Carving pumpkins can be time consuming and messy, not to mention little hands handling knives can be dangerous! This idea for Painted Baseball Pumpkin serves as an simple and fun option for those who opt not to carve. The possibilities are of course endless, but I suspect baseball players would love to walk up to this baseball painted pumpkin on a neighbor’s porch, but particularly on their own! Keep reading for the full tutorial.

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DIY PAINTED BASEBALL PUMPKIN

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Decorating for fall is so fun! I love the beautiful shades of orange, burgundies, browns, deep greens, and yellows all around. While this painted pumpkin doesn’t have those colors in particular, I did make sure to paint the stem in a dark shade of green, and I am keeping it’s companion pumpkin unpainted, to contrast in that beautiful natural orange hue.

WHY PAINT A PUMPKIN?

The answer to this is of course, why not? A pumpkin is the perfect shape for any image you can imagine to paint or draw on it. Especially for sports families, where most sports involve some sort of ball.

CAN I PAINT A PUMPKIN FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON TOO?

YES! Pumpkins are harvested in September and October, once picked they last about 8-12 weeks. Simply put, if you pick a pumpkin in late October, then it should be in great shape through December. While it’s not the most traditional holiday season prop, if you think outside the harvest and Halloween box, you could make a holiday pumpkin magical. Think about the shape of an ornament or holly berries, round! Add some pretty red paint and even glitter!

WHAT MATERIALS ARE NEEDED FOR THE DIY BASEBALL PAINTED PUMPKIN?

This simple project requires a clean pumpkin, some tin foil, white spray paint, acrylic paints in white and green, plus small foam brushes. The stitching requires a paper plate, red and black permanent marker.

All of these items are easy to shop for on Amazon, or local craft store!

HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS PROJECT?

Follow the directions below. Be sure to prep for spray painting with a drop cloth, or as I did, with a cardboard box. And….be sure to wear something you don’t mind getting paint on, just.in.case!

EASY DIY BASEBALL PUMPKIN PROJECT

MATERIALS:

• 1 clean pumpkin (real or faux)
• A small piece of tin foil
• 1 can of flat white spray paint, with primer included 
• 3 small foam brushes
• 2 oz. bottle of white acrylic paint
• 2 oz. bottle of green acrylic paint
• 2 oz. bottle of black acrylic paint (optional to make the green a little darker)
• Paper plate
• Pencil
• 1 red permanent marker – fine or medium point
• 1 black permanent marker – fine point

DIRECTIONS:

1. Clean the pumpkin to remove all dirt and dust.
2. Wrap the stem with a small piece of aluminum foil, and press the edges in to make sure paint doesn’t get onto the stem
3. Outdoors, shake the can of spray paint well, and then spray the pumpkin with short and smooth strokes until completely covered. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes, then add one more coat. Set to dry for about 30 minutes. Don’t worry about the bottom of the pumpkin, as it won’t be seen.
4. Once the pumpkin is dry, remove the foil from the stem, and using a small foam brush and white acrylic paint, gently dab the edges between the stem and the flesh of the pumpkin, in case there are any spots the spray may have missed.
5. Using the paper plate draw a semi circle around each side of the pumpkin with a pencil (mimicking the stitching on a baseball: ” ) ( ” Press lightly as you don’t want the paint to peel off (if it does, just dab with the white acrylic paint).
6. Trace the pencil lines lightly with the red marker, and create upside down “v”‘s all the way down on each side. Make these “stitches” as thick as you like. I went pretty thick!
7. Allow the permanent marker to dry for a few minutes. Then add little filled in dots at the end of each “stitch” to look like the holes where the “thread” is coming from. Add lines in the “stitches” and “threading” with the black marker, as you like.
8. Finally, paint the stem green. I did not have the right shade of green (to my liking), so I mixed a couple of drops of black paint in with the acrylic green, and made the perfect green. Find the one that makes you the happiest and go with it! Just dab a clean foam brush into the paint mixture and tap it onto the stem. A little goes a long way, so just tap it on until it is completely covered.

SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND:

When drawing the stitching, try not to press your hands against the red or black marker on the pumpkin. As you move your hand around you could end up with red and or black palm or finger prints on the white parts. It doesn’t happen to all, but ahem, it can happen. LOL if you make this super normal wee little tiny mistake, NBD! Just touch it up with the good ole white acrylic paint a few times until it disappears. Voila – it never happened!

INTERESTED IN MORE FALL ARTICLES? CHECK THESE OUT: FREE THANKSGIVING PRINTABLES FOR KIDS & PUMPKIN GRANOLA

Pin this image below you’ll remember to come back to this post again next year!

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DIY Painted Baseball Pumpkin

An easy alternative to carving, painting a pumpkin can be so fun and the possibilities are endless! This easy DIY Painted Baseball Pumpkin came together quickly and it’s the perfect addition to our Halloween decor, especially for us sports fans!

Active Time45 mins

Resting Time30 mins

Yield: 1 Pumpkin

Materials

• 1 Pumpkin
• Aluminum Foil small strip
• 1 can White Spray Paint flat with primer included
• 3 Foam Paint Brushes Small
• 1 2 oz. Bottle of acrylic craft paint White
• 1 2 oz. Bottle of acrylic craft paint Green
• 1 2 oz. Bottle of acrylic craft paint Black
• 1 Paper Plate
• 1 Fine Tip Permanent Marker Red
• 1 Fine Tip Permanent Marker Black

Video

Notes

1. Clean the pumpkin to remove all dirt and dust.
2. Wrap the stem with a small piece of aluminum foil, and press the edges in to make sure paint doesn't get onto the stem
3. Outdoors, shake the can of spray paint well, and then spray the pumpkin with short and smooth strokes until completely covered. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes, then add one more coat. Set to dry for about 30 minutes. Don't worry about the bottom of the pumpkin, as it won't be seen.
4. Once the pumpkin is dry, remove the foil from the stem, and using a small foam brush and white acrylic paint, gently dab the edges between the stem and the flesh of the pumpkin, in case there are any spots the spray may have missed.
5. Using the paper plate draw a semi circle around each side of the pumpkin with a pencil (mimicking the stitching on a baseball: " ) ( " Press lightly as you don't want the paint to peel off (if it does, just dab with the white acrylic paint).
6. Trace the pencil lines lightly with the red marker, and create upside down "v"'s all the way down on each side. Make these "stitches" as thick as you like. I went pretty thick!
7. Allow the permanent marker to dry for a few minutes. Then add little filled in dots at the end of each "stitch" to look like the holes where the "thread" is coming from. Add lines in the "stitches" and "threading" with the black marker, as you like.
8. Finally, paint the stem green. I did not have the right shade of green (to my liking), so I mixed a couple of drops of black paint in with the acrylic green, and made the perfect green. Find the one that makes you the happiest and go with it! Just dab a clean foam brush into the paint mixture and tap it onto the stem. A little goes a long way, so just tap it on until it is completely covered.