Make some beautiful artwork using pumpkins as a canvas!
When we saw that pumpkins were reduced to just £1 each at the supermarket this week we just had to buy some to decorate for a pretty Autumn display. It’s great to try out new and unusual canvases for art work, and the spherical shape of pumpkins makes them ideal for drip painting!
We used children’s acrylic paints straight from the bottle so that they would be easy to squeeze out in a controlled way. Cakie simply squeezed the colours directly onto the top of the pumpkins, then let the paint start to slowly dribble down the sides!
It is important to use a thicker paint like acrylic as it needs to move slowly down the side. It is also a very quick-drying paint which helps the drips to set in place quickly.
She layered some colours on top of each other and I suggested some overlap too so that they would mix and merge nicely as they dripped down. We have a few glitter acrylics which are so beautiful!
The gorgeous little puddles of paint that accumulated at the bottom were little works of art in their own right! We have a couple of painting oil-cloth table cloths for messy activities like this!
Here is one of the finished results before it dried. The colours are so bright and the paint type makes them really shine!
And when Little Sister saw what we had been doing without her she was not impressed! So she had a go at painting large cooking apples, which she was totally absorbed by. They turned out really sweetly too!
The finished pumpkins after being left to dry out overnight. Beautiful little works of art! We will display these along with some Indian corn and leaves that we have collected. I love Autumn!
Learning Links:
- creativity: using a range of media, experimenting with surfaces and materials to make marks on, explore colour in 2D and 3D, talk about colour mixing
- motor skills: use a tool correctly, exercise hand muscles by squeezing paint bottles
Cakie: 37 months
Oh my Anna, these turned out SO SO SOOOOOO pretty! I love them!
Maggy
Beautiful! Like Tall painting on pumpkins!
Wow I love this. Orange was so last year.
Absolutely gorgeous! What a wonderful idea. I love them!
Wow! That is sooooo cool!!!!! I have pinned this idea on my Pintrest Boards! Thanks for sharing!
This is so flippin’ cool Anna! Love your take on the drip paintings 🙂
So pretty! Glitter!!!!! We did regular paint for ours. Can’t believe we didn’t glitter it up! Have to go buy more pumpkins 🙂
I love love love them: what a fabulous idea, and how beautiful they are!!
This is gorgeous!
So beautiful! I NEEEED to get some of your pearlised acrylic paints. Urgently. Right now.
These look magical! What a wonderful project.
ohhhh I love them! G has a pumpkin competition at school and this would be perfect. Please feel free to add it to my link up http://playfullearners.com/2011/10/17/we-explore-week-one/ ;0)
Adele
Brilliant that! Definately pinching that one for the kids at school at well as my own! X
these really are very pretty! what a great effect. lovely idea and a lovely piece of work!
I saw this on PinInterst first and repinned – what a beautiful creation!
Who wouldn’t love these? This project is beautiful!!
We did something interesting and hilarious with pumpkins and paint yesterday. I hope you stop by and check it out. I think you all would have fun with it too. I uploaded it to the Playtime linky, but here’s the link if you’d like to check it out. The playtime linky is doing amazing, by the way!!
http://dinosaursandoctopuses.blogspot.com/2011/10/chuckin-pumpkin-painting.html
Wow, these are just BEAUTIFUL! I’m going to make some this weekend with my boys.
These are gorgeous and look like so much fun. I knew I saved a squeeze ketchup bottle for a reason… it would be perfect to squirt pumpkins with! Adding this to my list of things to try.
Beautiful pumpkins! I love them!
They are amazing! Gorgrous photo’s too. xx
I love this idea!!! The pumpkins are gorgeous! Where did you get those wonderful aprons the girls are wearing?
This is super cool! Last week, We did a similar type of activity using droppers and oral dosing syringes.
http://creativitymypassion.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-carve-drip-paint-pumpkin.html
Wow, those are gorgeous! I have some acrylics, I am so doing this next time I pick up a couple of those little pumpkins.
Amazing! I love them! I’ve got to pull out the acrylics, my girls would love this.
Oh my goodness, they look fantastic.
Hmm – I fancy doing something similar to make some Christmas tree baubles – maybe I could use some polystyrene balls?? Must buy some pearlised paint – I think a trip to the craft shop is in order!
Oh Jude, what a fantastic idea! I can’t wait to see them.
Tina that was made by my friend and is a very clever invention! She made it into a smock shape with elasticated neck and sleeves and lined it at the front with a shower curtain!! I’ve tried to persuade her to make them to sell as I’m sure loads of people would buy them, but she’s too busy. Sorry not to be any more help!
Anna- Thanks for sharing this at our Best of October link up! They are beautiful!!
Thanks for the idea Anna. We tried it today using darker colours and added Halloween sprinkles – worked really well!
http://pinterest.com/pin/382590436/
Love your blog! I do so much- it’s on my blogroll! What a blessing you are!
https://joliluja.wordpress.com/
Just found your blog and I love it. Can’t wait to try out the pumpkin drip paintings with my daughter!
Gorgeous loved how she applied the paint. Thanks for the idea!
Anna – your friend should definitely sell those smocks! I would buy one! Maybe she should set up a shop on Etsy. 🙂
This looks like so much fun! We’d love if you’d link up to our Countdown to Fall link party! Hope to see you there! Happy weekend! http://dixie-n-dottie.blogspot.com/2012_08_13_archive.html
These are just beautiful!!!