It’s that time of year again! Breakout those fall decorations and get festive! If you’re looking for a fun, easy craft that can be done with the whole family, paper mache and painted pumpkins are the way to go. Not only are these pumpkins nice decorations for your home but they are a good way to spruce up any worn and outdated holiday decor. Not to mention, a nice homemade, adorable gift for someone on a low budget! If you don’t already have some faux pumpkins lying around, start by stopping at your local Michaels or A.C. Moore to buy a bag of plastic pumpkins.
If you decide to go with the classic painted look, the best way to achieve that smooth finish is spray paint. Fusion Spray Paint or Rust-Oleum Universal Spray Paint are two great options that provide a sleek and elegant surface to your newly decorated pumpkins. Another option is to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paints, this will give your pumpkins more of an aged or antique look. If you’re feeling sassy and want to get creative, you can even break out a paint brush and paint a stripe, zigzag, checkers or whichever design your heart desires! However, that takes a little more artistic talent than point and spray.
Another option that is a little more involved, but much more fun is paper mache. In order to do this you would need a plastic bag, string, a large bowl, flour, water, and A LOT of newspaper. You start by stuffing your plastic bag with newspaper to create the size pumpkin you wish to have, twisting the top to create the stem. Next you tie the string lengthwise down the side of the bag to create the pumpkin ridges, making as many or as few as you like. Once you have formed your pumpkin, you then have to make your paper mache. This is done by taking that large bowl you got out and filling it with enough flour and water that it creates a pancake-like consistency. Taking long strips of newspaper, dip it in your paper mache concoction and begin applying it to your pumpkin. Once every bit of your pumpkin is covered let it dry. You may have to rotate it to make sure all sides are dry. Once this is done you can than paint it to your liking or leave it natural paper mache style. With either option you choose, your end product will be a stunning new holiday decoration to brag about!
No time to paint? prefer not to make a mess? You can find painted pumpkins I have already designed here, at my Etsy shop!