Each year the kids love to paint pumpkins. I am always looking for fun pumpkin painting ideas because I like to do something different every year. I remember one year melting about a hundred crayons on a pumpkin with my hairdryer. What a mess! Oh, and I killed the hairdryer. This year I was thinking about how we could try to do an acrylic paint pouring on the pumpkins. It’s so much fun and the kids love to do acrylic paint pourings, so we gave it a try. Here’s how we did it.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through a link I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Mom Can Do Anything.
How To Do This Fun Pumpkin Painting Idea
Step 1: Paint Pumpkin with Base Coat
We started with a base coat of paint because I wasn’t sure the acrylic paint pouring would stick to the surface of the pumpkin because it is naturally so slick. Here we did one coat of chalkboard paint painted on with a brush. We let this dry overnight to make sure it was dry before painting our paint pour pumpkins.


Step 2: Mix Paint For Acrylic Paint Pour Pumpkins
Next, we mixed our acrylic paint with water and Floetrol in separate cups for each color. I didn’t follow a specific ratio or perfect formula. I just squirted some paint in each cup and added just enough water to make the paint a liquid. Then, I poured some Floetrol in each cup. Again, enough to make it a liquid that will pour. Floetrol is what will keep your colors separate; without it you would end up with muddy brown. You can find Floetrol at Home Depot. I mixed each of these with a stirrer – plastic forks because that is what I had on hand.


Step 3: Dirty Pour Acrylic Paint Pour
Then came the fun part – the acrylic paint pour all over the pumpkins! We poured the colors we wanted to use into one cup, the dirty pour cup. For example, on my pumpkin I just used white and pink and red and I poured a little of each color into one cup.
Finally, we poured the paint from the dirty pour cup onto the pumpkins. This is so fun. I just poured around one time in a circle and didn’t pour around the stem. The kids painted multiple pumpkins and poured their dirty pour cups with different color combinations all over their pumpkins.
After doing our acrylic paint pourings on the pumpkins, we let them dry for about two days. I know that sounds like a long time and it would probably depend on how much paint you used, but it took a long time for the paint that had pooled at the top by the stems to dry. Also, after a day, I moved them from the pool of paint they were sitting in so the bottom part would dry.
The possible color combinations and designs you could accomplish with this technique are limitless and wouldn’t it be fun to try? You could also do your base coat in another color. We just used the chalkboard paint because I already had it and my dinning room is black so I thought it would go nicely in there. I hope you try this fun pumpkin painting idea and I’d love to see the results if you do.
Can you find the cat in one of these pictures?
If you think this looks like fun, try some other paint pouring ideas here. Also, here’s another fun pumpkin decorating idea here. If you like decorating with pumpkins, you might also want to try some gourd diys and crafts. See how to dry out gourds and keep them for decorations here. Keep decorating for fall and Halloween with more ideas below.
Easy Halloween Decoration Ideas
My Halloween Christmas Tree
Pumpkin Decorating Idea: Acrylic Skins
Fall Decor Christmas Tree Idea
When you are done decorating, make some delicious Arkansas Cheese Dip. Then get the family together and Take Your Own Family Portraits This Fall.
About Mom Can Do Anything
My name is Tara and I blog here about my home, my life, Christmas and all things in between. Thank you for stopping by MomCanDoAnything.com! Over the last seven years, I’ve documented my passion for home improvement projects and DIYs, sharing valuable insights and inspiration for transforming living spaces.
My true love lies in seasonal decor, especially Christmas, and I delve deep into tips and tricks to make your festivities truly magical. Don’t miss out on the chance to explore my brand new retail site at ww.HolidayHangups.com and my Etsy site, Holiday Hangups, where you’ll find an exquisite collection of Christmas decor to adorn your home.
Beyond that, my blog also features an array of lifestyle posts, covering school projects, delightful recipes, heartwarming family conversations, captivating photography, and unforgettable travel experiences. I invite you to dive into my other articles and discover the joy of creating a cozy and enchanting life. Happy reading and don’t forget to spread the cheer!
Pin Fun Pumpkin Painting Ideas: Acrylic Paint Pouring


[…] The paint did not stick to the ornament. That technique works much better on a canvas or pumpkin than in an […]