Chinoiserie Painted Pumpkins
Fall Pumpkin Painting
If you are seeking a fun fall project, this is it! I decided to decorate and paint a Chinoiserie design to compliment my home decor. I love blue and white!
Chinoiserie derives from the French word chinois, meaning `“Chinese”, so it is a western aesthetic inspired by Chinese designs. During the 17th until 18th centuries, Europeans were very interested with Asian culture so they tried to blend with their art, and also King Louis XV of French thought Chinoiserie combined well with the Rococo Style.


Decorate and Paint Faux and Real Pumpkins This Fall
No matter your style, painting pumpkins is way more fun than I ever thought it would be.
You can paint either real pumpkins or faux pumpkins. I painted paper mache pumpkins.
This method of painting can be used for real or faux pumpkins. I will show you how I designed a floral Chinoiserie type of design. Lots of room for error.
MATERIALS NEEDED
- Faux or real pumpkins. (Walmart currently has inexpensive faux pumpkins in store.)
- Acrylic paint or chalk paint in desired colors–both will work.Do not use oil-based paint it can dissolve foam and suffocate a real pumpkin.
- Paintbrushes
- Paper towel Black permanent marker
- Blue paint pen
How To Paint A Pumpkin In A Chinoiserie Design
1. Clean and Seal Your Pumpkin
Sealing your pumpkin before you paint it is optional, but it helps to give you an excellent surface to paint on. Choose an aerosol or brush sealant and cover your pumpkin.
2. Choose the Paint
Choosing the right paint for your pumpkin depends on painting with children or creating your masterpiece. Use washable paint with kids for obvious reasons.
I used chalk spray paint, which offers a muted surface compared to a shiny finish.
3. Use the Proper Brushes
4. Spray Paint The Pumpkins
I used chalk spray paint. It has a nice matte finish.
4. Plan Your Design
I painted my pumpkins to go with the décor of my house, blue and white. After deciding what color scheme or design you want to go with, decide if you are going with a freehand design or use a predesigned stencil. Look at the designs above as you draw your design, it helps to have a design to look at as you design your pumpkin.
5. Start To Paint
Trace your design on the pumpkin with a pencil or pen.
Using your thinnest paintbrush and your darkest blue paint, begin to trace over the lines you just sketched (this includes the outline of the petals of your flowers). Some strokes will be thicker than others, but don’t sweat it. Don’t worry about making it perfect, the paint will start to blend nicely. If you make a boo boo, use a damp paper towel to wipe it of and then start over.
Fill in the petals of all of your flowers- don’t go too opaque with your painting, it’s ok if it’s not a 100% solid finish. I used the paint pen and the permanent market to accent the flower pedals.
Add some dots, swirls, and curves to the petals using the light blue paint color. Using your black or another color of your choice paint, fill in the centers of the flowers, add further details to the petals and add a few random dots around the flowers for contrast.
More Inspirational For you~ I'm painting the monogram one next!


I encourage you to get your paint brushes out. I am no artist, trust me but it’s really fun and relaxing to paint. I bet you will be better artist than you ever expected. Check out my post on how to embellish a canvas print, another fun project that doesn’t require much skill. Trust me!
1 comment
These are so incredibly beautiful!! WOW -love the blue !