DIY Handlettered Pumpkins- tips and tricks!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’re probably sick of seeing hand lettered pumpkins… but I don’t know if I’ll ever get sick of them! I recently lettered a whole bunch for autumn and Canadian Thanksgiving (which is this weekend already!) and now I’m starting on some for halloween. I have fun making them and thought that you might too! So I’m sharing some tips and tricks for you to make your own.

Plus- if you’re looking for more cute DIY ideas for Halloween, I’m linking up with some amazing DIY bloggers- you can find those all at the bottom of this post!

 

Alright- my first tip is to pick pumpkins that don’t have too deep of ridges. When I first started picking out pumpkins, I avoided the bumpy ones and didn’t think about the ridges and that was a mistake! You can totally letter over bumps but the ridges make it really hard to get clean lines.

Once you’ve picked your pumpkins, clean them really well. Not only does the paint not stick great to dirt, but your pumpkins will last so much longer if you take proper care of them. I read somewhere to clean your pumpkins with a mix of vinegar and water to help get rid of any bacteria that might make your pumpkins rot quicker, so that’s what I did. Then, dry them really well before you start lettering.

Test your paint markers out on the bottom of your pumpkin before you start lettering. I found that I loved the Montana Markers (always my fave, though) in black and white and for gold I loved the Craft Smart markers. I tried a few golds and found some of them super yellow on the white pumpkins for some reason. The Craft Smart ones look like liquid gold almost- they’re so shiny! Which made them so hard to photograph. But I promise… so pretty.

When you’re lettering using a paint marker- I use a faux calligraphy technique. I have a video about it right here, but basically, spread your cursive out more than usual to allow room to thicken the down strokes.

If you mess up… no problem! You can remove the paint marker with a little essential oil. Last but not least… let the paint dry completely before you do another coat. I found on the white I liked the look of two coats best.

I hope those tips help you create some beautiful pumpkins for your decor this fall/halloween season! If you do- I’d love if you shared them with me!

Now…

Today I’m excited to be joining a group of 16 bloggers who are also sharing a Halloween DIY or Craft project today! Hop around to take in all this stunning inspiration…

DIY Black & White Sharpie Pumpkins at The Happy Housie
DIY Halloween Doormat at Lolly Jane
DIY Felt Bat Pillow at Paint Me Pink
Spooky Glam Halloween Dollar Store Wreath at The DIY Mommy

DIY Lighted Halloween Sign at Confessions of a Serial DIYer
Tips & Tricks for DIY Hand Lettered Pumpkins at Lemon Thistle
Scrap Fabric Lighted Halloween Garland at Clean and Scentsible
Polka Dot Pumpkin Lanterns at Finding Silver Pennies

Cheesecloth Mummy Lanterns at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Decorated Baby Boo Pumpkins at Town and Country Living
Spooky Wispy Halloween Wreath at A Pretty Life
Halloween Cloche DIY at Deeply Southern Home

DIY Creepy Halloween Floral Arrangement at House by Hoff
Easy & Elegant Halloween Wreath at Hallstrom Home
Masquerade Mask at Summer Adams
Crow Halloween Wreath at So Much Better With Age