Floral Painted Pumpkin

Looking for a no-carve way to decorate your pumpkins this year? I was challenged by KINGART to make a painted pumpkin for their 2023 Pumpkin Gallery, and I absolutely love the way it turned out! Here’s how I created a Floral Painted Pumpkin that will be part of my decor all season long (and for years to come).

Image contains a white pumpkin decorated with a painted floral design in teal, pink, gold, green, and brown.

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How to Make a Floral Painted Pumpkin

I decided to paint a faux pumpkin instead of a real one, so that it will last forever. Then, I chose a color palette that matches my craft studio decor. However, feel free to whatever size and type of pumpkin you like, and to adapt this project to incorporate your own favorite color scheme for fall.

Materials:

real or faux white pumpkin
KINGART Waterproof Outdoor Acrylic Paint: Carnation, Sea Foam, Grass Green, Chocolate, Yellow Ochre
KINGART Metallic Acrylic Paint Pens, Extra Fine Tip
Small paintbrushes
Pencil
Free Printable Tracing Pattern (optional)

Image contains a white pumpkin surrounded by six bottles of acrylic paint and a pack of gold and silver paint pens on a white table.

Instructions

Use a pencil to lightly sketch your design onto the surface of the pumpkin.

I sketched two large flowers in the center with crossing stems. Then, I added several leafy branches, along with a few flower buds and branches with berries.

Feel free to sketch your own floral design, or if you prefer to trace mine, you can download the printable here and resize it to fit your pumpkin. To easily transfer it, flip the paper over and trace the lines with your pencil on the back of the paper. Then, place the back of the paper against your pumpkin and trace the design again from the front. This will apply the pencil that was on the back of the paper to the surface of your pumpkin.

Image contains a white pumpkin with a floral design drawn on in pencil, sitting on a wooden desk.

Paint your flowers.

I used Sea Foam to paint the two large flowers as well as the buds on the sides and below.

Image contains a white pumpkin with a penciled floral design on a wooden desk. The large flowers are painted teal.

Paint the leafy branches.

I used yellow ochre for this, then later (after the paint was dry) added chocolate to the center of each leaf for contrast.

Image contains Amy’s hand holding a white pumpkin by the stem. There are teal flowers and yellow leaves painted, and the rest of the design is drawn in pencil.

Paint your other leaves and stems.

I used grass green for these, but if you prefer to stick with a more autumnal color palette, you can use brown, orange, red, etc.

Image contains Amy’s hand holding a white pumpkin with teal flowers and green and yellow leaves painted on the front. The rest of the design is sketched lightly in pencil.

Paint the branches and berries.

I chose to use carnation for the berries, and chocolate for the branches themselves.

Use the gold metallic paint pen to outline and add detail to your illustrations.

I started by outlining everything, then went back to add veins inside the leaves. Then, I added a few gold swirls, dots, and small leaves to fill any open spaces in the design.

Image contains a white pumpkin with a painted floral design on a wooden desk.

Now, your pumpkin is ready to display all season long! Looking for more painted pumpkin inspiration? Check out the rest of the entries in the KINGART Pumpkin Gallery.

Image contains a white pumpkin with a floral design sitting on a wooden desk next to five bottles of acrylic paint and a gold paint marker.

Crafting Tips

Feel free to experiment with different kinds of flowers, colors, and designs. You can find more inspiration in the KINGART Pumpkin Gallery.
Although you can certainly paint an orange pumpkin white, it’s much easier to purchase a white faux or real pumpkin and save yourself that step!
Make sure to prime your paint pen before using it! Just shake, remove the cap, and press down onto a piece of scrap paper until the ink starts flowing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I display this outdoors?

Yes! Since we used Outdoor Acrylic paints, your pumpkin can withstand the weather. If you like, you can also apply a clear sealer.

Can I do this on an orange pumpkin?

Of course, just keep in mind that the lighter colors, like Sea Foam and Carnation, will look very different. You’ll want to consider a darker color palette and several coats of paint to ensure that your design still pops.