You can make this Chalky Wood Pumpkin Halloween Decor in a snap with a blocky wood pumpkin blank and Halloween metal wording from Dollar Tree.
I originally found this adorably chunky wood pumpkin blank at Target over by the gift wrap section on the seasonal end cap display they always have set up. I try to remember to check there when I’m looking for cute craft supplies because they put items there not found anywhere else in the store.
The metal wording may look familiar from the Dollar Tree. You can’t beat three metal words for only $1, but items like that get snatched up very quickly. But don’t worry, I found some just like them from Amazon and they’re linked below.
As cute as the pumpkin and metals words are, though, I think the real superstar for this Chalky Wood Pumpkin Halloween Decor is the chalk wash used over the black chalk paint. I think it gives it a cute rustic look but also a creepy old look, perfect for spooky Halloween decorations.
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Chalky Wood Pumpkin Halloween Decor Materials
- Wood Pumpkin Cut Out
- Metal Halloween Wording
- Black Chalk Paint
- White Chalk
- 3D Foam Squares
- Paintbrush
- Paper Towel
Chalky Wood Pumpkin Halloween Decor
1: Paint your wood pumpkin with black chalk paint or chalkboard paint. I like to start with the front and then move to the sides. I only needed to paint one coat since my chalk paint is super thick.
Make sure you place it on something to lift it off the table surface so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Let it dry completely.
2: Now you may not want to do this, but since my pumpkin will be standing on its own as decor, I want to make sure all the sides are finished the same. So, peel off any pricing or label stickers and paint the back like you did the front and let it dry completely.
3: Make sure all of your paint is completely dry before completing this step or you will have a mess. Take a piece of regular classroom white chalk and use the side of it to basically cover the entire pumpkin with a coating of chalk. Don’t be afraid to rub the chalk into the painted wood pumpkin hard. You want to get as good a coverage as you can so that when you wipe it off, it isn’t regular black again.
FYI, this can get very messy very quickly. Have you ever seen kids after they played with sidewalk chalk? Yeah, the chalk dust tends to go everywhere both when you apply it and when you wipe it off, so just be cautious of your clothing, your workspace, fan usage. etc. It does clean up with a damp paper towel pretty easily though.
4: Then take a dry paper towel and wipe it down. Rub the chalk into the paint as you are wiping it off. You want to leave a chalky finish on the pumpkin. Don’t use a damp paper towel because that will just remove the chalky finish. If you have an old school chalk eraser, I bet that would give it an even better finish.
It will be easier if you apply the chalk and wipe it off in sections. I did the front first, then the edges, and then finished with the back.
5: Take several pieces of 3D foam squares and place them on the back of your metal Halloween wording. You could just stick the metal wording flat onto the wood pumpkin, but I think having it raised like this makes it look much cooler.
6: Place the wording, centered, on the painted and chalked wood pumpkin and press down firmly but without squishing the foam too much to make sure the wording is sticking well to the wood pumpkin. If you are very detailed oriented, I suggest marking the horizontal and vertical center points on both your pumpkin and your wording as well as marking a level line with masking tape. I pretty much just eyeball mine and hope for the best, lol.
That’s it! This craft is super simple and quick to complete and is easy enough for kids to make, too. Crafts don’t always have to be super complicated as far as I’m concerned, and this Chalky Wood Pumpkin Halloween Decor project is no exception. And clearly, you don’t have to paint it black if that’s too dark for your decor, any shade of gray or muted white would look nice and creepy and good ol’ orange can work, too, but just make sure you use chalk paint if you want to get the same look from the chalky wash.
And speaking of orange pumpkins, Dollar Tree has other metal wording specifically geared towards Fall and Thanksgiving, so you could make a similar sign for those. Amazon has them, too, because just like with the Halloween metal wording, these tend to sell out pretty quickly. Find Fall metal wording on Amazon.
If you don’t like the look of the galvanized metal, regardless of your pumpkin color, I’d honestly just find wood cut-out wording instead. Unless you want it to be a different metal color like gold, brass, or copper, ooo or rose gold even. If you do choose to paint your metal wording, I would definitely use spray paint and not chalk paint. Spray paint loooves to stick to metal surfaces.
However you choose to paint these fun craft staples, your Chalky Wood Pumpkin Halloween Decor will surely add a nice touch to the rest of your spooky decorations.
If you’d like to see some other DIY Halloween decor that’s painted black, you’d probably also like my Glittered Witch Hat Halloween Decor tutorial.
And if you are mainly looking for different black pumpkin craft ideas, you might like this adorable and not so scary Sparkly Pumpkin Spider tutorial.
