I Finished 3 Pumpkins for Halloween 2021

This year I set a goal of creating three paper mâché pumpkins for Halloween.  I started in January, but was only able to find time to work on them now and then.  I was trying a new type of flour paste mix that had thin-set mortar admix in it rather than water.  I had to have the windows open for ventilation,

which was not exactly comfortable in January, but I kept working on the pumpkins.  Since they take so long to make, I tried making them as production work, finishing all the pumpkins to the same level before moving on to the next step.  I have to say it was not as satisfying as completing them one at a time.

I finished the forms, but was so tired of working on the things that I needed to take a break.  Finally I painted them.  The smaller two I painted with latex exterior paint and sealed them with an exterior sealer.   This is my first time using exterior paint.  I was not certain that the colors were going to come out well. 

 

The interiors of the pumpkins were painted first.   After two layers of Gesso as a primer, I painted the interior and exterior flat black.  The opening on the small pumpkins made painting the inside a challenge.  It was hard to get my hand insides.  I came up with a solution.  I taped over the openings for the faces with blue painter's tape, making sure that there was a lot of overlap on the tape.  I sat the pumpkin in a disposable aluminum pan to catch any drippings.  I poured some paint inside and rolled the pumpkin around to coat the inside.  Afterwards, I poured out any excess paint.  After that, I removed the painter's tape.  There was some residual dripping that I had to wipe off with a sponge brush around the openings, but it did not take very long for that to stop.  This technique actually saved a lot of time.

Next, the exteriors of the two pumpkins received a coat of Flat Black.  When the outside was dry I used a dry brush technique to add layers of Vivid Orange.  All in all it had three layers of Vivid Orange.  The first layer made it look as if the pumpkin was made of rusty metal.  I added two more coats of Vivid Orange to get it to a point I found acceptable.  Before adding the exterior sealer, they only looked okay.  The colors really picked up after the sealer.  The two smaller pumpkins should be able to stand up to some time outdoors without fading. 

The larger pumpkin, the one sticking out its tongue, is painted with acrylic paints.  I had put so much work into it that I just did not want to mess it up when I was uncertain how the paints were going to come out.  It is also sealed with an exterior sealer.  It may not be very resistant to sun fading, so it will only be outside for brief periods of time, and preferably in a covered location.  

 The teeth for the large pumpkin were made from paper clay which I made myself.  The tongue was given created from cardboard and wire before being covered in paper mâché.  To give the tongue some texture, I used Golden Glass Bead Medium before priming with Gesso and painting.

Each pumpkin has been an experiment in one way or another.  I have learned something new from each one.  Each experiment has helped me save time.  One of the things that has taken the most time is making the top fit back on once the pumpkin has been cut open.  The little pumpkin with the round mouth has a top that was fitted as closely as possible.  The pumpkin with the hat has a different type of top.  I added tapered layers of cardboard underneath the hat so that the hat fits in the pumpkin much like a wine stopper fits in a bottle.  That was much easier.  However, if I were to make another one, I would probably add a few more layers on the tapering section.  The large pumpkin also has a fitted top, but it did not want to fit nearly as well.  

I have seen other types of pumpkins people have made where they just cut out the bottom and then set the pumpkin down over the light source.  I may try that on my next pumpkin.  It would save hours.  Or I may cut a little flap out of the pumpkin and add a hinge so that the section can be opened and closed to insert a light.  I guess I will cross that bridge when I get the next pumpkin finished.  

Creating these pumpkins has been a labor of love.  My plan is to have a large number of the pumpkins in my yard for Halloween that will build up over time.  Some pumpkins will be original creations.  I may use some Pumpkin Masters templates on others.  The goal is to have a yard full of pumpkins, not necessarily for each one to be an original work. 

Progress on the Pumpkins

 I haven't been posting very often while I have been working on the paper mâché pumpkins.  Watching layers of  paper mâché go on is akin to watching paint dry.  However, I have made some significant progress.  Three pumpkins have reached the stage where I am ready to start working on the faces.  

The first large pumpkin I made was cast on a real pumpkin for three layers.  Then the layers were cut off the pumpkin and reassembled using hot glue.  Then three more layers of  paper mâché were added.  Once that pumpkin was complete, I used it as the mold for casting another pumpkin on top, which was also removed and reassembled.  For now, I plan to keep the first pumpkin to use as a mold to make other pumpkins.  The second pumpkin will be the one for carving faces.

Two smaller pumpkins were cast over a plastic pumpkin, using the same procedure as above.  They are also ready for carving.  

The plan is to use the large pumpkin for a very complex face.  The larger surface area will allow for a lot of detail.  The smaller pumpkins will have very simple faces, but more accessories to add personality and help tell a story.  The smaller area will work best without trying to get too much detail.   I call the small pumpkins "Grinners" as it will be mostly about the traditional type of pumpkin smile.  

One of the small pumpkins has a top hat.  I am wavering back and forth about how much decoration to add to the hat.  Sometimes I want just a formal hat.  Other times I think about adding a lot of decorations such as skulls and bones or perhaps just painting it with Halloween themed items and colors.  That is yet to be determined.  However, if I do add bones or other items, they need to be made of paper mâché and glued on before the hat is painted.  Items need to be glued to the solid surface before painting.  If an item is glued to a painted surface, the hold is only going to be as strong as the coat of paint.  I guess I will explore my options a little more before making a final decision.

Eventually the pumpkin with the hat will also have a bow tie.  I am currently working on the bow tie.  I spent yesterday afternoon making the basic shape.  I am not yet satisfied with the result, so at least another days work before it is finished.  I want to have the bow tie ready so that when I cut the face, so I can paper mâché over the cut areas of the face and cover the bow tie at the same time.

I have plans for the other pumpkins as well, but I will save that for future posts.  I don't want to get too far ahead of myself because some times I decide to change directions on a project.

Check back soon.  Now that the pumpkins are made, the work will go a lot faster.

Coming Soon: More Pumpkins for the Pumpkin Patch

This past Halloween was pretty much a non-starter due to Covid-19 virus.  I am hoping that 2021 will be a spectacular Halloween.  I want to be ready with some great decorations.This past Halloween was pretty much a non-starter due to Covid-19 virus.  I am hoping that 2021 will be a spectacular Halloween.  I want to be ready with some great decorations. I wanted to show you my two latest paper maché pumpkins.  They will soon be turned into Jack O' Lanterns  for my (hoped for) 2021 Halloween decorations.  I have been working on this project for a while, but I am just now finding the time to blog about it.

I want to have a dozen or so carved or decorated pumpkins that I could use year after year.  However, a dozen of the Funkin type pumpkins available locally sell for about $30.00 each at the craft store.  Maybe I could find them cheaper online, but they are still fairly expensive.  The larger size paper maché pumpkins I did find online were still $5.00 apiece.  That is a better price range, but still, why pay sixty dollars when I can make them all for about $7.00 total.  Even better, I can make the paper maché pumpkins waterproof for just a few dollars more.  

The large pumpkin was cast on a real pumpkin, then cut off in quadrants and then put back together with hot glue and more layers of paper maché.  The smaller pumpkin was cast on a styrofoam pumpkin. I think you can see that the one made using a real pumpkin is much more lifelike.  

I have already cut off the top and finished the edges of the top on the large pumpkin.  That is really the most frustrating part of the entire project.  When you cut open paper maché the layers separate and flare a little bit, so the don't always settle back neatly into exact position.  I have to cover the edges.  Also, I build a rim on the inside of the pumpkin and on the inside of the top to help the top fit on neatly without any gaps.  Picture a sugar bowl and how the top fits on that to understand what I am saying here.

Before I start creating the Jack O' Lantern face on the large pumpkin, I plan to cast a few more pumpkins using this pumpkin as a mold.  The original pumpkin has long since become unusable and gone into the trash.  I would like to have a few more pumpkins in this size before I start making the faces on them.  

Before I start with the layers of paper and paste, I covered this pumpkin completely with a product called Press and Seal.  It can be found in supermarkets in the plastic wrap aisle.  I prefer Press and Seal to regular plastic wrap because it seals to itself.  Plastic wrap works, but can come loose or leave leaves areas where the plastic wrap bunches up.   I will say that the Press and Seal does not have a good cutting edge on the box.  I usually pull off a big piece, place it on a cutting board, and cut it into strips using a ruler and a craft knife.  For a large pumpkin like the one above, I was cutting the Press and Seal into two inch strips. (I place the strips vertically on the pumpkin.)  I know it sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but it makes a much neater surface for the paper maché.  That may not be important in every project, but if someone is going to be viewing the inside of the finished project, then it might be a factor.

It takes about 45 minutes to cover a pumpkin of this size with one layer of paper maché.  I usually only add one layer at a time.  I want to make sure that the layer is completely dry before adding another layer.  You can add two layers, but don't do more than that at one time.   Paper maché can mold if it stays damp too long.  All told, the pumpkin will have six layer of paper maché with additional layers over the edges where the pumpkin was cut apart and put back together.

A large pumpkin like this one will take about six to seven hours of paper maché work, plus several more hours to take it apart and put it back together.  Then the actual fun begins of making the face.  I can understand why some people would rather buy the Funkins or craft pumpkins.  But, if you like working in paper mach, all of that work is just part of the fun.  It is a challenge to start with a flat piece of paper and turn it into a three dimensional project.  I like that.

I put on three layers, then mark and label my cutting lines and any cutting cues for putting the pumpkin back together.  Then, I cut the form off the original pumpkin.  I find that it comes off best in quadrants. (For more info and pictures about this see my post on December 29th, 2020 at folkartbycaroljones.blogspot.com)  Once it is apart, I put it back together with hot glue and more layers of paper maché. 

The smaller pumpkin was cast and reformed in the same manner.  I did not cast the stem for this pumpkin.  I found the stem was somewhat of an annoyance while working on the large pumpkin.  I will make my own stem when I cut off the top and open up the pumpkin.  

I mentioned that for a few dollars more, I could make the pumpkins waterproof.  I found that rather than using water to make the flour paste, I could use Thinset Mortar Admix.  It is in the tile section of hardware stores.  If you can find a smaller bottle, you are to the good.  Mostly you will find it in gallon size.  I had some leftover from my stained glass gazing ball projects.  This product also comes in a powder to which you add water.  Either way, it works.

This product is really a liquid latex.  I experimented with it on some small projects.  I made a paper maché ball using the thinset mortar admix. After drying the project, it soaked it in water for three hours.  The paper held together.  When removed from the water and set out to dry, the entire ball stayed intact.  It was amazing.  It will help these projects last for years.  (You can read more on this on my blog on December 30th, 2020 at folkartbycaroljones.blogspotcom)

So my plan for the next few weeks is to make a few more pumpkins.  By that time I will be pretty bored with laying strips of paper, so I will take some time to create the faces and paint the Jack O' Lanterns.  When I am bored with that process, I will go back to making pumpkins.  

Will I be able to make all of the pumpkins this year?  I don't know.  Life has a habit of getting in the way.  However, I will do what I can.  If it takes a year or two years, I will still have a great display.