Gilded Chalkboard Pumpkin

How-to make a farmhouse-style chalkboard pumpkin.

It’s officially fall and time to start decorating and crafting.  Fall is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love to get cozy in my home again and I start looking forward to the holidays ahead.  Today I’m sharing an easy craft with you that packs a big punch with little effort as part of the Fall Ideas Tour with over 30+ other bloggers.  I’ll have all of the links plus some gorgeous inspiration at the bottom of the post so be sure to check it out.

I was out shopping at Michael’s a few weeks ago and saw a large bin of chalkboard pumpkins.  I knew I wanted one but wasn’t sure what to do with it but when I looked up they (Michael’s) had a free handout with the directions for this beauty.  I already had the gilding supplies from a Honeycomb Pitcher I had made last year so the only thing I needed to purchase was the pumpkin.  I couldn’t wait to try it and it turned out exactly as I had hoped! (Don’t you love when that happens?).

How-To Make a Gilded Chalkboard Pumpkin

Supplies {*affiliate links}:

Gilding Adhesive

Gilding Brushes 

Gilding Sheets in Gold

Chalkboard Pumpkin – I purchased mine at Michael’s with a coupon so it was about $5.00 but they are also available online if you can’t get to a store

Copper Wire for the stem {optional}

Once I gathered my supplies I started the process.

I placed the chalkboard pumpkin upside down on a box and used a paintbrush to brush on the gilding adhesive.  Do not cover the entire pumpkin but instead brush about 1/3 of the pumpkin in a feathered pattern.  You don’t want to have any definite lines.  The brush strokes should be vertical, not horizontal.

Let the paint dry until it’s tacky.  Depending on the weather the drying time could be fairly quick (less than 30 minutes).  Gently test the adhesive for tackiness on an area that you won’t be seeing once it’s flipped over.

Add the gilding sheets according to the directions on the package and buff to shine.  Sorry, I don’t have a picture of this part – time got away from me!

Once you have your pumpkin gilded prep the chalkboard surface with chalk…..

and buff off the chalk with a cloth or paper towel.

Now you’re ready to use chalk to draw on some random patterns.  As a side, I also coiled some copper wire around a wooden spoon handle and added that to the stem for a bit more dimension.

This entire process could not have been any easier and from start to finish took only about 1 1/2 hours (because of the time I waited for the adhesive to get tacky).

So do you think you’ll try this or do you have some other wonderful ideas for gilding? I’d love to hear about it!

Now for some more Fall Ideas Tour Inspiration! 

Monday

Postcards from the Ridge | All Things Heart and Home

Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer | Domestically Speaking

Prodigal Pieces | Housepitality Designs

Mad In Crafts | My Creative Days

 Tuesday

Refresh Restyle | 2 Bees in a Pod

Fox Hollow Cottage | Artsy Chicks Rule

Our Southern Home | Restoration Redoux

Savvy Southern Style | Atta Girl Says

Wednesday

H2OBungalow | Cottage at the Crossroads

Today’s Creative Life | Dukes and Duchesses

Hunt & Host | The Interior Frugalista

Sweet Pea | Petticoat Junktion

Thursday

At the Picket Fence |Town and Country Living

Cupcakes and Crinoline

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | So Much Better With Age

Art is Beauty | AKA Design