argyle pumpkin

A long time ago, I saw some pumpkin-painting project ideas on Jo-Ann's website.  I really loved the argyle one, but wasn't crazy about the fact that they painted the entire pumpkin and made it look really glossy.  I decided to try it without base-coating the pumpkin first.

I found a "funkin" for half-price at Jo-Ann last week.  These are those fake pumpkins that you can carve and decorate just like real pumpkins.  Mine was about 16 inches in diameter and cost around $3.50.

Since I don't have much expertise in painting details with skinny brushes, I decided to try colored permanent markers instead.  First I made a VERY crude pattern to get an idea of how big the diamond shapes in the argyle should be.  I used some argyle fabric as my guide.

Told you it was crude.  :o)  Next, I used a pencil to draw the outlines of the pattern on the pumpkin.  Pencil marks rub off the surface very easily, so it's easy to erase just with your fingers if you make a mistake.

Then I just went crazy with the sharpies.

I had to pause a few times to give my markers a rest, but they worked very well.

And yes, it looks handmade since some of my lines are a little crooked, but that's what I like about it.  It looks way cute up on my mantel.

So for $3.50 and thirty minutes, I got a cute fall decoration.  Score.

This would be a fun project for kids.  Just give them a little funkin and some markers and let them go to town.  Not sure if washable markers work as well as the permanent markers did, though; you may want to test a spot on the bottom of the funkin first!  :o)

Linked up to Creations by Kara and A Little Tipsy!