Pumpkin painting preparation, tips, and ideas

Cleaning and preparing your pumpkins

Choose pumpkins that don't have any blemishes. (They might rot.)

If the pumpkin is a little dirty, wipe off with a baby wipe or damp paper towel. Let it air dry or wipe it dry with paper towels. Either way, it needs to be completely dry. If the pumpkin is muddy, rinse it off with a garden hose. Scrub gently so that you don't bruise or puncture the skin. Let it dry.

Paint the whole pumpkin with Multi-Purpose Sealer (figure 1). Let dry; usually it takes a couple of hours to dry completely. Another option is to mist pumpkins with a light coat of Americana Matte Spray Sealer and set aside to dry.


General tips for painting your pumpkin

Draw a face, pattern, or freehand design onto your sealed pumpkin with a permanent marker (figure 2).

Use pattern templates, foam or adhesive stencils, or foam stamps to paint designs onto your pumpkin (figure 3).

Trace and gently transfer a computer font or clipart printouts or patterns onto your pumpkin using transfer paper and a pencil. Simply apply the graphite side of the transfer paper onto your pumpkin and place the image you want to trace on top. Use a pencil to trace the design and reveal (figure 4).

Use masking tape to create stripes or squares on your pumpkin for perfect lines and shapes.

If you plan on using DecoArt Craft Twinkles or Craft Twinkles Writers, make the sparkles pop by applying an undercoat to the area of a similar color before applying the Twinkles (figure 5).

Adults should spray finished pumpkins outside or in a well-ventilated area with Americana Matte Spray Sealer (figure 6). Lay down a piece of newspaper or paper before spraying to catch excess. To make a customized spray booth, cut off the top and one side off a large cardboard box and spray your pumpkin inside. This will prevent overspray and will keep fumes and spray in one place.

Always have wet wipes available to clean your hands or to wipe off any painting mistakes.