Pumpkin carving is classic, and pumpkin painting could be a modern variation of the trend of using decorated pumpkins in fall displays. Without cutting in to the pumpkin to create your design, you also get more longevity out of your seasonal centerpiece. With a few simple supplies, you can have a finished product worthy of the spotlight.
Pick some pumpkins of varying shapes and sizes for the most visually appealing mix. Whether short and plump or tall and slender, each pumpkin can lend itself to a charming design. You will need some spray paint in the color or colors of your choice. I feel a monochromatic look or a mix of two complimentary shades will look the most cohesive. Consider paint colors that blend well with the pumpkin’s orange exterior like teal, aqua, hot pink, yellow, white, and a contemporary gray. Also pull together some painter’s tape, wide rubber bands, and recycled newspaper.
Spray painting outdoors is of course your best bet for ventilation and cleanliness. Stake some recycled newspaper in the yard to spray against as your canvas’s backdrop. Use the painter’s tape to tape off sections to not paint and keep the bright orange skin showing in your finished design. You could run a tape line across the middle of the pumpkin, cover the pumpkin’s top with extra newspaper, and tape that down over your first tape line. Spray the bottom half of the pumpkin with your desired spray paint color and allow it to dry completely according to the can’s instructions. Only remove your newspaper and tape lines once the paint is totally dry. Now you have a fresh half-and-half design. On a more slender pumpkin, wrap a handful of wide rubber bands around the body in an overlapping, sporadic fashion. Cover the stem completely in painter’s tape. Spray the pumpkin with paint and allow it to dry. When you remove the tape and rubber bands, you have just a few slices of orange showing through. Your options are really limitless with designs: stencils, stickers, and freehand application of painter’s tape could construct an array of styles.
One evening craft project could elicit weeks of head turning decorations to impress dinner guests and trick-or-treaters alike. Arrange your painted pumpkins as a centerpiece along the dining room table, buffet, foyer table, porch bench, or front steps. And consider pumpkin painting an early treat for yourself.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star October 16th.
