I decided to custom paint my faux pumpkins to give them a more realistic looking finish.  All three pumpkins were purchased at second hand “boutiques” at great prices but I was not happy with the new looking finishes.

I wanted my pumpkins to look like they just came off the farm being perhaps a little grungy and not so perfect looking.

If you look closely, the orange pumpkin actually has a little bit of a shine to it and, I think, the colors are way off.

 

Faux Pumpkins Before Painting

Instructions for Detailing Faux Pumpkins

The first step in detailing faux pumpkins is to gather all the needed supplies.  I protect my table by using a newspaper to work on.  You will need green, brown, orange and black acrylic paints along with cotton tipped swabs and cotton balls.

I first carefully washed the pumpkins to get all the dust and grime off.

I usually use a piece of wax paper to put a dab of paint on it so I have easy clean up when done.

I mixed orange, brown, green and black acrylic paints to get a muddy look.

I mainly used a cotton ball to apply the paint as I didn’t want to see brush strokes on the finished detailed pumpkin.

The painted faux pumpkins were allow to thoroughly dry.

Completed Detailed Faux Pumpkin Project

Detailed Painted Faux Pumpkins on Yellow Cake Stand

The two off white pumpkins are now more realistic looking looking and the unnatural shine is off the small orange pumpkin.

I took before and after photograph of the faux pumpkins so you can see what a difference a little acrylic paint makes.

Additional Note

The  detailed faux pumpkins are displayed on a Williams-Sonoma yellow cake stand which was decorated with a water lily design and made in Portugal.

I purchased the cake stand years and I love it!

I use it for birthday parties or special celebrations and it also looks nice holding circular rows of holiday cookies or candies.  Of course, it also looks nice holding my detailed faux pumpkins.