spray paint marbleized pumpkins

So while I really enjoy creating extravagant painted pumpkins, today I wanted to share a quick tip for marbleizing LARGE pumpkins!

In the past I have shared a few different tutorials (here and here) for creating a marbled surface by using spray paint. It is a really fast and permanent way to marble just about anything.

Start with a bucket of water. The bigger the pumpkin, the bigger the bucket will need to be!

Lightly spray the top of the water with spray paint- I've found that a light mist works best.

Let the colors blend and swirl together.

Next, dip the pumpkin into the water. The surface of the pumpkin will pick up the paint.

Repeat until the entire surface is filled.

TIPS:

If you want the marbling to be even more dynamic- paint your pumpkin white first.

If you are messy (like me) it is helpful to wear rubber gloves.

Spray paint dries fast, even in water so you have to work quickly.

I've found that different brands and colors work a little different so you might need to do a few tests before diving in. I like working with Rust-Oleum spray paint and metallic colors are the most forgiving.

There you have it! A super fast way to transform those pumpkins!

pretty painted pumpkins tutorial

Living in Southern California it is a challenge for me to get into the spirit of traditional fall decor. Though it is raining today, typically this time of year is beautiful- like hang out at the beach beautiful! So when it comes to October/Halloween decor I like to create things that actually feel more summery and will go with the airy cottage feel of our home. I decided that this year I would create pretty little pumpkins in pastel colors full of detail and design.

I started with a a few pumpkins in different shapes and sizes.

I painted the pumpkins with white acrylic paint

and let dry.

I then added another coat of paint in very light pastel colors.

FYI- One of my FAVORITE supplies these days is Tulip's dimensional paint. It can be used for a variety of projects and the tiny applicator tips are perfect for adding small details and pattern to all kinds of projects.

Using the dimensional paint, I began to freehand simple designs around the surface of the pumpkin.

I added contrast by scratching into the surface with a toothpick.

I added more and more details, around and around the pumpkin

until the entire surface was filled.

I added dimensional designs to a white pumpkin that I decided not to paint.

And added contrast with a darker color of dimensional paint.

I filled every surface of all the pumpkins- even the tiny ones got little polk dots :)

Now I have a variety of pretty painted pumpkins to use in my "california style" fall decorating.