DIY Metallic Mini "Cinderella Pumpkins"





Nothing says fall quite like pumpkins! They are everywhere in grocery stores, all over Pinterest, and in every fall-themed drink and snack. (Seriously, the pumpkin-spice plague is more real than ever.) So of course when I found some adorable mini pumpkins all wrapped up together, I had to hop on the bandwagon too! These “Cinderella pumpkins” (as my sister dubbed them) are just so stinkin’ cute that maybe you can make some too! There are 3 different techniques I used to decorate based on the different original color of the pumpkins, but incorporate them any way you’d like!


(It was my intention (as usual) not to copy any other bloggers’ work without giving credit in this tutorial. That said, I know there are about a billion pumpkin painting techniques out there, so if you spot a similar one online, feel free to leave a link to it in the comments.)



For the orange pumpkins, you will need:
Gold spray paint (we used Krylon COVERMAXX Metallic in Gold)
1” lace trim (heavier weight is better)
Straight pins
Needle-nose pliers



Simply pin the lace trim all the way around the center of the pumpkin, sticking 1-2 pins straight through the lace and into the pumpkin at each of the grooves of the pumpkin so that it follows the form as much as possible. Match up the ends as closely as you can, but don’t worry too much!

Then, spray a gold band of paint all the way around the pumpkin over the lace. I did this (with my sister’s help) in four sections by propping the pumpkin up on a ball of aluminum foil, spraying a quarter of the pumpkin gold, rotating it, and then letting it dry a little in between each turn. After painting all around, let the paint dry completely, according to the instructions on the can.

Carefully remove the pins with needle-nose pliers. You want to pull the pins out as straight as possible to leave only very small holes in the pumpkin’s surface. It may help to place your thumbnail on top of the lace next to the pin as you pull straight up.

When you take off the actual lace, you should have a gorgeous pattern left behind!


For the white pumpkins, we used:
The same gold spray paint
 A plastic container slightly larger than the pumpkin (we cut a gallon jug in half for this)
A rag you aren’t worried about getting paint on
Gloves if desired


Fill the container a little more than halfway with water. Spray the surface of the water with a couple light passes of gold spray paint. Quickly dunk about half the pumpkin into the water and withdraw it. As you pull it out, the paint will stick to itself and the surface of the pumpkin. Gently tap the pumpkin’s surface with your fingers for a minute or so to stick the paint down well.

Then, gently rub your thumb along the surface of the pumpkin. As you do so, small sections where the paint was thick or bubbled should peel up, giving a weathered gold-leaf affect. You can also use your thumbnail or the rag to pull off more paint as it dries.

Repeat the whole process on the other half of the pumpkin, and then again on any sections that weren’t gilded to your liking, such as the bottom. Gently wipe any balled up paint off the pumpkin’s surface with the rag as well. Let your pumpkins dry fully!



Lastly the speckled pumpkin. Gather up:
Metallic acrylic paint (I mixed 4 different hues to match the spray paint)
A small artist’s brush

I wanted to go really subtle on these guys, since they already have such naturally beautiful speckling. All I did was add some metallic splotches with a tiny, but flat tipped, artist’s brush. You will want to get a good amount if paint on the brush to start with, and kind of dab it off randomly as you go. I tried (and kind of failed) to coordinate with the pattern already naturally on the pumpkin, but honestly, it’s cute either way! (If you want some more specific polka dot placing on your pumpkins, a quick Pinterest search will not fail you! Although I really do love these made with polka dot tissue paper!)



And there you have it! My own lazy little techniques to avoid carving Jack-o-lanterns (although there is something delightfully messy about that)! As I said, both the lace and fake gold leaf totally give off a Cinderella’s carriage vibe, but maybe that’s just me. You could also give this a try with fake pumpkins so they stick around longer. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

So how do you spruce up your baby pumpkins?! (Because they are obviously a fall decorating necessity.)

Stay lovely,

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