This Halloween season, I added a new series of “crafty” holiday images to my stock image portfolio at Stocksy United. They’re stenciled pumpkins! Read on for how to make these yourself.
The above image was added to the Stocksy curated feed, which means someone thinks it’s pretty sweet. So, to start making your own pumpkin, get yourself a nice bright orange specimen. Size and shape doesn’t matter. It might be fun to try this with a white pumpkin as well.
Next, you’re going to need to source yourself some shapes for the stencils. Crafts stores have all kinds of supplies. You can use pre-cut paper shapes from the seasonal or scrapbooking aisle. However, you’ll need to buy some “removable adhesive” spray. The entire shape needs to stick to the face of the pumpkin. Spray the shapes liberally (the pumpkin is a curved surface and needs extra power). Wait about 2 minutes. You want the shape to be really tacky when you apply it.
An easier way is to find foam shape sticker that already have adhesive across the entire shape. You can find these in a variety of shapes as well.
Peel and apply as many shapes as you want. You could get some alphabet letters and spell out everyone in the family’s name for fun.
If you want to keep the stem green, be sure to cover it with some masking tape.
I used a “satin” finish spray paint, for just a little bit of shine. I’m finding that one can is good for at least three pumpkins. Here, I supported it with an old paint can, so the bottom could be sprayed at the same time. Give it 3-4 coats for good coverage. Be sure to push down the stickers each time to ensure a good seal.
When dry, remove the stickers.
There you have it. Easy, fun and crafty Halloween decorations. Would especially be fun with the younger set, as they love putting stickers on things. Have a Happy Halloween! Oh, and see the images at Stocksy for licensing: http://www.stocksy.com/sjlocke/shoot/31776
