For an antiqued planter, choose a large pumpkin with plenty of bumps, scars and scratches. Clean out as described above. Dry the pumpkin and wipe with rubbing alcohol. Paint the entire pumpkin with acrylic paint in a moss green tone. Use damp paper towels or an old damp cloth to “wipe off” the paint. Rinse and squeeze the cloth as needed. You’ll be left with green paint in all of the nooks and crannies. Allow the paint to dry. Next, dry brush the planter with metallic copper acrylic paint using a coarse bristled brush. Once dry, fill the planter with potted flowers such as hardy fall mums.
More planter fun: Paint a silly face onto a pumpkin planter. Set the flowers inside and you’ve got crazy hair!
An option: Remove the pot and plant the flowers directly inside the pumpkin planter. This way, when rotting begins, you can put the entire planter into the compost. The lifespan of your pumpkin planter will depend on how fresh the pumpkin was to begin with and the temperature and climate where you live. My planters still look great after more than a week.
Painted pumpkins centrepiece
Painting pumpkins is becoming a popular alternative to carving because it’s safer. No sharp knives needed! For a simple, 15-minute centrepiece, wash three mini pumpkins with warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry them. Wipe each one with rubbing alcohol to prepare the surface. With a water-based black marker, write the letter B in a font of your choice onto the first pumpkin. Mark an O on the second and another O on the third, spelling the word BOO. Use dimensional paint or tacky craft glue to fill in each letter. Sprinkle black glitter over the paint or glue. Tie a length of Halloween ribbon to each stem. Display on a glass plate to protect your table.
Jennifer Roos is a craft book author, freelance writer and photographer living in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.
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