3 Ways to Make Shabby Chic Pumpkins

Pumpkins are abundant during the fall season, and because people often carve Jack-O-Lanterns with them, you are definitely going to see them in Halloween décor.

I picked up some pumpkins at the Dollar Tree for my decor. The problem is that they are not very pretty.

When you have a soft and feminine shabby chic style, the last thing you want to do is set out a bright orange pumpkin. Instead, consider creating some shabby chic pumpkins with the following ideas.

The first thing that you need to know when creating your shabby chic pumpkins is what is shabby chic anyway?

Shabby Chic is a form of design where the object looks old or has signs of wear. You can create the shabby chic look by distressing the object or painting it to make it look antique.

This style of design often has a soft cottage style feel in neutral colors.

Now that you know what shabby chic is, here are the ideas to turn your real or fake pumpkins into beautiful shabby chic decor.

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White-Wash the Pumpkin

This is one of the more popular ways to have pumpkins in your Halloween décor, but still go with your shabby chic home décor style.

White washing a pumpkin can be done on plastic or real pumpkins, though it will last longer if you go with a fake pumpkin from your local craft store or Amazon.

The pumpkins that I found at Dollar Tree are more of a foam pumpkin. I liked that because you can easily remove the stem. You  can find the same pumpkins that I’m using HERE.

You can simply paint the outside of the pumpkin by using white acrylic paint or chalk paint. I just use these cheap acrylic paints. They are inexpensive but they get the job done and the paint looks really good too.

Use light strokes on the pumpkin, as it isn’t going to be solid white, but have a distressed and old look to contain the shabby chic style.

Keep adding light coats of paint until you are happy with the results.

If you are planning on using pumpkins in your shabby chic Halloween décor, you will probably want to white-wash quite a few of them.

This allows you to have white pumpkins instead of orange ones, but also give them a distressed look.

They will match your shabby chic décor much better.

Here are some more simple instructions to follow so you can white-wash your own plastic or foam pumpkins.

Cover the Pumpkin in Black Paint First

To start with, it is recommended that you paint the pumpkin black.

If you leave it orange, you are going to have to use a lot of coats of white to cover the orange color, which then takes away from the stressed look you are going for.

If you don’t mind solid white, that might be okay, but for a white-washed pumpkin that works with shabby chic décor styles, starting with a black pumpkin is best.

Cover the pumpkin in black paint, then let it dry. Acrylic paint works fine on most plastic pumpkins you get at craft stores.

Add Your White Paint Slowly

You have two options for white paint; you can either use white acrylic paint or go with a white chalk paint.

This is similar to chalkboard paint, even though you aren’t actually using it as a chalkboard.

The reason some people like to use a chalk paint is because it naturally gives that old and worn look without even trying.

Either way, you want to add the paint with a sponge brush or paintbrush, making sure the coats are a little uneven and don’t completely cover the black pumpkin in white.

This is when perfection is not something you are going for.

You want it to look old and distressed, so don’t worry about having perfect painting strokes.  

Choose to Make Them Shiny With Mod Podge

If you want the finished pumpkin to still look similar to a real pumpkin, you can try making it shiny by adding some Mod Podge.

Wait for your paint to dry, then cover the entire pumpkin in a layer of Mod Podge.

This will dry completely clear, and leave behind a smooth and shiny sheen on the pumpkin.

It still has the shabby chic look, but has more of a natural pumpkin appearance as well. 

Add a Wood Stem

The plastic pumpkins usually come with a plastic stem that you can be painted, but another way to make it a shabby chic pumpkin is to remove this stem and replace it with one made of wood.

You can either look for a wood stem at the craft store, or get a piece of driftwood and cut it similar to the size and shape of a pumpkin stem.

Just pull out the plastic stem, then push the driftwood into the top of the pumpkin after it has been painted.  

Create Victorian-Style Pumpkins

A décor style that is very similar to shabby chic is going with an old-fashioned Victorian style .

You can use this as your inspiration to turn an ordinary orange pumpkin into one that fits in much better with your white décor.

You first want to cover the pumpkin in a fabric or material that makes it look softer and less orange.

Try using white or pink sheer fabric or lace over it, or even adding some lace doilies and gluing them to the outside. I usually glue them with mod podge to give it a better hold.

You can then add some lace trim or white pearls to the outside.

You can get creative with the pumpkin, using any materials or decorative elements that you want for the pumpkins.

Go With Black and White as the Theme

Following the same type of method, but with a slightly darker and spookier element, start with a black pumpkin.

If you can’t find one in black, get a regular orange pumpkin, then paint it a solid black color.

Once the paint is dry, you then want to cover it with white sheer fabric or white lace, but thin enough to wear you can see that it is a black pumpkin underneath.

Now you can get creative and add any white or black decorations to the outside of the pumpkin, whether you go with spiderwebs or cob webs, or you add some black plastic spiders and cockroaches.

You can even attach a little black bird to the top for maximum creep factor.

How to Decorate with Shabby Chic Pumpkins

Now that you have your beautiful shabby chic pumpkins, you might be wondering how to decorate with them.

I’m not an interior designer by any means but I love to work with my flea market or DIY projects to decorate them for my home.

The first thing that you need to think of is height and dimension.

If you are stacking the pumpkins, it’s best to stack a few on the outside of your shelf or mantle and work your way in.

I like to include a big item for the middle with various sizes throughout the shelf.

If you don’t want to stack the pumpkins, placing them throughout your decor on the mantle is also a fun way to display them.

There are so many ways to turn real or fake pumpkins into shabby chic decorations.

Do you like shabby chic? Let me know in the comments below!

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We would love to see pictures of all of your creations for inspiration!