DIY Project: Decoupage Pumpkin for Halloween
Put down the carving knife and decoupage a pumpkin instead for your Halloween decoration this year
A decoupaged pumpkin can happily sit on the mantel well after Halloween is over. You can make yours scary with pictures of bugs and creepy crawlies, or follow suit with our classic example of a floral decoupage.
What you’ll need:
- White craft glue
- Disposable container
- Hot water
- Spoon or stick
- Golden nugget pumpkin
- Paper towel
- Old brush
- Images from magazines or printed digital cut-outs
- White acrylic paint
- Sponge
- Small paint brush
- Spray varnish
Step 1: Dilute the glue
Squeeze out a few teaspoons of white craft glue into a disposable container.
Squeeze out a few teaspoons of white craft glue into a disposable container.
Pour over hot water in a 1:1 ratio.
Stir well to combine.
Step 2: Prepare your pumpkin
After giving the pumpkin a good clean with hot water, use paper towels to dry it well.
After giving the pumpkin a good clean with hot water, use paper towels to dry it well.
Coat a patch of the pumpkin, a little bigger than the size of your selected image, with the glue mixture.
Step 3: Add your image
Smooth your chosen image down onto the tacky surface. Then, with a wet brush, paint on more of the glue mixture until the image becomes pliable and can be pressed into the grooves of the pumpkin. Repeat with the other images you’ve chosen.
Tip: If using pictures that have been printed on an inkjet printer, leave your images for 24 hours after printing to keep the picture’s colours from bleeding.
Smooth your chosen image down onto the tacky surface. Then, with a wet brush, paint on more of the glue mixture until the image becomes pliable and can be pressed into the grooves of the pumpkin. Repeat with the other images you’ve chosen.
Tip: If using pictures that have been printed on an inkjet printer, leave your images for 24 hours after printing to keep the picture’s colours from bleeding.
Step 4: Mix in some white
To your diluted glue mixture, add in a dollop of white acrylic paint.
To your diluted glue mixture, add in a dollop of white acrylic paint.
Step 5: Tone it down
Dab your sponge into the diluted white glue mix and sponge it onto the spaces around your printed images.
Dab your sponge into the diluted white glue mix and sponge it onto the spaces around your printed images.
Add more sponged coats as it dries, to give depth.
Step 6: Brush around it
Using a small paint brush, paint closely around the edges of the images.
Using a small paint brush, paint closely around the edges of the images.
Carefully sponge away any brush marks.
Step 7: Finish with spray varnish
The fun part of this project is seeing how beautiful your work is once a few coats of varnish have been applied. You can use either a glossy or matt varnish, depending on what finish you prefer.
The fun part of this project is seeing how beautiful your work is once a few coats of varnish have been applied. You can use either a glossy or matt varnish, depending on what finish you prefer.
Ain’t this the prettiest pumpkin you’ve ever seen?
YOUR TURN
Are you going to have a go at pumpkin decoupage? If you do, we would love to see how you styled your finished creation. Tag us @houzzau or @havven on Instagram.
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Browse more fun DIY projects
Are you going to have a go at pumpkin decoupage? If you do, we would love to see how you styled your finished creation. Tag us @houzzau or @havven on Instagram.
MORE
Browse more fun DIY projects
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