There are a million ways to create and decorate pumpkins out there and here is yet another idea for you to add to that list with these marble painted pumpkins created through paint dumping!
When you live in a tropical climate, Fall kinda gets skipped for us most years, but that doesn’t mean we can’t decorate for it! I’m not someone who personally loves the traditional Fall colors like brown or orange, but if I can rainbowize it (yes that’s a word) then I can get on board with anything!
Paint dump projects are definitely not a new idea but to my knowledge I haven’t seen anyone else try this method of painting pumpkins yet. Turns out it worked amazingly well and is a fun project to break away from the classic colors of Autumn.
If you’re looking for some other pumpkin ideas check out last years Paper Pumpkin Decor and Velvet Pumpkin Project!
How to Make Paint Dump Pumpkins
Creating all these painted pumpkins only took me a day and a half to do and they look like a million bucks.
Below I am sharing my full list of supplies and you will also find a full step by step video tutorial at the bottom!
Let’s visit the supply list first, then I am going to go through some important bullet points to make sure your marble painted pumpkins are a success!
Marble Painted Pumpkins: Paint Dump Supplies
- Acrylic paint and lots of it! Choose any colors you like.
- Faux pumpkins (find them at crafts store or here online)
- Paint brush
- Cake spatula
- Fine gold glitter
- Gloves
- Mod podge
- Clear gloss spray (optional)
- 3 paper plates per pumpkin
- Plastic cups (one per pumpkin dump. I use the solo cup size)
Key Steps to Painting Your Pumpkins by Paint Dump
- Definitely wear gloves! You probably will have to change them a couple times through the process.
- DO NOT underestimate the paint. It is far better to be overly generous with paint here then under compensating. For a medium pumpkin I filled my red solo cup almost 2/3 of the way up. For a larger pumpkin fill the cup up to the top.
- Don’t stir the paint! The paint with naturally mix, yes, but purposefully stirring the paint takes away the magic of the marbling effect.
- Pumpkins need AT LEAST 24 hours to dry. The amount of paint going on is excessive and it needs plenty of time to dry before continuing the final steps.
- Choose between 3-6 colors to paint dump your pumpkins. I do not recommend more than 6 because it may get to mixed and messy.
- Try to choose complementary shades of colors. Notice with my pumpkins they all have different shades of the same colors. I did try mixing a pink and teal together. The result was a brown undertone, so I recommend staying on one end of the color spectrum.
If you are ready to see how it’s done scroll down and hit play! I will walk you through everything! I’d love to see how yours turn out too! Please come over to my Facebook group and post your project!
Troubleshooting tip
When using paper plates the pumpkins may stick a bit once dried. If any of the plate comes up on the bottom of your pumpkin, you can just add a quick dab of paint to cover it. Otherwise, in hindsight, I thought letting the pumpkins dry on a silicone mat would be best. Your pumpkin should come off very easily once dried.
Easy Painted Pumpkins for Halloween and Fall Decor
About Abbi Kirsten
My mission is to inspire you to nurture the creative magic inside your soul – bringing you fun, easy to learn DIY projects, and quality template designs. I share a variety of projects, holiday decor and you will definitely notice my love paper crafting and paper flowers – all tied up in a sweep of cheerful color.
Interested in paper flowers?! I’ve created dozens of signature designs for you to enjoy – starting with my best seller, The Art of Giant Paper Flowers, the Giant Flower Library and my shop of endless paper designs and flower templates.
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Nancy says
do you think you can set the pumpkin to dry on foil or waxed paper? Maybe would not stick like a paper plate might?
Abbi says
Yes, absolutely! Or a silicone mat!
Nancy Green says
My very first (1st) paint dump project. So much fun and so impressed with myself:
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