Message on a Pumpkin

Painted pumpkins in a new way! I saw this idea on the front of the Sept./Oct. issue of Midwest Living Magazine. They had two large pumpkins in a wheelbarrow full of fall gourds, etc. The pumpkins said "Welcome Friends"-one word on each pumpkin. I made Mother-in-law a set of these for her front porch. Today I made this one I plan to take to church.

I looked up tips for painting pumpkins online, and learned several helpful things. Acrylic paint works well, or black marker would too.

Some sites mentioned wiping down the pumpkin before painting with Clorox wipes or Clorox rag to kill bacteria and dirt that may make your pumpkin rot more quickly. While washing, do not get the stem end soaked or it will rot. Be sure the pumpkin is dry before painting.

I used a black kids marker to lay out the lettering on this one, and found that a thin paint brush worked better for more attractive and easier lettering. I painted right over the marker. All of the paint or marker will wash off if you make a mistake. (See above pictures.) Wipe carefully and fully, then dry before proceeding to fix the mistake. I did not test if you could wipe off Sharpie marker mistakes.

If your pumpkin will be outside, spray the letters with acrylic sealer to keep them from washing away. Find clear sealer wherever spray paint is sold.