I have a four-year-old and, I must admit, I dread the carving of the pumpkin at Halloween. She always wants to do it herself, which, frankly, freaks me out. So, this year, we are taking a new and less “sharp” route: Paint! Acrylic, multi-coloured and a shiny moody chrome finish; stripes, swirls, dots, plaid — anything goes!!
Materials:
- Pumpkins: small or big or in-between, whatever you prefer — though smaller are easier to handle, and facilitate the idea of doing a bunch (a popular choice with the young ones)!
- Masking tape
- Rubber bands
- Office-supply paper reinforcement stickers
- Acrylic paint(s)
- Spray paint(s)
DIY
If you have kids, you probably have stacks of paint colours laying around your house (we sure do). This is a fun project for everyone, and it helps put some of those often-underused crafts materials to very good use. Pumpkins, brushes and acrylic paints can make for some very perky pumpkins!
I used a can of chrome finish spray paint — adults should handle this, and do it in a well-ventilated area (preferably outside) — on the white pumpkins after I applied tape for stripes, rubber bands for random crossing stripes and the hole punch stickers for circles. Simply spray on the paint lightly and let dry.
After the paint is dry, peel off your stickers, and remove the rubber bands and tape...
...and the white parts of the pumpkin are left white. Seriously, how easy is that?!
Now have fun on the table: branches, blue pumpkins, old lanterns and even a cast iron bunny. You can add candles, lanterns, vases of tall branches or fall flowers. (This project is also a good way to use up those giant zucchini in the garden!)
I love these pumpkins. Traditional Jack-o'-lanterns are fun but I have to admit, these are really making me smile each day!
