diy "found" pumpkins mud paint technique

Are your old faux pumpkins from years past feeling a little drab this year? Maybe they don’t exactly match your Fall color scheme? Don’t take them to Goodwill just yet! You need just 4 ingredients to transform your old pumpkins into a neutral and “found” masterpiece. This mud paint technique is everywhere, but I’d never seen it on pumpkins, and figured I should try it before purchasing new pumpkins this year. And I’m so glad I did! My DIY Mud Paint Pumpkins are so easy and have so much character and charm.

(Pumpkin obsessed like me? Check out my DIY Concrete Pumpkins for another fun pumpkin project!)


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diy mud paint pumpkins

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What You’ll Need:

How To:

Step 1: Clean off your faux pumpkins with a damp cloth. This will help the spray paint adhere smoothly.

Step 2: Using painters tape, tape off the stems of your pumpkins so they are protected from the spray paint.

Step 3: Spray paint your pumpkins. Multiple light coats are better and will help prevent drips.

mud paint pumpkins

Step 4: Mix up some mud from your yard in a plastic bowl. I made mine true mud, but depending on the look you are going for, you can use damp dirt as well (it results in a more subtle effect).

Step 5: Apply the mud to your pumpkins. The key is applying it in the direction you want your “patina” to come through in the end. On my pumpkins, I applied the dirt moving out from the stem, then down and around each ridge of the pumpkins (but it doesnt need to be perfect!)

Step 6: Allow your dirt/mud to dry.

Step 7: Using a barely damp cloth, buff off as much or as little of your dried dirt as you like. Make sure you buff off the dirt in the same direction as you applied it.

Step 8: Spray your completed pumpkins with a matte polycrylic spray. Now remove your painter’s tape from the pumpkin stems and that’s it! You can also do this same technique with white spray paint as your base, and on virtually anything – vases, lamp bases, etc (as inspired by Jaci Daly!) The black vase you see below is also done with this mud paint technique, but I used a damp dirt rather than true mud like I did on the pumpkins.

mud painting technique
This is before I buffed off the mud!

I hope this inspires you to give your faux pumpkins a little refresh this year! It’s easy and so inexpensive to do! If you try these DIY mud paint pumpkins, let me know in the comments below!


SHOP THIS POST & MY FAVE FALL DECOR!


Happy Fall, friends! I hope you enjoy the crisp weather, changing leaves, pumpkin spice, and all your favorite parts of the season!

And if you’re looking for more Fall inspiration, check out my DIY concrete pumpkins, Fall living room decor, DIY giant spiders, or even my cutie DIY ghost garland (a great project for kiddos)! Enjoy!

Until next time…

how to make "found" pumpkins using the mud paint technique
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