How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous painted pumpkins with farmhouse-style customized to match your fall color palette and decorating style. Plus how to add depth to the colors for a lovely time-worn aged patina.

It's a budget-friendly idea that adds charm to a fall vignette and you can have an entire pumpkin patch painted in no time. I'll show you how easy it is in the tutorial below so let's get started.

Farmhouse Painted Dollar Store Pumpkins Vignette

Painting plastic or foam pumpkins is such a quick and easy fall craft that's easy on the budget. You will have so much fun transforming them that you'll likely go back to the dollar store for more.

What Type Of Paint Should I Use To Paint Faux Pumpkins?

For Farmhouse or French Country-style painted pumpkins, you'll want to avoid using glossy paint. Instead paint the pumpkins with matte chalk, milk, or acrylic craft paint. You can also use latex paint with a flat or satin sheen.

However, for modern-style pumpkins, you can paint them with glossy or metallic spray paint.

What Color Should I Paint Dollar Store Pumpkins?

The beauty of painted pumpkins is that you can customize the colors to work with the color palette for any room in your home. Think soft greens, blues, beige, and creams for French Country or Farmhouse style.

Copper, silver, or gold metallics for a modern style. Retro lime or avocado green, mustard yellow, burnt orange or red, and brown for Mid-Century Modern or traditional fall styles. The possibilities for your painted pumpkins are endless!

Is This A Good Pumpkin Craft For Kids?

This is a fun dollar store craft for the entire family. Have the kids pick out their own dollar store pumpkins, craft paint, embellishments, and/or stickers to paint their own pumpkins for Halloween.

Here's where we started with these cheap plastic dollar store pumpkins and gourds. The silver metallic pumpkin is one I painted last year. That's the beauty of faux pumpkins is that you can repaint them when your fall decorating style changes.

How To Paint Dollar Store Pumpkins

For my pumpkins, I painted them with two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the colors old white and Arles (yellow). I also used Country Chic Paint in the color luscious lime and FolkArt Home Decor Chalk in the color grotto 6439 (teal) that I had on hand.

Once the paint is completely dry you can protect the finish with clear wax or a matte clear coat. But if you want to add depth to the painted pumpkins, then move on to the next step.

How To Add Depth To The Painted Pumpkins

The pumpkins already look so much better painted but if you want to add depth and give them an aged patina, you can do that in a couple of ways.

In the photos below the yellow and teal-painted pumpkins are aged with brown glaze.

Painted Pumpkins With Brown Glaze

• Brush the glaze deep into the ribs of the pumpkin with either an inexpensive chip brush or a small art brush.
• Dip just the tips of the brush into water and move the glaze all over the pumpkin.
• Remove the excess glaze with a lint-free rag before it dries.
• You may need to add more glaze into the ribs to accentuate the shadow.
• Dab glaze around the stem to resemble dirt that settles on top pumpkins in the patch.
• Don't fret if you add too much glaze, just dab more paint on the pumpkin.

There are no rules - just play with the finish until you get the look that you like. In the photo below you can see the difference between the yellow and teal glazed pumpkins in the back and the unglazed pumpkin in the front.

Painted Pumpkins With Brown Wax

The white pumpkins and the lime green painted gourds are aged with a brown wax.

• Rub brown wax deep into the ribs of the pumpkin.
• Blend the wax with a lint-free rag.
• No worries if you add too much wax because the excess can be removed with clear wax.
• Like the glazed pumpkins, rub brown wax around the base of the pumpkin stem as well.

Again, there are no rules. Play with the finish until you get the look that you like. In the photo below you can see the difference between the waxed pumpkin in the back and the unwaxed white pumpkin in the front.

Ideas For Decorating With Painted Pumpkins

I've listed some ideas for decorating with painted pumpkins below that I hope you find helpful.

1. Set the painted pumpkins on a coffee table tray elevated at different heights on top candlesticks or hardcover books. Add a mix of faux greens, grapevine nests, birdhouses, and other types of vintage decor like I did.
2. Place a mix of assorted painted pumpkins in different shapes and sizes inside a wooden crate, tool caddy, or basket.
3. Stagger an assortment of painted pumpkins on top of a wooden table riser with pumpkin spice-scented candles for a pretty table centerpiece.
4. Fill a metal birdcage, cloche, or glass hurricane vase with painted pumpkins.
5. Decorate with a mix of painted pumpkins, fabric pumpkins, sweater pumpkins, and/or burlap pumpkins.

The checkered fall pillows in the photo above are also a budget-friendly DIY fall decor idea using IKEA pillow covers. For more budget-friendly autumn decor visit my DIY Fall Ideas page.

For more pumpkin inspiration you may like these 12 DIY pumpkin ideas that are easy on the wallet. Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by these upcycled painted dollar store pumpkins.

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