These Halloween mini pumpkin painting ideas are the perfect fall craft for kids! Choose from 7 different designs to create some fun and easy DIY decorations for Halloween.
Jump to:
Cute Craft Alert-Painting Pumpkin Ideas
Miniature anything is cute. But mini pumpkins are just begging to be used in fall crafts! And if you have a Halloween party coming up ,or need a fast Halloween craft idea for the kids, these are perfect!
I love painting mini pumpkins because they last so much longer than carved pumpkins. And it's an inexpensive way to use real pumpkins in easy Halloween art projects.
You can use my step by step tutorials for a mini pumpkin Frankenstein, spider, witch, bat, black cat, owl, or silly faces. Or step out and create your own spooky designs!
Print off the simple picture instructions for the mini pumpkin Halloween decorations here for halloween painting ideas.
Supplies to Paint the Mini Pumpkins
- Free Printable instructions- Print off the free simple picture instructions!
- Acrylic craft paints- Paint on the pumpkins with Acrylic paints. These designs use black, green, purple, or white.
- Pipe cleaners- Black pipe cleaners make great spider legs.
- Googly eyes- Of course we need Googly eyes, at least ½ inch in size!
- Construction paper in black, brown, orange, green. Use construction paper or other paper you have on hand.
- Push pins- 2 black push pins for Frankenstein. Push pins and thumbtacks make great pumpkin decorations.
- Hot glue gun- Hot glue gun and glue or Tacky glue work well on mini pumpkins.
How to Paint Your Halloween Mini Pumpkins
Print out the free Printable Mini Pumpkin Halloween Decoration picture instructions.
Paint the pumpkin the color noted on the instructions. Let them dry for a few minutes.
Paint facial features and cut out construction paper pieces as shown. Each pumpkin design is a bit different.
Spider: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Use an ice pick to make 8 holes in the pumpkin, 4 on each side. Crumple the pipe cleaners up in a zig-zag pattern and then insert one end of each pipe cleaner into each of the 8 holes. The face is only two google eyes.
Black cat: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Paint all facial features in white. Paint slanted ovals for the eyes and once dry, glue the google eyes onto the white oval painted space.
Bat: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Paint the facial features in white. The mouth is a white outline smile and then white painted teeth along the outline. Use black paint for the inside of the mouth.
Cut two pointed ears out of paper and make the large enough to fold back a flap to glue onto the pumpkin. Cut out the two wings at the same time so they are the same shape and fold back a flap to glue on the pumpkin as well.
Owl: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Paint the face area shape white. Cut out triangles for the two ears and a set of two wings. Glue these on the white painted pumpkin as shown (do not use flaps for these pieces).
Cut a triangle beak out of orange paper and glue onto the white face area. Cut two feet out of orange paper and glue to the bottom of the pumpkin. Glue the google eyes onto the white face area.
Witch: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Remove the stem from the pumpkin. Cut an approximately 4 inch diameter circle of green paper. Cut ¼-1/2 inch fringe around the circle. Crumple the fringe.
Glue this onto the top of the pumpkin for hair. Cut another 4 inch circle from black paper. Glue this on top of the hair for the brim of the hat.
Roll a cone out of black paper and glue in shape. Trim so it is two inches tall. Glue onto the center of the brim of the hat.
Paint the nose and mouth in black. Glue on the google eyes.
Frankenstein: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Cut a 4 inch diameter circle from black paper. Cut ¼-1/2 inch fringe around the circle. Crumple the fringe and glue this onto the top of the pumpkin for hair.
Paint the eye brows, scars and mouth with black paint. When dry, glue on the google eyes. Push one black push pin into each side of the head.
Silly faces: Mini Pumpkin Halloween decorations
Have fun painting silly faces with black and white paint onto the pumpkin. Glue on google eyes. Add hair or bows or other decorations as desired to give your pumpkin real personality!
Craft Tips for Pumpkin Painting
- It may take two coats of paint to cover the mini pumpkin well so the orange doesn't show through.
- You could coat the painted pumpkin with mod podge to protect it.
- Acrylic paint pens would make the black lines and facial features easy to draw.
- This simple craft would be good for a school or home Halloween party craft for kids (or adults).
Craft Variations
- Use the decorated mini pumpkins on a wreath. Hot glue or wire them in place.
- Hang the decorated pumpkins on strings from the ceiling or on a mobile.
- Set the pumpkins up on inverted glasses so they are at various heights in a table arrangement.
- Stick mini pumpkins on skewers and stick into planters.
FAQ
Our free printable picture ideas give seven ways to decorate mini pumpkins. The designs use paint and things you probably have around your house.
Yes, you could! Tacky glue is they type of glue to use on styrofoam pumpkins.
Display them on the table, on wreaths, hanging from a string, on a mobile, or stuck in a planter using a skewer.
More Easy Halloween Craft Ideas for Kids
Looking for more easy Halloween crafts to try? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Fun Apple Stamping Pumpkin Craft (use on treat bags or t-shirts)
- How to Make a Paper Strip Pumpkin Craft
- How to Draw a Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern or How to Draw a Witch Hat
- Fun Halloween Scribble Monster Drawings
Come Join the Fun!
If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.
Halloween Mini Pumpkin Painting Ideas
Equipment
- Paint brushes
- Hot glue gun
Items Required
- 1 Welcome to Nana's free printable nstructions for the mini pumpkin Halloween decorations
- 7 Mini pumpkins
- 4 colors Acrylic paints black, green, purple, white
- 8 Pipe cleaners black, for spider
- Googly eyes at least ½ inch in size
- 4 pieces Construction paper black, brown, orange, green
- 2 Push pins black, for Frankensteing face
- 1 Hot glue gun and glue
Instructions
- Put out some newspaper to protect your table and then paint the pumpkin the color noted on the instructions. Let them dry for a few minutes.
- Paint facial features and cut out construction paper pieces as shown. Each pumpkin design is a bit different.
- Spider: Use an ice pick to make 8 holes in the pumpkin, 4 on each side. Crumple the pipe cleaners up in a zig-zag pattern and then insert one end of each pipe cleaner into each of the 8 holes. The face is only two google eyes.
- Black Cat: Paint all facial features in white. Paint slanted ovals for the eyes and once dry, glue the google eyes onto the white oval painted space.
- Bat: Paint the facial features in white. The mouth is a white outline smile and then white painted teeth along the outline. The inside of the mouth is left black. Cut two pointed ears out of paper and make the large enough to fold back a flap to glue onto the pumpkin. Cut out the two wings at the same time so they are the same shape and fold back a flap to glue on the pumpkin as well.
- Owl: Paint the face area shape white. Cut out triangles for the two ears and a set of two wings. Glue these on the pumpkin as shown (do not use flaps for these pieces). Cut a triangle beak out of orange paper and glue onto the white face area. Cut two feet out of orange paper and glue to the bottom of the pumpkin. Glue the google eyes onto the white face area.
- Witch: Remove the stem from the pumpkin. Cut an approximately 4 inch diameter circle of green paper. Cut ¼-1/2 inch fringe around the circle. Crumple the fringe. Glue this onto the top of the pumpkin for hair. (You can add a second paper circle cut the same way if you want more hair.) Cut another 4 inch circle from black paper. Glue this on top of the hair for the brim of the hat. Roll a cone out of black paper and glue in shape. Trim so it is two inches tall. Glue onto the center of the brim of the hat. Paint the nose and mouth in black. Glue on the google eyes.
- Frankenstein: Paint the pumpkin green. Cut a 4 inch diameter circle from black paper. Cut ¼-1/2 inch fringe around the circle. Crumple the fringe. Glue this onto the top of the pumpkin for hair. (You can add a second paper circle cut the same way if you want more hair.) Paint the eye brows, scars and mouth with black paint. When dry, glue on the google eyes. Push one black push pin into each side of the head.
- Silly Faces: Have fun painting silly faces with black and white paint onto the pumpkin. Glue on google eyes. Add hair or bows or other decorations as desired to give your pumpkin real personality!
Video
Notes
This post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated to add more relevant and detailed content.
Laura says
These are cute! I want to try the witch idea!