Get ready to be inspired to decorate a dollar store pumpkin! Every year I enjoy decorating pumpkins in some way, whether I am carving or painting them. The only downside to decorating a real pumpkin is that it has to be thrown away at the end of the season. So, this year I decided to decorate some dollar store pumpkins that I will be able to keep and use next year as well. In this post I’m sharing five ways you can decorate mini pumpkins from the dollar store.
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The inspiration to decorate dollar store pumpkins came from me having an excess of pearl beads from some recent projects.
I thought putting pearls on a pumpkin would be so pretty and classy. I figured I could just hot glue them on, but I didn’t want to put plastic beads on a real pumpkin, that seemed wasteful.
Then I had some other ideas I also wanted to test out, so I bought two bundles of pumpkins at Dollar General.
This was the first time I had been in a Dollar General in probably 10 years. Target also had a lot of pumpkins that could be decorated, but they were pretty picked over. The same was true at Dollar General, the bundles I grabbed were the only ones I could find.
I bought this bundle of black and orange pumpkins and a bundle of gingham plaid pumpkins. Each bag was $3.
If you don’t feel like running to the store, here are some pumpkins available on Amazon.
Below you will find the multiple different DIY ideas to decorate a dollar store pumpkin. And I saved my favorite for last!
Marbleize with Nail Polish
Years ago this technique was popular as a new way to paint your nails. I tried it out a couple of times and realized it was far too messy for me. However, it is less messy when you are dipping in a plastic pumpkin rather than your finger.
To get the marbleized effect, you will need a glass of water and some nail polish. I chose to go with a sparkly metallic color and a black pumpkin.
All you have to do is drop nail polish onto the water, the polish will float on top. I probably put in around 7 drops of polish. Then you dunk your pumpkin. Let it dry and you are done!
I would recommend doing this on a white pumpkin rather than black, so it will be easier to see the design. You can also add in multiple colors of polish and swirl it around to get even more of a marbleized look.
I’m not 100% happy with how mine turned out, if I did this again, I would use a white pumpkin and add in a few more colors. However, this method works and is a quick and easy way to make dollar store pumpkins unique.
Paint the Stems Metallic
An easy way to make a dollar store pumpkin look more expensive is to paint the stems metallic. I decided to paint the stems of this gingham pumpkin gold. The color I used is 14k gold acrylic paint from Target.
I painted on three layers to completely cover the stem. This is really simple and you can easily do this to real pumpkins as well.
Hot Glue Pearls on a Dollar Store Pumpkin
I wanted to make some “glam” pumpkins this year and use my pearl beads. To do this, I glued pearls down the cracks of this black dollar store pumpkin.
I’m not a wiz with the hot glue gun and I struggled with the glue strings. If you look closely, you can see that my glueing wasn’t perfect, but from a distance I think it looks good. Take your time with the glue gun, instead of rushing like I did.
I also think the black pumpkin makes flaws even more noticeable, so consider using a different color.
I thought adding pearls would make a pumpkin look cute, classy and delicate, however I would probably classify this as more of a rocker chic pumpkin. Not usually my style, but I’m into it for Halloween.
Create Dots with the Back of a Paintbrush
Create a dotted design on a pumpkin by using the back of a paint brush.
Of course you can use the actual brush to paint any design you want, but using the end is a quick and easy way to paint as well.
Sew on Pearls to a Gingham Pumpkin
This one is my favorite! Of course it is also the most time consuming.
I went to Dollar General looking for plastic pumpkins but when I saw the cloth gingham pumpkins I immediately thought I could sew pearls on them.
You can use a hot glue gun to attach the pearls instead of sewing, this would be quicker. However, I decided to sew them on for a cleaner look.
To sew pearls onto these pumpkins, I used white thread and then hid the knot inside a fold in the fabric. Then I pushed the needle underneath the fabric and pulled up to determine the locations for the pearls. I looped through the pearl bead twice and then went to a new location.
Cut a long piece of thread so you don’t run out for the whole pumpkin. After I sewed all the way around the pumpkin I tied a knot under another fold in the fabric.
I hope this post has inspired you to decorate some dollar store pumpkins yourself! Be sure to let me know which of the ideas is your favorite in the comments.
If want more DIY content, check out these other blog posts:
- How to Make a Pearl Denim Jacket
- DIY Pearl Hoop Earrings
- How to Lighten a Denim Jacket with Bleach
- Thrift Store Lamp Makeover
- How to Reverse Tie Dye a Sweatshirt
Thanks for reading!
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