Celebrate autumn - How to make easily make a colorful fall pumpkin topiary

 

Learn how to make this colorful fall pumpkin topiary with this quick and easy DIY.  

 

Pumpkins are everywhere right now.  If you want to pumpkin spice up your décor follow this easy tutorial to create this super easy pumpkin topiary.  Check out the dollar stores for stacking pumpkins, grab some supplies, and let’s get started!

 

Materials:

 

Spray primer

 

Stackable pumpkins

 

Acrylic paints in a choice of colors

 

Small Paintbrush

 

Misc. fall florals and berries

 

3 yards of 1 ½’ wide green ribbon (I used double side greens)

 

Green Ribbon bow

 

Glue gun and glue sticks

 

 

Instructions:

 

First, spray all your pumpkins with a coat of primer and let dry.  (You should do this outside or in a well-ventilated area)

 

Next, decide what colors you would like your pumpkins.  You can paint them solid or paint a pattern.  Anything goes.  I decided to paint one orange, one cream, and the top one brownish red. Apply one coat and let dry, then apply the second coat and let dry completely.

 

Make a bow for the top of the pumpkin.  To make a super easy and beautiful bow try using the Bowdabra bow maker.  It’s like having an extra hand.

 

While your pumpkins are drying, you can make your bow.  

 

Finally, snap the pumpkins together. I like to secure it even better by adding a bit of hot glue. Now, using the hot glue attach foliage, florals, leaves, and berries all around the bottom edge of the biggest pumpkin.  Continue adding florals all around where the second pumpkin attaches to the first one.  

 

Tie the green bow to the stem of the top pumpkin and add some leaves in between the bow. You have a gorgeous pumpkin topiary to display indoors or on a front porch in an urn.

 

Note:  You can go one step further by wrapping around some twinkly lights and hiding the battery pack under the largest pumpkin

 

 

Easy does it, how to paint a fun pumpkin rock

Are you ready for another rock painting lesson?  Let’s paint a fun pumpkin rock!  You can follow the tutorial to make it exactly like mine, or you can change up the expression on your pumpkin rock.  It’s easy and fun to do it as a group craft for Girl Scouts, senior groups, and with the kids. 

Join the Kindness rocks celebration. Leave your rocks for someone to fine. Add a positive message on the bottom of the pumpkin rock and make someone’s day!

Materials:

Rock

Acrylic paint, orange, yellow, burnt umber, green, white, black, red, and burnt sienna

Paintbrushes, flat, and liner or spotter brush

Sharpie marker for message on bottom

Newspaper or newsprint to protect your work surface

Instructions:

1.     First, use the flat brush to paint your rock orange on the front, let dry and paint it on the back as well.  Let dry.

2.     Using the liner or spotter brush, add vertical lines on the pumpkin.  (See photo)

3.     Add a stem on the top with green paint. 

4.     Next, use the yellow paint to add some dimension to the ribs of the pumpkin next to the brown vertical lines.  Blend well.  Let dry.

5.     Now using the white paint make two circles for eyes. (See photo)

6.     Then, add two black dots for the pupils on each eye.

7.     Paint a red oval under the eyes for the nose.  Then use the black paint to make a smiling mouth.  (See photo)  Let dry. 

8.     When the paint is dry add the final touches.  Paint eyebrows above the eyes with black.  Paint a white dot on the nose and on each pupil. Finally,  paint a small rectangle in white for a tooth on the mouth.

9.     Add some green lines on the top to resemble hair.  And use the spotter or liner to add some sienna dots on the cheeks for freckles.  Let all the paint dry. You can add a coat of clear acrylic gloss or matte finish to protect when it is finished.  If you choose, you can write a positive message on the bottom of the pumpkin rock.

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How to paint a beautiful, and colorful autumn leaf rock

If you are like me you are having fun painting rocks and leaving them for someone to discover.  It is so quick and easy to paint this beautiful autumn leaf rock that you will want to paint several. Just use some acrylic paints and the pattern is right outside your door!

You can alter the colors that you use slightly for each autumn leaf rock, for rocks as varied as the real leaves!  This is a great group or kids craft too!

Materials:

Rock, that you pick up or buy from the home improvement store.  You will need one that will fit the size you want.

Leaf  (real or a silk one that will fit on your rock)

Pencil

Small flat paintbrush

Small liner or spotter brush

Paper plate for palette

Newspaper to protect your work surface

Acrylic paint, orange, yellow, red, burnt umber, burnt sienna, red, and green

Dark brown permanent fine line marker

Acrylic gloss or matte finish

Instructions:

1.     First, gather your supplies.  Protect your work surface with some newspaper or newsprint.  Place your rock on the paper and using either a real or silk leaf trace around it onto the rock with a pencil.

2.     Next, Using a small brush, fill in the entire leaf with orange acrylic paint.  Add the stem with a liner brush and burnt umber acrylic paint. Faintly paint the vein lines as well.

3.     Now, while the orange paint is still a little wet, add some yellow, red, and green, blending with the orange randomly on sections of the leaf.  Blend well.

4.     Continue adding the colors all around until you are pleased with the gradation of colors.

5.     Let all the paint dry completely.

6.     Finish by outlining the entire leaf and veins with the fine line marker.

7.     Add a coat of clear gloss or matte finish on the entire leaf to protect it.

How to make an easy indian corn tea light holder

      So it’s almost fall, my favorite time of year.  Who doesn’t love the crisp morning air, the pumpkin spice everywhere you look, and the colors of the season?  It is the perfect time to paint an Indian corn tea light holder on an upside down wine glass! 

      It's so easy to paint this cute Indian corn tea light holder!  Decorate it with some raffia and simply add a flameless or regular tea light candle for a décor piece that everyone will love!

Supplies:

Small and medium sized paintbrushes

Gloss acrylic paint, tan, gold, yellow, lt. yellow, red, purple, white, sienna, and orange

Brown sharpie marker

Raffia

Tea Light

Waxed paper or cardboard to protect your work surface

Alcohol

Paper towels

1.     Wash and wipe down your wine glass with a paper towel and alcohol.

2.     Using the brown sharpie marker, make a mark from the base of the stem to the rim on each side.  In essence you are marking half your wine glass.  

3.     On one side begin making small circles across with the marker continue making circles across and down until you reach the rim.  These are the Indian corn kernels.  See photo.  You will use these guidelines much like a coloring book and fill them in individually.

 

4.     Using the larger paintbrush and the tan gloss paint, cover the side that is not marked with kernels brushing with a downward motion.  Continue with tan on the stem and the base.  Let dry.  Turn rim side down and paint the bottom with tan and let dry.  Repeat with second coat.  When the second coat is dry, make some downward marks with sienna and white for a textural effect.  Repeat this step on the bottom of the base (which will be the candle holder) but brush the sienna and white in a spoke like pattern.

5.     Using the marks you made for kernels begin filling each one individually with the smaller paintbrush.  Use yellow, orange, purple, and red, varying the locations until you have filled in every one to the bottom.  Let dry and repeat with a second coat.

6.     Cute a 12-inch piece of raffia.  Cut and tie a six-inch piece of raffia onto the longer piece.  Continue adding raffia pieces until you have about six.  Trim up the ends.

7.     Tie the raffia strip with the fringe on the stem.  (See photo)

If you don't like how your marks are coming out when marking your glass, simply rub with some alcohol and start over.