DIY Mud Paint Pumpkins

Doesn't the black pumpkin blend so well with the others? The mud makes the paint less harsh and fake looking!

Clean off your faux pumpkins with a damp cloth. This will help the spray paint adhere smoothly. Using painters tape, tape off the stems of your pumpkins so they are protected from the spray paint.

Spray paint your pumpkins. Multiple light coats are better and will help prevent drips.

Mix up some mud from your yard in a plastic bowl. I made mine true mud, but depending on the look you are going for, you can use damp dirt as well (it results in a more subtle effect). Apply the mud to your pumpkins. The key is applying it in the direction you want your “patina” to come through in the end. On my pumpkins, I applied the dirt moving out from the stem, then down and around each ridge of the pumpkins (but it doesnt need to be perfect!) Allow your dirt/mud to dry.

Using a barely damp cloth, buff off as much or as little of your dried dirt as you like. Make sure you buff off the dirt in the same direction as you applied it. Spray your completed pumpkins with a matte polycrylic spray. Now remove your painters tape from the pumpkin stems and that’s it! You can also do this same technique with white spray paint as your base, and on virtually anything – vases, lamp bases, etc (as inspired by Jaci Daly!) The black vase you see below is also dont with this mud paint technique, but I used a damp dirt rather than a true mud like I did on the pumpkins. (Here you can see a vase I made with the same technique).

I hope this inspires you to give your faux pumpkins a little refresh this year! If you try these DIY mud paint pumpkins, let me know in the comments below! And again, I'd love to see you over on the blog!