30+ Painted Pumpkin Ideas for Kids
Pumpkin painting is always a fun activity for kids, but sometimes, it can be hard to come up with new ideas. To help you out, we’ve compiled over 20 painted pumpkin ideas that will inspire your next project!
From simple ideas like pumpkins with polka dots to more involved pumpkins like skeletons and ice cream cones, there’s something here for every kid, from toddlers to teens. You might also want to try adding glitter or glow-in-the-dark paint, too—your options are endless when it comes time to decorate the pumpkins.
Painted Pumpkin Ideas for Kids
Your children will love getting creative with these DIY projects this fall season! Painting pumpkins is a fun and easy way to add a personalized touch to your Halloween decorations. Whether you’re looking for something spooky or something fun and whimsical, there are endless possibilities when it comes to painted pumpkin ideas for the fall season.
One of the best things about painted pumpkins is that you don’t need to be an artist to create something special for your doorstep. Your kids can get creative and come up with their own designs.
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The Best Types of Paint for Pumpkins
When it comes to painting pumpkins, there are several paint options available. Each type of paint has its own unique properties and can be used to achieve different effects. In this section, you’ll learn the most popular types of paint for pumpkins.
Acrylic paint is probably the most popular choice for painting pumpkins. It’s easy to find, comes in hundreds of colors, and dries quickly. Acrylic paint is water-resistant and won’t wash away if your pumpkin gets wet. Acrylic paint is also perfect for creating detailed designs and patterns on your pumpkin.
Spray Paint
Spray paint is another popular option for painting pumpkins. It’s quick and easy to apply and can be used to create a smooth, even finish on your pumpkins. Spray paint is perfect for your base coat on your pumpkin.
Glow in the dark paint is a fun option for painting pumpkins. If you are ready to have some serious fun with Halloween decor this glow in the dark paint is awesome! Be sure to charge the paint with a bright light before displaying your pumpkin in the dark.
Preparation for Painting Pumpkins
Before you start painting your pumpkin, make sure that your pumpkin is ready for painting. Choose the Right Pumpkin, Clean the Pumpkin, and Sketch Your Design.
Creative Designs for Halloween
Guide to Painting Pumpkins
Step 1: Choose Your Pumpkins
Have fun and choose pumpkins that are different sizes and shapes to create a variety of unique painted pumpkins.
Step 2: Prepare Your Workspace
Cover your painting area with newspaper to protect it from paint spills. Place all the supplies you need, such as paint, brushes, and stencils, within reach for the kids.
Step 3: Clean and Dry Your Pumpkins
Wipe your pumpkins clean with a damp cloth to remove dirt. Make sure the pumpkins are dried completely before painting.
Step 4: Prime Your Pumpkins
To help the paint last and stay on, prime your pumpkins with a layer of white paint. This will also help to cover any imperfections on the pumpkin’s surface. Allow your primer to dry completely before painting.
Step 5: Paint Your Pumpkins
Now it’s time to get creative and paint your pumpkins! You can use different types of paints, but a few favorites are acrylic paint, spray paint, or chalk paint. You can also use stencils or tape to create clean lines and shapes.
Step 6: Add Details
Once the base coat is dry, you can start adding all of your details to your painted pumpkins. You can also use glitter, sequins, or other embellishments to add sparkle and shine.
Step 7: Seal Your Pumpkins
To protect your painted pumpkins from the elements, it’s best to seal them with a clear acrylic spray. This will give them a glossy finish and make the colors pop.
If you have younger children, adding a pumpkin washing station is a great hands on activity.
Painted Pumpkin Ideas
If you want to take your pumpkin decorating game to the next level, consider trying some innovative painted pumpkin ideas.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Character Inspired Pumpkins
One fun way to decorate pumpkins is to paint them to look like your favorite characters from movies, TV shows, or books. You can use stencils or freehand your designs, depending on your skill level. Here are a few character-inspired pumpkin ideas to try:
- Harry Potter: Paint your pumpkin to look like Harry, Hermione, or Ron, complete with glasses, wands, and Hogwarts colored scarves.
- Minions: Paint your pumpkin yellow and add goggles, overalls, and a goofy smile to create a minion pumpkin.
- Disney Princesses: Paint your pumpkin to look like Cinderella, Belle, or Ariel, complete with their signature dresses and hairstyles.
Patterned Pumpkins
If you want to create more of a cool design, consider painting your pumpkin with a pattern. You can use painter’s tape or stencils to create straight lines and shapes.
Here are a few patterned pumpkin ideas to try:
- Polka Dots: Use a round sponge to dab paint onto your pumpkin in a polka dot pattern.
- Chevron: Use painter’s tape to create a chevron pattern on your pumpkin, then paint over it.
- Stripes: Use painter’s tape to create stripes on your pumpkin, then paint over it.
Abstract Art Pumpkins
If you’re feeling really creative, try painting your pumpkin with an abstract design. You can use bold colors and brush strokes to create a unique and eye-catching pumpkin that everyone will love.
Here are a few abstract art pumpkin ideas to try:
- Color Block: Paint your pumpkin with large blocks of color, using tape to create clean lines.
- Splatter Paint: Dip a paintbrush into different colors of paint and splatter it onto your pumpkin for a Jackson Pollock-inspired look.
- Geometric Shapes: Use tape to create different geometric shapes on your pumpkin, then fill them in with paint.
With these awesome painted pumpkin ideas, you can create the best DIY Halloween decoration. Whether you’re a beginner or you have experience with painting pumpkins, there’s a new painted pumpkin idea out there for you.
Painted Pumpkins Kids Can Make
Ice Cream Cone Pumpkin from frugalcouponliving.com: Any fan of ice cream will love making these adorable ice cream cone pumpkins for the porch. The kids will need some help with this one since it involves spray insulation, but it’ll look so cute by your door!
Mickey and Minnie Pumpkins from thesoccermomblog.com: These are perfect for young Disney lovers! You can add in as many details with this as you want, so it’s easy to make them look just like your favorite characters. Even though these were made with fake pumpkins, you can easily use the idea for real pumpkins, too. Are these not adorable? They’re perfect for a Mickey Mouse theme party.
Marshmallow Painted Pumpkin from glitteronadime.com: This fun project involves painting a pumpkin with marshmallows to create a polka dot pumpkin. It’s such a simple and easy idea for preschoolers to help them get their polka dots in just the right shape.
Black Cat Pumpkins from craftsbyamanda.com: Stack two black-painted pumpkins to create this fun black cat look. Use a tealight inside the top pumpkin to make the cat’s eyes glow in the dark.
Easy Kid Pumpkin Painting Ideas
Mike Wazowski Pumpkin from babysavers.com: Do you have a huge Monsters, Inc. fan at your house? Here’s how you can create your own Mike Wazowski pumpkin! This little green guy is easy to replicate with some green paint for his body and some white and green/blue paint for the eye.
Glitter Drip Pumpkin from craftsbyamanda.com: Drip painted pumpkins are so cute and easy for kids to make, and moms will love that it’s glittery without all the mess of actual glitter. The secret is using glitter paint instead of adding loose glitter to your paint. It stays put instead of flaking all over your house.
Emoji Pumpkins from cutefetti.com: These emoji pumpkins are one of the easiest ones on our list. Just paint a bunch of happy faces (or angry or sad faces, depending on what you want) and set them out. Easy peasy! They’ll be so cute in your front entrance for trick-or-treaters to see as they run up to your door.
Fluorescent Pumpkin from simplefunforkids.com: This is a fun pumpkin to paint with kids! It’s pretty simple and involves some glow-in-the-dark paint brushed all over. You can use any colors of your choice— go wild with color and see how it looks in the dark.
Painted Pumpkin Ideas for Halloween
Lion Pumpkin from easypeasyandfun.com: Lions are one of the coolest animals, and this lion pumpkin looks fierce! Since pumpkins are already orange, you can leave it as-is or brighten it up slightly if the pumpkin isn’t perfectly orange all over. Add the mane, ears, and face, and you’re all set.
Grouchy Ladybug Pumpkin from abcsofliteracy.com: This ladybug pumpkin is so stinkin’ cute! We love the facial expression on this guy. It would look great front and center on your porch or in the garden, wouldn’t it?
Melted Crayon Pumpkin from fromengineertosahm.com: If you have some leftover crayons and want to recycle them, this is a great way to do it! It’s as simple as coloring white pumpkins that are fresh out of the oven (don’t touch the hot pumpkins, though).
Bat Pumpkins from gluesticksgumdrops.com: These bat pumpkins will look spookily perfect on your porch or by the front door. They’re pretty simple to make, but you can add some extra details like a mouth or some ears if you’d like.
Simple Painted Pumpkin Ideas
Painted Fingerprint Pumpkins from handmadecharlotte.com: These fingerprint pumpkins are a really fun way for kids to get creative and paint some works of art on their very own pumpkin. What can they turn their fingerprints into—eyes, ghosts, or spooky skeletons, perhaps?
Shake It Up No-Mess Pumpkin Painting from sunnydayfamily.com: Get your kids moving and shaking while making their pumpkins; no mess or clean-up is needed. Just add your paint colors to the container along with a small pumpkin, and shake, shake, shake.
No Carve Pumpkins for Kids
Sparkle Skeleton Pumpkin from modpodgerocksblog.com: This is the most involved project we’ve listed, but it’s also one of the coolest. You’ll need some skeleton clip art, several paints, craft leaves, mod podge, and a few other materials. The finished product is a spooky, sparkly pumpkin you’ll be proud to display outside.
Pokemon Pumpkins from happinessishomemade.com: If you’re a Pokemon fan, then these pumpkins are for you. Just use some acrylic paints and apply the Pokeball and Pikachu designs onto your pumpkins—there are directions on drawing them so they come out looking perfect! Once you’ve drawn the design in pencil, your pumpkin is ready for paint.
Galaxy Pumpkin from dreamalittlebigger.com: This galaxy pumpkin is the perfect project to get you in a spacey mood. You can skip the part about drilling the pumpkin to create the constellations or help the kids out with the drilling. Kids will love flicking paint on the pumpkins with toothbrushes and other tools.
Don’t forget to add some finishing touches to your painted pumpkin. You can use glitter, rhinestones, or even small accessories like hats or googly eyes to give your pumpkin some personality.
Maintaining Your Painted Pumpkin
Once you’ve painted your pumpkin, you want it to last as long as possible.
Here are a few tips to help maintain your painted pumpkin:
- Use a sealant – like a clear acrylic spray.
- Pumpkins last longer when they are kept out of direct sunlight
- Try to avoid touching your pumpkin with your hands as much as possible.
- If you want your painted pumpkin to last forever, consider using a faux pumpkin.
You now have many painted pumpkin ideas for your Halloween and fall decorations. From cute and whimsical to spooky and creepy, there’s something for everyone.
Have fun painting your pumpkins! It’s a great activity to do with your friends and family, and the possibilities are endless. So grab some paint and brushes, and let your creativity run wild.
Happy painting!
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