How To Paint Cheap Dollar Store Plastic Pumpkins

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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 turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.

How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style.

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.



Almost all of our DIY ideas have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also find us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style. #farmhousefalldecor #paintedpumpkins #dollarstorepumpkins

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!



If you enjoyed this easy dollar store pumpkin upcycle, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your pumpkin craft ideas or DIY fall decor board on Pinterest.




How to turn cheap dollar store plastic pumpkins into gorgeous farmhouse-style painted pumpkins customized to match your fall color palette and style. #fauxpumpkins #fallhomedecor #pumpkincrafts

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.



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Comments

  1. Pinned! I came from tailwind and needed a closer look for how you did it. I may need to paint some dollar tree pumpkins this year, so instructions are really nice to have!

    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Rachelle, thanks for popping over from TW and for the pin! I hope you found the instructions helpful and have fun painting your pumpkins. It seems every year the dollar stores come out with even better plastic pumpkins and gourds than the year before so you should have some great choices.

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  2. HI Marie, I love these! Great tutorial too! I need to get going... it will be pumpkin season soon! laura

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    Replies
    1. Hi Laura, I'm glad you like the pumpkins and the tutorial. I'm feeling the Fall tug from the beach sand and taking little tiny baby steps, while still clad in my bathing suit, towards Autumn.

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  3. Such a great idea to paint the dollar store pumpkins! The colors are gorgeous! I would love to have you come and link up to Centerpiece Wednesday Linky Party and share this post! https://karinskottage.com/2020/08/its-time-to-link-up-to-centerpiece-wednesday.html
    Karin

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you like the painted pumpkins, Karin, and thanks for the invite to your link party.

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  4. Love this tutorial! I have painted a few over the years but they have never turned out the way I'd hoped. These are gorgeous so I'm going to give it another try this year! The brown glaze adds so much! Thanks so much for sharing Marie!

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    Replies
    1. So glad to hear you found the tutorial helpful, Denise and have fun painting your pumpkins!

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  5. So smart to use glaze or wax to darken the crevices! I love your vignette!
    Jenna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Jenna, I'm glad you like how I aged the painted pumpkins!

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  6. I never think to use wax and love them so much more than how mine turned out (dull and ugly).Great tutorial! Pinned and thanks so much for sharing over at Farmhouse Friday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cindy, I'm glad you like the look of the painted pumpkins with the dark wax and that you found the tutorial helpful.

      Delete

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