Faux Painted 'Concrete' Pumpkin Tutorial

I was inspired by a trip to Roger's Gardens Nursery in Corona del Mar, California

when I spied some HUGE, GINORMOUS concrete pumpkins at their store:

One look at them, and I had a craft project in mind!
My versions would be smaller, naturally, and also lighter in color....

 I wanted mine to be a bit more subtle and less scary than Roger's Gardens versions, 

so I went with lighter gray paint.
You can easily do this with dark gray and black paint to get the same results as in the photos up above...

Follow my tutorial below 

to transform some gaudy orange Dollar Tree pumpkins into concrete classics,
using my simple faux paint tutorial - including my 'secret ingredient'!

Faux Concrete Pumpkin Tutorial

Supplies:
styrofoam pumpkins (this canteloupe-sized pumpkin is $1.00 at the Dollar Tree)
acrylic / craft paint in white, black, and dove gray - matte finish

cup of water

palette (I use a paper plate)

paint brushes - large for base coat, smaller for details
and A SECRET INGREDIENT to be divulged later!

Instructions:

Step 1:
First, basecoat the entire pumpkin with white paint. Let dry.

Step 2:
Mix some gray paint into white paint on the palette,

then cover the pumpkins completely with this color.

(I left the stems unpainted until the end so I could use them as 'handles' while painting)

You will now be working in a 'Wet on Wet' paint technique, 

which means you will move on to the next step before the paint dries completely...

Step 3:

 Pour some straight gray paint onto the palette. 

Mix in a bit of water to create a runny consistency, to create a 'wash'.

Using a smaller detail brush, paint the grooves of the pumpkin with the gray wash,

and also the whole bottom (underneath) of the pumpkin.

Before the paint dries,
Step 4:
Add a little bit of water to the pale gray paint left on your palette (from step 2)

and brush it with a 'scrubbing' motion over the edges of the dark gray lines in the grooves.
You want to smooth out the edges, not cover all of the dark gray.

Leave some of the dark gray visible on the bottom of the pumpkin.
At this point, I painted the stems with the dark gray color.

Still working with wet paint over wet paint,
Step 5:

Add a bit more white paint to the lightest gray to make a very light gray wash.

Use the smaller detail brush to 'scrub' the white paint
across the top edges of the ridges on the pumpkin.
Blend this color in well so there are no divisions of color on the pumpkin - just smooth transitions.

While the paint is still wet...

Step 6:
Now is when when we bring in the SECRET INGREDIENT!
It's FLOUR. Bleached flour.
Yes, really....

Wet a small brush with a tiny bit of water, then pick up some flour and put it on the pumpkin, 

in the hollows and grooves of the pumpkin, where the gray wash is wet.
Wet your small brush and pick up more and more flour to get it all over the top and upper side surfaces.

 After the flour is on the pumpkin, use your fingers to press it into the wet paint and smooth it a bit.

Don't forget the bottom!

Let the pumpkin sit to dry for a few minutes.
The flour will absorb some of the paint's moisture, 

causing it to stick to the pumpkin.
After it is dry, brush LIGHTLY with your fingers to remove loose flour.
The flour left on the surface gives the finish the look of dry, flaking concrete.

It's not needed, but if you wish, you can spray the whole pumpkin with matte clear sealer

 or with hairspray. Works just as well!

 Your pumpkins will look like they are made of concrete, and they will weigh almost nothing!

This painting method will also work on plastic pumpkin buckets, 

making them look like hollow concrete planters & vases!
.(spray the inside of the bucket with gray outdoor furniture paint so it's waterproof)

I also used this method on a plain old styrofoam head form.... and it's awesome!

(that's one of my original Junk Queen Crowns from way back in 2008 on her head -
with bleached leaves added for fall )

I've used this paint technique in another project...
Come see what else I transformed with paint! 

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #440

thank you for the feature, Miss Donna! 

cupcakes & crinoline | project inspire{d}

DIY on display

practically functional | creativity unleashed
yesterday on tuesday | project inspire{d}

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tutorial: beachy faux weathered paint

I've spent a major part of my life painting things...

it's really one of the fastest, cheapest, easiest ways to give an item new life
and the only limit to your results is your imagination!

As a kid, i was into finger painting - and then hundreds of art projects.

At one point, I was actually painting houses - inside and out.
I painted props and walls and fixtures for retail displays.

I taught an art class for gifted kids, and taught them how to cartoon and paint murals.

I was painting custom murals in homes and businesses, 

and painting furniture for my small store, farmer's markets, and clients.

In the end, I ended up creating new furniture out of old stuff, and adding paint finishes to it.

Seems I've had a paintbrush in my hand most of the time!

Recently, I laid my eyes on an old, worn out picnic bench that Mom has had for YEARS.

You might remember that bench...

She was in my Garden Bar post as a supporting player. Nothin' much to look at, really.

But since I've amassed quite a few paint tricks over the years,
it was simply a matter of using those with a few steps, a few supplies, and a few minutes

and that bench went from trash to treasure.

She's got a terrific weathered & worn 'beach vibe' now - ready for Summer!

Here's a quick tutorial to show you how to get great results

IN 5 EASY STEPS

Materials:
wood object to paint . paint color 1 . paint color 2 . sand paper . paint brushes

Step 1.

Paint a clean, dry item with paint color 1. Flat or satin finish is best.

Here, the item is an old wood bench and paint color 1 is aqua.

Step 2.

Use a piece of coarse grade sandpaper to sand the piece,

wearing away paint color 1 at the edges and along joints.

Sand in long strokes, not in circles or swirls, so it looks like authentic wear & tear.

Step 3.
The next coat of paint will be applied with a 'dry brush' technique:

Dip the tips of a paint brush in paint color 2. Here, that color is white.

Then stroke the brush against a dropcloth, rag, or cardboard box to remove most of the paint.

Step 4.

Drag the almost-dry paint brush bristles across the item, depositing a small amount of paint color 2.

Do not press hard, just drag the brush over the item's surface to highlight the texture.
Use long strokes across the length of the item - with the grain.

Step 5.

Use coarse-grade sandpaper again to rough up the edges of the item again,

wearing through the white drybrush coat into the base coat.

The effect will approximate that of being left out to weather naturally over time,

instead of looking like an overworked 'faux' finish.

It will weather more on its own if left outdoors, 

or you can add a sixth step: add a coat of clear matte-finish varnish to protect it.

This technique works very well on benches, chairs, tables, 

crates, wood planters, shutters, doors, bed frames, cabinets,

birdhouses, fences & gates, even decks!

Once painted, that overlooked little bench turned in a stunning performance 
in my Breakfast at Tiffany's post!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #531

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed

Creative Country Mom's Garden | Home Sweet Garden Party
Thank You, Brooke, for featuring my post on your blog!