Monday, October 10, 2011

Painted Pumpkins

I had to write this post pretty quick because somehow, I clicked 'publish' and all I had done was uploaded the pictures. I was trying to knock out a post and have a quick snack but I think the Oreo cookie package hit ctrl and I pressed 'P' to type painted pumpkins and it published. I should probably not dip Oreos in milk and try to type/write at the same time. That's my tip for the day from me to you. :) Anyway, what I really want to show you are my upcycled painted pumpkins. You know me, I like to use what I have on hand and really get a fresh look by using what you've got. Not that I am against buying new, but refurbishing/upcycling is like a challenge to me.





I have had these 'funkins' for oh, about ten years now, they even made the move from NC, and they are looking a little worse for wear. They are the kind that are carvable, but still artificial. Since I'm on some kind of pumpkin kick this week, and I've never actually carved into them, I figured I could do a little painting.






I spray painted this one flat black and a smaller one flat black, and the other big one in pumpkin orange, all of which I had on hand. Looks better already!





After I let them dry, I used chalk to draw out a design that I liked. This is great to do because you can get an idea of what you want without committing to the paint right away. Don't like the design? Damp towel takes it away.

I pretty much let the pumpkin be my guide.






This one turned out to be my least favorite. It would have turned out much better if the pumpkin orange was a flat paint, but all I had was glossy, so be it. I knew I wanted to do a chevron pattern on one of the big pumpkins, so I used chalk to draw out a fairly simple design. It's not perfect by any means.





I ended up really liking the black and white designs the best, they look really cute with the chalkboard front door (Take a look at the door HERE). I put a crow on the top of this one.

and a spider on this one.





I took pictures of them inside, even though they are for outside, but it's been raining this morning. So a few indoor photos instead.


I did manage one, although you don't really get the full effect with the close up. I'll have to get a wide shot later.



I hope you are inspired to give painted pumpkins a try!
















Need a design boost? For advice and guidance on style, contact me!

7 comments:

  1. Love these painted pumpkins--they looks awesome!

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  2. Hi :) Just a note to let you know I had so much fun looking @ your pics and reading your blog.

    Sincerely,

    Larisa
    http://inspiredbeautyofcourse.blogspot.com

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  3. Yes I am inspired, the possibilities are endless. Thank you.

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  4. Jack-o-Lanterns or pumpkins for Autumn decoration are not common in Guatemala (actually, there is NO Autumn here!). Still, I have always wondered what people do with the pumpkins once their "decoration goals" and time has come to an end? Can you tell me? thanks! And I love the black and orange one :o)

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  5. They turned out really cute! The black one is my favorite. I think I might try painting a couple of mine - thanks for the inspiration! AJ

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  6. Thank you everyone!
    Claus, thanks for your question. The pumpkins I have painted here are artifical, so I store them from year to year and have been going on 10 years....Real pumpkins are a different story. My first thought is the compost pile after the pumpkin has become over ripe/decayed. Also, the seeds could be used for the garden for the following year (and you could sell them at a farmers market!)or drying the seeds are an option. If you have a 'pumpkin gourd' they can be dried and then a whole host of ideas stems from that! Hope that helps!

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Thank You for taking the time to comment! Because of the insane amount of spam comments, I had to stop anonymous comments-sorry for the inconvenience.
Michelle