"Gourdgeous"Vintage Wooden Pumpkins with Perfect Paints
Hi, friends - Walter here!
As the leaves turn to vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold, the arrival of fall often brings back cherished memories from childhood—like those annual family adventures to the farm in search of the perfect pumpkin. The excitement of wandering through rows of plump pumpkins, the delightful taste of warm apple cider donuts, and the crisp autumn air are all sensations that fill me with nostalgia. These simple yet joyful experiences have instilled in me a deep passion for crafting, particularly during the enchanting months of September through November. Each autumn, I find myself inspired to create projects that capture the essence of the season, embodying elements like pumpkins, acorns, and apples.
Today, I am thrilled to share a project that perfectly embodies this celebration of fall: a charming vintage inspired wooden pumpkin. This delightful piece not only captures the essence of autumn's beauty but also serves as a versatile décor element that can elevate your holiday celebrations throughout the year. With the magic of Perfect Paints, we’ll transform a simple wooden pumpkin into a stunning centerpiece that reflects the warmth and creativity of the season.
Here's a pic of the finished project:
Supplies:
Perfect Paints Products:
Perfect Paints
White Gesso
Sizzix Gold Luster Wax
Metalic Wax - Peacock
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Gold Metallic Marker
Three oval wooden shapes - size is dependent on your preference
In Home Peel & Stick Faux Metallic Tile
Metal Wire/Metal Wire Sticks (i.e. like metal plant stakes)
Aluminum from a soda can
Double Sided Foam Tape
Super Glue
Craft glue
Scrap piece of burlap (optional)
Piece of twine for hanging (optional)
Directions:
I started by painting each of the three wooden ovals with a coat of white gesso and then dried each one with a hair dryer on low. I then used a paint brush to add two coats of the Iridescent Gold Peal Plaster to each of the ovals. I knew that I didn't want an orange pumpkin; rather, I wanted one of those more cream colored decorative pumpkins. Iridescent Gold Pearl Plaster was the perfect choice to achieve this because the gold color is light and adds such a shimmer. The good news is that the Pearl Plaster may be dried with a hair dryer on low to help speed up the creative process! If you would like an orange pumpkin, I would recommend using Cantaloupe Shimmering Matte Acrylic paint or Cajun Pumpkin Shimmering Matte Acrylic Paint!
With the ovals dried, I took an ink blending brush and added a little vintage grunge to them with Vintage Photo Distress ink. This step is completely optional. I like the vintage look and want my pumpkin to look a little older and tattered. However, you may choose to opt for a cleaner look.
The final step in coloring the ovals was to take a metallic gold marker and run it around the edges of ovals. This adds an elegant touch and helps define the edges of each oval.
It was now time to have some fun with a faux metallic tile. You may find these tiles online and also in stores like Dollar Tree and they're not very expensive. I looked over the tile and decided what elements I wanted to cut out and include on the pumpkin. I cut out those design elements and painted them with a coat of white gesso. Once dry, I painted each of them with a coat of Vintage Patina Shimmering Matte Acrylic paint. They looked amazing!
I wanted to add a little something else to really make them pop even more. What would look good with the Vintage Patina and Gold Pearl Plaster? A deeper shade of gold! I took a foam dauber and rubbed a little Sizzix Gold Luster Wax over each of the design elements. I then rubbed on just a smidge of Peacock Wax to add a little tarnish to further give it a vintage metal appearance. The result was gorgeous and looked amazing next to the painted ovals.
It was now time to assemble the pieces together. There are several ways that you may go about putting it together - glues, nails, etc. I opted for glue so as to not dint the wood by hammering it. I started by figuring out where each oval would connect to the next and where the decorative elements would be placed. With that decided, I used super glue to attach the decorative element to each oval. I let that dry for a few minutes and then used a combination of super glue and craft glue. I used both to make sure that the wood ovals would bond to each other. I also used superglue to adhere a piece of burlap to the back of the bottom two ovals to reinforce their bond.
I started in on the remaining pieces as the glue dried on the pumpkin. I used a leaf die and the aluminum soda can to cut out two leaves and then used scissors to cut the stem. I put the stem on my scoring tool and used a bone folder to add some ridges to it. A coat of white gesso was added to all three; Vintage Patina Shimmering Matte Acrylic paint was used to paint the leaves and Aged Copper Shimmering Matte Acrylic paint was used to paint the stem. I wrapped the metal plant stakes around the base of a crafting tool to create a spiral reed and then painted them with both Vintage Patina and Aged Copper.
The final step was to add the leaves and spiral reeds to the pumpkin. I did so using both double sided foam tape and super glue. The foam tape is helpful to keep the items in place while also absorbing the super glue, which hardens the foam and helps keep everything in place.
There you have it - a wooden pumpkin that doesn't need to be picked, won't spoil, and may be used for decorating all Autumn long.
Thanks for spending some time with me on the blog today. I'll see you again soon! - Walter
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