry before adding another color on top of it, this keeps your colors vibrant and prevents them from mixing unintentionally.
Start adding basic details to the pumpkin. Don’t worry about mistakes! You can always paint over them.
As the paint dries, add more layers of paint on top. Dots are always a nice, easy touch!
Once the paint was FULLY dry, I used a fine-tipped gold marker to add the finishing details, spider webs, to the pumpkin. You can find the markers at art supply and craft stores.
I hope this tutorial inspires you to grab a pumpkin and a paintbrush. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram (@meglinkdesign) so I can see your masterpieces and sneaky branded pumpkins. Now go forth and create some pumpkin art!
This pumpkin is ready for Halloween!