DIY Terracotta Pumpkin Craft

Make this simple DIY terracotta pumpkin craft and get the charming look of terracotta without the price tag!.

Terracotta pumpkins are an adorable way to add a little charm to your home. However, they can come with a hefty price tag. Pottery Barn introduced these little wonders and while they were beautiful and unique, they were also pricey. So I snatched up a few of the Pottery Barn terracotta pumpkins and then decided to made more through this DIY terracotta pumpkin craft. Not only did it save me money, but it really set the tone for our fall decor this season.

I tried to make these in several ways – all of which I’ll share below. And I’ll tell you what I think worked and what didn’t work.

The type of pumpkins to use

First, I used all ceramic pumpkins inside and one funkin outside. I will say, the ceramic pumpkins were easier to create than the funkins just because there is an extra step there. I found my ceramic pumpkins at Joann Fabrics and Michael’s. BUT, I would say you can use any kind of ceramic pumpkin for this craft. Have an old one you no longer love? Change it and try to make it into a DIY terracotta pumpkin.

Also, you should know that I did purchase a few of the Pottery Barn pumpkins before I started this craft. You’ll see some of them in the photos because I like how they look with mine. They give it a nice, eclectic vibe and I appreciated having them there to compare.

Truly this came up because my friend Shahla from at Treehouse Threads blog and I were talking back in early August about it. She mentioned she was going to try to make this craft because the Pottery Barn pumpkins were so costly. I decided to use a different approach than she did and I believe she has not put her’s on her blog yet. However, you can see her outcome on Instagram and Tik Tok.

Lessons I learned while making the DIY terracotta pumpkin craft

Don’t use stone spray paint

I really, really wanted to achieve this look using spray paint versus anything like joint compound. And what I found was that the stone spray paint worked really, really well. Unless the DIY terracotta pumpkins got wet. Then the spray paint seemed to not hold and kind of fall off the pumpkins. I learned this with the small pumpkins I painted as I attempted to white wash them. I still ended up using them, but went with less of a wash on them. I didn’t mind this because it gave some variation in the “terracotta” finishes of the different pumpkins, Just don’t flip them over…

Do use cement-like spray paint

I did find that using this cement-like spray paint did the trick! I used this one {HERE} in Caribbean Sand. However, if you are going to paint it, you can use whatever lighter color you find. It gave the surface more of a stone look. It also didn’t flake throughout the painting and white washing processes. In fact, I loved the look so much that I debated on painting them at all. But, in the end I did it and went for the full DIY terracotta pumpkin look.

or

DO use joint compound and baking soda

There is a technique you can use that involves spreading joint compound on a pumpkin to give it a more stone look. Then you mix the paint with baking soda. This to me is a great way to get the DIY terracotta pumpkin look with plastic pumpkins or “funkins”. The joint compound is more likely to stick to the plastic and give it a stone look. Adding the baking soda to the paint really helps to provide the terracotta pumpkin craft with a nice texture.

DO mix paint colors

I think this might be my most important tip in creating the DIY terracotta pumpkin craft. There are some great acrylic paints out there in a terracotta color that can be used. However, they look even better when they are mixed together to create something custom. I used the paints below and then combined them to give me two looks – a lighter look and a darker look. The lighter one probably most resembles the Pottery Barn terracotta pumpkin color. To create it I mixed the medium toned paint with the lighter paint and then add just a touch of the dark paint. To create the dark one I mixed the darker paint with the medium toned paint and added a touch of the lightest color.

DO put the white wash on heavily

I found that adding on the white wash heavily to the pumpkins worked the best to achieve the best look for the DIY terracotta pumpkins. If you don’t put it on heavily enough, the DIY terracotta pumpkins won’t look as white washed, which is fine. I actually like having the contrast of the colors. It actually makes it feel much more like it is variations in the terracotta.

I recommend using a quarter sized amount of paint and 2 tablespoons of water for the whitewash. It will give you the drippiness but still cover the pumpkins in a pleasant way.

Do blot it off

Give the terracotta pumpkin craft time a few minutes to dry and then blot off some of the white wash with a damp paper towel. This will make the surface look more random and “washed” verses lightly painted white.

Should I use flour for the terracotta pumpkin craft?

You may have seen people using flour to give their pumpkins the white washed look. I tried this one too and what I would say two things if you like the flour look.

1. Do this while the paint is tacky. You don’t want it too wet because then you will end up with way too much flour in the mix.

2. I’d use this technique on outside pumpkins only and then I would seal them with a matte finish. White it does give the pumpkins a nice look, I have an issue with having the flour just on the surface of the pumpkins unfinished in my house. I think I would feel like I have random food sitting around.

So that’s it, what do you think of this DIY terracotta pumpkin craft? Do you think they look similar to the Pottery Barn terracotta pumpkins?

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends. You can find the full, printable tutorial for the DIY terracotta pumpkin craft below. For more fall decor, click {HERE}. And for 5 easy ways to get your home fall ready, click {HERE}.

DIY Terracotta Pumpkin Craft

This DIY terracotta pumpkin craft is an easy way to get a high end look without spending a lot of money. Save it today so you can make them.

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Keyword: diy terracotta pumpkin, pumpkin craft, terracotta pumpkin craft

Total Time: 1 day

Author: Rachel

Ingredients

• 1-2 cans Cement like spray paint recommended for 2 pumpkins
• Various colors of terracotta colored acrylic paint
• White acrylic paint
• Water
• Foam paint brushes
• Gloves
• Cups for paint
• Optional: Matte sealing paint
• Optional: flour
• Optional: Joint Compound
• Optional: Air dry clay

Instructions

• Spray paint the pumpkins with at least two coats of spray paint and then let dry.
• Mix together the paint colors until you get a color you like. Then brush the paint onto the pumpkins and let dry.
• Add a quarter-sized amount of white paint to a paper cup. Then add about 2 Tbsp. of water. This will give you enough white wash for 1 medium ceramic pumpkin.
• Cover the pumpkin with the white wash and make sure to get it in all the cracks.
• Let it dry for about 3-5 minutes and then blot it off.
• Let the whole project dry and finish with a sealing spray if you want. Then enjoy!