image via Country Living
Happy October friends! My family and I have created a new tradition over the past couple years of getting together for a night of pumpkin painting, chili eating (this recipe is my favorite), and Hocus Pocus watching. It’s one the family gatherings I look forward to the most during this time of year. We’re hoping for some cool, crisp weather so we can paint outdoors and sip hot apple cider.
With our lives constantly changing and our schedules full, this tradition has rooted us together and we have high hopes of sharing this joyful tradition with our future generations. It has evolved from being one of necessity to find meaningful time to connect with one another into a tradition based from nostalgia. We often reference back to our fun nights of pumpkin painting and talk for weeks prior coordinating and planning what this years pumpkins will be. Today I would love to open up our family tradition to you and your loved ones. Family does not have to be limited to those who are blood related, but can extend into a close circle of friends. Anyone up for a fun girls night? I’ll bring grown up apple cider =)
Supplies You May Need
- Pumpkin – either real or faux depending on your preference.
- Craft paint – I prefer to use acrylic. Handmade Modern, from Target, is great.
- Spray paint – great for all over base color
- Paint brushes – this kit comes with a variety of sizes and types.
- Foam paint brushes – regular rectangular, circled, and/or stencil shapes.
- Paint pen – use for writing or drawing small details
- Stencils – use your favorite animals, shapes, scenes, etc.
- Chalk – use chalk paint and use your pumpkin as a chalkboard.
- Paper doilies – to be used as stencils
- Ribbon – to decorate your stem
6 Tips For Painting Your Pumpkin
- Wipe your pumpkin clean prior to painting.
- Use a foam brush, or spray paint, to cover the entire pumpkin and allow to dry completely before adding acrylic paint design on top. You may need to add a few coats of spray paint to evenly cover your entire pumpkin; allow paint to dry in between coats of paint.
- Use 2 coats of acrylic paint when adding on top of a base color.
- Allow 30 minutes drying time in between acrylic paint coats.
- Clean up patterned edges with a cotton swab.
- If you’re going to use a base color paint, do so at an earlier time. The first year we didn’t do this and we spent the entire night waiting on paint to dry. If you have your base color done, you can gather and do the fun stuff, like designing your pumpkins (my sister and niece did owls last year, they were a hoot!)
Painted Pumpkins Inspiration
To be taken directly to the tutorial, click on the above photos.
Want to see the reveal of this years painted pumpkins?
Make sure to follow me on Instagram: @eightpepperberries. My sister, Kimberly, from @alittleblackcloset will also be sharing so make sure to check her out as well.
Painting pumpkins of your own this year?
Share on Instagram + tag me in your photo, I’d love to see what you create.
Happy painting friends!
xoxo
-K
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