With all the autumn items going on clearance now, I was finally able to pick up one of those fake carvable pumpkins.  I love the idea of reusable decor.  Don't get me wrong...I am also a big fan of carving real pumpkins every year.  It's fun to choose a different design each time and see what we come up with.  However, having a stash of staple decorations is kind of nice.  They can stand as the base of my seasonal decor and the others, like the real pumpkins, can be the fluff and fillers that provide a little variety year after year.

Back to my fake pumpkin, I knew I wanted to do some sort of monogram like this.  I think it just looks so timeless, something that would never go out of style.

I found this great tutorial by Diane which shows how to get the the type of monogram look I was going for.  Instead of Photoshop Elements, I used Adobe Illustrator CS5 because that is what I am most comfortable with.  From there, putting all the pieces together was very easy!

Monogrammed Pumpkin DIY

Supplies Needed:

• Styrofoam Pumpkin
• Illustrating program (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)
• Printer
• Wooden Pencil
• Stylus
• Paint Pen (Optional)
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Spray Sealant

1. Using the tutorial from here, create and print your monogram.
2. Using a tip from here, rub the pencil on the back of the paper where you will be tracing.  This turns your paper into quickie carbon paper.
3. Tape monogram onto pumpkin.  Using a fine tip stylus, trace the monogram.  The graphite will rub off and the stylus will create some easy-to-see indentations.  Don't press too hard!  You can easily break into the styrofoam layer if you do.
4. (Optional)  Using a paint pen, trace over the outline.  I found it easier to fill in the shape after the outline was set.
5. With matching paint, fill in the outline with a small paint brush.  Apply additional coats as needed.  My pumpkin took three coats.
6. If using acrylic paint, apply a coat or two of spray sealant.

 

I love this project!  All in all, it took me about 1.5 hours to complete, not including the sealant drying times.  This is an easy project to tackle on a rainy afternoon or while you're catching up on some TV episodes.

 For more DIY autumn decor, click here.