Paint Pour Pumpkins: A Family-Friendly Painted Pumpkin Idea

Fun painted pumpkin decorating idea

Have you seen all the AMAZING ink or acrylic paint pour videos out there? I always have to stop and watch the outcome…

Every time!

So when it came to painting our pumpkins as a family I knew that I really wanted to try to create paint pour pumpkins! Yes, we do only paint our pumpkins and do not carve our pumpkins, because who wants three kids under 5 using knives!

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What paint is best to use on pumpkins?

I did not want to spend a fortune on acrylic paint for a pumpkin that I wasn’t so sure would turn out. However, I love trying new and fun paint techniques. You can’t be scared that they won’t turn out. One of my favorite “experiments” was another fun and easy painting technique on flower pots (I LOVE how these turned out)!

Luckily, I had some cheaper acrylic paints that I have my kids use for crafts and art projects. The biggest thing to consider when wanting to create a paint pour is the fluidity of the paint. you do not want to use heavy-bodied acrylic paints. These will not spread as you want.

Here is a great article about using more advanced materials to create awesome abstract canvases and a resource I used even when experimenting with my own “dirty” paint pour pumpkin!

What is a “dirty” paint pour?

A dirty paint pour refers to placing all colors of acrylic paints in your cup at once. This is the easy painting technique that I used on my pumpkin. It is crucial to have the “right” bodied paints. Too thin or watery and the paints will just be mixed together. Too heavy or thick and they will not flow out of the cup.

Add acrylic paint to the cup and FLIP on to pumpkin!

I was nervous to add colors that I knew would not mix well together. For the first round of paint pour, I added in this order: blue, turquoise, yellow, and then white. I flipped it over on the one side and let it drip out a little. Once I removed the cup, I tilted the pumpkin to encourage the paint to drip.

I tried 3 other similar, but different color combinations in the same cup and in different areas of the pumpkin. My favorite was when I add about a tablespoon of water before adding more turquoise, blue, yellow and then black.

I did make the mistake on the backside of this pumpkin of added too much water. It simply looks like a turquoise wash down the side…not necessarily the paint pour pumpkin look I was going for.

Paint pour pumpkins for the win!

I just love how simple, easy and fun this painted pumpkin project was. My toddlers were happily painted next to me while I was able to do this…

I hope you enjoy this SIMPLE and FUN painted pumpkin project. If you are looking for more fun and easy paint projects be sure to check out my art projects for kids and some of the other awesome home paint projects, like my ALL-FAVORITE, painted accent wall!

Have you heard of the teal pumpkin project?

This is a way to communicate to families that are concerned about food allergies. By placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep, you are saying that you are aware of food allergies and passing out “safe” treats. You can read more about the Teal Pumpkin Project here.

Our easy painted pumpkin is not only fun but it is also great to show families we are passing out allergy-free treats!