@Home with Maddy
Project article and photographs
by Madeleine M Langlois, MaddyLane Designs
From Halloween to Holiday Decor ~ Pumpkin Snowman for the porch
Deck the porch with jolly Pumpkin Snowmen.
Recycle your fall pumpkins to create fun Holiday outdoor decor.
Hands-on time: Under one hour
Total time: Plus drying time for the acrylic paints to dry, 1 hour
Skill: Super easy and fun, a perfect project to do with the kids
Project cost: Under $10.00
Materials & Tool
· Pumpkins in various sizes (Recycle your fall pumpkins, pumpkins can also be purchased at bargain prices this time of year)
· Newspapers
· A damp cloth
· White acrylic paint
· Foam paintbrush, 5 cm
· Paint tray
· Cordless power drill (I used a basic Mastercraft rechargeable drill, because its lightweight and easy to handle)
· Hole saw drill bit, (to make the hole for the carrot stick noses. I used a ¾ hole saw bit, use a smaller or larger bit depending on the sizes of the carrots or pumpkins)
· Glue gun and glue sticks
· Thumbtacks with a flat head
· Various nuts, acorns, or small rocks (for the eyes and mouth)
· Carrot sticks
· An awl
· Accessories to decorate the pumpkin snowman, hats, scarves, branches for the arms, buttons, ribbons, fabric remnants (use what you already have around your home)
· Recycle plastic containers (to use as a stand to paint and display the pumpkin snowmen)
(Items for this project are available at arts and crafts stores, hardware and at the above-mentioned stores.)
Deck your outdoor decor scene for the Holidays with something fun, creative and yet very original. Transform your fall pumpkins (or new ones) into festive snowman decorations. It’s a fantastic and inexpensive outdoor decor concept to decorate the porch, patio, front steps or entrance way. It’s an amusing project to do with the kids; they will enjoy painting and decorating the pumpkin snowmen. Pumpkins are painted with white acrylic paint and then they are basically decorated with items that you already have around your home, such as you would to decorate real snowman by adding your own creative touches.
Start by covering a work area with newspapers. Whole pumpkins are best for this project, there’s no need to gut the pumpkins. Use a damp cloth to clean the surface of the pumpkins, to make sure they are free of any dirt, and pat it to dry. Use recycled containers as a stand while applying the acrylic paint, they will also be used to display them.
Prepare the white acrylic paint by putting a generous amount of paint into a paint tray or a disposable foil plate. Using foam paintbrushes have the kids paint the pumpkins. Let the pumpkins dry and apply a second coat if needed. The pumpkins will have a mat finish, should you prefer a shinny finish you can apply a gloss varnish topcoat, and let it dry.
Use a drill with a hole saw bit attachment to make the holes to insert the carrot stick noses. Press the hole saw firmly against the pumpkin where you wish to place the carrots and simply drill at a consistent speed, its simple and quick. This step should be done by an adult, and yet it is relatively easy enough to be done by an older child. Next simply insert a carrot of similar size in the opening.
To make the eyes and mouth, use small nuts, rocks, acorns, or pine cones, and apply a flat-head pushpin onto these items using a glue gun and a dab of glue (handling of the glue gun should only be done by an adult). Insert the pushpin eyes and mouth directly into the snowman pumpkins to create the faces. My son really enjoyed this part.
Place each pumpkin snowman on a stand, such as a disposable container, making sure that it is stable and can hold the weight of the pumpkin.
Now it’s the fun part, dressing up the pumpkin snowman. Consider what materials you have on hand and let your creative juices flow. Dress up each pumpkin snowman with a hat and a scarf. I used fabric remnants to make the scarves. Wrap the scarf around the base stand. Embellish the hats with various items, from bows to buttons, feathers, ribbons, beads, it’s as you wish.
For the arms, use an awl to puncture a hole at the sides of the pumpkins, and then insert small branches or twigs.
All that is left to do is to display and arrange the pumpkin snowmen on an outdoor bench, steps, or decorative sleigh. You will surely get a lot of Ho Ho Ho’s and smiles out of this holiday outdoor decor scene! After all, Tis the season to be jolly!
Variations: You can use small gourds painted white to make mini snowman for your flower boxes or a festive centerpiece, or to grace a mantel. I you cannot find pumpkins or gourds, wait until it snows and make this projects using real snow. You can also use large Styrofoam balls too.
Tips: To keep this outdoor decor looking fresh, avoid leaving them out in the direct snow or unprotected areas, for the pumpkins will get soft if they are exposed to direct freezing temperatures. It is best to display these pumpkin decorations on a porch, or near an entrances way, where they are somewhat protected.
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Copyright maddylane designs 2020
photos, text by maddylane designs
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