Chevron Pumpkin Tutorial

 Is anyone else so, so over carving pumpkins? Lets face it, while the idea of carving a pumpkin and then displaying it outside with a little candle in it always sounds fun (especially to a kid...), right about the time you finally clean out the pumpkin (and your kids'), with orange guts to your elbows, the intricate graveyard scene you picked out of the little book is far less appealing than it was before you got started and your kids got bored. Then, not to mention that the detailed graveyard that took you hours to complete only a week later looks like it is decomposing along with its inhabitants. So, instead of the traditional carving route, I chose to get creative. My husband, my 4 year old son and myself all decorated our pumpkins without carving them this year. The pay off was not only esthetically more pleasing to the eye, for now and the weeks to come, they were much easier to make. Below I will show you how I made my pumpkin, the mommy pumpkin, the chevron pumpkin...

Materials:
-pumpkin
-painter's tape
-acrylic paint 
-foam paint brush
-scissors   
-spray acrylic sealer

I started by creating a chevron pattern around the center of my pumpkin. If you have a hard time keeping it even you can use a pencil to draw circles to use as a guide. 

For the very top, since it is smaller, I just cut a point at the end of the tape and added it this way...

Once you have added your desired rows of tape it should look something like this...

 ...and then it is time to paint! (I started outside but it was quite chilly and I was afraid my paint would run under the tape, so I moved indoors.) Dab a thin layer of paint all over except the very bottom using the foam brush. Be sure to dab, not brush. After the first coat is dry (about 30 minutes) add a second coat.

 Wait until the paint is completely dry and then carefully remove the tape.

 To paint the bottom, rest the pumpkin on its side, wait for the paint to dry, and then flipped it to paint the other side.

 

Let the bottom dry overnight. Then, take your pumpkin outside and coat it with a light even coat of acrylic sealer. Wait about 10 minutes and then ad a second coat. The sealer will create a barrier between the paint and outdoor elements. You can buy this at any craft store and comes in matte and glossy finishes. I love the glossy finish on my pumpkin!

 

The finished product turned out great! I loved it so much I decided to display it indoors on my buffet, but I'm planning to make some more for my porch!

-Amy