Monogram Painted Pumpkin

Orange is the new orange

October is a month of cool weather, warm sweaters, and all of the creepy movies, spooky decor, and diabetus inducing sugar you can handle. Not to mention all of my fall favorites: apple picking, corn mazes, hayrides, cider donuts, and PUMPKINS!

If your decorating style doesn't involve bright orange hues, or you don't enjoy getting elbow-deep in pumpkin goop, then painting may be a good alternative for you.

Prepping your pumpkin

After taking the necessary time to rummage through the mediocre pumpkins to find your pride and joy, you'll want to make sure to wash it thoroughly. The best way to make your pumpkin last through Halloween is to clean it with a small amount of bleach diluted in water. About a tablespoon of bleach to a quart of water should be all you need. 

After you've given it a good scrub, dry the pumpkin well. If the pumpkin is still wet in any area, the paint will not stick. If you'd rather let it air dry, be sure to wash the pumpkin several hours before you want to begin the decorating process. 

Supplies

The beauty of this project is that there are SO many options! You can use nearly anything that you already have on hand. For my monogrammed pumpkin, I used:

*Krylon metallic spray paint in silver
*Tulip slick fabric paint in black (Acrylic paint would work great, I just didn't have any in black)
*Clear acrylic jewels

{Not pictured}

*Glue- any liquid glue will work

*Newspaper or plastic drop cloth

*Pencil (optional)

The fun part

When you get done with all of the prep work, you can finally ignite your creativity! I'm usually a planner, but once my creative juices are flowing, I tend to just go with it.

Step 1: Prepare the workspace

If you plan to paint your pumpkin outdoors, you may not need as much preparation, but if you're more of an indoor crafter, you'll want to make sure to protect your work surface. You will also want to make sure that you are in a WELL ventilated area. Once your vented and covered, proceed to step 2. 

Step 2: Spray your pumpkin

This step is seriously that simple! Make sure to spray an even coating of paint on your pumpkin. As long as the pumpkin is completely dry, you shouldn't have any issues with the paint sticking to the pumpkin. You may want to spray a second coat. My pumpkin only needed a single layer, but whether you choose to do one or two layers of paint, you'll still want to take a break to allow the paint to dry before moving on to step 3. 

**Depending on the size of your pumpkin, spraying it down shouldn't be too difficult. Cans of spray paint can, however, leave your fingers sore and sticky. If you, like me, hate having paint on your hands and a grouchy finger, you can buy an inexpensive but helpful tool. A spray gun will set you back around a buck fifty and can be found in any store that sells spray paint. 

Step 3: Monogram

Once your painted pumpkin is dry, it's time to start adding your monogram. You can use a stencil if you're more comfortable with a guide, but you can also freehand your lettering. I chose to freehand mine, but I used a pencil to draw it out several times before settling on the configuration above. Once you've gotten your letter exactly where you want it, paint away! BE SURE to shake your paint (fabric or acrylic) before applying it to your pumpkin. Paint tends to separate if left too long on the shelf, and separated paint won't stick to the spray-painted surface. If you're more comfortable using a brush, feel free to do so. 

Step 4: Add some sparkle

This is my FAVORITE part! If you know me at all, you likely know that glitter is my favorite color. Something about the added sparkle makes this craft (or anything for that matter) more magical. Use your paint to create cool patterns around the remainder of your blank canvas. Once your ready for some sparkle, just add some glue to the back of the jewels and place them wherever you please. Let your pumpkin dry (yes, again) and then it's ready to adorn your front porch!

El Fin

Once you've completed your masterpiece, revel in your one-of-a-kind decoration. THEN come back to post a picture of your finished work in the comments, I would love to see them! Happy Painting!