How to Create a Vintage Looking Pumpkin Craft

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making a vintage looking pumpkin craft, this fun DIY project is perfect! Using a simple Walmart plastic pumpkin, some paper towels, tape, aluminum foil, glue, and paint—you can transform an ordinary piece into a charming old-fashioned Halloween decoration. This project even brought back memories of paper mache projects from elementary school for me, and it’s such a sweet activity to do with kids or grandkids.

1. Walmart plastic pumpkin
2. Aluminum foil
3. Painter’s tape or masking tape
4. Paper towels
5. Mod Podge or Elmer’s glue (diluted with water)
6. Craft paints: orange, brown, white, black, yellow (and even a touch of red if you want rosy cheeks)
7. Paint brushe

To give your pumpkin that quirky vintage vibe, start by rolling up pieces of aluminum foil and taping them around the eyes, nose, and mouth. You can add little extras like eyebrows, under-eye puffs, or even two little bumps on the back for a playful “pumpkin bum” (yes, I’ve seen it done and it’s hilarious!).

This step is where you can let your creativity run wild. The foil gives your pumpkin personality and creates that dimensional look that really pops once you paint it.

Now for the messy (and fun!) part—paper mache. Rip your paper towels into strips. Dip each piece into the diluted glue, wring out the excess, and smooth it over your pumpkin. Make sure to push in the paper towel into all the deep areas so that it takes on the 3 dimensional shapes.

Tip: Don’t worry about leaving some wrinkles. I actually left a few in mine on purpose to create that aged, weathered look that makes vintage pumpkins so charming.

Cover the entire pumpkin with one layer. If you want a chunkier, more textured look, you could add a second layer. I’ve also seen people shred cardboard egg cartons, mix them with water and glue, and apply that paste for even more texture. Since my granddaughter and I wanted a quicker project, we stuck with just one layer of paper towels.

Once your pumpkin is fully covered, set it aside and let it dry completely. Depending on your climate and how much glue you used, this could take several hours or overnight.

We were wanting to get the third pumpkin dry quickly so my granddaughter used my hair dryer to get hers to dry very quickly. It worked great.

This is where your vintage looking pumpkin really comes to life! Start with a base coat of orange. I used a more muted, vintage orange while my granddaughter went bold and bright with hers.

From there, layer on details:

1. Yellow around the eyes for a glowing effect.
2. A mix of red, orange, and white for rosy cheeks.
3. Black for outlining the mouth, eyes, and nose.
4. White highlights for eyes and teeth.

Don’t be afraid to experiment—if you make a mistake, just paint over it! My granddaughter even decided to start a third pumpkin because she was having so much fun creating different looks.

In just one afternoon, we had two (and then three!) adorable vintage looking pumpkins. Each one turned out completely unique, which is what makes this project so special. They look like they’ve been passed down for generations, and they’ll add so much character to your Halloween décor.

I love pumpkins this time of year and use them in my decorations inside and out.Pumpkins on my mantle here and on my porch here,