Faux Jarrahdale Pumpkins
August 19, 2012
For years I've been wanting to grow these beautiful gray/blue/green pumpkins, but they take up a lot of garden space and my husband has been leery of giving up any of his tomato turf. Next year I am really going to push for these, but in the meantime, I made some faux.
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| The stunning slate gray/blue Jarrahdale Pumpkin was my inspiration. |
I spotted these fabulous fakes in the PB catalog and saw the price, from $69 to $119 each, and while I loved them I knew I would never pay that price.
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| Aren't they gorgeous? |
I love these newsprint pumpkins too, from $59 to $99. Possibly worth it as I can't imagine myself decoupaging styrofoam pumpkins.
Still, I am pretty practical at heart and figured I could DIY a little something. I started out with some orange styrofoam pumpkins bought after season last year at 90% off. I painted them with Benjamin Moore's Gettysburg Gray, a leftover sample from last spring when we painted our family room and finally decided on Kingsport Gray. Turns out Gettysburg Gray is the PERFECT choice for this project. Just the right amount of gray, blue and green. If you are lucky enough to live close to a Ben Moore store, they sell this in the sample size.
After two coats of the gray I let them dry overnight.
Next, I watered down a brown acrylic glaze, painted it all over and while still wet, wiped most of it off with a damp cloth. This gave it a bit of depth. These are a dead ringer for the beautiful Jarrahdale pumpkin.
While I am not ready for summer to be over, not by a long shot, I am starting to feel a little snap of fall in the air and it's only mid-August. Strange. The leaves on our mulberry tree are just beginning to fall. The kids around here are back in school already and I am seeing Halloween displays in the shops. Even though I got a jump on the pumpkin display, I have not given up on summer and am still working on a white cotton cardigan, (I would have had it done in June if I hadn't started so many other projects.) So autumn really should just hold tight, I still have a bit of summer to do!
Featured on A Stroll Through Life Tabletop Tuesday , Twirl and Take a Bow, Centerpiece Wednesday and Wow Us Wednesdays.
22 Comments
Love these! You're so talented, I don't know where to begin to do anything like this!! Don't need to hurry Autumn even though it's a beautiful season. Thanks for sharing these lovely pumpkins.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your week.
FABBY
Kristen, you are amazing!
ReplyDeleteLove your idea! Pumpkins came out beautifully!
We just started a bit of a summer in Oregon, so I try to resist thinking about the fall, but will look through my favorite bulb catalogs tonight. It is time to prepare for fall planting.
These are wonderful! Where did you get the pumpkins? I've seen lots of styrofoam pumpkins, but yours have particularly nice stems.
ReplyDeleteI got them at JoAnns. Here's a link for some tinier ones
Deletehttp://www.joann.com/autumn-inspirations-mixed-pumpkin-mesh-yellow/zprd_11564531a/ if you don't have a JoAnns near you. I couldn't find mine on their site. You're right, sometimes the stems are pretty bad.
Thanks! I'll have to check there in the fall.
DeleteYour pumpkins look great! I have admired the Pottery Barn pumpkins too, but am with you! Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful job on the pumkins! I have to do this! I am trying to hold on to summer too, though it is hard with inspiration all about us.
ReplyDeleteWell, these are just beautiful. You did get the color just right. You know, everyone will be making these now, including me. Enjoy your individualism now! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteKristin, these pumpkins turned out amazing! What a great idea. And you can keep them out for a long time and they won't go bad! I once grew the "cinderella" pumpkins (can't remember their french name), which are so pretty, and had a lot of fun decorating with them that year.
ReplyDeleteThe Pottery Barn catalog pages get me motivated every August. I LOVE fall. Yesterday I felt just the slightest hint in the air, even in the sunlight. Can't wait!!!!
These are fabulous; pinning so I don't forget!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteOh these are stunning. I love them. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteOh wow, you did a great job. They look like you got them at PB. Thanks for sharing. Blessings Paula Lusk
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome! What a great idea! Love the color. I'd love for you to share this at my party, Twirl & Take a Bow at www.houseontheway.com. It's every Tuesday through Sunday. Hope you can stop by!
ReplyDeleteLeslie
Wow they look amazingly real!! You did a great job on these. I think I may have to make some! Come link up to Centerpiece Wednesday on my blog and share this idea.
ReplyDeleteKarin
Beautiful!!! They really DO look like the real thing. I usually buy them when I can find them at a farmer's market- but they are pricey. Not PB pricey..... but more than the orange ones. I have some good cheap fakies I bought last year at the end of the season that are definitely going to get a make-over soon! Thanks for the inspiration. Visiting from the Style Sisters. :-) Sue
ReplyDeleteYour pumpkins look great............don't you just love pumpkins,
ReplyDeleteam getting very excited about getting mine out soon!!
That is a very pretty color too.
Great job!
Blessings, Nellie
Thanks for linking this up to my party! I love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat pumpkins, I am wanting to paint some orange ones I have and this would work perfect. Thanks, I needed your inspiration.
ReplyDeleteLove the look of it. Nice to see a variation from orange.
ReplyDeleteI am visiting from my blog Topiary Rose.
Wow! I am really impressed! These turned out really, really nice!...Christine
ReplyDeleteHi Kristen,
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome DIY project! Your pumpkins look fantastic and thank you for the color samples. If I can get up enough nerve and find the time I will have to give this a try.
You make my day when you make a comment!