Everyone, I mean EVERYONE is in love with the terracotta pumpkins that Pottery Barn released this year, but most are not in love with the steep price tag. So I set out to discover how to paint the perfect terracotta pumpkin, one that looks realistic and doesn’t break the bank. I used my collection of vintage terracotta pots as my model to get the perfect color!
Perfect Paint
So I took a gamble on two types of acrylic paint. Both were said to resemble authentic terracotta. I tested each paint color on a pumpkin by itself, but found that they actually created the perfect color when mixed together! I used this Cermacoat Terracotta and FolkArt Dusty Trail.
I used baking soda with the paint to add some slight texture. I believe the true key to this “look” was using pumpkins that were plaster. They have the same feel as pottery type terracotta. There are so many shades of terracotta, these tend to read lighter. If you use more of the Cermacoat paint you will get a more orange colored terracotta if you wish. I used these small pumpkins and these large pumpkins from Michael’s for this project, but I have seen many use really any type of plastic pumpkin.
The finishing touch was a small amount of flour to give it that vintage, chippy look. I love how all of these look paired with the vintage terracotta pots. It is the perfect touch of autumn and a great transition from Summer to Fall. Here are a few other terracotta pumpkin options if you are in the market for an easy Fall fix!
