Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween, you know! These beautifully shaped gourds are compact canvasses for you to unleash your creativity on. They make wonderful autumnal decor for the home, Thanksgiving table, and even gorgeous wedding centerpieces.
Blessed with smooth surfaces, small pumpkins are ideal for painting. From splattering and marbling to dipping and spraying, there are so many techniques you can use for painting your mini pumpkins. No carving knife is required!
We've collated our favourite small pumpkin painting ideas to inspire you this October. A lot of these projects involve using spray paints or splattering techniques, which can be messy, so make sure you cover your work surfaces and wear clothes you don't mind getting colour bombed!
Gorgeous small pumpkin painting ideas for your home decor
1. Dipped pumpkins
Surely this is the easiest way of decorating a pumpkin EVER? All you need to do is dip your mini pumpkins in your favourite colour chalk paints.
Opt for one colour for a minimalist look or an array of hues for a rainbow of colour. You can also have fun experimenting with the dipping technique – try submerging just the bottom quarter, three quarters of the way up or even diagonally!
Make dipped pumpkins with The Spruce.
2. Gold splatter pumpkins
This is another super easy and striking way of decorating small pumpkins. It does involve splattering paint though so perhaps best done outside on a protected surface. Be sure not to wear your favourite clothes!
A cluster of these pumpkins would look great on a shelf or cascading down a staircase.
Try this small pumpkin painting idea with A Kahlo Chic Life.
3. Cute-faced mini pumpkins
These little dudes would look so adorable in a nursery or on your desk. Try experimenting with other coloured pumpkins as well as white.
You'll need a paint pen to draw the eyes, and a drill or hand-boring tool for making the holes for the eucalyptus 'antlers'.
Small pumpkin painting project courtesy of Homey Oh My.
4. Chequerboard mini pumpkins
White mini pumpkins would work best for this fun and easy design. We love the unexpected colour palette used for these chequerboard patterns.
Also in the tutorial are guides to other paint patterns for mini pumpkins, including pretty florals.
Try this chequerboard technique with From The House That Lars Built.
5. Gold leaf and paint splattered pumpkins
The contrast of the indigo splatters against the white and gold is just sublime! Clustered together, these would make a striking centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table.
Working outside is highly recommended for this messy craft, and be sure to get the kids involved too.
Try this craft with Suite One Studio.
6. Marbled pastel pumpkins
Arranged in clusters, these marbled pumpkins would look lovely as autumn wedding centerpieces.
White pumpkins work best for showing the pretty, pastel marbling. If you don't have white pumpkins, just white chalk paint or spray paint.
Try these marbled pumpkins with The Proper Blog.
7. Black and white splattered pumpkins
Ever thought of minimalist chic for your autumn decor? These bold and stylish mini pumpkins would make eye-catching desk pets. You could even use them as paperweights!
Paint splattering takes a bit of practice – try it on paper first before doing it on your pumpkins.
Small pumpkin painting idea from Homey Oh My.
8. Party pumpkins
These pumpkins look like they're ready to party, don't they?! These little dudes are perfect quirky decor for a Halloween party.
Have fun playing with different colour combos for the pumpkins and hats, and get the kids involved painting the spooky faces.
Try this mini pumpkin painting idea with Handmade Charlotte.
9. Marbled indigo pumpkins
We love how the indigo contrasts so beautifully with the white! These mini pumpkins would make superb minimalist decor for the Thanksgiving table or dotted around the home.
This project uses nail polish for the marbling technique, so be sure you're crafting in ventilated space.
Make marbled indigo pumpkins with Alice and Lois.
18 cute pumpkin carving ideas
Carve and create only the most adorable pumpkin friends with our cute pumpkin carving ideas for all ages.
10. Pink and gold pumpkins
Pale pink, black and gold is such a dreamy palette for painting mini pumpkins. Not a fan of pink? Swap it for mint turquoise instead.
These would look beautiful arranged across a mantelpiece or in an empty fireplace.
Small pumpkin painting idea courtesy of The Sweetest Digs.
11. Sequin polka dot pumpkins
With some glue, sequins and a few small white pumpkins, you can add a touch of glitz and glamour to your autumn decor. Who doesn't love sparkly polka dots?
These would make a dazzling centrepiece for the Thanksgiving table.
Make sequin polka dot pumpkins with Sugar and Cloth.
12. Watercolour pumpkins
Have fun playing with your favourite colours for this pumpkin painting craft. We love the funky combo of bright pink, blue and purple.
White pumpkins would work best for showing off the colours. If you don't have white pumpkins, just paint them white with chalk paint or spray paint.
Small pumpkin painting idea courtesy of Lines Across.
13. Terrazzo pumpkins
Terrazzo is all the rage in interiors and homewares at the moment, so why not use the trend in your autumn decor too?
This terrazzo pattern even uses autumnal colours, highlighted with fabulous gold. Dot these stylish pumpkins around the home for a dash of Mediterranean chic.
Make terrazzo pumpkins with Ctrl + Curate.
14. Leaf decoupage pumpkins
Soak up the crisp air while gathering leaves on a woodland walk for this beautiful craft. Play with different autumnal hues when arranging your leaves on the pumpkin, perhaps mixing it up with fern fronds too.
These pumpkins would look lovely placed around the home at Thanksgiving.
Try this mini pumpkin painting idea with Plaid Online.
15. Fruit pumpkins
Wouldn't it be great if we could get strawberries that big? These cute fruit pumpkins will brighten up your porch this autumn and put smiles on trick-or-treaters' faces.
Top tip: when choosing your pumpkins, try to find shapes that best suit the fruit you're trying to make.
Make fruit pumpkins with Style Me Pretty.
16. Pastel pumpkin faces
How gorgeous would these quirky pumpkins look arranged on your porch or on the mantelpiece?
This guide uses pastel colours for painting the pumpkins, but have fun using whatever colours you like. The tutorial includes a printable template so you can easily create quirky faces.
Make these mini pumpkins with The House That Lars Built.
31 easy autumn crafts for kids
Whether you need to keep the kids entertained or want some fun activities for you all to enjoy, here are some cheap and easy Fall craft ideas to try!
17. Matisse-inspired pumpkins
These colourful Matisse inspired shapes would look wonderful mixed in a random pattern on your pumpkin. The colours really pop against white pumpkins, but would also work well against black or pale pink.
The tutorial comes with templates for you to download and create the shapes with.
Small pumpkin painting idea courtesy of Oh So Beautiful Paper.
18. Scary book decoupaged pumpkins
Put your stash of vintage horror stories to good use with this fun craft. All you need to do is photocopy pages of the book, tear them into strips then glue them to the pumpkins with Mod Podge.
These mini pumpkins would look wonderful by the fireplace, on a stack of vintage books.
Small pumpkin painting project courtesy of Country Living.
19. Copper striped pumpkins
All you need is copper tape for this project and you'll create decor that oozes minimalist chic.
These pumpkins would look uber stylish sprawled out across a table, or clustered in a bowl.
Try this mini pumpkin painting idea with Homey Oh My.
20. Batty painted mini pumpkins
This project is a great way of using leftover paint in spray cans and makes a quirky Halloween decoration for your porch. You could even give them away as surprise Halloween gifts
The tutorial for this craft comes with printable templates for the bat shapes so you can make them easy-peasy.
Make these small painted pumpkins with The Paper Mama.
21. Ink transfer marbled pumpkins
This tutorial uses a clever technique for the marbling effect: scribbling a white bin bag with coloured markers, spraying it with rubbing alcohol, wrapping the bag around the pumpkin to transfer the ink. Genius!
Have fun experimenting with your favourite colours for the marbling. We happen to love the bright pastels used here.
Make these marbled pumpkins with A Kailo Chic Life.
Cosy up indoors with these small pumpkin painting ideas
Make this autumn craft extra special with a cup of hot chocolate to cosy up with at the crafting table. Perhaps put on your favourite music, too!
Clever pumpkin crafting ideas for Halloween
Fancy flexing your carving muscles on your Halloween pumpkins? From spooky to super cute, we’ve gathered the best pumpkin carving ideas for a fun day of crafting.
