The V Spot

Rants, observations, and home decorating... from a woman with no time for a blog.


Spray painted metallic pumpkins. (Take Halloween pumpkins into Thanksgiving.)

41 Comments

I know Halloween is over, but don’t toss out the pumpkins!!!  OK, jack-o-lanterns should all be gone by now, but any whole pumpkins you have laying around can carry you through Thanksgiving and into the first couple of days in December.

Make shimmery metallic pumpkins by breaking the spray painting rules.

spray paint, pumpkins, how to spray paint real pumpkins

Yes, of course you can spray paint real pumpkins.  Really? Are there still some of you who dubiously ponder exactly what can be spray painted…?  You can spray paint anything that will hold still long enough, (or that you aren’t planning to eat).

My colors for Halloween were primarily black, white and silver, with pops of orange.  Stark and harsh.  For Thanksgiving (which we host at our house) I want it to be warm and inviting… colorful but subdued.

A coat of metallic spray paint takes a Halloweenish orange pumpkin into November with a warm shimmer.

metallic, painted pumpkins, spray paint, fall, autumn

Spraying one color onto the pumpkin is an easy way to go, but you can mix the paint colors as well.

During Halloween, I counted 83 pumpkins on the premises, 41 of which are real.  Most of those 41 pumpkins will be getting this paint treatment, very similar to the faux mercury glass pumpkins I did last month.

I sprayed a pumpkin with a base coat of white.  While the paint is still wet I spray a metallic paint over the top.  This pumpkin got a heavy coat of metallic paint.

I love how the colors run together.  I don’t even mind that it’s thick and drippy.
Want to know why there is an extra heavy coat of paint on this one?

Because sometimes the spray paint nozzle just goes haywire.  I just sprayed/dripped the paint all over the pumpkin and got a cool result.  (as Tim Gunn says “make it work!”)

I also sprayed a pumpkin with a deep green base coat and then did light coats of metallic over it.  Still some drips (which you want) but a more subtle effect.

heavy spray, dripping, spray paint, thick coat

I still have quite a few more pumpkins to go, but here’s what I’ve done so far.

This was my Halloween “porch”…

Halloween pumpkins and raven

Removing most of the black and orange items and replacing them with warmer colors gets me in the mood for Thanksgiving.

I’m considering removing the urns on the edges, but haven’t decided yet.  feel free to weigh in.
metallic pumpkins, fall, autumn
 By the way, this guy…?

He was a Dollar Store Halloween raven but I spray painted him too, then added a few strokes of brown and purple  acrylic paint and colored in his eyes and beak with a Sharpie.

Once Halloween is over, the price of pumpkins really seems to drop considerably, so pick up a few extras and give this a try.

And stay tuned. In a few weeks I’ll show you a (so simple it’s stupid) trick to make these painted pumpkins work during that short period after Thanksgiving but before your Husband gets your Christmas stuff down from the rafters in the garage….

Comments

  6. They look great! My vote would be to remove the urns on either side, and maybe move them into the center, flanking the lantern on either side? I’m a total decorating newb, so take any suggestion you may see from me with a grain of salt.

    This makes me wish Canadian Thanksgiving was in between Halloween and Christmas. The only thing my whole pumpkins are good for now are their seeds!

    Reply

  8. I like the urns. You should leave them. However, that bird freaks me out a little bit. He looks eerily real….even though I’ve never seen a bird that color. But I love what you did with the pumpkins. You’ve got your work cut out for you this week because there are TONS more to paint! =)

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  9. What a difference!! The soft metallics are so pretty!!!

    Again, I am inspired by your ability to repurpose and see beyond what you have in front of you!! I’m still trying to get that to rub off on me!!! 🙂

    Reply

  13. I love the transformation! I need to get my hands on some metallic paint. I am keeping my gourds for my Thanksgiving decorating. I can’t wait to move so I can unpack everything.

    I love your creativity. Can’t wait to see what you cook up for Christmas!

    Reply

  14. I LOVE the spray painted pumpkins! I agree…spray paint everything! Spray paint makes life better for sure!

    I put up NO Halloween decor this year. Alas, our only pumpkins were the kids’ Jack-o-lanterns. And they are in the trash!

    But I may check out the cheap-after-halloween pumpkins you mentioned!

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  16. Okay when you said how many pumpkins you had a few posts ago I had no idea so many were live pumpkins! But it seriously does look awesome!

    Reply

  21. You could be ‘Project Pumpkin’! Make it work, Girl. Love those metallics and the drippies. (I get those even when my nozzle works, ha!)

    And I’m so glad you sprayed the raven. (sounds like another TV series, huh?) I was gonna do mine and stopped short. Now I’m gonna hunt down those l’il guys 😀

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  26. Oh I love the new colors of the pumpkins. Umm really did you say 80 something pumpkins??!! Repeat after me “my name is vivienne and I have a pumpkin addiction”. Awesome idea to spray paint the dollar tree ravens. I didn’t want to take mine down yet, but they feel too Halloween. Now my ideas are going. Thanks!

    Reply

  30. Love this idea! We have one pumpkin left that was never carved & I think this would be a fun thing to do – just have to decide on a color…

    Reply

  34. So pretty! How many pumpkins did you get sprayed with just 1 can? I need to spray 20 pumpkins … medium size … wondering how many cans I need …

    Reply

  35. I know i am late to the game but this is awesome. I am
    Doing blK and white for halloween. I have A bunch of black
    Cats from Michaels and a 7 ft witch frM big lots. I wanted To paint my pumpkins but wasnt sure if i should. You gave me the motivation to try to be creative with it. I love the way you changed to the softer colors for thankSgivinG.
    I am a big fan of lanterns, i have a lOt. I love urns too but i would Prefer some sort of candles. Maybe black taper holders or even just glass with pilar candles 🕯.

    Reply

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