This easy DIY is going to show you how to create fancy pumpkins with clay moulds!
I just finished a fabulous DIY project creating fancy pumpkins with clay molds! They were so much fun to make and they turned out beautifully. You can create them in any color scheme to match your home decor, and once the season is over, they can be stored away until next year!
After finishing them, I piled them into an antique dough bowl and placed it on the dining room table for a great seasonal look.
The molds give the pumpkins a little bit of texture and also a bit of whimsical fancy!
And I love that you can create so many different looks.
This DIY would work with plastic, foam, or wood pumpkins, and since I already had some fake plastic white pumpkins in different sizes, I decided to use those.
I’ve had the paper clay molds and clay in my stash for awhile because I’ve used it to make furniture molding before, but the supplies are easy to find at your local craft store, and I will also give you links to all the supplies.
Here’s a list of what you will need to make your own fancy pumpkins:
(May include affiliate links)
- Pumpkins from the craft store.
- Decor Molds
- Paper Clay (found in most craft stores)
- Cornstarch (you probably have some in your kitchen!)
- Small Brush
- Titebond Quick & Thick All Purpose Glue
- Your choice of paint (I used chalk paint but any kind of acrylic paint works)
- Gilding Paint or Wax
- Putty Knife
- French Medallion Mold
Creating these fancy pumpkins is easy with these steps:
Step 1: Lightly brush some cornstarch in the mold cavity and shake out any excess. You want just a light dusting. The cornstarch will keep the clay from sticking to your mold and allows it to release easily.
Step 2: Pinch off the desired amount of paper clay needed to fill the mold cavity and place any remaining unused clay back into a sealable plastic bag. This will keep your clay soft and ready for your next project.
Step 3: Squeeze the clay in your hands to warm it up a bit and then roll it into a ball or snake shape depending on the shape of the mold cavity you’ll be using.
Step 4: Press the clay firmly into the cavity making sure to fill it up entirely.
Step 5: Using the putty knife, pull away any extra clay until the rim is visible all the way around the cavity.
Take a moment to smooth and flatten the back of the casting with the side of the putty knife so that your casting will lay flush on your project.
Step 6: Flip the mold top side down and then fold it back to release the casting onto your work surface.
Handle gently to prevent warping or distortion of the design.
Step 7: Apply glue to the backside of the casting making sure to fully cover the surface and then position the casting where you want it on your pumpkin.
Continue this process until you have the desired design on your pumpkin.
Overlapping the molds is fine as long as they are adhered properly.
Once you have all of your molds glued to the pumpkin, they will need to dry before painting. This will usually take 12 hours, and I normally let them sit overnight.
Some tiny cracks may appear in the clay as it dries so don’t stress if you see them, they just add to the character of your pumpkin!
{You can find this gorgeous gilded capital pedestal HERE!}
Step 8: Paint the Pumpkins using your favorite paint.
I used chalk paint that I had on hand in different shades of blues and grays, but any kind of acrylic or chalk type paint will work.
Make sure you get down into the crevices so that no white is showing.
I ended up having to do two coats of paint on each pumpkin to get into all the details of the molding.
Step 9: After the paint has dried, add some shine using a gilding paint or wax, highlighting the molded details!
Lightly brush the tops of the molds with your gilding, only gilding the raised areas, and don’t forget to gild the pumpkin stem as well.
And there you have it, fancy pumpkins with clay moulds!!
Now you have gorgeous, unique, one of a kind pumpkins to display year after year!
There are so many different molds and paint colors available, that you are only limited by your imagination!
You have endless options!
Recently I found a mold on Etsy that creates beautiful French medallions.
I used this mold for the first time on this pumpkin project, and I have to say that the two pumpkins with the medallions are my favorites.
They have such a great look!
They look very fancy and very French!
I can’t wait to try this mold on a furniture makeover!
The details are amazing with each one being totally unique and one of a kind!
They can be finished in any color of your choice to match your color theme, and the pumpkins would make quite the centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.
How gorgeous would a set of black ones be for an elegant Halloween theme?!?
The possibilities are endless!
We also used molds to create a set of whimsical pumpkins!
Do you think you’ll be making some of these fancy pumpkins with clay moulds? I can’t wait to hear! Enjoy!
Cheers, Cindy
I love these. How fun to bring them out Year after year. Going to give this a try.
These pumpkins are FABULOUS!
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This was a fun project…thanks for all the resources! I made some of these last month and used a small sunflower mold with leaves. I painted the pumpkins a French grey (taupe) and painted the molds a darker bronze. I like how they turned out…more formal looking for my Thanksgiving table.
Hi there,
I just love the look of this fall project! I was wondering how to find the mold for one particular piece, the round pumpkin laying on its side, with the 4 wide strips going down its sides. I tried clicking on all of the links provided but was unable to find it. I really love the look and was hoping to give it a try. Thanks so much for any assistance you’re able to give!
Anne-Marie H.
Hi Anne-Marie! Here’s the link to the mold that has this design: https://amzn.to/3R2qVJR
I love your pumpkins but what truly intrigues me is your drawer table! I purchased one very similar to yours at an antique mall in Marietta GA and brought it home to MN. Mine is walnut. The carvings are quite different. The feet are the same. The top had been refinished in shellac which needs to be redone, but the rest of the table’s finish is original. It’s quite dark and I only cleaned it. The leaves only had wax on them. I have no idea of the age and have seen nothing like it until yours! Do you know anything of the age or where they were made? I’d be appreciative of any info you might have.
Hi Karen! The table is French, and most are made of walnut or oak. The pull out leaves are called butterfly leaves. Most were made in the 19th century, early 20th c. They can be quite pricey when found! I hope this helps!
Thank you! I did dig around on your blog and read how you found yours. I absolutely love mine and it was a really nice price because of the shellac on the top rather than the original finish. One of these days I’ll redo it.
I ordered the medallian molds so it looks like some pumpkins are in my future!
Wonderful!
Absolutely incredible!! These are gorgeous! Can’t wait to try this. I’m visiting my best friend for 2 wks soon and will take this project to share with her. Thanks for the awesome idea Cindy! Blessings always, Edie Marie
That’s wonderful! Have fun with your bestie!
These are fantastic! And it is so good to see some new and fresh craft ideas. I am tired of seeing so many rewarmed ideas from past seasons on so many decorating blogs. I’ve ordered the medallion molds and can’t wait to try them. I have two questions: Do you remove the molded item from the mold when it is still wet? Do you glue it on before it has dried? I have some paper clay wrapped in foil and in a plastic bag. I hope it is still workable. Can’t wait.
Thank you, Teddee! Yes, I removed the paper clay before it firmed up because it was easier to glue it to the curves of the pumpkin while it was still malleable. I hope this helps! Enjoy!
Love the pumpkins. Hope you do sell them!!!
Thanks
Good morning! I wish you’d sell these in your
Etsy boutique!
Hi Annie! I’m getting ready to make some more so I will be listing these sometime this week!
Love this project! You are a wonderful artist
Aw, thank you so much Antoinette!
Love your idea for these beautiful pumpkins, Miss Cindy!
In fact, I love everything you create to enhance the beauty of simple objects!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
I think I’m going to give this try for Christmas ornaments!
Thanks for inspiring me!
Cindy
Thanks for your new idea. I am going to use it on an antique Venetian sewing box table that I am refinishing.it needed a little something and this does it!
Marge Lobbes
Wonderful idea, Marge!
So charming can’t get any prettier than this!
Absolutely, giving this a try.
Very very elegant Cindy! You have so many great and inspirational ideas! One question; where did the stems come from? Thank you so much for always sharing!
The stems are plastic and a part of the original pumpkin. I just painted them gold.
Pure gorgeousness! And playing in the paper clay looks like fun.
Thank you, Judy!
These are absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your tutorial. I am off to try and find the molds you used. Also, I have never used gilding paint or Rub-n-Buff. Can I ask you which one you used for this project? Thank you for your time and also for this tutorial.
Hi Susan! For this project, I used Rub N Buff in antique gold. It’s my “go to” for gilding. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much! ❤️
GORGEOUS GORGEOUS, CINDY!! Those medallion ones are my favorite too! Looks so good on your French table. Wished I had the creativity in me but I would not attempt.
Thank you so much, Nancy!
Absolutely beautiful!!
Thank you, Marisa!
You’ve come up with some incredible projects before, but this one is AMAZING! Thank you for continued inspiration!
Thank you so much, Jacki!
They are so beautiful. As usual, you did a great job…a plain pumpkin to a Cinderella fairytale pumpkin. They are fit for royalty.
Thank you, Daphne!
Im always on the look out for different but very doable projects to do with my craft art loving grandkids. I’m headed out today for pumpkin elegance supplies. (I may have order them.) Can’t wait to do it with them. Have a good day!
You will love this project!
Oh my, Cindy; those are the most beautiful pumpkins ever. I can’t wait to try them!
That’s wonderful, Debbie!