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DIY Easy Paint Pour Pumpkins

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! This painted pumpkin tutorial is so much fun! The best part is this family-friendly no-carve pumpkin craft is that it can be done in 10 minutes or less.

pumpkin with paint pour acrylic paint in teal, yellow, white and black paint.

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When it came to painting our pumpkins as a family I knew that I really wanted to try to create colorful Halloween decorations! This project is perfect for those that do not carve our pumpkins. We like to paint pumpkins with our young children because who wants three kids under 5 using knives?

Paint Suggestion

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.

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!

Another Paint Pour Resource

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!

Recommended Supplies

  • Acrylic Craft Paint-Like Apple Barrel or CraftSmart
  • Dixie Cup
  • Real Pumpkin or Fake Pumpkin
  • Paper Towels or Work Surface
  • Optional: Tablespoon Of Water To Thin Paints

How To Make A Paint Pour Pumpkin In 5 Minutes

Order Of Paints Placed In The Cup

You can do this paint pour technique with any color of paint. It is best to pick colors that you think may mix well together. You would not want to put complementary colors (like red and green) together. You would chance them making a muddy brown.

teal, yellow and black acrylic paint in dixie cup on paper towels.

Step 1: Add Acrylic Paint To Cup

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 into a disposable cup.

Step 2: Flip The Cup Over

Flip the cup over on one side and let it drip out a little. Once you remove the cup, you can tilt the pumpkin to encourage the paint to drip.

Cup left on pumpkin to pour paint on pumpkin to create a cool DIY painted pumpkin.

Step 3: Repeat Until All Sides Are Covered

You will need to probably do around 3 different pours to cover your pumpkin completely if you have a stem. If you don’t have a stem on the top of the pumpkin you may get away with one bigger pour right on top.

In the image, the final pour was placed on top of the stem so that it would go on all sides.

cup on top of stem of pumpkin with paint coming out.

Optional: Add A Little Water

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

Top view of a pumpkin with paint pour technique used to decorate.

Common Paint Pour Mistake

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

teal paint watered down too much dripping on one side of the pumpkin.

Color Choice Idea If Allergy-Free Treats

Using teal to paint your pumpkin could help communicate with families that are concerned about food allergies.

Teal Pumpkin Project

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.

Paint pour pumpkin with blue, teal, yellow, white and black marble effect.

I just love how simple, easy and fun this painted pumpkin craft was. My toddlers were happily painting their own pumpkins while watching our fun pumpkin be created.

How-To FAQs

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.

What paint is best to use on pumpkins?

Cheaper acrylic paints are perfect to paint on pumpkins. You want to use paint that is not washable if you are going to display your pumpkin outside. Just beware that acrylic paint can stain clothes.

Can you use tempera paints?

No, we do not recommend painting your pumpkin with tempera paint. You chance that it will flake off and it will definitely wash off if you are placing your real pumpkin outside.

Could you do this on faux pumpkins?

We think this idea would be awesome to create unique Fall decor. We may try it soon with golds and other Fall colors.

Follow us on Pinterest, YouTube or Facebook for more DIY inspiration!

Related DIY Ideas

We can’t wait to make more painted pumpkins this Fall.

Did you have fun making this craft with your family? Make sure to leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review in the comments!

Paint Pour Pumpkins

Learn how to make your own easy painted pumpkin using a paint pour technique.
Print Tutorial
pumpkin with paint pour acrylic paint in teal, yellow, white and black paint.
Prep:5 minutes
Active Time:5 minutes
Dry Time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Paper Towels

Supplies

Instructions

  • Set-up work space by placing cardboard or paper towels down.
  • Add paint colors to cup.
    teal, yellow and black acrylic paint in dixie cup on paper towels.
  • Flip cup over on pumpkin.
    Cup left on pumpkin to pour paint on pumpkin to create a cool DIY painted pumpkin.
  • Repeat filling the cup and flipping until whole pumpkin is covered.
    paint dripping down pumpkin with cup on stem.
  • Let pumpkin dry for at least 3 hours or dry to the touch.
    Top view of a pumpkin with paint pour technique used to decorate.

Notes

You may need to add about a tablespoon of water to the cup of paint to help the paint flow. Don’t add too much though as your colors will blend.
Author: Erin Nutter
Cost: Under $5

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4 Comments

  1. This is amazing! I will definitely be trying this. Thank you for the clear explanation and beautiful pictures.

    1. Hi Bree. I am glad the pictures of the painted pumpkins helped explain this fun paint technique.

  2. This looks like such an amazingly, fun activity and such a beautiful statement piece for the Halloween festivities.

    1. Hi Lisa! Thanks for the nice comment. It was a lot of fun to pour paint on the pumpkin! My kids loved seeing how the colors mixed.