26 Pumpkin Painting and Decorating Ideas That Are Blowing up Our Instagram Feeds This Halloween

Oh my, gourd! Halloween season is officially in full swing, and we couldn't be more thrilled! Even better, thanks to a slew of influencers, bloggers and crafters, your pumpkin game is going to be lit this year. We rounded up 26 pumpkin painting ideas that are all over Instagram and Pinterest right now—and trust us, your pumpkins will be serious #goals. So if you're looking for another DIY Halloween decoration idea, pumpkin painting is perfect.

We're sure you've seen some goal-worthy pumpkin masterpieces on your feeds, and you think, "Why can't I do that?" Well, this time, you actually can. Whether or not you want to just admire these pieces of artwork from the comfort of your couch or you feel like channeling your inner artist, here are 26 pumpkin decorating ideas to try out!

Related: Jack-O'-Lantern History & Origins

26 Pumpkin Painting Ideas

1. Glitzy gold pumpkins

@kailochic opted for ceramic pumpkins versus real pumpkins, which is a great option because you can reuse them every year. Using rubbing alcohol, she was able to create these bursts of color pumpkins. Read how she did it!

Related: 48+ Cheap, Easy DIY Halloween Decorations to Get Your Ghoul On 

2. '90s-inspired pumpkins

Yep, Kara of @kailochic has got some serious DIY talent! Using acrylic paint and adhesive vinyl, Kara created these pumpkins that are totally Zack Morris-approved. See how you can recreate this using her tips.

Related: How to Make Pumpkins Last Longer

3. Playful pumpkins

These pumpkins may look difficult to create, but thanks to Emily of @doodle_moo, she makes these designs as easy as can be with her helpful how-to tutorial. This also includes a printable sheet for all of her pumpkin designs, so you won't have to try and recreate these by hand.

Related: 14 of the BEST No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas! 

4. Paw-fect pumpkin

Have you ever wanted to put your dog on a pumpkin? Yep, us too! @pawprintsprincess showed us just how easy it can be to recreate this design. All you need is a cutout picture of your dog or their breed, trace the outline, add some polka dots using acrylic paints, and then voilà! Check out how to do the full tutorial here.

5. Pumpkin vase

Flowers are for any time of the year, and this is one of the most beautiful pumpkin displays we've ever seen! You can copy this display from @chandeliers.and.champagne. Just use a fake pumpkin like Holly did, or carve the top off of a real one. Then, place a vase in the middle of the pumpkin filled with your favorite pink floral arrangement. To see the full tutorial, click here.

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6. Sassy sayings

We just took a DNA test, and it turns out we're 100% that witch! Hallmark's creative studio, @think.make.share, did this play on words trend for Halloween. Check out how the creative painters at Hallmark executed this idea.

7. Mini succulent pumpkins

You can easily make a dozen or so of these—from online succulent nursery, Queen of Succulents—in the blink of an eye. You'll need to gather real succulents, sphagnum moss, planter shears and a hot glue gun. Don't worry, with how tiny these are, they won't take any time to replicate, thanks to Becca of Botanical Bright's tutorial.

8. Brushstroke pumpkins 

This pastel brush stroke pumpkin from @rachel_tenny is yet another example of an almost-no-effort project. You'll need different colored acrylic paints, including a stand-out color, like gold or silver, and two brushes in different sizes. Once you've gathered these, you're ready to start painting. You want to create light, airy strokes, so applying paint just once will help you achieve this look.

Related: 101 Best Halloween Party Ideas

9. Crochet pumpkins

If you're a knitter like crochet blogger and designer, @taylorlynncrochet, or feel like learning a new skill via her handy tutorial, try your hand at making these! You can also paint a pumpkin, then use crochet material and wrap it around using different tones to create a colorful design.

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10. Glow-in-the-dark pumpkins

Another #nocarvepumpkin idea to brighten up your day from @twinkletwinklelittleparty. Andressa of the blog of the same name used a fake pumpkin accompanied by a slew of colorful acrylic paints. She also used glow-in-the-dark glitter paint on the ghosts and finished it off with a stretchy spider web material to give it that spooky vibe. Recreate this look using her tutorial here.

11. Thumbtack pumpkins

These pushpin pumpkins are such an easy DIY project, we're not sure why we didn't think of it before. Audrey of @ohsolovely_blog simply used a white-painted pumpkin and added multi-color pins. You can follow this color scheme or even make up a pattern with the paints and pin colors. See her full guide here!

12. Galaxy pumpkins

This design from @inspiredheartart is out of this world! We love the idea of using different-sized and shaped pumpkins. Here's a tip: add a glossy varnish finish after you're done creating this masterpiece like the designer Katie did here. It will make the colors pop once it's all done.

Related: 24 Creative Jack-O-Lantern Ideas to Up Your Pumpkin Carving Game

13. Millennial pink pumpkins

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You can't go wrong with millennial pink, and TikTok user @homesweetpink nailed this multi-colored pink hue combo! From different shades of pink to different types of pumpkins, she has this pink pumpkin theme down pat. You can also experiment with pink stripes, polka dots, marble, glitter and so much more for an added twist to this classic color.

14. Abstract florals

How Annie of @anniequigley_artist, mother of two children, has the time to run a blog, an Instagram page and create these dainty decor pieces is truly a wonder in itself. We love how she mixed up the base colors of black and white under the floral patterns to bring some variety to the design.

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15. Party pumpkins

This confetti pumpkin from @allshewrotenotes will be the life of the party! It's easy to make, plus it looks incredibly chic anywhere you place it. All you need is a white pumpkin (it can be real or fake), different colored confetti, Mod Podge and you've got yourself an easy DIY project.

Related: 55 Funny Halloween Instagram Captions

16. Spa pumpkin

This spa pumpkin is the epitome of all of our weekend plans. @alilabelle, the original creator of the spa pumpkin, opted to carve out the eyes and the mouth and use green paint for the face mask effect, but if you're looking to go the no-mess route, you can paint on the eyes and mouth details using black paint. As a former senior creative director for art and design at band.do, it's no wonder she hit a home run on this concept! She's since deleted the post, but her legacy lives on in other posts.

17. Crescent moon pumpkin

This is another great way to implement actual or faux florals into your pumpkin. We recommend starting with a black background so the florals take center stage as @themerrythought did. Start by tracing the crescent moon, then carefully poke holes in the pumpkin using a drill. Finally, insert each of the stems. You may have to finesse the placement a little to get it just right, but once you're done, it'll be worth it to see the finished product. Check out the full tutorial here.

Related: Halloween Trivia

18. Marble-dipped pumpkins

These marble-dipped pumpkins from sister-squad @aliceandlois are mesmerizing! It may look intimidating at first, but all you need to do is add drops of indigo nail polish into a bowl of lukewarm water, then use a toothpick to swirl the design around to create that marble look. Once you've got this down, dip your pumpkin in the water until the color sticks, and add a glossy varnish to finish it off. Follow their full tutorial here.

Related: Halloween Puns

19. Squeeze paint pumpkins

We love these bright pumpkins created by @hellowonderful_co! Fill as many squeeze bottles as you like with different colors, then start with one base color on the pumpkin. You want to drip as many colors as you can on there to create the drip effect. You can also opt to use spray paint as your base color, just like Hello Wonderful's Agnes did. Check out how to recreate these crafts here.

Related: 100 Halloween Jokes

20. Unicorn pumpkin

Mini pumpkins are all the rage this season, so learning how to create these tiny, fierce unicorns by Lisa @funmoneymom should definitely be on your list. If you've got little ones at home, this would also be a fun after-school or even a weekend project to do with them!

Related: 25 Cheap, Easy DIY Halloween Decorations to Get Your Ghoul On 

21. Desert oasis landscape pumpkins

These desert-inspired pumpkins are just as breathtaking as a real view of the desert. They are a bit time-consuming, but once you nail every step like @wethedreamers did, it'll be worth it to see the finished product. You'll need about three to four pumpkins, one big and one small paintbrush, and a multitude of acrylic paints. Grab the exact essentials and a how-to gourd guide here.

Related: 55 Funny Halloween Instagram Captions

22. Rainbow pumpkins

It's true: color makes us all happy! Thanks to Sam of @colormadehappy, we've got three ideas in one: a mandala, a rainbow pattern and a color palette pumpkin. These creations might seem a bit time-scary at first, so you can follow along on how to make these using Sam's how-to blog, which outlines everything down to the last paint stroke!

23. Glitter pumpkins

These pumpkins will sweep you off your feet! And the best part? Meg of @lulebloom used stickers to achieve those pumpkin, spiderweb, star and ghost glitter accents. This is an ingenious way to decorate because it's completely mess-free. If you want to up the game, top off your design with Meg's signature hand-cut wool blend hat and spiderweb felt accents.

24. Multi-colored spider pumpkin

This project takes such minimal effort to replicate, Rachel of @thecraftedlife suggests that we should pour ourselves a cup of hard cider while crafting. Well, don't mind if we do! In her how-to blog, she explains that we'll need a craft store pumpkin, plastic spiders, spray paint and a hot glue gun to complete this project. Rachel also used gold leaf for the stem of the pumpkin, but you can definitely swap this out for gold spray paint as a cheaper option.

25. Paint-dipped pumpkins

Paint-dipped pumpkins are some of the most simple patterns you can go with, and Erin of @erinspainblog nailed these to a tee. Mixing metallics and solid colors is always a good idea to add variety, especially if only a small portion of your object will be painted. Learn how she pulled these off here!

26. Papier-maché pumpkins

These papier-maché pumpkins from @laurengardnerblog are cute as can be! Lauren taught us how to create these with her little one, Ava, using just two essential items: Mod Podge and tissue paper. It's honestly as simple as that!

Looking for more Halloween inspiration? Check out the best spooky stories to read on Halloween!