It’s Halloween and time for some
free, fun, and easy to use
pumpkin patterns!
Over the next few days I will be uploading free tracing patterns for Halloween pumpkins, finished pumpkin craft ideas, and the written, step-by-step instructions for each idea.
So, please check in often. Check out the Free Halloween Pumpkin Tracing Pattern Page
INTRODUCTION
There is nothing humble about our favorite fall fruit – the pumpkin! In the home garden it is a huge, sprawling vine with large leaves that can reach reach twenty or more feet away from the roots. The fruit begins as a small, pale green ball that quickly takes on a vivid green coloring by late summer. As fall approaches that green ball becomes a beautiful bright orange, speckled gold, and even boldly striped white.
Once we bring the ripened fruit, into the house it is destined to become pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and even pumpkin cookies. If it is perfect enough it will decorate our front porches, fireplace hearths, and light up the porch as jack-o-lanterns.
So, it seems appropriate that we use the no-so-humble pumpkin as the bases of our autumn craft projects as we celebrate autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
Throughout this tutorial we will explore some fun and easy pumpkin painting options, decorative displays, and Halloween accents.
Stop by our pattern website at ArtDesignsStudio.com. All holiday pattern packs are on sale!!!
CRAFT MEDIA
Pumpkin patterns can be used in just about any crafting style – wood carving, pyrography, scroll saw, cardboard construction, rigid foam, and zen tangle paper work.
While the majority of ideas here are done using 1/8” – ¼” basswood plywood and the scroll saw, any pattern can be adapted to your favorite craft.
SCROLL SAW – These patterns are simple designs that can be cut-out in a few minutes on your scroll saw.
Print a copy of the pattern that you wish to use. With graphite paper under the pattern, trace along the pattern lines to transfer the pattern to your plywood.
Use a fine toothed blade for the cutting- 18 to 24 teeth per inch.
If the pattern has trapped areas inside the design that need to be cut, as a branch that rolls from the stem to cross the pumpkin, drill a hole in that area in which you can insert your blade to cut the area free.
Thinner plywood boards can stacked to make multiple copies with one cutting. Two to three layers is the common amount of wood board layers.
Trace the pattern to the top plywood board. Align one or two plywood boards under the top one. Tape the edges with masking tape in a few area to secure the two or three layers together.
Cut the stack as if it were one board. Add new pieces of masking tape as needed to re-secure the layers.
Once the shape has been cut, sand both the plywood face surface and sides with 220-grit sandpaper. Remove all sanding dust before decorating.
CARDBOARD CONSTRUCTION – Cardboard is a wonderful and often free media for your pumpkin designs.
Cardboard comes in various widths from 2 – 6mm thicknesses and may have several corrugated layers in one thickness.
Trace your design to the cardboard using graphite paper. Do not use hard pressure on your ink pen as you trace as that can leave a fine line indent on the surface of the cardboard.
Use an Xacto knife, surgical blade, or well sharped bench knife to cut out the design. You can lightly rub the cut edges of your cardboard with a wooden spoon handle to roll the edges down into a nice, neat curve.
Cardboard does soak up any water from your painting steps because it is paper. To make painting easier and to keep the cardboard from become saturated with water that will cause the cardboard to bend and warp, spray the cardboard with Workable Fixative before you begin any painting steps.
Workable Fixative is similar to your spray sealers and used in the same manner. It is commonly used for colored pencil and pastel work to seal a paper surface while allowing the artist to add more layers of coloring.
Apply three coats allowing each coat to dry for 10 to 15 minutes before adding the next. Spray the front, back, and sides to totally seal the cardboard.
As you paint your project, avoid over thinning any paint color with water. Allow each layer of coloring to dry before working the next layer. You can also add new layers of Workable Fixative between paint layers.
PROJECT 1 – BLOOD SHOT EYES PUMPKIN
This project is cut from 3mm cardboard. After he is cut, rub the edges of the cardboard with a wooden spoon handle to gently roll those edges into a curved shape.
Three coats of Workable Fixative are applied to the front, back, and sides of the cut-out.
The base painting of rust orange to the pumpkin body and forest green to the stem are applied, allowed to dry, and then sealed with a new layer of Workable Fixative.
Golden yellow highlights are added to the pumpkin, pale and medium green shading lines painted into the stem area, black paint for the nose and mouth. A slightly water thinned layer of dark brown is used to paint the stem shadows and half-load shade the sections of the pumpkin.
After these layers of paint have dried, use 2 -1 ½” white painted wood rounds for the outer eyes. Then add 2 – ½” yellow painted wood rounds of the iris area of the eyes. Attach the wood rounds to the cardboard with wood glue.
Seal the finished pumpkin with your favorite spray sealer.
Click on the image above to open a new tab for the full-sized image.
Click on the image above to open a new tab for the full-sized, printable pattern.
PROJECT 2 – SIMPLE PUMPKIN COLORING LAYOUTS
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ArtDesignsStudio.com is Lora Irish’s wood carving, pyrography, and craft pattern, templates, and tracing images warehouse for you next craft project. Over 3000 line art designs and .jpg images, in 149 theme pattern packages, ready for immediate download.
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