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Plastic pumpkin made over to terra cotta pumpkins.
Print Recipe

Plastic Pumpkin Makeover

Grab a cheap plastic pumpkin and make it look like a terra cotta jack-o-lantern, perfect for decorating your mantel or front porch. This is an easy Halloween craft for adults.
Prep Time2 hours

Equipment

  • Hot Glue Gun

Ingredients

  • Plastic Pumpkin Bucket
  • White Paint acrylic paint or spray paint
  • Terra Cotta Paint "Clay Pot" or acrylic paint with baking soda mixed in
  • Black Craft Paint
  • Home Decor Wax optional
  • Paint Brushes chip brush + detail brush
  • Witch Hat
  • Faux Leaves
  • Candle Holder optional

Instructions

  • Begin by painting a base coat using white paint (either acrylic paint or spray paint). The pumpkin doesn't need to be completely white; a base coat just means you can use less of the terra cotta paint for good coverage.
    Using spray paint or craft paint to paint the bucket white.
  • Once the base coat is dry, paint the pumpkin with two coats of terra cotta paint, allowing it to dry in between. Finish the second coat with up and down strokes to give it the texture and look of a clay pot. Allow to dry.
    Second coat of terra cotta paint covers well; can see texture.
  • Use a small angled paint brush to paint the face black. Just follow the depressions on the bucket. If you get a little black paint out of the lines, simply let it dry and touch it up with the terra cotta paint.
    Using a small paintbrush to paint the eyes, nose, and mouth black.
  • Optional: Use home decor wax to give the pumpkin an aged and distressed look. Wipe the wax on each vertical depression of the pumpkin and then immediately wipe it back off, letting some wax settle in the depressions.
    Using a cloth to wipe on wax and then wipe it back off.
  • Hot glue faux leaves and berries around the front of the witch hat brim.
    Hot gluing faux leaves and berries to a witch hat.
  • If desired, glue the pumpkin onto a candle holder. Then glue the witch hat to the top of the pumpkin.
    Pumpkin glued to a candle holder; witch hat glued on top of pumpkin.