62 Easy Pumpkin Painting Ideas for Halloween 2023

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Transferware Pumpkins

Grab the Mod Podge. A simple trip to the color copier is all it takes to “transfer” your transferware collection to a pumpkin. Simply make a color copy of a your favorite plates and trays, then cut the paper into strips and adhere to a pumpkin or gourd with the Mod Podge.

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Grain Sack Pumpkins

Show your stripes! Strips of striped ribbon adhered with Mod Podge give white Lumina pumpkins the farmhouse flair of the dependable nubby fabric.

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Apothecary Jar Squash

Mix and match. The amber glass vessels evoke the colors of the season, while the old-school labels on the squash (think“cyanide”) serve up an “evil lab” kind of spooky.

To make the squash version: Remove the stem from a Honeynut squash and use a pumpkin carving tool to hollow out a hole and insert a cork. Use Mod Podge to attach apothecary labels.

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Copper Painted Pumpkins

Deck out the kitchen with these simple copper painted pumpkins that are sure to draw attention to your copper collection.

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Silver Leaf Pumpkins

These DIY shimmering leaves look great on blue-hued or green pumpkins such as Jarrahdale, Blue Doll, Blue Moon, and Fairytale.

To make: Attach silver leaf with sizing to one side of fake or real leaves (alternatively, you can spray paint leaves silver). Once dry, spray adhesive spray on the back of the leaves and attach to pumpkins.

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Leaf Motif Pumpkins

Greet trick-or-treaters and well-wishers with a wheelbarrow stuffed full of painted and decoupaged pumpkins bearing leaf motifs. Bulk up the display with no extra work by including loads of pumpkins in varying sizes and colors.

To make decoupage leaves: Cut out leaves and flowers from new or vintage wallpaper or wrapping paper. Decoupage to pumpkins using Mod Podge.

To make outlined painted leaves: Use a leaf-shaped stencil to paint fall-colored leaves on green, blue, or white pumpkins. Once dry use a white paint pen to outline the leaves, add veining, and decorative details.

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Painted Faux Bois Pumpkin

Adding paint to an etched faux bois (the artistic imitation of wood) pumpkin helps the colors pop adding fun flair to this sophisticated design.

To make: Lightly sketch a faux bois pattern on a pumpkin with a pencil. Use a linoleum carving tool to etch out the pattern. Once complete, paint unetched part of the pumpkin with acrylic paint. If you get any paint in the etched grain you can remove it up with the carving tool once dry.

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Stencil Painted Pumpkin

We've brought old-school country to the pumpkin! Get your paint pens out and get drawing.

To make: Lightly draw a stencil pattern around the center of a medium-size white pumpkin. Use black, orange, and yellow paint pens to cover drawing.

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Reverse Image Painted Pumpkins

The natural color of the pumpkin shines through on these reverse image pumpkins.

To make: Start by laying down lengths of painter’s tap, overlapping the lengths so they stick to one another, on a self-healing mat, creating a “sheet” that is slightly larger than the image you wish to create. Draw desired image (we did a lantern, cat’s face, and headstone) on tape. Cut out drawing using an X-Acto knife. (You can go back and add details such as the cat eyes, RIP, and lightning bolts later using a paint pen.) Carefully adhere cutouts to the pumpkin, being sure the edges are pressed firmly down. Paint pumpkin with black spray paint; allow to dry completely. Once dry, carefully remove cutout. Add details with paint pen and lengths of black pipe cleaner with hot-glue for cat’s whiskers.

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Whitewash Pumpkin

This elegant and super simple pumpkin looks antiqued with just a hint of off-white paint. Use a flat craft brush and off-white acrylic paint to whitewash a Jarrahdale pumpkin, allowing the paint to streak and not fully cover the pumpkin.

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Painted Farm Scene Pumpkin

Celebrate farm living with this spooktacular farm-scene pumpkin.

To make: Start by laying a large oblong pumpkin on its side and lightly draw a line the length of the pumpkin one-third of the way from the bottom. Lightly draw a farm scene (barn, windmill, moon, tractor, and hay bales) above the line. Paint the bottom third of the pumpkin with black acrylic paint, using the line as a guide. Use a white paint pen to color in the moon. Use a gray paint pen to add detail to the moon, if desired. Use black paint pen to color in the scene, free handing corn stalks and flying bats.

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Painted Address Numbers Pumpkin

Let revelers know they're at the right address by emblazoning your house number—and state—on pumpkins. Mark your location on a decal of your state by punching a star-shaped hole. Then apply the decal and number stickers to the pumpkins, paint, and remove the adhesive symbols when dry.

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Vintage Candy Wrapper Pumpkins

While we'd be impressed if you could paint these pumpkins, here, you'll be using Mod Podge to bring them to life. Those printed vintage wrapper designs are so easy to source.

To make: Print copies of candy labels from Pinterest; cut into 1-inch strips. Attach to pumpkins using Mod Podge, working to line up the design as best as possible.

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Painted Pumpkin Scale

What better way to dole out candy to trick-or-treaters than with a pumpkin scale? (No, it doesn't actually work...but when it looks this adorable, who's going to mind?)

To make: Cut a large hole in back of a medium pumpkin; scoop out pulp and seeds. Remove all flesh so it’s light enough to hang. Trace hanging scale template on pumpkin, sizing up or down as needed. Etch out where indicated. Paint over remaining design with black oil pen. Attach peel-and-stick numbers. Drill holes in two sides of large ice scoop. Attach two equal lengths of chain with small S hooks. Attach third length to handle; attach to bottom of pumpkin with T-pins. Drill small hole in top of pumpkin. Cut a 1" dowel the width of inside top of pumpkin. Tie rope around dowel, insert dowel in pumpkin, and feed rope through hole; hang.

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Caramel Apple Painted Pumpkins

Trick-or-treaters may want to snack on these scrumptious looking caramel apples. Start by removing the stem of a medium pumpkin. Use craft paint to paint the top a Granny Smith-esque apple green. Once dry, use craft paint to paint the bottom a golden caramel color. Hot-glue a 3/4-inch by 12-inch dowel where the stem was. Display in a large, industrial-size coffee filter.

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Bundt Cake Painted Pumpkin

Let this "cake" inspire you to make some more fall cakes this season! Start by using white craft paint to paint a drippy-looking glaze on a Musquee de Provence pumpkin, which naturally mimics the shape of a bundt. Display your delicious-looking creation on a cake stand along with a mini pumpkin prize ribbon.

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'Fall' Jar Painted Pumpkin

How cute does this "jar" look? Begin by removing the stem of a medium pumpkin, but be sure to keep it on-hand. Use wired twine to spell out “Fall”; hot-glue to pumpkin. (Feel free to spell out any other word or phrase you'd like.) Paint pumpkin and twine with light blue craft paint. Let dry completely. Place a nine-to 10-inch tart pan upside down on the pumpkin. Hot-glue the reserved stem to the center of the pan.

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Snow Cone Pumpkins

The secret to making these snow cones look so sweet? Sparkles! To start, use red, orange, yellow, green, and blue craft paint to paint stripes as shown on small white pumpkins. Once dry, spray pumpkin with a spray adhesive and sprinkle with clear glitter. Cover a three-inch-high rectangular cardboard box in colorful craft paper. Poke two-inch holes, corresponding to the number of pumpkins you have and spacing evenly, in the top of the box. Place snow cone paper holders in holes and fill halfway with white sand. (The sand is a must because without it, the pumpkins will crush the cups.) Finish by placing the pumpkins on top.

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Paint by Number Pumpkins

Because these retro relics often feature fall scenery—tree-lined trails, babbling brooks—you can find them gracing the heart-pine paneling in plenty a cabin. To create the ones you see at left, photocopy your favorite works of art (or simply Google "vintage paint by numbers" and print your favorite scenes, scaling them up or down as necessary). Cut paper printouts into half-inch strips, and attach to white pumpkins using Mod Podge. (Line up the image as best you can, taking heart in the fact that some imperfection adds charm.) Attach twig "frames" with hot-glue.

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Splatterware Pumpkin

Pull out a paintbrush and whip up a speckled country classic. Paint a pumpkin a crisp white. When dry, use a paintbrush and blue paint to create various sized blobs for spatter effect as shown.

Charlyne Mattox is Food and Crafts Director for Country Living.

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